A Bad Boy is Good to Find - By Jennifer Lewis Page 0,15
His look of satisfaction irritated her.
“So when exactly did you stop sleeping with her?” She braced herself.
“More than a year ago. She was getting over an ugly divorce when I met her. Once she was ready to start seriously dating again, I didn’t fit the bill.” He shrugged, but his expression didn’t quite match the casual gesture.
“So she gave you your walking papers. How romantic. Did she give you money?”
He met her gaze. “She helped me out. Taught me how to act, how to dress, bought me some clothes.” His face was grim.
“How sweet. So you were a charity project for her? Her little Pygmalion. And the final triumph would be seeing you married off to a plump heiress?”
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
“You wanted to marry me for my money, then dump me and keep half and you didn’t want to hurt me?” Her voice rose to a screech.
“I didn’t plan to divorce you.” He spoke quietly.
“Oh, so let me get this straight, you wanted to marry me, live high on the hog with me and keep me fat and happy for the rest of my days?”
He licked his lips again. Shifted his shoulders.
The idea sank in and gave her a strange queasy feeling. “You really planned to stay married to me?”
“Yes. I think we’d have been a good team.” The wistful look in his brown eyes worsened the sensation in the pit of her stomach. She ignored it.
“And, er, how did you plan to conceal from me that you spend your days under a car rather than in an office? That kind of illusion must take a lot of work to sustain. You wanted to keep it a secret until we were legally married, and then you’d spring it on me?”
“Pretty much.”
His quiet acknowledgement sent a flash of raw pain shooting high.
She stood there, panting, staring at him. She could picture him discussing her over cocktails with Frankie Allen. They must have schemed to string her along and keep quiet about his true identity until it was too late.
All the while, she’d thought she’d found a man who truly loved her.
How could something so beautiful, so perfect, that brought her such shining happiness, have turned out to be a big joke at her expense?
She shook her head, tangled curls blurring her vision. Hard breaths came like sobs, but she managed to get her breathing under control. Lifted her chin.
He grimaced as he rearranged his arms again. “You’ve had your fun.” His voice was gruff. “Can you please take the cuffs off?”
That nasty hollow laugh shook her again. “Had my fun? That’s where you’re wrong. I’m just getting started.”
Chapter 5
“Okay, okay, you sweet-talked me. Again.” She unlocked the cuffs and oddly it was a relief to see Con stretch and flex his wrists.
She tried to ignore the ripple effect in the muscles of his back as he rolled off the bed and stretched.
“We made a fair deal. You get the car keys. I get the handcuff key.”
“How did you know I wouldn’t take the car keys and hightail it out of town, leave you here for the maid?”
“Because you’re not like that.”
“More fool me.” She jingled the car keys between her fingers. “You must really trust me—to let me go outside and get my clothes before I unlocked you.”
“I’m a good judge of character.” Con still wore nothing but the pair of blue boxers she’d given him. All tan skin and toned muscles, dusted with black hair. She averted her eyes.
“You can spot a sucker from fifty paces?”
“Something like that.” A wry look. “We need to get you some food. We passed a diner on the way here. Let’s go there and get a good breakfast. How’s your head feeling?”
“What head? I lost it over a man, remember?”
“When did you turn into such a wiseass?” He picked up his pants.
“I guess around the same time that someone made a total ass of me. Those pants are dirty. I brought you some clean ones from the car.” She picked up a pair of black pants she’d found in his luggage and threw them at him.
He caught them with one hand. “Now that’s just what I mean, about your character.” Shook them out and put his foot in. “Thoughtful. I appreciate it.” His polite smile made her want to slap him.
“Did you bring my Cheetos?”
“I did not.”
“I’m on a strict diet. Do you want me to blow up like a balloon again?”
“I want you to be strong and healthy. ‘Cheese food’