Page 11 of Love is Fake

“And, I have a spare truck for you to use.” He throws me a set of keys and I catch them instinctively.

“You want me to drive one of your cars?” I look dumbly at the Chevy logo on the keyring in my hand. “I can’t take this.”

“Don’t get excited, it’s a loaner.” His mouth kicks up in a half-smile at my expression and I make a point not to notice how it makes him even more attractive. “And I’m not taking no for an answer. If we’re going to be working together, I’d prefer it if you remain in one piece.”

This guy changes moods so fast he’s making my head spin. I try to remember if I’ve read anything in the tabloids about him being bipolar because that’s the only way to explain how he’s gone from treating me like dog poop he’s just stepped in to seeming to give a crap about my personal safety.

I shake my head to dispel my confusion, weighing the keys in my hand. “So,arewe going to be working together?”

“You’ve got a forty-eight-hour trial period, starting tomorrow at 8am. Let’s see if you can change my mind in that time. If not…” He shrugs for me to fill in the blanks. If not, he’ll be looking elsewhere, and I’ll have lost our clinic’s biggest contract ever. No pressure then.

“Forty-eight hours isn’t exactly long enough for you to see any results from the therapy,” I point out.

He shrugs broadly again, his signature move. “That’syourproblem, Isabella, not mine.”

He watches my reaction and it strikes me that he’s looking at me how a predator would look at its prey. He’s thrown the gauntlet down and he’s wondering if I’m going to take it. If heknew me, he wouldn’t be looking so expectantly. I don’t shy away from a challenge.

“Alright, but that means you have to followallmy advice and that includes using your crutches.” I give his injured knee a pointed look.

Lennox smirks at me, with that infuriatingly appealing smile of his. “You’re negotiating with me now?” He sounds shocked, but more amused than irritated.

“It may not be what you’re used to, but when I take on a client, I’m all in and I don’t mess around. Either you do what I say, or you can forget about being ready to play next season.” It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s what he’s going to be working towards and I see from the expression on his face that I’m not wrong.

“I can get on board with a woman who likes to take charge.” There’s an arrogant gleam in Lennox’s eyes as he says the words.

“Great, we-ll. I better be going.” I only stutter a tiny bit as I turn away from him, only to realize I don’t know where my new ride is.

I look over my shoulder to find Lennox with that damn smirk on his face. He locks eyes with me, and I feel a tingle in my stomach.

It’s probably hunger, I reason, though I know better.

“This way,” he motions with his head and I fall into step beside him. We walk towards an outbuilding I didn’t notice on the way in, probably because I was so worried about being late and wondering who my mystery client was. If I’d known who it was I’d be meeting I would have been even more anxious.

“This is the quietest you’ve been since we met,” Lennox comments and I feel, rather than see, his eyes on me.

I shrug, stealing his move. “If you’re just judging me on tonight then you’re forgiven for thinking I’m more argumentative than I really am.”

He lets out what sounds a bit like a hum of surprise.

“Same goes here, I guess,” he says eventually, and I manage to stop my mouth falling open in shock. I’m pretty sure what I just heard was the closest thing to an apology I’m ever likely to get from Lennox Gray. Instead of working up a comeback, I just nod, curtly. I’ll let him decide whether or not he wants to interpret it as acceptance.

We come to a stop and Lennox nods towards the garage doors. “If you flick the red button on the remote -”

I quickly look down at the keys in my hands, realizing I was staring at him again. This is why it’s easier to not look at him at all because once you start it’s like being pulled into a very attractive black hole.

Embarrassed and flustered, I flick through the keys until a large, tanned hand enters my field of vision, taking the remote and clicking the – now screamingly obvious – red button.

Breaking my own rule, I lift my eyes to meet Lennox’s, his fingers still brushing my palm and I swear I hear my pulse pick up just at the sight of the man.

Thank God the sound of the garage door lifting snaps me out of my psycho-levels of ogling. Lennox snatches his hand back and takes a step away from me, trying to create some distance and I promise myself I won’t blush at being silently called-out for being a complete creeper.

That’s the moment I decide that no matter what my reaction to Lennox is, I can’t let him see how he affects me. First of all, it’s unprofessional and secondly, it’s just flat-out embarrassing. He’s just an attractive guy, and inconvenient as that may be, it isn’t something I haven’t dealt with before. No big deal. None at all.

With that, I turn my attention to the open garage and it’s the best distraction I could have asked for.

“Wow, nice collection.” I don’t have to hide the appreciation in my voice as my eyes roam the mix of new and vintage cars and trucks. My dad would love this place. As soon as the thought hits, I feel the familiar pang of missing him.

Lennox doesn’t seem the least bit interested in my reaction. In fact, he looks a little uncomfortable and I get the feeling again that I’ve done something wrong without meaning to.

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