LIAR LIAR (Sexy Southerners series)

by Julianne Floyd

  “Did you hear me? I said your ex-asshole is living it up right here on your ticket. We never dreamed he’d still show up once things were…Hey!” Suze squawked.

  The phone jostled and Caroline’s slurring overly-loud voice blared through the handset. “He’s an ass, Jess. Always has been. It’s time he got his.” The phone jostled again. Jess winced and pulled the handset from her ear.

  “Give me that.” Suze sighed. “You should’ve come with us, hon. You need a good lay and Stan could use a dose of his own medicine.”

  It wasn’t easy when her two best friends were partying in a tropical paradise and she was stuck at home. Working.

  “Stan’s with his latest bimbette, no doubt. Who cares?” Jess ignored a stab of injured pride, shouldered the phone and clicked the “Photos” page on the Horseshoe Lodge website. “I’ve got to work.”

  “Work, schmerk.” Suze snorted. “You should have seen it. I thought Caro was going to dump her perfectly good mojito down the bimbette’s backside. You know how she gets.” She paused when Jess made a noncommittal noise. “What’s got your panties in a twist this evening? You sound more prickly than usual. Your latest gig not going well?”

  Jess sketched the details of the call from LoveLines and described the lodge from the resort page, including the prices.

  Suze paused then gave a low whistle. “Sounds like fun. Maybe they get a corporate discount…frequent fliers and all. You’re going to go, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know. It could be risky. Montana’s…not really a hotspot. What if there’s a bunch of duds and I’m trapped in a freak snowstorm?” Jess fiddled with a loose thread on her comforter.

  “Then turn off the lights and put a bag over their head, honey. You’ll be warm enough.” Suze’s laughter tinkled over the phone line like champagne flutes toasting to Jess’ personal misery. In the background, a man shouted and jaunty disco beat started. “Seriously, Jess. This is your chance. No one there knows you…what you’re really like.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jess tried to sound offended. No one knew her better than Suze. They’d been friends since grade school.

  “You’re so convinced everyone is up to something. Everything’s black or white with you, hon. Wound up tighter than a yo-yo. It’s about time you did something for yourself. Let those inhibitions go—find some shades of grey. If that lodge is half as nice as you make it sound, the spa alone must be to-die-for. Besides, don’t you need to go ask someone questions or something for your investigation?”

  “I suppose,” Jess mumbled. She wasn’t really that polarized, was she?

  “Uh-oh, Caro looks primed for trouble. She’s fixated on Stan! I’ve got to run, but let me know how it works out. Kisses!”

  The phone line fizzled and went dead.

  Jess bit her lip. Maybe she should go…after all, she was trying to pose as a real client. If only she had half the nerve Suze and Caroline had when it came to men. Suze had always had it easy. Blonde, leggy and beautiful—even through the awkward teen years, Suze was a stark contrast to Jess. If Suze hadn’t been such a true, honest friend to her, Jess might’ve felt a little insecure growing up in her best friend’s glamorous shadow. When things had gone south with Stan, most of her supposed friends had looked the other way, embarrassed to have known about his philandering for so long. But not Suze or Caroline. Without Suze’s support in that first year, Jess might never have had the nerve to embark on a career as a C.F.E. She’d worked hard to snag a promotion that would make her financially secure.

  This solo investigation would be the means to finally make it.

  Her gaze wandered to her laptop, still circulating digital images of what looked to be a mountain delight. Someone was going to an awful lot of trouble to make good on LoveLines’ guarantee. She knew their national marketing hinged on the advertised guarantee of “complete satisfaction of our exclusive clientele,” but this seemed over and above the call of duty.

  Eight men and eight women stuck at a five star resort for a week, all expenses paid?

  Jess screwed up her courage. She was supposed to be legitimately attempting to use the LoveLines system. She had more than enough vacation time saved up and she hadn’t had sex in over a year. Or good sex in over five. Even if the select “highly desirable” guys turned out to be total disappointments, it was worth the trip. Maybe she could get some individual testimony from other clients. It’d be a huge help to her case if there were other unsatisfied clients. She’d check the offer thoroughly, but unless there was a major flaw, there was no way she was going to turn this opportunity down.

