The Scheme

He gave me a disarming smile and my breath caught. I couldn’t help but smile back, the reaction automatic.

He angled into me, so close I could smell his aftershave, which was intoxicating. I could pretty much recognize all the colognes at the department store, but the one he was wearing, I didn’t. “You think I’m a good boy, and maybe I am.” He inched toward me, his warm breath on my face, making my nipples pebble. “But let me tell you, this good boy,” he smirked, pulling at his shirt, “can be,” he angled in even closer, “a very bad boy. In bed.”

I gulped, and my insides turned to liquid. I wondered if there was some truth to his words. I shook my head to get his perfectly sculpted, naked body out of my head.

Peering up into his baby blues, I pushed out my chest, being the tease I truly was. His eyes fell to my bust before landing back on my face.

Ah ha! The tables had turned. “It’s too bad . . .” I breathed as my eyes flickered to his lips. “That I’m never going to find out about this bad boy.” I ran a fingernail lightly down the inside of his arm, angling toward me. “I screw you . . .”

He licked his lips, his eyes focusing on my mouth.

“ . . . and you won’t be able to help yourself,” I said, breathlessly.

His eyes went half-mast as he leaned into me, so close I could smell the mint on his breath, could taste him, quite possibly kiss him.

It took all my self-control to push at his chest with my pointer finger. “You’ll fall in love with me, and that’s something I ca

Then I swallowed hard, averting my gaze, and pretended his proximity did not affect me, while my heartbeat raced in overdrive.

Before he garnered a response, I recognized one of the attendees I worked with. Dan or Sam or something like that. Dr. Hot Pants would be making an appearance shortly. I knew it.

I straightened my skirt and pressed my lips together, evening out my gloss. “You need to leave. My date is coming any minute.” I practically tugged on Brian’s arm and motioned with my head for him to make an exit.

“Isn’t your date supposed to pick you up, not meet you at the bar?” he asked, with a shake of his head. “Seems like you’ve got a real keeper there.” His curious eyes followed my line of sight.

“Well, he doesn’t know he’s my date, just yet.”

Brian lifted an eyebrow and, as I fixed my gaze back at the door, my stomach dropped to the floor. Dr. Klein strolled in . . . with a tall, ski

No . . .

An onset of nausea spread throughout my body, and my lips pulled downward as the realization that all the effort I’d put into tonight had turned to crap. I closed my eyes, took a big deep breath, and forced myself to shake it off. Shake it to make it. I had to, or it would break my mood for the whole evening and into the morning.

I smirked and sat straighter on the stool, again dusting off this hopeless feeling. Maybe she was his sister. Or maybe not. But either way, she was a tad bit ski

I pulled at my dress and adjusted my ta-tas. It was time to step up my game.

Brian watched as I fixed myself then his eyes flickered back to the bar. I had to give him credit, though. He was trying to be discrete about it.

I paused as a bright idea came to me. Narrowing my eyes, I pulled him by the collar and wrapped my arms around his neck. He didn’t resist and, like a puppet master controlling their puppet, he molded against me and wrapped his hands along my lower back. A small smile played on his lips as though he was wondering what this psycho girl was up to.

I threw him my wi

FOUR

BRIAN

This woman had me pegged all wrong. I wondered if she thought I was a virginal good boy. I silently laughed at the thought, but I decided to humor her. If anything, I enjoyed her misconception about me.

“Go ahead,” I said, wondering what her plan entailed. My hand rested against her back. The silkiness of her top brushed against my fingers.

“See that man with the blonde on his arm.” With a tip of her head, she motioned toward someone who looked very familiar. “That’s my date.”

It took all my self-control not to laugh out loud. Her so-called date was Stiff, the doctor from the hospital. “So you’re into threesomes? I’ll join, but we have to lose the dude.”

“No!” She laughed, and there was something about the way she laughed that got to me. It lightened my insides.

“That’s the guy I’m going to marry,” she said with all the confidence in the world. There was this glint in her eye when she uttered the word ‘marry’, and my curiosity spiked.

How well did she really know this guy? Judging by the fact he was here with another woman, a sexy but fake-looking one at that, I’d say not so well.

And where had the sex kitten from a minute ago gone? Now she was bouncing on the bar stool, her arms still wrapped around my neck like we were at the high school prom.

“Are you sure he isn’t already married?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

Not only was Dr. Stiff with another girl, but he was trying way too hard. His shirt was undone, showing off a bit too much chest. His dark hair was gelled to perfection. He was a player for sure, but he was terrible at not showing it.

Amateur.

I shook my head then glanced back at Kendy. Being a doctor must’ve been his only appeal.

“No, he’s not married.” Kendy jutted out her pouty lip. I had a sudden urge to bite it. “He can’t be.”

I’d hit a nerve; I could tell. That uncrackable confidence was suddenly breaking beneath her gorgeous surface. I wanted to say more, add that maybe he had children she didn’t know about so she could push out that lip in my direction and I could run my tongue along the seam, but I thought better of it.

I set my beer on the bar as her eyes zoned in on the group of guys congregated by Stiff. “Let me give you the four-one-one. That is one of the ER doctors I work with. I’ve been stalking him since I got here a month ago. He’s going to be mine. I feel it in my bones.”

I laughed at her comment as she continued, “I’m serious. All I need to do is get him to notice me, give me a chance, and he’ll fall in love. Hello?” She released me when my laughter continued. Her face pinched with a

“Okay, I want to see how this is done.”

She raised her chin, determination in her eyes. “Okay.” She pointed her manicured finger in his direction and didn’t blink as he talked up the blonde in front of him. “Once he gets to know me, fall in love, and I screw him, he’s going to be mine forever.”

“You’re a hooker?” I teased.

Now it was her turn to laugh as an irresistibly devastating grin emerged on her face. “No, dummy.” She slapped my arm and giggled, her eyes lighting up. But when she focused back on Stiff, she pursed her lips as her mood turned sour again.

He angled toward the woman he walked in with, chatting her up. A part of me wanted to bring Kendy to her senses. If he didn’t notice Kendy and her beautiful spunky self, it was his loss.

As I watched her, it was in that brief moment that I saw the unshielded vulnerability in her eyes. But a second later, the insecurity vanished as a veil of toughness came down. I sensed she didn’t let anyone see that side of her often.

She lifted her index finger and tapped her chin. “This night is not going as pla