The Rebound Guy by Farrah Rochon Read Free Book Online Page B

him, her face blank. “Are you serious?”
    “I’m very serious,” Dex said, unable to staunch the smile that broke across his face at her incredulous tone
    “I’m not looking for relationship advice. My needs are very specific, Mr. Bryant. In the blog article, it said that you help ‘clients’”—she made air quotes— “seeking to make their exes jealous. Is that one of the services you offer?”
    “That’s sometimes a part of the plan.”
    “That’s the part I’m interested in.”
    He tilted his head to the side and with an overwhelming interest that was hard to explain, asked, “Why?”
    “Why do I want to make that bastard jealous?”
    Dexter nodded. “And why would you pick me to help you do it?” he added.
    She stared at him for several long moments before pulling in a deep breath and saying, “In the article it also mentioned that you specialize in building up a woman’s confidence. That’s why I picked you, Mr. Bryant.” She averted her eyes for a moment, then looked back at him. When she spoke again, her voice held that slight tremble that he’d heard last night. “He broke my confidence, and I want you to help me get it back.”
    That chink in her armor caused something to pull in Dex’s chest. He could sense how difficult that admission was for her.
    His voice softened. “How long were you two together?”
    “Four years. We were engaged for two.”
    “Was he the one dragging his feet?”
    Her brows dipped in a frown. “What do you mean?”
    “A two-year engagement for a couple who had already been dating for two years seems rather long, doesn’t it? Did he put off setting the wedding date, or did you?”
    “Neither of us was ready to set a date.” She held her hands up. “Look, I already told you that I’m not looking for someone to analyze my relationship with Cortland. I just want you to stand at my side and look good.”
    His lips thinned with irritation. That’s exactly what he didn’t want to do. He was not some stand-in stud.
    “If all you’re looking for is a date, why don’t you just go about it the old-fashioned way?”
    “I don’t have time to date.”
    “Was that one of your fiancé’s issues with you?” Dex knew he’d struck a nerve by the way her eyes flashed to his.
    She straightened her spine, transforming back into that poised, indomitable beauty he’d first laid eyes on when he’d walked into her office a week ago.
    “This is my current situation, Mr. Bryant. My ex-fiancé and I work at the same PR firm. His new girlfriend, whom I discovered has been his girlfriend for several months, also works there. This coming Friday, all three of us are required to attend an after-hour’s event that my company is hosting. I don’t want to show up alone. For all I know, everyone in the office has known about Cortland’s extracurricular activities. He’s made a fool of me and I need to save face. It’s as simple as that.”
    Dexter reached for the discarded artificial sweetener packets on the table, then leaned back in his chair, contemplating the woman sitting across from him. After a moment he blew out a sigh and said, “I understand the situation you’re facing, but I really think you should—”
    “I will pay you ten thousand dollars.”
    His hand stilled.
    He stared at her, searching for any sign that she was joking. But nothing in her demeanor indicated that she was one to play games. She was serious.
    Trusting that his relaxed pose camouflaged the sudden burst of excitement pulsing through his bloodstream, Dex continued to calmly study her face. It was a damn nice face. Her eyes were a deep, dark brown, almost black. Her lips were just pouty enough to make things interesting, and when she quickly wet them, it triggered that twitch in his groin again.
    He cleared his throat and adjusted himself in the chair.
    “We haven’t discussed fees,” he said. “How do you know I don’t charge more than ten thousand for my services?”
    Her direct stare