Page 69 of RAKEish

Bollocks. “Who are you going on dates with? Have you already made the dates?”

“It doesn’t matter who, and yes, they’re made. I’m serious about not wanting you. Now, eat the cookie. Go back to Shiretopia, tell your father the curse is broken, and then do whatever it is you and your bride-to-be decide to do from there.”

He slammed his palm on the table, causing those around them to glance their way. He took a breath and leaned toward her. “Doc, please change your mind.”

“Scott, I don’t know what you’re feeling, but we both know it’s not love.”

“It’s not nothing,” he muttered.

“Have you even taken a good look at me tonight? This isn’t what you fell in love with. You fell for the false eyelash wearing, big hair, tight pants woman. You and I both know that’s not the real me. The real me is girl next door at best.”

“The real you is a person who doesn’t think I’m good enough for her,” he said quietly.

“Scott, I want a man who is a homebody. One who doesn’t blink when I tell him I want to learn to knit.”

Scott blinked. Wasn’t that a pastime for grandmothers?

She rolled her eyes. “And one who attends conferences on things like the Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society.”

“Doc, if you want to learn to knit, I’m down with that. Hell, I’ll even learn. And if you want a conference goer, let’s do it. Let’s go to one together. In fact, there’s one coming up in a month in Vegas I was to attend for a column. It’s called the: Geeky Kink Event. Come with me.”

The mention of kink caused her to blush, and he pushed on, wanting to keep her off balance until he could talk some sense into her. “Do you think this professor you dream of will do half the things to your body I did last night?”

“You’re not going to change my mind,” she said. “Anyone can learn to be good at sex. I’m taking the safe path to a happy ever after. And the safe path is a man with all the markers of relationship security.”

His phone dinged, and he glanced at it. His time was up. For Mark’s sake, he had to get on the plane and return to Shiretopia. He took one last shot at knocking Lux off balance in the hopes of making her see sense. “I never saw the delightful woman who busted my balls from day one to be a coward.”

“If it makes you feel better to call me a coward, I can live with that.” She pushed the cookie toward him. “Please, eat the cookie before you leave.”

“You’re sure you won’t change your mind?” Scott asked.

“You’re not the man I want to love,” Doc said without a moment of hesitation.

Anger and hurt fired through him. “Fine.” He shoved the cookie in his mouth and stood. “I hope Corduroy makes you happy.”

Tears welled in Lux’s eyes. She fumbled with her purse and pulled out some type of box and a program and handed them to him. “Here. I found the recipe for the love knots inside this music chest. It’s written on the back of that showbill. I believe the box was made by a Shiretopian woodworker. Consider it my wedding gift to you and your betrothed.”

He took the item with one hand, wrapped his other around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a hard kiss. “Goodbye, Doc.”

CHAPTER 23

Two hours later, the plane took off with no paparazzi on the ground snapping images of them.

Settled in a comfy seat, Scott closed his eyes and focused on the moment. Shouldn’t he be feeling absolutely nothing for Doc by now?

The woman he thought was the one for him didn’t want him. Without an ounce of uncertainty, she’d labeled him not good enough.

“Are you excited to finally be able to fall in love some day?” Rose asked. “Perhaps, even with me if we’re forced to get married and stay married?”

“That’s the thing. I don’t feel any different than I did before I ate the cookie. I don’t know what cockamamie story Ms. Birdie told Doc, but that bloody pastry wasn’t the antidote.”

Rose let out a soft sigh. “Maybe it just takes a while to activate.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m sorry about Lux not wanting you,” Rose said. “From everything you’ve told me, she balanced you out.”

“The problem is I don’t balance her out. Or more to the point, she doesn’t want balanced out by me,” Scott said, his words sounding bitter even to his own ears. “Doc wants the scales of her future tipped heavily to the safe side.”

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