Page 68 of Spark

He levels me with his dark gaze. “After you kiss her, and it’s clear she’s totally into it and down to fuck?—”

“Oh my god, please.”

“Don’t you dare pour your heart out to her in that moment.”

“I’d never do that.”

“Yes, you would. In fact, that’s exactly what your natural instincts will tell you to do. ‘I’ve loved you for twelve years, Ruby! It was love at first sight for me, Ruby!’ No. Absolutely not. Do you understand me, Kendrick Alan Cook? No. Because that’s the precise moment when you’re going to pull back and tell her, ‘Sorry, babe, I can’t do more than a fling with you. A besties-with-benefits fling that will last only as long as you’re staying with me.’ Ya dig? Make her give you assurances that she can do that. Make her beg for it, man.”

“But what if she wants more, in that moment? What if I’d be screwing myself over by limiting?—”

“No!” Savage shouts, with so much force I jerk back in my chair. He leans forward sharply, his dark eyes blazing. “Now, you listen to me, you soft-hearted, romantic motherfucker.I’mthe expert at this bullshit, not you, and I know exactly what I’m doing. You’re going to offer her a fling, and nothing more than that, and when she agrees to that and says that’s perfect, great, all she wants, too, pretty please, fuck me now, you’re going to fuck that woman raw, to within an inch of her life, better than she’s ever been fucked before, every day and every night you can buy yourself from bribing her building manager. And you’re going to do it all whilealsobeing the Kendrick she already loves and adores. And by the end of this supposed fling, if you follow my instructions exactly, she’ll realize, ‘He’s the full package! A bestie I also love to fuck. AKAboyfriendmaterial.’”

“I’m actually aiming for husband material, but I get your point.”

“Baby steps! First things first, promise you won’t ask her for anything more than a fling, no matter what. Let her chase you,or the whole plan will fall apart.”

“Okay, okay.”

“Unlike you, I’m not wearing rose-colored glasses when I look at Ruby. I can see the goodandthe bad. The bad being her horrible taste in men. She likes fuckboys, KC. She likes things to be a bit toxic. Until she doesn’t. So be that toxic fuckboy for her, at first, until she realizes she’s changed her mind about the fling.”

“I understand.”

“And don’t forget: kiss her today.”

“I will.”

As Savage fist-bumps me, the door to the guest house opens, and a trio of women enter: the hairdresser/makeup artist from earlier, and the respective handlers assigned to Savage and me.

“Are you ready to get beautified, Mr. Cook?” the hairdresser asks, fluffing my hair with her fingertips.

“Yep. Work your magic on me, Susanna.”

“Magic isn’t needed with a canvas like this.” She grabs a brush. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to do this quickly, though. Nadine said she wants the whole cast assembled in twenty.”

18

RUBY

“But are we sure this dress isn’t wearing me?” I ask, referring to the bold, sexy designer gown the stylist and Laila convinced me to try on for the imminent press conference. Laila and I are in one of Reed’s beautiful guestrooms after getting glammed up by professionals, and I’m feeling equal parts ecstatic and nervous about my sultry appearance. Objectively, I look like a million bucks. Like a model in a magazine. If I saw me, I’d surely lavish myself with compliments. But I’m also unsure about wearing a gown that’s this revealing and sensual. I never dress like this. But then again, I’ve always kind of fantasized about being brave enough to do it. So, maybe now is my perfect chance.

“Ruby, I swear on my love for my baby grand,” Laila says. “You’ve never looked hotter, sexier, or more stunning. You’re breathtaking. A smoke show. If I were a cartoon character, my eyes would be telescoping out of my head right now.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” the stylist says. “You’re going to break the internet in this dress, especially because nobody’s ever seen you like this before.”

I feel a jolt of excitement. “Okay, you’ve convinced me.”

“You have to wear it with confidence, though,” Laila says, wagging her finger at me like a stern schoolteacher. “Wear it with swagger, babe. Own it.”

“I will. Knowing Cooper is seeing me in this dress will give me all the motivation I need to play the part of afemme fatale.”

The stylist laughs. “Seeing you in that dress will definitely make that boy regret all his life choices.”

As we all laugh, my phone pings. I grab it and discover I’ve got a bummer of a text from my building manager:

I’m sorry to inform you the construction crew just found evidence of possible mold. They’ll need to investigate and undertake all necessary remedial efforts, so we’ll need to delay your return to the unit by another week or so. Sorry about this. I’ll keep you posted.

“Damn,” I mutter.

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