Did Hailey hear him correctly? She blinked then asked, “What?”

“We’ll go on a public date. A high-profile restaurant in Center City.”

So not a real date. A pretend one. Her heart needed to calm down. This wasn’t a romance. This was a business arrangement. “Do you think that is necessary?”

He rose and crossed the room to where she stood. His hand came up but didn’t touch her. Her heart was screaming for him to reach out. Her head knew better.

“Yes, ...