Page 57 of Mr. Flirt

I’d completely forgotten about that article, not to mention the photoshoot. It was something Winter had convinced me to take part in. I never read it once it came out. But my staff was more than willing to plaster the images from the photoshoot all over my office as a prank, and I’d kept them up as a good reminder not to fall prey to my sister’s incessant obsession with love. The photo with the towel hanging off my hips wasn’t one I was particularly proud of.

Lucy sat down and slid my mugshot over to me. “You look really sexy on that cover, but I’m sure you know that.”

I smirked and shook my head. “So, did you just read it for the article then, or did you peek at some of the photos?”

Her eyes widened. “There are more photos?”

I scowled. “You haven’t looked at it?”

She pulled the magazine back. “No. I didn’t. Well, I saw the first paragraph, and then I closed it.”

Her green eyes locked on mine, and I saw a wave of caution roll through her. Maybe I should have read what they wrote about me.

Lucy cracked a smile. “Had I known there were more photos, I might have kept thumbing through.”

I laughed and took a bite of spaghetti. “I never know what to expect from you.”

“I could say the same,” she said, taking a sip of water. “But I have to confess that the first few sentences of your interview pretty much gutted me.”

I scratched my head and tried to think back to what I’d even said to the journalist. The interview had been like six or seven months ago.

“Not to sound like an ass here, but I don’t actually remember what I said.”

“You haven’t read it?”

I shook my head.

“It must not have been that great if you didn’t want to go past the first paragraph,” I joked, but she looked horrified at the insinuation.

“Actually, I felt like I learned more from those four sentences than I had the whole time we’ve been together.”

“Oh. Wow. Really?” I took another bite.

“Yeah, which made me feel like a peeping Tom reading it.” She let out a deep breath and picked up her fork. “I decided not to read it until I know more about you from you.”

I leaned back in the chair. “Interesting. You want to know more about me, even though we’re keeping things casual?”

“Absolutely casual, but I still want to know the man behind the swagger.” She took a bite of the chicken Piccata and let out a happy moan and wiggled in her chair. “Nobody does this better.”

I nodded in agreement, but I was still stuck on her previous words. Was there maybe a crack in her façade? A hole in her plan to just use me as a test case? Could there be more?

“I mean, you’re my first attempt at the love ’em and leave ’em type of fling, but I would like to know a little more about the man who’s willing to teach me a thing or two in the artform.”

“The artform, huh?”

Apparently, my hopes were meant to be instantly dashed. There was no hope of something more with this woman.

Lucy continued while I glanced at a photo of her sister, Lucy, and another woman who I guessed to be her mom.

“It is something of an art. It’s not easy to be able to check emotions at the door and sleep with a person. It takes talent and practice. I need to master it if I’m going to be a somewhat decent human being.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You think I check my emotions at the door?”

“Don’t you?”

Not with you.

“Well, I...” I cleared my throat. “I am always upfront with a woman about my intentions. I don’t ever want to lead someone astray.”

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