  “Pack your carry on, Pinky. We’re going to Big Sky country.”

  ***

  Matteo Brandt set the telephone receiver on the cradle with an audible click and a grunt of relief. She’d taken the bait. To his left, his sister Seneca gave him a concerned smile.

  “You sure you know what you’re doing?” she asked. “She isn’t going to like being tricked, you know. This could totally backfire.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Matteo shuffled the papers into order on his polished mahogany desktop. On the top of the pile, a digital photo of Jessica stared back at him. He traced a fingertip over the curve of her pert nose. “It can’t be a coincidence. She’s following the same pattern. Scarce meetings, nonexistent personal contact, weird questions when she does date…she’s a plant for an investigation.”

  “She could be for real.” Seneca flipped her hair out of her eyes. “She seemed pretty torn up about her ex-husband’s infidelity. Maybe she just hasn’t met the right guy, yet?” Her dark brows waggled.

  “Yeah, maybe.” Matteo shrugged. “The system works, mi hermana. She just needs a little encouragement.”

  “And you’re just the horse charmer to coax her, eh?” His sister compressed her lips. She didn’t approve of his plan to use his own charm to back up company promises.

  “Me or someone else. What’s the difference?”

  “The difference is ‘someone else’ is a client looking for a relationship. You’re just…window dressing, Bro.”

  Matteo winced.

  She was right, of course. But from the moment Seneca had handed him Jessica’s profile and interview tapes for posting, Matteo had taken a personal interest. Maybe more personal than he should. Her profile was intelligently written with a wry sense of humor that appealed to his jaded side. In her video interviews, she seemed opinionated and self assured, but not arrogant. She had a sweet vulnerability that he liked in a woman. And that face…he’d have gone for her even if she hadn’t been out to ruin him.

  Matteo stifled the urge to clench his fist. Beauty be damned. This was just another problem to be solved. And Matteo was a master problem solver. His competitive edge in the market was honed and sharp.

  As the CEO and creator of the multimillion dollar dating company, LoveLines, he’d seen and had his share of women. It was how he’d built his empire, catering to a higher level of clients--tech savvy consumers willing to pay extra to find love--or at least what passed for love these days. He knew every feminine type, from the quiet ingénue to the man-stalking cougars prowling for young men with hard bodies and even harder heads. Men who liked to be broken by a woman with experience.

  He’d been a man like that once.

  It was true what they said. Once you got over the first heartbreak, it got easier. He’d stopped looking for love and started selling it.

  Seneca tapped a pen on her clipboard. “She’s gotta go for someone, Matteo. I’ve emailed every eligible bachelor within a one hundred mile radius, and even a few ineligible ones, just in case she’s in to that kind of thing.”

  “And?” He already knew the answer. He’d read her file cover to cover.

  “Nada.” Seneca made a noise of exasperation.

  So, Jessica didn’t take the bait. She’d gone gamely on a few first dates, enough to have half the tri-state area drooling for a second chance with her. After initial contact, though, the red-hot redh
ead had cooled, declining any further contact with the selected bachelors. It’d be just a matter of time before she sent in notice that they’d failed to find her guaranteed match.

  Just like the client who’d falsely accused him of fraud.

  Matteo rubbed his jaw in frustration. Every penny he made from LoveLines went into keeping the family horse ranch afloat. The pending lawsuit, the press coverage…even if he could prove the complaints were based on the client’s refusal to participate honestly in the program, the damage to his business and reputation would be done. He should have expected the plaintiff to hire an accomplice to corroborate her unfounded charges.

  LoveLines’ privacy policy was structured so that only his staff had access to personal information. Dumb luck and a computer system had assigned his sister Seneca as Jessica’s personal love consultant instead of one of the ten other consultants in the Southeastern tri-state area. Lucky for him, that is.

