Page 7 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

Smiling, she shakes her head. “I couldn’t do it. I like to think I have a good memory, but I can’t keep track of everything I say to everyone during a day. But have you ever noticed liars are always so charming that people don’t actually pay attention to what they say because it’s like they’re under a spell?”

Before I can answer her question, she adds, “That’s why I’m pretty sure you’re a natural liar.”

I lean forward and set my champagne flute on the table in front of us. Turning my head, I smile at her. “Because I’m charming? I thought I was rude.”

“You are. Charming and rude. It’s an interesting combination.”

When I sit back, I angle my body so I’m close enough to touch her. Brushing my shoulder against hers, I stretch my legs out in front of me. “I like to think I’m more than that, but I’ll take charming.”

She playfully nudges my arm with her elbow. “And rude. Don’t forget that.”

I look into her eyes and see this is my in. I knew that hard shell she shows to the world wasn’t who she really was.

And now I’m going to find out who the real woman is behind those walls she works so hard to keep up.

Four

SALEM

God, he’s sexy! Maybe that’s the champagne talking, but I can usually handle more than two glasses of bubbly before all my inhibitions head for the hills. The problem is I can’t blame how I’m feeling right now on being drunk. It’s just that he really is charming.

And gorgeous. I’ve tried to remember how rude he was to interrupt my dinner, but every time I do, he says something that makes me smile or giggle.

Me, Salem Roberts, giggling. If my sister could see me now.

“I prefer to say I was intrigued and wanted to get to know you better than rude,” he says with a smile that melts my insides.

“I’m thinking you must be a lawyer back in your real life because you have a way of double talking,” I say as he stares into my eyes and I feel myself falling for him.

At this point, I’d usually slam on the brakes and stop what’s about to happen next from going any further. I don’t like when men are this charming. It unnerves me and makes me sure they’re hiding something.

That’s the good thing about us both agreeing to lie about who we really are, though. This man—this gorgeous man with the muscular body that I can’t stop looking at and dark brown eyes that may have the ability to hypnotize—can’t hurt me because he’s openly lying and I know about it.

I’m not sure I’d like the rest of my romantic life to be like this, but I can’t deny I love how freeing it feels to actually not care if someone is telling me the truth. Without having to focus on trusting a man, I get to be myself with him.

“Not a lawyer, and no, that’s not a lie,” he says as he softly rests his palm on my thigh.

My skin under my dress feels like it’s on fire as I study his hand sitting there on my leg. It’s got a possessiveness to it that usually makes me recoil. What kind of seductive power does this mystery man have that he seemingly can change my personality in the span of just an hour or so?

He looks down at where his hand touches me and then up into my eyes. “So now you know I’m not a lawyer. I think that must give me some bonus points, right?”

“You don’t like lawyers? What if I’m one?”

A flash of disappointment comes over his expression but disappears as quickly as it came. “Then I might have to change my opinion on that profession,” he says with a laugh. “Honestly, I’ve never met an attorney who made me want to sleep with them. Then again, most of the lawyers I’ve had to deal with are old men.”

The way he’s so open and honest even when he’s supposed to be lying makes me smile. Some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life are open. I suspect I find them so appealing because they’re the opposite of me. Tonight is the most open I’ve ever been. Even as a child, I was defensive and closed off. I’ve always told myself some people are just naturally like I am, but hanging out with this man for the past hour makes me think there’s nothing natural about maintaining the walls I’ve erected around myself.

That doesn’t mean they’re going to come crumbling down in one night, though. He may be gorgeous and sexy and expertly seducing me right now, but that doesn’t mean anything more than just two people having a good time.

And that’s enough for me.

“You got quiet there,” he says as he sits up next to me and positions his face mere inches away from mine.

“Just thinking about you wanting to sleep with old men,” I joke.

That catches him off guard, and for a long moment, he simply stares at me oddly. Finally, he smiles, and it lights up his face.

“Definitely not a lawyer. I don’t care what you say. You’re way too sweet to be one of those.”

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