Updated Mar 13, 2026 • ~12 min read
The gallery is packed.
I knew it would be. James Chen is a big deal—star quarterback, massive contract, the kind of athlete who makes headlines just by breathing. His art collection launch was always going to draw a crowd.
But knowing it intellectually and actually walking into a room full of strangers while pretending to be Holden Reid’s wife are two very different things.
“You okay?” Holden murmurs as we step inside.
“Fine.”
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Your hand is shaking.”
I look down. He’s right. My hand, which is currently resting in the crook of his elbow, is trembling slightly.
Damn it.
“I’m fine,” I insist.
Holden covers my hand with his. His palm is warm, steady. “Hey. Look at me.”
I meet his eyes.
“We’ve got this,” he says quietly. “Just follow my lead, okay?”
I nod.
He smiles—a real smile, not the smirk he usually gives me—and something in my chest loosens.
Maybe we can actually pull this off.
“Mr. Reid!” A woman in a sleek black dress approaches us. She’s holding a clipboard and radiating the kind of efficiency that screams event coordinator. I recognize the look. It’s the same one I wear at my own events.
“Vanessa.” Holden shakes her hand. “Great turnout.”
“James and Lily will be thrilled. And you must be…” She looks at me expectantly.
This is it. My debut as Mrs. Reid.
“Tessa,” I say, extending my hand. “Tessa Morgan. Well, Reid now. Still getting used to it.”
I add a self-deprecating laugh that sounds almost natural.
Vanessa’s eyes widen. “Wait. You’re married? When did this happen?”
“Last weekend,” Holden says smoothly, sliding his arm around my waist. The touch is casual, possessive. It makes my heart stutter. “Vegas. Very spontaneous.”
“Oh my God, congratulations!” Vanessa looks genuinely delighted. “James is going to flip. He was just saying last week that you’d never settle down.”
“Well.” Holden looks down at me. “I met the right person.”
The way he says it—low and sincere and entirely convincing—makes my breath catch.
This is just acting. Just playing a role.
So why does it feel so real?
“We should find James,” Holden says. “Let him know we’re here.”
“Of course! He’s by the featured pieces in the back. Can’t miss him.” Vanessa squeezes my arm. “So nice to meet you, Tessa. We should do lunch! I want to hear all about how you tamed the great Holden Reid.”
She disappears into the crowd before I can respond.
“Tamed?” I mutter as we start walking.
“She’s dramatic.”
“Apparently everyone thinks you’re untameable.”
“And yet here you are. My wife.”
He says it so casually. Like it’s not the most insane thing that’s ever happened to either of us.
We weave through the crowd. People keep stopping Holden—colleagues, clients, industry people. He introduces me every time. “This is my wife, Tessa.” Over and over. Until the words start to sound almost normal.
Each time, he touches me. A hand on my lower back. Fingers laced through mine. Arm around my shoulders. Small gestures that probably look natural to everyone watching.
But to me, they’re electric.
I’m hyper-aware of everywhere our bodies connect. The warmth of his palm. The solidness of his presence beside me.
This is dangerous.
We finally reach James Chen. He’s tall, broad-shouldered, exactly what you’d expect from a professional quarterback. His wife, Lily, is petite and elegant, her hand resting on his arm.
“Holden!” James grins and pulls him into one of those bro-hug back-slap things. “Man, where have you been? Vanessa said you were here but—” He stops. Looks at me. “Wait. Who’s this?”
“James, Lily, this is Tessa. My wife.”
The silence that follows is almost comical.
“Your WHAT?” James’s jaw drops.
“Wife. We got married last weekend.”
“You’re joking.”
“Not joking.”
“Holden Reid got MARRIED?”
“I’m standing right here,” I say dryly.
James’s attention snaps to me. Then a huge smile breaks across his face. “Holy shit. Sorry—” He glances at Lily. “Sorry, babe. But holy SHIT. Holden got married.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” Lily says, but she’s smiling. “How did you two meet?”
Here we go. Time to sell the story.
“Through my brother,” I say. “Noah. He and Holden have been friends for years.”
