Page 12 of Mr. Scandalous

“Which one is she again?”

“You remember Sophie. I’ve dated her on and off for fifteen years. Leggy redhead, Southern accent, killer rack.”

“Now, now,” Alec chided. “No objectifying women. We’re over twenty years into a new millennia.”

Mac shook his head. “Good thing I retired when I did. I can’t keep up with all these new rules. Oh, by the way, Sophie’s got a date all lined up for you.”

Alec winced. “Listen, Mac, I don’t know about a blind date.”

“Shh. You’ve build a titan brand withSex and TheSingle Guy.You’ve got a reputation to uphold and, seeing as how your partner has decided to up and get married, the mantle of bachelorhood rests on your shoulders. You gotta show the world you’re all about fun, fun, fun. Besides, Sophie says her friend used to be a circus acrobat.” Mac winked. “Bet you never dated one of those.”

“You got me there.”

“I’ll send a car around at six. We’re going to seeMoulin Rougeafter dinner at Kim Sum’s. My treat”

Alec didn’t want to go on a blind date, but he hadn’t seen Mac in three months. It was the least he could do for the uncle who’d done so much for him.

“Sure. Okay. See you tonight.”

The minute the door closed behind Mac, Alec plopped into his chair and reached for his cell phone. Circus acrobat be damned. He had a sexy, erotic gift-basket designer on the hook, and he was determined to see where that might lead.

Alec made reservations at an intimate restaurant on Forty-fourth Street that was way overpriced for lunch, but what the hell? What was the point of having money if you couldn’t use it to spoil a special lady? He was definitely looking to impress her.

Eden represented the kind of naughty, no-strings-attached relationship he’d been searching for since Randy had announced his engagement. Showing a willing woman an exciting time would remind him exactly how good it was to be single, footloose and fancy-free.

He requested the restaurant’s most expensive bottle of champagne, asked them to have it on ice and then called his florist to order a small bouquet of flowers.

Alec planned on laying his cards on the table, giving Eden the full court press. He wanted her to know exactly what was on his mind—that he was very attracted to her, and wanted to spend time with her, but making it clear that he wasn’t the marrying kind. If Eden was up for fun and games, then Alec would deliver.

In living color.

Alec didn’t want to waste either of their time with silly mind games, nor did he want her to get hurt. If his initial impression of her had been wrong and she wasn’t all about adventure, then he needed to know that now.

Because ever since their electric meeting yesterday afternoon, Alec had only one goal on his mind.

Seducing Eden Montgomery.

ChapterFour

“You were right,”Jayne Lockerbie told Sarah Ramsey Armstrong. “Alec and Eden are perfect together. Sparks flew the minute they laid eyes on each other.”

Sarah pushed a strand of sleek blond hair behind one multi-pierced ear and grinned over the top of her cubicle at her co-worker. They were both financial analysts for Howard and Nussbaum Investments, although Jayne only worked part-time.

“When you gave Zach and me that erotic gift basket for a wedding present I knew whoever had created it was exactly the kind of woman Alec needed. Earthy, grounded, intelligent and yet incredibly sensual. And when you told me Eden was single, well, the matchmaker in me went nuts.”

“That’s Eden to a tee—even if she doesn’t yet have the self-confidence to realize her feminine power. But with our help, she will.” Jayne grinned.

“Yes! Enough with the glossy airheads already. Alec goes for shallow women because they’re not a threat. My brother needs someone who’ll challenge him both inside the bedroom and out, whether he knows it or not.” Sarah clapped. “Making this match is going to be such fun.”

“Are you sure Alec is ready to settle down?” Jayne frowned. “I care about Eden, and I don’t want to see her hurt. She’s vulnerable, especially since the fire. I think the last guy she dated really did a number on her ego.”

“Relax. My little brother’s got his faults, but he’s not a heartbreaker.”

“But he promotes a brand that worships the merits of bachelorhood over marriage, and hehasdated a lot of women. In all the pictures I’ve found of him on the internet, he’s never with the same woman twice.”

Sarah waved a dismissive hand. “A lot of what you see is P.R. for staying on brand. Alec doesn’t treat women frivolously and he hasn’t had nearly as many girlfriends as he likes everyone to believe.”

“Really?”

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