One Big Mistake - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,32
spent the bulk of the day meeting with Cash and Howie, Cash’s manager, getting up to speed on all of his responsibilities. Tomorrow morning, Ramsey would meet with his team, many of which he already knew from his previous stint on Cash’s tour. Cash had given Ramsey full control over his team, which was reassuring.
Hartley sat back in her seat and gave him a speculative look. “How are you doing?”
“Great,” he said automatically.
“Are you okay giving up your other job? Hearing you talk on our drive, I could tell how invested in it you were.”
“That’s true. I’ll miss the excitement of it.”
She thrust her lips out in a mock pout. “You don’t think it’ll be exciting touring with me?” she purred in a sultry tone.
A grin pulled the corners of his mouth. “Careful, or I’ll have to kiss that smirk right off your lips.” Hartley was the most intoxicating woman he’d ever been around, as lethal as ten pied pipers rolled into one. He’d follow this woman to the edge of the earth and back, just to have her keep looking at him like he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
She leaned forward, a wicked glint in her sapphire eyes. “Alright, pretty boy, better not let that mouth of yours make promises you don’t intend to keep.”
“I’d never do that,” he drawled, savoring the sparks flying between them. He cocked his head. “You know, my mama warned me about girls like you,” he quipped.
Her jaw dropped, and he could tell she was genuinely offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Oops, he’d stepped in it now. He’d gotten too comfortable, and it was coming back to bite him. Yeah, he’d never been great at polite conversation. It was amazing how fast tension had settled into the air. He looked her in the eye, figuring it was best to tackle this one head on. “You’re all spit and vinegar on the outside, using your sex appeal as a weapon.”
“Is that right?” Her blue eyes flashed with lightning bolts aimed straight at him.
An appeasing smile moved over his lips. “Before you claw my eyeballs out, hear me out.”
She harrumphed as she sat back in her seat and folded her arms over her chest. She raised an eyebrow. “I’m all ears.”
“You put up a tough front, but on the inside, you’re a genuinely good person.”
She blinked, her eyes going moist. “I don’t know about that.” She pushed out a self-deprecating chuckle as she looked away.
“I do.”
“What makes you so sure?” she challenged.
“I could say it’s because you help your family.”
“Well, that goes without saying,” she blustered. “Everyone helps their family.”
“No, not everyone. I also know about your donations to the women’s shelter on Fourth Avenue South, downtown Nashville. And how every summer you volunteer at an outreach program for youth, teaching voice and guitar lessons.”
Her eyes flew open wide. “Have you been checking up on me?”
“I’ve done my homework. Investigation is my thing, remember?”
“Some people might call that stalking,” she snipped.
“Nah.” A smile quivered on his lips. “Truth be known, Ava told me about your volunteer work.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously?” she huffed. “The only reason I even told Ava about those things is because I was hoping she might join me. I didn’t expect her to rat me out.” She pushed a hand through her hair before pursing her lips together in exasperation. “You just wait till I have a talk with that girl!”
Ramsey continued. “Even if Ava hadn’t told me those things, I would have seen the real you. I know you, Hartley Raines. The two of us are just alike in so many ways. That’s why we find each other so irresistible.”
Amusement sparked in her eyes. “I never said I found you irresistible,” she retorted.
“You didn’t have to,” he uttered, ripples of desire stirring inside him.
A sly smile traveled over her lips. “For the record, it’s nice to know you find me irresistible.” She batted her eyelashes, putting on her best doe-eyed expression.
A low chuckle moved through his throat. “Well, I did … until that.”
“Hey,” she protested. A second later, she tipped her head.
“Uh, oh,” he joked. “I recognize that look. What deviant plan do you have circling around in that curly head of yours?”
“Alright wise guy, here’s how this is gonna go. For the rest of the night, you and I are gonna have some serious, in-depth conversation.” She held up a warning finger. “There will be zero kissing or any other form of physical contact until I’m sure that