“Wait.” James’s eyes narrow. “Noah Morgan? The detective?”
“That’s him.”
“Dude.” James turns to Holden. “You married your best friend’s sister? That’s either really brave or really stupid.”
“Probably both,” Holden admits.
Everyone laughs. Including me.
Because he’s not wrong.
“This calls for champagne,” Lily declares. She flags down a passing waiter and grabs four glasses. “A toast. To Holden and Tessa. May your marriage be filled with love, laughter, and—”
“Survival,” I finish.
More laughter.
We clink glasses. The champagne is expensive and crisp and goes straight to my head.
Or maybe that’s just the way Holden is looking at me.
“We should check out the collection,” Lily says, linking her arm through mine. “Let the boys talk business. Come on, I’ll show you my favorite pieces.”
Before I can protest, she’s pulling me away from Holden.
I glance back. He gives me a small nod. It’s fine. You’ve got this.
Lily leads me through the gallery, pointing out different paintings and sculptures. She’s surprisingly easy to talk to. Warm, funny, genuine.
“So,” she says as we stop in front of a massive abstract piece. “Vegas wedding. That’s pretty wild.”
“It was… impulsive.”
“The best things usually are.” She sips her champagne. “Can I be honest with you?”
“Sure?”
“I’ve known Holden for three years. He’s represented James the whole time. And I have never—not once—seen him look at someone the way he looks at you.”
My heart skips. “What do you mean?”
“Like you’re the only person in the room. Like he can’t quite believe you’re real.” She smiles. “It’s sweet. He’s clearly crazy about you.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
Because Holden isn’t crazy about me. This is fake. All of it.
Except…
Except the way he held my hand earlier felt real. The way he introduced me to everyone felt real. The way he keeps finding excuses to touch me feels really, really real.
“He’s a good guy,” I say finally.
“The best. But also totally clueless about his own feelings.” Lily leans in conspiratorially. “James says Holden’s been different lately. Happier. I’m guessing that’s because of you.”
“Maybe.”
“Definitely.” She squeezes my arm. “I’m really glad he found you, Tessa.”
Guilt twists in my stomach.
She’s so nice. So genuine. And I’m lying to her face.
“Me too,” I manage.
We make our way back to the guys. James and Holden are deep in conversation about some contract negotiation. Holden sees us approaching and immediately extends his hand to me.
I take it without thinking.
His fingers close around mine and something settles in my chest. Like a puzzle piece clicking into place.
This is bad. This is so bad.
“You ladies enjoy the art?” James asks.
“It’s beautiful,” I say. “You have great taste.”
“That’s all Lily. I just write the checks.”
“And look supportive,” Lily adds, echoing what Holden said last night.
They grin at each other. It’s clear they’re absolutely in love.
Something twists in my chest.
That’s what real marriage looks like. Not whatever Holden and I are doing.
“We should let you two mingle,” Holden says. “But congratulations on the collection. It’s incredible.”
“Thanks, man.” James claps him on the shoulder. “And seriously—welcome to the married club. It’s pretty great.”
We say our goodbyes and drift toward the edge of the room. Holden’s hand never leaves mine.
“You did great,” he murmurs.
“Lily thinks you’re crazy about me.”
“Good. That means we’re selling it.”
Right. Selling it. That’s all this is.
“I need some air,” I say abruptly.
“You okay?”
“Just hot. Too many people.”
It’s not a complete lie. The gallery is packed and warm. But mostly I need space. I need to get away from Holden’s hand in mine and the way everyone keeps congratulating us and the growing feeling that I’m in way over my head.
“There’s a balcony out back,” Holden says. “Come on.”
He leads me through a side door and out onto a small balcony overlooking the city. The night air is cool and sharp. I gulp it down.
“Better?” Holden asks.
“Yeah. Sorry. I just—”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
We stand in silence, leaning against the railing. The city lights stretch out below us. From up here, everything looks peaceful. Organized. Like all the chaos and noise and complications of life are happening somewhere else.
“Can I tell you something?” Holden says quietly.
