Work Text:
Rhaenys needed a fiancé for the charity gala to be a shield against her business rival's advances. She'd rather not have one but she'd rather be safe than sorry. Daemon, an out-of-work actor, was the perfect choice: handsome, charming, and entirely uninterested in her for anything but the paycheck. Their plan was simple: a few public kisses, a whispered "darling," and a night of convincing everyone they were in love. He played the part perfectly, his hand at the small of her back, his smiles practiced and warm. But as they danced, she felt her own heart flutter against her ribs, a reaction she hadn’t rehearsed. He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear. "Just pretend I'm your entire world," he murmured, the line from their script. But his hand, once a professional prop, was now a warm, solid weight against her skin. She looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw not the actor, but the genuine desire in his eyes. For the first time since the night started, she found herself not pretending. That realization was a dangerous, exhilarating truth, and she found herself leaning in just a little closer to him than she should have. Fuck.