Page 106 of A Little Tempting

“Then why hire you?”

“So he would see me with her.”

She frowns. “I don’t understand.”

“You can blame your brother,” I mutter.

“Griffin?”

“Jax,” I clarify. “During my freshman year, I got a lot of attention from the, uh,” I clear my throat, “the puck bunnies. A few of the guys asked how I did it. I joked about how dating is nothing more than a game, and they requested pointers. Since I was short on cash…”

“You made them pay you.”

“Yeah.”

“And Jax paid you?”

I laugh. “Nah, but I’m definitely telling your older brother you thought he needed my help getting laid.”

“Hey!” she argues. “You’re the one who said I can blame Jax.”

“True,” I concede. “But no. I’ll get to the part Jax played in a second. Word got around how I was helping the guys, and a girl asked if the same went for them. I joked around, saying she didn’t need any help ‘cause she was already beautiful. Unfortunately, she didn’t see it, so I had to explain it to her. Guys are simple. All we want is what we can’t have. Make the girl untouchable, and the guys will fall at her feet.”

“So?”

“So, I proved it by taking her out. As soon as the guys saw me acting like I was interested in her, they became interested, as well.”

“And the woman at Rowdy’s?”

“Like I said, she wanted to feel desirable and to be told which quirks mightnotbe desirable.”

“And you’re a big enough asshole to oblige.”

“Exactly,” I agree dryly.

“What does all this have to do with Jax?”

“One day, a girl approached me and asked how to beundesirable. She’d found herself on her ex-boyfriend’s bad side, and he wouldn’t leave her alone. The problem was I didn’t know how to fix it. I started brainstorming with the guys, and Jax had a suggestion.”

“What was it?”

“Well, you might want to ask your dad for the details, but from what Jax told me, your dad wound up fake dating your Aunt Mia to protect her from an abusive ex when they were in college. Supposedly, it worked with your dad and aunt, so I tried it with the girl.”

“I thought you said fake dating made girls more desirable?”

I blow the air from my lungs, trying to find a way to explain a possessive person’s psyche. “Abusive assholes aren’t like most guys.”

“You say it you like you know from personal experience.”

“My dad’s an ass, remember?” I offer. “Sometimes all it takes for a guy to leave their victim alone is learning there’s someone in their corner. Someone who isn’t afraid to kick their ass if they keep bothering her. Usually, all it takes is one altercation, then they leave the girl alone.”

“Usually,” she repeats.

“If it turns into anything more, I make sure they press charges, and that’s that.”

“So, you’re willing to get the crap kicked out of you for money?”

“I don’t make them pay. Not when they already feel isolated and unworthy of someone’s time or empathy. I don’t usually take on clients who attend LAU anymore, either. It started messing with my reputation and shit, but after seeing Lilah’s bruises on the quad, I had to say yes.”

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