didn’t hurt, either.
Asia fought to regain control over her senses and returned to the matter at hand. She filled Dexter in on Cortland’s professional background and shared an abbreviated accounting of their history together.
“This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it sounds as if the two of you were perfect for each other,” Dexter commented.
Asia’s lips flattened in annoyance. “Apparently, Cortland doesn’t agree.”
“Are you trying to get him back?”
She contemplated his query for only a second before shaking her head. “No. I thought I wanted him back, but that was before I found out there was another woman.”
“So why are you doing this?” He held his hands up. “Don’t think that I’m backing out of the job, because I’m not. If you’re willing to shell out ten grand for a pretend boyfriend, I’m willing to play the part. I just don’t understand why you believe you’d have to pay someone to date you. You’re gorgeous.”
Asia was embarrassed by the sudden heat that flushed her skin at his simple compliment.
The high-pitched whirl of the coffee grinder granted her a moment’s reprieve from responding to him. When the machine quieted, Asia cleared her throat and said, “Unless flattery is included in your price, you can keep it to yourself, Dexter.”
“It’s not flattery, it’s fact. I know I’m not the first man to point out that you’re an attractive woman.”
She wasn’t sure if this was a tactic in his confidence-building strategy, but his words washed over her battered pride like a soothing balm.
“No, you are not,” Asia answered, staring into her coffee cup. “Thank you. As much as it pains me to admit it, I needed to hear that.” She glanced up at him before averting her gaze. In a much softer voice, she said, “My ego has taken a beating. I thought I was enough for my ex-fiancé. Finding out that I wasn’t has not been easy to stomach.”
“Maybe it was him.”
Her eyes snapped to his.
With a nonchalant shrug, he expounded, “Some men will stray no matter how perfect their significant other. The problem may lie with him, not you.”
Okay, so he was good. Really good. He’d managed to soothe the frayed edges of her tattered pride with just a few compliments.
“How did you find yourself doing this for a living?” Asia asked. “Did you get a degree in psychology and decide that you didn’t want to run a regular practice?”
That dimple appeared again as one side of his mouth tipped up in a grin.
“We should probably get a few things on the table before we go any further,” he said. “First, I am not a psychologist, nor do I have any type of formal training as a counselor. My knowledge comes from life experience.”
“Were you a serial rebound guy?”
“I wouldn’t say I was a serial rebound guy, but I have been in that situation before. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but the signs were there.”
She propped her chin in her hand. Curious, she asked, “What were the signs?”
His hooded gaze held a glimmer of amusement. “You know, Asia, I usually don’t give this much information away on the first date.”
“This isn’t a date,” she reminded him. “It’s a business meeting. Please tell me,” she said with much less starch in her tone. “I want to know what prompted you to do this for a living.”
Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, he drew in a deep breath and then released it.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was the rebound guy for an old girlfriend. We hit it off from the very beginning, but there were signs that she wasn’t over her ex. She would compare me to him all the time. Whenever I tried to probe too deep, she would pull back. She always wanted to keep things light and carefree. It was all about having fun.”
“She dumped you,” Asia said.
That wry grin curled up the edges of his lips again.
“She dumped me,” he confirmed with a nod. “It was hard to see past my
Asia fought to regain control over her senses and returned to the matter at hand. She filled Dexter in on Cortland’s professional background and shared an abbreviated accounting of their history together.
“This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it sounds as if the two of you were perfect for each other,” Dexter commented.
Asia’s lips flattened in annoyance. “Apparently, Cortland doesn’t agree.”
“Are you trying to get him back?”
She contemplated his query for only a second before shaking her head. “No. I thought I wanted him back, but that was before I found out there was another woman.”
“So why are you doing this?” He held his hands up. “Don’t think that I’m backing out of the job, because I’m not. If you’re willing to shell out ten grand for a pretend boyfriend, I’m willing to play the part. I just don’t understand why you believe you’d have to pay someone to date you. You’re gorgeous.”
Asia was embarrassed by the sudden heat that flushed her skin at his simple compliment.
The high-pitched whirl of the coffee grinder granted her a moment’s reprieve from responding to him. When the machine quieted, Asia cleared her throat and said, “Unless flattery is included in your price, you can keep it to yourself, Dexter.”
“It’s not flattery, it’s fact. I know I’m not the first man to point out that you’re an attractive woman.”
She wasn’t sure if this was a tactic in his confidence-building strategy, but his words washed over her battered pride like a soothing balm.
“No, you are not,” Asia answered, staring into her coffee cup. “Thank you. As much as it pains me to admit it, I needed to hear that.” She glanced up at him before averting her gaze. In a much softer voice, she said, “My ego has taken a beating. I thought I was enough for my ex-fiancé. Finding out that I wasn’t has not been easy to stomach.”
“Maybe it was him.”
Her eyes snapped to his.
With a nonchalant shrug, he expounded, “Some men will stray no matter how perfect their significant other. The problem may lie with him, not you.”
Okay, so he was good. Really good. He’d managed to soothe the frayed edges of her tattered pride with just a few compliments.
“How did you find yourself doing this for a living?” Asia asked. “Did you get a degree in psychology and decide that you didn’t want to run a regular practice?”
That dimple appeared again as one side of his mouth tipped up in a grin.
“We should probably get a few things on the table before we go any further,” he said. “First, I am not a psychologist, nor do I have any type of formal training as a counselor. My knowledge comes from life experience.”
“Were you a serial rebound guy?”
“I wouldn’t say I was a serial rebound guy, but I have been in that situation before. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but the signs were there.”
She propped her chin in her hand. Curious, she asked, “What were the signs?”
His hooded gaze held a glimmer of amusement. “You know, Asia, I usually don’t give this much information away on the first date.”
“This isn’t a date,” she reminded him. “It’s a business meeting. Please tell me,” she said with much less starch in her tone. “I want to know what prompted you to do this for a living.”
Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, he drew in a deep breath and then released it.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was the rebound guy for an old girlfriend. We hit it off from the very beginning, but there were signs that she wasn’t over her ex. She would compare me to him all the time. Whenever I tried to probe too deep, she would pull back. She always wanted to keep things light and carefree. It was all about having fun.”
“She dumped you,” Asia said.
That wry grin curled up the edges of his lips again.
“She dumped me,” he confirmed with a nod. “It was hard to see past my
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