“Please,” I beg. “I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“I’m not good at lying,” she says with a firm tone. “You’re asking the wrong person.”

“You’re great at selling,” I remind her. “I’ve seen you work an entire room of people and convince them to sign the contract and pay the fifty percent right on the spot.”

“What would I be selling?”

“Us. As a couple.”

She gestures at me and then at herself. “You and me? A couple?”

Claire laughs, then drinks her wine.

“God, there’s not enough wine on this plane to make me agree to be your girlfriend. I mean, you’re hot. What with your perfect tailored suits, that trimmed beard, your chiseled jaw, and broad shoulders…who would believe that I, Claire, am dating a super-hot GQ model?”

“You think I’m hot?” I ask, surprised by her bluntness.

She points to her empty glass. “It’s the wine talking. You’re a ten; I’m like a seven.”

“Sweetheart, you’re an eleven, and you are out of my league,” I say in all honesty.

Women like her are a rarity.

“I don’t know where you’re getting those numbers from,” I say. “But I assure you, you’re beautiful. The whole package.”

I caress the inside of her hand, enjoying the feel of her skin against mine. I feel calm; all the anxiety about the account we could lose, my family’s expectations, and the future of my company seems miles away.

“Beauty is more than the shell,” I say. “You’re a smart, successful woman with a sassy attitude. Gorgeous nonetheless.”

“You’re a sweet talker, Mr. Archer,” she says softly.

“Is it working?” I ask, staring into her eyes and getting lost in them.

I feel as if I’m drifting in a faraway galaxy. Where I see a shooting star I ache to reach, to touch and become one with it. I blink twice. Where did that idea come from?

“It’s just a couple of meals and the ceremony. You’ll be free by Monday.”

“You’re putting me in a tight spot,” she says. “Why don’t you invite someone else? What happened to the tall blonde you were dating?”

“Are you keeping tabs on me, Ms. Solis?”

“Dream on.” She serves me a sassy eye roll. “She always came to the office as if she owned the place. But now that I think about it, it’s been a while since I saw her.”

“We broke up more than a year ago,” I tell her.

“Did she realize you were sucking out her soul?”

“I like to suck many things, Claire,” I say with a warning voice. “But never souls.”

She purses her lips and shuts her eyes tight for a second.

“Please,” I beg. “Just a weekend.”

“This would be platonic.” She opens her eyes and gives me a warning glare.