“Sure.”
He’s quiet for a long moment. When he finally speaks, his voice is careful. Measured.
“I didn’t want to do this. When Sawyer first said we had to stay married, I was ready to take my chances with the IRS.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Because I saw your face. And I knew you were terrified. And I couldn’t…” He trails off. Runs a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t let you go through that alone.”
My breath catches.
“You’ve spent the last eleven years making my life hell,” I say. “Why would you care if I was terrified?”
Holden looks at me. Really looks at me.
“Because I don’t hate you, Tessa.”
The words hang between us.
“You don’t?”
“No. I never did.”
“Then why—” I stop. Think about all the years of bickering and arguments and tension. “Why did you act like you did?”
He’s quiet. The silence stretches.
“Holden—”
“Because you were my best friend’s little sister. And you were off-limits. And I didn’t know how else to be around you.”
My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it.
“What are you saying?”
He turns to face me fully. His dark eyes are serious, intense.
“I’m saying that maybe this fake marriage isn’t as fake as I thought it would be.”
The world tilts.
“Holden—”
“I’m not asking you to feel the same way. I’m just… I’m being honest. For once.” He takes a breath. “I’ve been watching you for years, Tessa. Trying not to notice how smart you are. How funny. How dedicated you are to everything you do. Trying not to care that every time you smile at someone else, I wish you were smiling at me.”
Oh my God.
Oh my GOD.
“You—” I can barely speak. “You have feelings for me?”
“Have had. For a long time.”
“How long?”
He hesitates. “Do you remember Noah’s graduation party? When you were fourteen?”
“When you pulled my pigtails?”
“Yeah. Except I didn’t pull them to be mean. I pulled them because you were wearing this yellow dress and you looked so happy and I was seventeen and stupid and I didn’t know how to talk to you.”
My entire worldview is shifting.
Everything I thought I knew about Holden Reid, about our history, about why we couldn’t stand each other—it’s all wrong.
“You liked me?” I whisper. “This whole time?”
“I tried not to. Trust me, I tried really hard not to. You’re Noah’s sister. You’re supposed to be off-limits. But then we got married and I thought maybe—” He stops. Shakes his head. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
“No. Don’t do that. Don’t shut down.”
“Tessa—”
“Tell me. Please.”
He meets my eyes.
“I thought maybe this was my chance. To show you I’m not the asshole you think I am. To prove that we could be something real. But I know that’s not fair to you. I know you didn’t sign up for this. So I’m sorry. For complicating things. For—”
I kiss him.
I don’t plan it. Don’t think about it. I just step forward, grab his face, and press my lips to his.
For a second, he freezes. Completely still.
Then he’s kissing me back.
His hands come up to cup my face, and suddenly we’re not fake kissing for show. This is real. Desperate. Like we’ve been holding back for years and finally broke.
He tastes like champagne and something uniquely him. His lips are soft but demanding. One hand slides into my hair. The other wraps around my waist, pulling me closer.
I should stop this. I should pull away and tell him this is a bad idea and remind him of Rule Seven: No falling in love.
But I can’t.
Because I’m already falling.
And I think I have been for a long time.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“Tessa—”
“Don’t,” I whisper. “Don’t apologize. Don’t take it back.”
“I wasn’t going to.” His thumb brushes across my cheek. “I was going to say we should probably go back inside.”
“Right. Yes. People will notice we’re gone.”
“Probably.”
But neither of us moves.
We just stand there, foreheads touching, breathing the same air.
“This changes things,” I say quietly.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know what we’re doing.”
“Me neither.”
“But we have to figure it out.”
“We will.” He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. “Together.”
Together.
The word settles over me like a promise.
We go back inside. Back to the crowd and the noise and the performance of being Mr. and Mrs. Reid.
But something has shifted.
Now when Holden touches me, I lean into it. When he introduces me, I smile. When someone asks how we’re enjoying married life, I don’t have to fake the happiness in my voice.
Because maybe—just maybe—this fake marriage is becoming something real.
And that terrifies me more than anything.
END OF CHAPTER 5
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