answers to her questions reverberated inside her head like a cannon blast. He'd said he wanted hamburger. That he wanted to run free like the wolves. That he'd buy his girlfriend a toaster.
He was throwing the game on purpose!
"You should pick him anyway, just for revenge. Prove to him the sacred rules work." Maddie wagged the lipstick in Sophie's face. "This is not just a battle of the sexes anymore, girl; it's war. Down-and-out, dirty, full-fledged war."
The air caught in Sophie's lungs. When life deals you lemons, make lemonade.
She'd always tried to live by that motto.
In fact, she'd been trying to make lemonade with Lance, but he'd squeezed the last drop of hope from her now. Like a dried-up piece of fruit, her heart cracked and burst. She was a broken shell spitting nothing but shattered seeds.
The drumroll signified time for her to wrap up the show. The producer gave her a venomous look.
"Remember rule number two," Maddie said in a hiss. "Dangle the bait and watch him squirm. So shake that booty and tease him mercilessly." Maddie shook her butt for emphasis, dotted Sophie's lips red, then teetered offstage.
Sophie's mind raced as the clock wound down and the buzzer exploded into the tense silence. "The audience is divided forty-forty between bachelor number one and three, with ten percent voting for number two," Sophie's assistant announced. "Who will win this romantic trip with our sexy host?"
The camera zoomed back to Sophie. What should she do?
Lance had given such god-awful answers to her questions. How could she pick him and not look like an idiot? Even the audience had pegged Lance as a loser.
But could she spend the weekend on a romantic getaway at a topless beach with a complete stranger?
Chapter 2
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The clock counted down the final seconds. Sophie squirmed. She could not keep chasing a man who didn't want her. Lance must have seen beneath the surface and realized she wasn't the woman she portrayed herself to be. He had seen the flaws, maybe even knew her secrets....
It was time to cut the line.
The buzzer sounded. Her assistant's voice broke through the blurred haze that had once been her brain.
"Okay, Sophie, will it be bachelor number one, bachelor number two, or bachelor number three?"
She felt the cameras focus on her again. "It was a hard decision, Eden, but I'm going to choose bachelor number three."
The crowd applauded. Music played for several seconds, giving Sophie's heart time to lob and settle. Finally her assistant waved for quiet. "It sounds as if the audience agrees with you. But let's meet the other bachelors first." Eden gestured toward the screen. "Bachelor number one is a model for a local sportswear company, has his own yacht, and lives on Skidaway Island. Meet Bailey Boxlighter. And he is yummy!"
The crowd whistled and cheered. Sophie pasted on a smile as he rounded the corner. No man should have such flawless skin and perfect teeth. She'd dated a model once who was so obsessed with his looks, he couldn't eat for checking his reflection in his wineglass. And she could have sworn she'd seen Bailey's face on the cover of a porn magazine in Vegas. If it was him, the man was so, um, large, he was deformed.
He kissed her cheek, then nibbled at her ear. "Sorry, Sophie; it would have been fun."
"You had some wonderful answers," she said, sensing a hurt ego more than true disappointment. He was obviously accustomed to women swooning over him.
The very reason she liked Lance. He was down-to-earth, real, caring—at least he cared about his siblings, but unfortunately not her.
Drat, she had to forget Lance Summers.
"And now bachelor number two. This hometown boy owns his own land development company here in Savannah. Meet Lance Summers."
Lance stalked around the screen, his wide shoulders encased in a denim jacket that made him look the rugged bad boy she knew him to be. This time her smile made her cheeks ache, but she had to save
He was throwing the game on purpose!
"You should pick him anyway, just for revenge. Prove to him the sacred rules work." Maddie wagged the lipstick in Sophie's face. "This is not just a battle of the sexes anymore, girl; it's war. Down-and-out, dirty, full-fledged war."
The air caught in Sophie's lungs. When life deals you lemons, make lemonade.
She'd always tried to live by that motto.
In fact, she'd been trying to make lemonade with Lance, but he'd squeezed the last drop of hope from her now. Like a dried-up piece of fruit, her heart cracked and burst. She was a broken shell spitting nothing but shattered seeds.
The drumroll signified time for her to wrap up the show. The producer gave her a venomous look.
"Remember rule number two," Maddie said in a hiss. "Dangle the bait and watch him squirm. So shake that booty and tease him mercilessly." Maddie shook her butt for emphasis, dotted Sophie's lips red, then teetered offstage.
Sophie's mind raced as the clock wound down and the buzzer exploded into the tense silence. "The audience is divided forty-forty between bachelor number one and three, with ten percent voting for number two," Sophie's assistant announced. "Who will win this romantic trip with our sexy host?"
The camera zoomed back to Sophie. What should she do?
Lance had given such god-awful answers to her questions. How could she pick him and not look like an idiot? Even the audience had pegged Lance as a loser.
But could she spend the weekend on a romantic getaway at a topless beach with a complete stranger?
Chapter 2
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The clock counted down the final seconds. Sophie squirmed. She could not keep chasing a man who didn't want her. Lance must have seen beneath the surface and realized she wasn't the woman she portrayed herself to be. He had seen the flaws, maybe even knew her secrets....
It was time to cut the line.
The buzzer sounded. Her assistant's voice broke through the blurred haze that had once been her brain.
"Okay, Sophie, will it be bachelor number one, bachelor number two, or bachelor number three?"
She felt the cameras focus on her again. "It was a hard decision, Eden, but I'm going to choose bachelor number three."
The crowd applauded. Music played for several seconds, giving Sophie's heart time to lob and settle. Finally her assistant waved for quiet. "It sounds as if the audience agrees with you. But let's meet the other bachelors first." Eden gestured toward the screen. "Bachelor number one is a model for a local sportswear company, has his own yacht, and lives on Skidaway Island. Meet Bailey Boxlighter. And he is yummy!"
The crowd whistled and cheered. Sophie pasted on a smile as he rounded the corner. No man should have such flawless skin and perfect teeth. She'd dated a model once who was so obsessed with his looks, he couldn't eat for checking his reflection in his wineglass. And she could have sworn she'd seen Bailey's face on the cover of a porn magazine in Vegas. If it was him, the man was so, um, large, he was deformed.
He kissed her cheek, then nibbled at her ear. "Sorry, Sophie; it would have been fun."
"You had some wonderful answers," she said, sensing a hurt ego more than true disappointment. He was obviously accustomed to women swooning over him.
The very reason she liked Lance. He was down-to-earth, real, caring—at least he cared about his siblings, but unfortunately not her.
Drat, she had to forget Lance Summers.
"And now bachelor number two. This hometown boy owns his own land development company here in Savannah. Meet Lance Summers."
Lance stalked around the screen, his wide shoulders encased in a denim jacket that made him look the rugged bad boy she knew him to be. This time her smile made her cheeks ache, but she had to save
Similar Books
White Wolf
David Gemmell
OnlyYou
Laura Glenn
Nebulon Horror
Hugh Cave
Hidden Desires
T.J. Vertigo
The Empath (The Above and Beyond Series Book 1)
Jody Klaire
Joan Smith
True Lady
Stumptown Kid
Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley
Red Jade
Henry Chang
Trackers
Deon Meyer
Kings and Emperors
Dewey Lambdin