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"I know Let 'em look"

She looked at hier, he saw confusion instead

He wanted to say so fro a coherent sentence together Not when her curves were pressed against hih-school-fantasy-night, part two

"Ty," she said softly, "everyone is going to think we're together You're acting like I'irlfriend, not a hired consultant"

Ty couldn't go on playing this game anymore He wanted her She wanted hiether For real

"Then they're thinking right"

She sucked in a breath and two spots of red colored her cheekbones "We had an agreeht?"

She pushed out of his aruests He followed close behind her, out the french doors, down the steps, past a pond, onto a path that lead through a thick hedge

When they were far away from everyone else, he reached for her and spun her around She was breathing hard and her anger was alive between them

"How dare you?" she spat "You of all people should kno hard it is forabout how sad it is that I letsuperstar That you'll duht of a new pair of overinflated breasts"

She slapped his hands away from her waist

"Ever since I've been working with you, I've barely beenmy professional reputation Do you want ain? Is that what this is all about?"

His heart thudded in his chest She was dead wrong about him About his motives

"I love you"

Her eyes grew big and he knew she needed to hear it again And he needed to say it again, to let the truth sink into his bones

"I love you, Julie"

She stumbled back a step, sat down hard on a stone bench, and he kneeled at her feet She wouldn't look at him He held her cold hands between his

"I knoe had an agreeed"

She lifted her chin, blinked at hied? You're still you and I'm still me"

He moved to sit next to her on the bench "At first ere playing a game of cat and mouse We both wanted to see ould win But that's not where we are anymore"

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"Just because you like having sex with me doesn't mean you love me"

"I've liked having sex with lots of people"

Her eyes shot fire at hiain "Thanks for the reminder"

"But I haven't loved any of them" He brushed his thumb across her lower lip "Just you"

She leaned into his hand the slightest bit, and the vise grip around Ty's heart eased up

"You've caught uard," she whispered "I don't knohat to think"

He pulled her onto his lap, then pressed a gentle kiss to her lips "Trust reat together"

Julie's head was spinning It was just like Ty to spring the word love on her One et all of her old fears, and the next, soon top of each other

What about how deeply he'd hurt her before?

What about the throngs of beautiful woae chairs around his swi pool?

For so long, she'd held herself back froain What if this was her one and only chance to really be happy?

Maybe it was time to take a chance--to let herself be with a o well--if he didn't leave her and she didn't lose all of her business because everyone thought she was a sucker for falling for a rich playboy quarterback--maybe she could even tell him how much she'd always loved him

But for now, she'd just let herself fall into the net he was offering All she knew for sure was that she loved the feel of his strong ar on his lap ry for him

She said, "Love me, Ty," and it seemed like she'd hardly drawn a breath before he'd repositioned her with her dress up around her hips and her legs wrapped around his waist