Page 5 of Make Me Fool You

“This isn’t the end of this conversation. I’ll start looking for someone for you now since you’re being so damn stubborn.”

“No! Dammit! I’m not going to go out with some random guy you manage to scare up.”

“Bye, dear!”

“Aaah!” I scream and just manage to stop myself from heaving my phone across the parking lot. I’ve lost more than one phone after talking to my mother.

“Sounds like you could use a little help?” I stiffen and turn slowly, not surprised at the cat that ate the cream smirk on James’s face.

“No. I am fine. I definitely don’t need anything from you.”

“You’d rather go out with a perfect stranger that your mother scares up who could end up being an ax murderer than me?”

The sad, little lost boy look on his face makes my heart clench in my chest.

“Don’t give me that look! I’m not letting you use this situation to push me into a date. I told you…I don’t date.”

“Sounds like you’re going on one no matter what. You might as well go with someone that you know and trust.”

“You think I can trust you? Really? Why would that be?”

“I think if you bothered checking around town you’d find out that I’m a catch. All the mothers in town are trying to get me to go out with their daughters.”

I want to punch that smug look right off of his face. Seriously? Who the hell does he think he is?

He holds up one strong, tanned hand. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that I’m an idiot and a jerk for even suggesting what I did.”

“That might be the case. But honestly, I’m a good guy. You can ask around.”

And the sad thing is…I’ve already done that. When he first started asking me out when I moved back. And from the way everyone in town described him he might as well have been a saint. Or an angel with wings and a damn halo.

I open my mouth to blast him again and refuse to even consider it…only to get a message from my mother.

A text with a photo of some jerk wearing a sweater vest and about a pound of hair gel. And I know that I can’t do it.

“Fine,” I huff out a strangled breath. “We’ll do the wedding stuff. But that’s it. Don’t expect this to lead anywhere. I’m too busy with work and I just don’t have time for dating.”

His smile is huge, triumphant and makes me step back a pace. Figuratively and physically.

This guy is trouble with a capital T and it would be so easy to let him get past my defenses.

But I’m not going to be my sister or my mother. My work is too important to get pushed aside by a needy man who needs his ego stroked twenty-four-seven.

“So what’s the first step?” he asks me and I just stop myself from pulling my hair out in frustration.

“First step is getting my mother off my case. Then I’ll let you know after that.”

He nods and backs away to his truck. “Sure. You take care of that and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Oh that’s not necessary. I’ll get ahold of you before the weekend.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, baby girl.” His voice is firm and gritty and I know I’m not changing his mind.

“Fine. Night.”

He turns to leave and like an idiot I stand there to watch. I gotta admit. He looks good coming and going. His sculpted ass is a thing of beauty. Round and muscular.

My head drops to my shoulder and I can’t stop staring. Only to find myself flushing when he turns around at the car door. That smirk that only he has lights up his face and I groan to myself.

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