Unravel Me by CHRISTIE RIDGWAY

Author:CHRISTIE RIDGWAY [RIDGWAY, CHRISTIE]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2010-02-22T09:18:09.705000+00:00

Twelve

All war is deception.

—SUN TZU

Marlys stood by the door of her boutique, wrapping up her good-byes to one of her few former bed partners. A pharmaceutical rep, Phillip dropped by when he had some minutes to burn between appointments. She figured he had other, ulterior motives as well: He liked the coffee at the bakery next door, and he loved congratulating himself on having never offered her the flashy diamond and marriage proposal he’d planned.

When his brother couldn’t help himself and gossiped the news to her first—not such a surprise since he was a SoCal stringer for the tabloids—Marlys had dumped Pharmaceutical Phil that very night.

Another woman might have let him go through with the one-knee moment, but she’d spared them both the experience. Not only didn’t she want to be some man’s wife, she didn’t want to sleep with a marriage-minded one either. Smacked of codependency.

Then the shop door swung open and Dean Long stepped in. She took the jolt of pleasure at the sight of him like a stab to the belly. The sharp sensation made her suck in a hard breath, and then she hid her sudden flush of yearning by grabbing Phil by the ears and planting a searing kiss on his lips.

She put tongue into it.

And a little panic.

When she let him go, she dried her bottom lip with the edge of her hand and then pushed her ex toward the door, feigning surprise at seeing Dean standing in the way. “Oh!” She hid her smirk behind her fingers.

Dazed, Phil wandered around the other man and outside without a word, but Marlys waved at his retreating back with an aspartame smile. “See you!”

Then she swung her attention to the newcomer. “And I didn’t expect to see you.” Her hands tugged on the wrap dress she wore with a pair of sleek riding-style boots and then adjusted the little cardigan she had on for extra warmth. “You didn’t mention it last night.”

He shrugged. “The way you scampered off clutching that beefstick, I thought I’d given you enough to worry about for one evening.”

“Worried? You don’t worry me.” After a little more light-hearted flirtation, she’d left him without a care in the world. He was cute, she’d decided once she was safe at home with her dog, but of no concern for a woman like herself.

“Then how about a late breakfast or an early lunch? Can you get away—or did you already spend all your free time on the guy you just poleaxed with that out-of-the-blue tonsil inspection?”

Crap. He hadn’t bought her act—and it made her mad, because she wasn’t completely sure of what she’d been trying to sell. Was she trying to prove to Dean that she could attract other men? That she could manage any man?

“Well?” He looked as if he couldn’t care less what she answered and that made her mad, too. But he was here, wasn’t he? Maybe he was a better actor than she was, but he hadn’t sought her out without reason.

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