Page 86 of Sweet Temptation

“I mean, maybe we’d have some halfway hot but awkward sex. What the hell would we talk about? We don’t have chemistry. Anyway, hard to have chemistry with a man who’s heart belongs to someone else.”

“Right. How’s the matchmaking going? Did you figure out who the lucky girl is yet?”

“Well, I’ve been a little preoccupied with other things—”

“I noticed.”

“I meant, the creep almost breaking into my house and the impending restraining order?”

“Right.”

“But I’ll figure it out. I love a challenge.”

“I know you do. How much of a challenge do you think Mr. Sterling will present?”

I sighed with lustful frustration. “I don’t know. I’m really not in the mood to chase a man right now.”

“What if he decides to chase you?”

“He’s my bodyguard. Seems pretty clear that’s not happening.” I hesitated, then admitted, “He politely asked me not to flirt with him.”

Yeah, Elle fucking loved that one. A huge grin spread across her face.

“Stop smiling.”

“Oh, he gets my vote,” she said. “Maybe when this whole mess is dealt with and he’s not your bodyguard anymore, you can revisit the idea?”

Well, shit. I did not like the sound of that. At all.

Ronan, not my bodyguard. Not living in my house. Not helping himself to coffee from my kitchen.

Not around all the time… making me feel safe.

“Why wouldn’t he be my bodyguard anymore?”

Elle’s steely-gray eyes narrowed at me. “Oooh. You do like him.”

“Of course I like him. He’s what, two-hundred-and-fifty pounds of solid, sculpted muscle, protecting me? And have you seen his hands? His eyes? Did you see his butt?”

“Oh, I saw all of it. He was right here.”

“And he’s very professional. It’s all very…”

“Hot.”

I groaned. “I love a man with a serious work ethic.”

“I know you do.”

“Partying is fun. I mean, for me, it’s a way of life. But when it comes to men, serious relationships with men, I don’t like fluff. I’ve had enough of that. I hate players. I like them smart and driven. I like winners, Elle. This one smells like a winner.”

“Hmm. From where I was sitting, he smelled like aftershave and coffee.”

“That, too. I’ll take it all.”

“Sweetie.” Elle gazed at me with sympathy. “Go easy on yourself. Get through this restraining order drama. Let him do his job. Get to know him a bit, maybe. Then see how it goes.” She slipped off her stool and put her arm around me. “You know, you once told me, when I was in a funk, that I’m solid platinum and I deserve the best. You were right, by the way. And you helped me see it. Which helped me embrace what I had with Seth. So, I’m telling you right now, you’re the rarest kind of diamond, Summer Sorensen. And you deserve it all.”

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