Page 28 of A Whole New Trick

Because I hated seeing you turn into a shell of yourself in his presence.

“I want us to be friends.” I hesitate briefly before I add, “And I want the team to take me seriously.”

She tilts her head as she assesses me. “And pretending to be interested in me will do that?”

Who’s pretending?

“I’m aware I have a certain reputation. The press likes to portray me as a party boy player.” A year ago, they wouldn’t have been wrong. But things have changed.

I don’t know if it’s just the natural progression that comes with age, but late nights out at clubs and partying with models and celebrities have lost their allure. I’d much rather chill with my brother, Carter, or Cam than go out on the town. But the media hasn’t caught onto that change.

“Okay… What does that have to do with us pretending to date?”

“Having a wholesome girlfriend would be good for my image.”

“And you can’t find arealwholesome girlfriend?”

I shrug. “I don’t have time to date.”

Not meaningfully, anyway.

If I want, I can contact one of the hundreds of women who slide into my DMs, offering explicit favors with no strings attached. I’ve done it before.

But I’m not interested in meaningless hookups these days. I want more. I don’t know how to find the time to foster that sort of relationship. I had a glimmer of hope for me and Morgan when we ran into each other that night. That obviously didn’t work out.

Morgan isn’t into me. She’s made it clear she tolerates me for the sake of her job, but I can’t help but hope she will consider my offer. Now that I’ve had the idea, improving my image could benefit me.

Just recently, my agent reminded me how my public persona would influence whether or not a team would offer the Ranchers a trade for me. It wasn’t something I gave much thought to, but after the organization’s recent criticism of my performance, I’ve considered the Ranchers may no longer be the best fit for me. I might need to look for another team in the future. If that’s the case, bolstering my public appearance wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Morgan purses her lips. “I’ll think about it.”

“Really?” My lips part in a wide smile.

“Really.” Her lips twitch. She flings a strand of hair over her shoulder. “But don’t get your hopes up. I’m not sure I want the world to think I’m another one of Dane Larson’s conquests.”

“You’d be my girlfriend. Not a conquest.”

She blinks. “Same thing.”

Hardly.

“We should do it, Morgan.” I meet her gaze, letting her see how serious I am. “Us being together will put that prick in his place, and it will give me a chance to rise above the playboy reputation I idiotically earned in my twenties. It benefits us both.”

Morgan gazes at me thoughtfully. I wish I knew what she was thinking behind those beautiful brown eyes.

Resolve floods her expression. “Okay.”

Hope sparks in my chest. “Okay?”

“Yes, okay.” She nods. “I agree fake dating each other will be mutually beneficial.”

A satisfied grin pulls at my lips. It falters when she gently jabs a finger in my chest and says, “But there will be rules, Larson. And I expect you to follow each one.”

My grin returns when I hear her breath hitch when I catch her hand in mine.

Maybe she’s not as unaffected by me as I thought.

“I expect nothing less, Caldwell. Tell me your rules.”

---