grinning at him, a mischievous look on her face. “Not many men would step up and pretend to be my boyfriend in that scenario.”
“Any man would love to be your boyfriend, pretend or otherwise,” he said.
She rolled her eyes at the flattery. “I’m serious. I mean, most guys I know would run in the opposite direction if they were being glared at by a guy like that.”
“A guy like what?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“A guy who’s built like a brick wall,” she said dryly.
He pretended to ponder her statement. “You’re right,” he said. “You owe me.”
Her laughter was light and musical. “How am I ever going to repay you?” she teased. Her voice had gone soft and sultry and it had an instantaneous effect on his groin. She was flirting with him and it was completely irresistible.
This woman would be the end of him.
Before he could answer the provocative question, she continued, “I suppose I’ll just have to do the same for you.”
“Pretend to be my boyfriend?”
She swatted his arm but ignored the comment. “I imagine you have loads of history in this city, am I right? You must have some serious baggage here. I mean, why else would anyone hate this city?”
Jack thought of his brother who he’d barely spoken to in three years. He supposed you could call that baggage, although it was more like a giant U-Haul of unresolved issues.
She took his silence for a yes. “I knew it.” She turned so she was walking backward and could look him square in the face. “I bet you’ve left behind a trail of women with broken hearts. I’m surprised they even allow you into the country, you’re probably a wanted man.”
She was teasing, he knew she was teasing, but for the first time in his life, he hated the playboy image he’d created for himself. But there was no way he was going to tell this woman the humiliating stories behind his fall out with his brother. When it came down to being seen as a player or a fool, he’d take player every time. He forced a smile and threw his hands up in surrender. “You caught me.”
Laughing, she went to turn back around so she was facing forward but her heel caught on a cobblestone. Jack caught her just in time. She was pressed against him and he could smell her soft, warm scent—a heady mix of vanilla and some sort of flower. Her breasts were soft against his chest. She was so close, he could feel her breath on his cheeks and his arms closed tight around her.
He couldn’t let go.
Surprise left her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide as she looked up at him. Her lips were so close. He could remember with vivid clarity that passionate kiss they’d shared at the wedding. It had been next to impossible to drag himself away from her then. He didn’t know if he could do it again. If he kissed her now, there was no going back. He wanted her in his arms…in his bed.
She was the one who put an end to the moment, pulling back roughly and shaking her head as if to shake off the thick tension that had developed between them.
“So how far is this place?” she asked, her voice just a bit too loud.
She’d felt it too. And she was walking away from it.
“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” she continued.
Jack followed her lead. “I was there earlier today to drop off my bags. We’re close, I promise,” he said, continuing to walk and pretending that nothing had happened. Easier said than done given the thick desire that had him struggling to think straight.
He latched on to the last topic of conversation. “So we have a deal then,” he said, doing his part to get them back on track. “If I find myself entangled in a, uh, sticky situation with an ex-lover….”
“I’ll come to your rescue,” Holly finished. She held out her little finger. “Pinky swear.”
He led her around the corner and pointed triumphantly at the apartment complex ahead of them. “M’lady, may I welcome you to…Brunelli’s home.”
The concierge on duty was
“Any man would love to be your boyfriend, pretend or otherwise,” he said.
She rolled her eyes at the flattery. “I’m serious. I mean, most guys I know would run in the opposite direction if they were being glared at by a guy like that.”
“A guy like what?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“A guy who’s built like a brick wall,” she said dryly.
He pretended to ponder her statement. “You’re right,” he said. “You owe me.”
Her laughter was light and musical. “How am I ever going to repay you?” she teased. Her voice had gone soft and sultry and it had an instantaneous effect on his groin. She was flirting with him and it was completely irresistible.
This woman would be the end of him.
Before he could answer the provocative question, she continued, “I suppose I’ll just have to do the same for you.”
“Pretend to be my boyfriend?”
She swatted his arm but ignored the comment. “I imagine you have loads of history in this city, am I right? You must have some serious baggage here. I mean, why else would anyone hate this city?”
Jack thought of his brother who he’d barely spoken to in three years. He supposed you could call that baggage, although it was more like a giant U-Haul of unresolved issues.
She took his silence for a yes. “I knew it.” She turned so she was walking backward and could look him square in the face. “I bet you’ve left behind a trail of women with broken hearts. I’m surprised they even allow you into the country, you’re probably a wanted man.”
She was teasing, he knew she was teasing, but for the first time in his life, he hated the playboy image he’d created for himself. But there was no way he was going to tell this woman the humiliating stories behind his fall out with his brother. When it came down to being seen as a player or a fool, he’d take player every time. He forced a smile and threw his hands up in surrender. “You caught me.”
Laughing, she went to turn back around so she was facing forward but her heel caught on a cobblestone. Jack caught her just in time. She was pressed against him and he could smell her soft, warm scent—a heady mix of vanilla and some sort of flower. Her breasts were soft against his chest. She was so close, he could feel her breath on his cheeks and his arms closed tight around her.
He couldn’t let go.
Surprise left her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide as she looked up at him. Her lips were so close. He could remember with vivid clarity that passionate kiss they’d shared at the wedding. It had been next to impossible to drag himself away from her then. He didn’t know if he could do it again. If he kissed her now, there was no going back. He wanted her in his arms…in his bed.
She was the one who put an end to the moment, pulling back roughly and shaking her head as if to shake off the thick tension that had developed between them.
“So how far is this place?” she asked, her voice just a bit too loud.
She’d felt it too. And she was walking away from it.
“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” she continued.
Jack followed her lead. “I was there earlier today to drop off my bags. We’re close, I promise,” he said, continuing to walk and pretending that nothing had happened. Easier said than done given the thick desire that had him struggling to think straight.
He latched on to the last topic of conversation. “So we have a deal then,” he said, doing his part to get them back on track. “If I find myself entangled in a, uh, sticky situation with an ex-lover….”
“I’ll come to your rescue,” Holly finished. She held out her little finger. “Pinky swear.”
He led her around the corner and pointed triumphantly at the apartment complex ahead of them. “M’lady, may I welcome you to…Brunelli’s home.”
The concierge on duty was
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