Page 62 of Falling for the Grumpy Bad Boy

“And then she kissed me,” Conroy said, grinning like an idiot. “Right there on the beach. Said she’d been wanting to do it for a long time but didn’t think I was interested in someone like her.”

“Someone like her?”

“Smart. Serious. Not the kind of woman who usually goes for guys like me.” He shrugged. “I mean, she’s right. I usually date party girls who think discussing wine pairings counts as intellectual conversation.”

This was the most self-aware I ever heard Conroy sound. Maybe Simone was having a good influence on him.

“So what’s the situation now?” I asked. “Are you two a thing?”

“Honestly? I have no idea. She’s been sending mixed signals since Miami. Hot and cold, you know? Yesterday on the plane.” He paused, looking slightly embarrassed. “Let’s just say the mile-high club gained two new members.”

I grimaced. “Fuck, Conroy. In the bathroom?”

“She dragged me in there! What was I supposed to do, say no?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what you were supposed to do. We’re on a professional tour, not spring break in Cancun.”

But even as I said it, I could hear the hypocrisy in my own voice. Hadn’t I been the one making out with Clementine in a hot tub just a few nights ago? At least Conroy and Simone were both adults without any family complications or power dynamics to worry about.

“Look who’s talking,” Conroy said, apparently reading my mind. “Speaking of mixed signals, what’s going on with you and Clementine?”

“Nothing’s going on with me and Clementine.”

“Bullshit. That woman looks at you like she simultaneously wants to murder you and jump your bones. It’s fascinating to watch.”

I turned away from him, ostensibly to unpack my bag but really to avoid having to maintain eye contact during this conversation. “It’s complicated.”

“How complicated can it be? You’re both adults, you’re both single, and the sexual tension between you two is so thick you could cut it with a knife. I think that’s what finally pushed me and Simone over the edge. All that sexual tension is contagious.”

“She’s Desman’s daughter.”

“So?”

“So that makes it complicated in ways you can’t even imagine.”

“Or it makes it simple. Rich girl, famous chef, mutual attraction. Sounds like a perfect match to me.”

I rolled my eyes. “What does Simone see in you?”

“Beats the shit out of me,” Conroy replied cheerfully. “You know, Simone and I had a whole plan to get you and Clem together tonight. Fate did it for us.”

I shot him a glare. “There’s no fate, Conroy. There’s just a hotel clerk who screwed up.”

“Sure, sure,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “But come on, Rhett. How often do you get a setup like this? One room, four people, and two undeniable sparks flying around?”

“Sparks?” I snorted, tossing my shirt onto the chair by the window. “The only sparks I see are the ones flying when she glares at me.”

“Exactly! She wouldn’t glare at you if she didn’t care. Women don’t waste energy on men they’re indifferent to. Trust me, I’ve been ignored by enough women to know the difference.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe, but I’m the idiot who’s currently sleeping with Simone. So maybe you should listen to me. I got the girl.”

“I don’t want the girl,” I said.

And we both knew it was a damn lie.