All-American Princess - Maggie Dallen Page 0,24

here, and everyone knew that the truth meant nothing if you couldn’t sell it. I was going to kill Marcus when I got home. As if he would ever break up with me. Bad at kissing and boring as all hell when we went out, I didn’t even know why I stuck with him as long as I did.

The mere thought of kissing had me clenching the steering wheel as I battled a wave of memories from the night before.

That kiss.

Jack might’ve been an egotistical, judgmental jerk, but he definitely knew how to kiss.

I gave my head a shake as I put the car in gear. It hadn’t been hard to get Brandon’s address. Tess had it ready for me by the time I’d pulled my bedhead hair up into a ponytail and thrown on some clothes.

Nothing flashy today. I’d left the sexy stuff behind in lieu of something that would hopefully put Brandon at ease and convince him that I’m not the big bad wolf everyone seemed to think I was.

After driving past endless pastures and more nothingness than I ever knew existed, I came to the gate that marked the turnoff for his family’s ranch. The dirt road up to the main house seemed to stretch forever, and the more I drove, the more my belly twisted into knots.

All of the confidence I’d had the day before shriveled up in the face of last night’s debacle. Nothing had gone according to plan. Well, it had for a little while there. For a few hours, between the stupid lakeside prank and the hot kiss that should never have happened, Brandon and I had bonded. Truth be told, I’d even enjoyed myself.

Sure, a lot of it was an act, but being a happy-go-lucky simple girl around Brandon was shockingly easy. Maybe because he was simple. Not simple as in a simpleton. He definitely had brains. We’d talked books and movies and what degree he wanted to pursue in college.

Not acting.

But I hadn’t expected him to come right out and declare he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. That would’ve been too easy.

We’d talked, and we’d laughed, and for a little while there, it had seemed like I’d had this in the bag. A few more nights like that one and I could reveal my secret—gently and in my own way. I could’ve made him see that an epic return to L.A. with a bona fide Hollywood heiress on his arm could help him obtain all those things he’d said he wanted. A few seasons on the show and he could go to the college of his dreams. He could travel the world like he’d said he wanted to do, and all while making sure his mother and the ranch were well cared for.

I pulled up beside his house, clinging to the hope that Tess was right and he might not have money. Fingers crossed he was desperate enough to hear me out.

I wasn’t a total ogre. I would never relish someone else’s struggles. But if he and his mom really were strapped for cash? That would be freakin’ awesome news for me.

My surge of excitement was dashed. The truck I’d pulled up beside? I knew this truck. I’d ridden in this truck.

I opened my car door.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” Jack’s voice hit me before I’d managed to get one foot out of the car.

I sighed, steeled myself and my features, and then clambered out with as much grace as possible for an old jalopy like this one. We have to fit in. That was Tess’s annoying logic when she’d rented the oldest piece of junk she could find.

Fitting in. That had been my plan too, and look how well that had turned out. One day in and I’d gotten us outed.

When I turned to face Jack, I found him standing in front of the main house.

Shirtless.

My mouth went dry, and the August air scorched my lungs. Holy freakin’ cow, this guy was ripped. He had the body of my dreams. Tall and lean, with muscles that were sculpted but not bulky. His skin was tanned and glistening with sweat.

His gaze raked over me. “Seen enough?”

I tried to swallow, but my throat was made of sandpaper. He was beautiful. Maybe I could convince him to play the rancher hero in Daddy’s reboot.

The idea came and went in a heartbeat because by the way he glared at me? I’d take my chances on Brandon. This guy would never