Page 27 of Mr. Romantic (Mister 2)

“I don’t need to force women to have sex with me. I get them to the point of begging and then it… just happens.”

“It won’t happen with me.”

I honestly think she believes that. But she has no idea what’s coming, so I wave it off with a hand gesture. “So, Richard is your boyfriend? How long have you been dating?”

Ivy tips her head up, like she’s got the upper hand here. “Yes, Richard. We’ve been dating since my freshman year of college. And he’s a lawyer.”

“What kind of lawyer?” I ask, wondering how far she’ll take this boyfriend thing.

“He works for the district attorney’s office in Boston.”

“Boston, huh. He’s a close-to-home guy as well?”

“You live in the desert, two hours from your father’s home in San Diego. So you’re one to talk.”

“I didn’t grow up with my father, Ivy. My mother divorced him when I was twelve and we lived in Palm Beach when I was at home. But most of the time I was in boarding school in upstate New York.”

“Oh,” she says, taking a moment to think this through.

“I came back to the desert because I like it here. It’s a place people hide.”

“Are you hiding?”

“Isn’t everyone?”

“No.” She laughs. It’s not a real laugh. Not like the ones I saw earlier. But it’s a start.

“You’re hiding behind a fake boyfriend. Why? To keep my sexual advances at bay? It won’t work.”

She shakes her head as she lets out another nervous laugh.

“What?” I ask.

“I just can’t believe what an asshole you are. I mean, I expected some of this—”

“Which parts? I love hearing what people think of me before they actually meet me.”

“Jesus Christ—”

“Ah, so that religious upbringing is wearing off.” I tsk my tongue mockingly at her and then say, “That’s good to know.”

“I figured you were a jerk but I really had no idea you were this bad.”

“Because I’m self-assured?”

“Because you are the definition of arrogant, Mr. Delaney.”

“Nolan,” I say. “I thought we were in agreement on that?”

“We’re not in agreement on anything, Nolan.”

I smile and she falters for words.

“We will be by the time this night is over.”

She’s just about to respond to that when the servers come with a basket of bread and wine.

“I hope you like wine.”