Free Bad Boy (An Indecent Proposal) by J. C. Reed, Jackie Steele Page A

you.”
    “Really?” I
laughed. “Liar.”
    He lifted
the glass to his lips, but didn’t take a sip. “It’s not a lie.” He
frowned.   “I really like you.”
    “Liar.”
    He turned
his head to me, his eyes meeting mine. “Not a liar enough to know that I’m
attracted to you. I’m also not afraid to show it, as opposed to you.”
    “Liar,” I
whispered again. “And I’m not attracted to you, which is why there’s nothing to
show.”
    His eyes
narrowed on me. “Now, who’s the liar here? I know for a fact you’re attracted
to me.”
    His ego was
taking new proportions.
    “How would
you even know that?” That he thought so made me angry.
    “I can feel
it.” His fingers brushed my neck. His touch, warm against my still damp skin,
felt electrifying. “The moment I met you, I knew something would happen between
us. Trust me, I didn’t mean for this tohappen.
I was never supposed to fall for you, Laurie.”
    His words
caught me off guard, and my heart gave another almighty thud.
    He was
playing with me. He had to be because Chase Wright couldn’t possibly have
feelings for me.
    And yet,
for a moment, I wished I could believe him.
    “I can’t
say I’m sorry for what I did,” he whispered. “I can’t even say I’m sorry for
being attracted to you or for fucking you. I know you have many questions, and
I’ll be more than happy to explain.”
    I closed my
eyes. My head was spinning with the same thought.
    He had
married me for my inheritance.
    “I can’t,”
I whispered.
    “I’m still
the same man, Laurie.”
    I let out a
sarcastic laugh. “No, you’re not. You’re someone I don’t know.”
    “Meet me in
an hour, and I’ll show you who I really am. I’ll explain everything.”
    “Even if I
let you explain, you really think I’d believe you?”
    “Yes,” he
said quietly. “You trusted me with your virginity, and now I ask that you trust
me once more.”
    “You
compare my virginity to your deception?” I laughed. “Nice try.”
    “Please,
Laurie.” He looked at me. “We still have a contract. I know you have feelings
for me.”
    I rolled my
eyes. “You should really have been an actor, Chase, or should I call you Kade?”
    He gave an
exasperated sigh and stood. “I already told you my name’s Chase.”
    “No, it
isn’t.”
    He cocked
his head, his tone low and dangerous. “How would you know?”
    “Because I
do. I’d rather trust my instincts than you.”
    “Well, you
have your information wrong,” Chase said coolly.
    My mouth
clamped shut. I eyed him cagily, my thoughts racing.
    If Chase
was his real name, then that could mean that things might still be the same
between us. He was still my husband. We were legally married.
    “Look,
Laurie. I owe you an explanation,” Chase said, interrupting my disturbing trail
of thoughts. “It’s one of the reasons I came here to see you.”
    I shook my
head as I remembered my resolve. “I’m not interested in your reasons. What
matters to me is that you lied to get close to me. That was all I needed to
know.”
    He frowned
and something flashed across his handsome face. “Aren’t you the slightest bit
interested?”
    “I am. In
fact, I’m very curious,” I said. There was no point in denying the obvious.
“I’m just not interested in hearing more of your lies. Seeing that you lied
once, how can I possibly trust your words again?”
    “You have
no guarantees. You’ll just have to believe me.”
    Nodding, I
smiled grimly. “That’s true, but I’m not willing to do that. So stop asking me
to meet with you. Because I won’t.” My voice broke and I cleared my throat to
get rid of the lump lodged inside. “I won’t get involved with you again.”
    “I don’t
believe you.”
    I laughed,
the bitterness creeping into my tone even though I didn’t want him to see just
how affected I was. Somewhere at the back of my mind, countless alarm bells
went off, and bitterness settled in my chest.
    I got up,
my thoughts racing,