Page 19 of He Falls First

I lean forward, elbows on the white tablecloth. I’m about to lay out an offer that could either be the smartest thing I’ve done in years or the craziest. The stakes are high, but then again, so is my confidence—most days.

“Look,” I start, “you need something from me, and I need something from you.” I pause, ensuring I have Elizabeth’s undivided attention. She looks at me with those deep blue eyes.

“What do you propose?” she asks, tilting her head.

“Simple.” I fold my hands together as if I’m praying for common sense. “You help clean up my image with this fake engagement act. In return, I’ll teach you how to navigate the dating world so that the guys are falling for you first.”

She blinks rapidly.

“Six weeks,” I continue, pushing on before she can interrupt. “After that, we stage a break-up, and you’re free to use my lessons to find a man who sees your worth. Deal?”

Elizabeth leans back in her chair, arms crossing over her chest. She’s clearly mulling it over, probably calculating the risks versus the rewards. And then, without warning, she lets out a laugh that’s more disbelieving than amused.

“Sorry,” she says, the humor tuning her voice to a high squeak. “It’s just, you’re not exactly Mr. Congeniality, Hendrix. You’re telling me you’re going to teach me how to date? When was the last time you had a conversation that didn’t sound like a board meeting agenda?”

“Hey.” I don’t hide my indignation. “I might not be Mr. Chatty Cathy over here, but I get plenty of women despite my lack of social graces. I know what men want.”

My tone is matter-of-fact, because it’s the truth. I’ve never needed to be sociable to get what—or who—I want.

“Just think about it,” I say. “Believe me, when it comes to seduction, I have my methods.”

Silence stretches between us, thick and suggestive, after I said that. I hold my breath, realizing what she’s probably picturing right now—me and seduction in the same context. Is she imagining me doing what it would take to seduce her?

Is she open to sharing what that is?

“Okay,” she finally says, leaning forward now, the playful challenge in her eyes sparking something in me. “I’ll do it. Show me these methods of yours.”

I exhale slowly as relief floods through me. A small smile creeps onto her lips, and I can’t help but mirror it with a restrained version of my own. This is a business deal, I remind myself. Nothing more.

“Deal.” I extend my hand across the table. It’s a gamble, sure, but I have a hunch that teaching Elizabeth Summers how to wield her charm like a weapon might just be the most satisfying project I’ve undertaken in years.

We shake on it. I feel a spark when her hand touches mine and our hands linger together across the table for a moment longer than necessary. I take the opportunity to savor the feeling of her soft skin before she pulls away.

This arrangement could get complicated, but as long as we both hold up our end of the bargain, everything should work out fine. What could possibly go wrong?

“Maybe we should seal the deal with a kiss,” Elizabeth jokes, her voice light and teasing. My heart stutters to a halt as I stare at her mouth, suddenly unable to focus on anything else.

I want to kiss her. God, I want to kiss her so badly it’s almost painful. I can practically feel her soft lips pressed against mine, the warmth of her body close to mine. The things I could do to her if she’d just part her lips for me…

“Hendrix. I’m kidding,” she says with a smile.

“Of course you are. I knew that.”

I’m trying to kid, too, but not everyone gets my humor. Too many times, I’ve dropped a joke with deadpan delivery, only to see a whole room of people stare in horror, thinking I’m dead serious about whatever I’m saying, no matter how outlandish.

But Elizabeth? She giggles. Giggles like she gets me, like she knows exactly what I mean and I don’t have to worry about being misunderstood as some kind of monster. Not with her.

“Just think, in six weeks I’ll be ready to start dating for real!” Elizabeth chatters excitedly. “With your help, maybe I’ll finally land the perfect guy.”

I force a smile, but her words land like a punch to the gut. The thought of her with someone else already fills me with an unexpected pang of jealousy.

I’ll need to work on that. Elizabeth is just doing me a favor as part of a business transaction. There’s no reason to feel possessive over her. Right now, I can’t imagine being okay with any attention she gets from other men, but that’ll have to change.

“Right. Of course.” I hope she doesn’t notice the tightness in my voice. “You’ll have your pick in no time.”

Elizabeth smiles brightly, already daydreaming about her ideal romance. She launches into a chatter about what kinds of dates we should go on for appearances’ sake, and how she might need a new wardrobe to look the part of a billionaire’s fiancée.

Meanwhile, I flag down the waiter for another drink. I have a feeling I’ll need something stronger than champagne to get through the next six weeks.

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