“That’s a big, fat if, Charlie. No girl in this town is going to be dumb enough to marry a bad boy like you. It’s going to take you a hell of a long time, the man who slept with almost everyone in this town, to find someone dumb enough to marry you even if it is just temporary.”
“Lots of women have been turning their heads in my direction. Don’t worry, I’ve got this
. There’s only one tiny problem though.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, watching him closely as the calculating look appeared in his eyes that always meant trouble.
“One problem? I think your problem is that you sorely underestimate the intelligence of the females in this town. Most of us can see right through you. How do you think I knew I’d find proof of some game when I came here?”
“Still the same old smartass you’ve always been, huh?”
“Still the same old sneaky bastard you’ve always been, huh?” I parroted, crossing my arms and shaking my head at him.
“Listen, Jaime, the stipulations of the Will have me under a bit of a time crunch. I have to be married by the end of November, about the time when your temp job ends.”
“Seriously? Well, I wish you the best of luck with that.”
“I can give you some of my inheritance if—”
“Oh, come on!” I yelled and threw my hands up in the air. “Like I’d ever trust you after you took my money and ran off into the sunset. There’s no way in hell.”
“I’ll sign a legal document this time. You’ll bank a half-million, after taxes. Think about it long and hard because I’m only available for a limited time only.”
My jaw dropped and I sputtered, trying to find the words. “Wait. Let me get this straight. You want me to help you lure some poor, innocent woman down the aisle with you, for half a million plus the $1,000 you owe me?”
“Plus the $1,000? Very funny.”
“Nothing funny about it. It’s the principle of the thing.”
“The principle, huh?”
“Damn straight,” I said, nodding sternly, “but I guess you wouldn’t understand something like that.”
“I don’t expect you to help me lure some unsuspecting woman into my deep, dark web just so I can throw her away later. I actually have a much better idea.”
He gave me that ridiculously sexy smile.
“Like what? No one in this town is going to marry you. Everyone knows your bad reputation. You don’t have a shot in hell, even with my help, if I was willing to give it to you, which I’m not. In the end, we’d both be screwed, because everyone would be pissed off at us when they found out. A woman would have to be an idiot to even consider—”
“I’ve already got the perfect bride in mind, and she’s no idiot.”
“Who?”
He smirked. “I’m looking at her.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” I said exasperated and laughed. “Sleeping with the enemy? No way in hell. You’re not my Mr. Right.”
“How about your Mr. Right Now?”
I shook my head.
“C’mon,” he said. “We’d have a blast fooling everyone. We’ll just pretend like we’re in some kind of Lifetime movie.”
I laughed. “Trying to appeal to the chick side of me? Movie love is a bunch of nonsense. Those over-the-top scenes don’t happen in real life.”
“What’s wrong with a romance that blooms in the midst of impossible circumstances?”
“That wouldn’t be us. Because we wouldn’t be a romance. Knowing you, we’d be more of a trashy romance novel.”