Alexander POV
I stared at Ella. The look on her face was teasing, but her eyes told a different story. They were dark, intent—appraising. She wasn’t just joking. At least, I didn’t think so.
Her confidence when she said I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference wasn’t misplaced. It unsettled me. I wasn’t completely convinced that she was serious, but for the first time in longer than I cared to admit, I found myself doubting my instincts.
That was unusual for me.
But maybe that wasn’t all there was to it. I knew I should resist this attraction to Ella. I should have been trying harder all along. This was a complication we couldn’t afford, not when so much was riding on the delicate balance of our deal.
It was too late, though.
We both knew our attraction was mutual, an
