Seductive Guest by E. L. Todd Page B

from eating crap?”
    “I assumed you look like that because you don’t have a life and spend all your time at the gym.” There was a teasing note to her voice so I knew she was joking.
    “You’re one to talk. A girl doesn’t have legs like that unless she’s active.”
    “I like to bike outside the city.”
    “Cool.” I knew she did something.
    “I have a gym membership but I never go,” she said. “There’s always too many people and I could just go to the bar next door and order a drink…that sounds like more fun to me.”
    I chuckled. “That sounds like the better choice anyway.”
    “And you’ll never guess what they just put in on the other side of my gym.” She had an irritated look in her eyes.
    I shrugged. “Another bar?”
    “No. A damn bakery.”
    I tried not to laugh.
    “With cupcakes and treats on display through the window. Like it isn’t hard enough for people to lose weight, but then you put a bakery next to a gym?” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Who does that?”
    “Have you been inside it?”
    She shrugged with a guilty look on her face.
    “I’m not judging you.”
    “They have the best pecan pie in the world,” she blurted. “And they have mini pecan pies. It’s so good.”
    I chuckled. “That’s cute.”
    “What? The small pies?”
    “No. You.”
    She cocked an eyebrow while she ate. “That I have no self-control?”
    “No. Just picturing you in a small bakery is cute to me.” I couldn’t really explain why.
    She continued to eat. “Wow, this is really good, River.”
    “Thanks,” I said. “But you helped, remember?”
    “I didn’t wash the asparagus,” she said with a laugh. “I could have killed us.”
    “Nah, I have the stomach of a bear. I can eat anything.”
    “Well, if I ever cook Top Ramen for you that will give me peace of mind.”
    I shook my head. “You couldn’t pay me to eat that crap.”
    “Have you ever tried it?” she asked as she looked at me over her plate.
    “No.”
    “Then don’t rag on it unless you give it a try.”
    “I’ll pass,” I said.
    “I’ll make you try it eventually,” she said. “Just wait and see.”
    “That’ll only work if you’re on your knees or your back.”
    She cocked an eyebrow while she looked at me. “Meaning…?”
    I smiled because she was so ignorant. “That was a nice way of saying you’ll need to give me head or let me fuck you before I’ll eat that fake food.”
    “Oh…” Her cheeks blushed. “Gotcha.”
    Her innocence was cute. I liked the fact she wasn’t slutty. It seemed like girls gave it up too easily. “Can I ask you something personal?”
    “You’ll ask me anyway if I say no.”
    “Good point,” I said with a chuckle. “If you’ve been hung on this guy for so long does that mean you haven’t been around much?”
    “No, I wouldn’t say that,” she said. “I’ve been with a few guys. The sex was…okay. But I guess it wasn’t memorable because there were no real feelings there.”
    “And you think if you have sex with Nathan it’ll be magical?” I asked.
    “I would hope so,” she said. “He’s the only guy I’ve ever really cared about.”
    I was really starting to hate this guy who I didn’t even know. He had the love of a beautiful woman and he didn’t even want her. How did he pull that off? If I were a billionaire would she notice me? If I ignored her would she pay attention to me? Why did I care?
    “How about you?”
    “What about me?” I asked, forgetting what we were talking about.
    “How are your conquests?”
    “I have too many to count,” I said honestly.
    “I can imagine,” she said. “Women must throw themselves at your feet.”
    I stared into her eyes. “Not all.”
    “What made you want a serious relationship?” she asked.
    She asked me this before but I didn’t really give her an answer. “It’s just lonely. I see what my friends have now and they are really happy. I want a wife to come home to and kids. I can’t have