Read Online No Foolin' (Willowdale Romance Novel) by Lisa Scott - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa Scott
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the Sunshine Film Festival? Is that why we have to go?”
Teague leaned back in his chair. “Yep. Supporting role in a small film that’s been getting a lot of buzz. But for me, it’s more about the networking. Stan Remington is going to be there, and if I want to break into the big time, I need to be in one of his films. It’s the action-adventure actors who make the big bucks.” He grinned his hundred-watt Hollywood smile. It was hard not to stare at him and marvel that they really made men like him. And that she was sitting right across from him.
She set her glass down and ran her finger across the condensation. “Am I really hurting your image?” Why did she care what his team of managers thought? She wasn’t his girlfriend and didn’t want to be his girlfriend—but still, it hurt hearing how inappropriate she was for him.
“So, you heard that.” He sighed. “I’m not worried about it. I’ve defied them before. It kills them that I won’t let a bodyguard tail me, but what kind of action-hero wannabe goes around with a bodyguard?” His eyes locked on hers, and Kate’s heart caught in her throat. “I know this must be weird. We probably all seem crazy to someone like you. I really appreciate you going along with this.” He sat up, snatched her hand and leaned over the condiments for a kiss.
“Teague . . .” She breathed his name. What was he doing? She leaned toward him and he took her face in his hands. He dragged his lips across hers and she answered back, knocking over the ketchup in the process. Her fingers curled around his forearms, tightening, as the kiss intensified. Finally, he pulled away with a smile.
Same spark as before. She was speechless.
But he wasn’t. “Don’t look now, but there’s a photographer hiding between those potted ferns across the street.” He shrugged. “Sorry to take you by surprise.”
Kate licked her burning lips. “Oh, of course. I thought it was probably something like that.” Damn. She’d gotten carried away again. Round and round she twisted the ring he’d given her. She’d have to keep up her guard—no matter what happened, no matter how often his lips came near hers or he grabbed her hand, this was all a show. They were acting.
He reached over and took her hand again. “Just in case they’re still watching.”
She nodded. “Right. Of course.” She picked up the ketchup bottle and started rearranging the table with her other hand, like this was her nurse’s station. It’s a curse being organized, really. “How many of your ex-girlfriends will be there? That’ll be a nightmare.” Her hand was still in his, and she was aware of every wiggle of a finger, every change in pressure between them. His skin was moist against hers.
“Hey, I had to face the wrath of Chief Larsen back in Willowdale. He called in an army of paparazzi to get back at me just for sitting in the car with you. I doubt any of my exes could do worse.”
She straightened the packs of sugar in their little black holder and then swiped away a few grains. “No, he was trying to hurt me, not you.”
He squeezed her hand, and she sucked in a surprised breath. “Why? You’re the nicest woman I’ve ever met, saving a stranger’s backside like you did.”
I’m ‘nice.’ Perfect. Every man’s dream. “Because I won’t marry him.”
“Why not?”
She paused, wondering how much of the story to share. It had changed everything in her world. She sighed and let the words tumble out. “You heard me say we took a break after college, right? Well, a few months later when we got back together, he proposed.”
Teague’s blue eyes looked confused. “And that was a problem?”
“No, it wasn’t. I said yes.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Then the girl he slept with during our break showed up pregnant.”
“Ouch.” Another squeeze on her hand.
Kate nodded, not opening her eyes. “Yeah. He left that part out when he proposed, said he hadn’t
Teague leaned back in his chair. “Yep. Supporting role in a small film that’s been getting a lot of buzz. But for me, it’s more about the networking. Stan Remington is going to be there, and if I want to break into the big time, I need to be in one of his films. It’s the action-adventure actors who make the big bucks.” He grinned his hundred-watt Hollywood smile. It was hard not to stare at him and marvel that they really made men like him. And that she was sitting right across from him.
She set her glass down and ran her finger across the condensation. “Am I really hurting your image?” Why did she care what his team of managers thought? She wasn’t his girlfriend and didn’t want to be his girlfriend—but still, it hurt hearing how inappropriate she was for him.
“So, you heard that.” He sighed. “I’m not worried about it. I’ve defied them before. It kills them that I won’t let a bodyguard tail me, but what kind of action-hero wannabe goes around with a bodyguard?” His eyes locked on hers, and Kate’s heart caught in her throat. “I know this must be weird. We probably all seem crazy to someone like you. I really appreciate you going along with this.” He sat up, snatched her hand and leaned over the condiments for a kiss.
“Teague . . .” She breathed his name. What was he doing? She leaned toward him and he took her face in his hands. He dragged his lips across hers and she answered back, knocking over the ketchup in the process. Her fingers curled around his forearms, tightening, as the kiss intensified. Finally, he pulled away with a smile.
Same spark as before. She was speechless.
But he wasn’t. “Don’t look now, but there’s a photographer hiding between those potted ferns across the street.” He shrugged. “Sorry to take you by surprise.”
Kate licked her burning lips. “Oh, of course. I thought it was probably something like that.” Damn. She’d gotten carried away again. Round and round she twisted the ring he’d given her. She’d have to keep up her guard—no matter what happened, no matter how often his lips came near hers or he grabbed her hand, this was all a show. They were acting.
He reached over and took her hand again. “Just in case they’re still watching.”
She nodded. “Right. Of course.” She picked up the ketchup bottle and started rearranging the table with her other hand, like this was her nurse’s station. It’s a curse being organized, really. “How many of your ex-girlfriends will be there? That’ll be a nightmare.” Her hand was still in his, and she was aware of every wiggle of a finger, every change in pressure between them. His skin was moist against hers.
“Hey, I had to face the wrath of Chief Larsen back in Willowdale. He called in an army of paparazzi to get back at me just for sitting in the car with you. I doubt any of my exes could do worse.”
She straightened the packs of sugar in their little black holder and then swiped away a few grains. “No, he was trying to hurt me, not you.”
He squeezed her hand, and she sucked in a surprised breath. “Why? You’re the nicest woman I’ve ever met, saving a stranger’s backside like you did.”
I’m ‘nice.’ Perfect. Every man’s dream. “Because I won’t marry him.”
“Why not?”
She paused, wondering how much of the story to share. It had changed everything in her world. She sighed and let the words tumble out. “You heard me say we took a break after college, right? Well, a few months later when we got back together, he proposed.”
Teague’s blue eyes looked confused. “And that was a problem?”
“No, it wasn’t. I said yes.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Then the girl he slept with during our break showed up pregnant.”
“Ouch.” Another squeeze on her hand.
Kate nodded, not opening her eyes. “Yeah. He left that part out when he proposed, said he hadn’t
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