  A woman like Jessica Barlow didn’t need luck in the love department. If she thought she was going to expose some corporate secret by posing as a client, he was on to her.

  Matteo exhaled loudly. “She could be trouble.” He tapped the photo of Jessica.

  "Trouble for who?” Seneca watched him gazing at Jessica’s portrait and gave him a hopeful smile. “Admit it, Matteo. You’re interested."

  Matteo shook his head. "I'm not made for relationships."

  "Says you!" Seneca snorted. "You haven't even tried your own system. What kind of a guy creates a computer program to pair up total strangers and doesn't even try it himself?"

  "A guy like me." Matteo sighed and slipped the photos and profile sheets back into the file folder.

  He’d taken immense personal interest, and truth be told, a little affront at the failure of his system to work for Jessica. Love wasn’t what people made of it. It was pure science. Bring the right people together at the right time. The fact Jess was a fraud examiner unnerved him, but he stood by the success of his program. He’d make sure she found the man of her dreams--even if he had to play that man himself.

  His entire family depended on this company.

  Even now, just the image of her face so near his lap made him hard. With those full lips of hers, he wanted her face in his lap so badly, his cock jumped like a marionette on a string.

  He loved smart women, almost as much as he loved being right.

  "Believe me, Sis. I'm completely in control of things. Just stick to your job and everything will work out as it should." He handed her the file. “I can handle it.”

  "You're the boss." Seneca shrugged. "I'll phone in your travel itinerary in the morning. She kissed him on the cheek and left.

  Matteo leaned back in his chair. The office was empty, almost as empty as the ranch house in Fort Worth. He didn't relish the idea of going home just yet, so he pulled a soda from the office fridge and allowed himself the guilty pleasure of daydreaming about Jessica Barlow.

  She was smart and pretty. A woman headed into her prime. He couldn't understand why she hadn't found a successful match yet, not unless she was playing a different game. He’d bide his time, check her out and see. It was possible the pretty divorcee needed a little encouragement, something he was only too happy to provide. But if she wasn’t…she was in for an unexpected ride.

  Smart woman were dangerous, but Matteo was a man who put his money where his mouth was. The Montana vacation was pure genius. LoveLines hosted singles mixers around the country with great success, and this was a chance to pull out all the stops, orchestrate the seduction of an incredibly attractive woman, and guarantee that his company lived up to its reputation. She didn’t trust easily. But women like Jessica needed someone to remind them how desirable they were—to be gentled before they were broken for riding. After that, she'd be primed and ready for any one of the selections from his matching system. It had been a long time since he’d been involved with a woman, but he was a man of his word. She’d agreed to the trip, which meant he could chalk up one for LoveLines.

  And one way or another, he’d show Jessica Barlow that LoveLines lived up to its guarantee.

  Chapter Two

  Jess stepped out of the lodge shuttle Hummer to a brilliant blue sky that stretched so far she felt like she was drowning in it. The Montana air was cool, far cooler than it was back home in Georgia, and the scent of trimmed grass and freshly turned earth weighed heavily on the breeze. She rested her backside against the mud spattered rear quarter panel, feeling almost sexy in the trendy stiletto-heeled boots the salesgirl had convinced her to buy during her last minute shopping spree. Boots and long sleeves in May. Jess shook her head. This whole trip was a crazy idea.

  Almost as crazy as spending another balmy year alone in Atlanta.

  “You staying long?” The driver had nice eyes and an honest to goodness cowboy hat. He kicked it back on his head and gave her an appraising glance that traveled from her low rise jeans to the crown of her head and back.

  “Just a week.” Jess felt her cheeks warm. Despite her sensitive jerk-o-meter, she still appreciated a good looking man. Especially one appreciating her.

  He lifted his chin toward the porch, where a petite brunette waited with a clipboard and a smile. “Maybe I’ll be seeing you, then.”

  Focus, she reminded herself. This trip wasn’t for pleasure, well not entirely. Not unless the court allegations were dead wrong.

  Jess waved to a woman waiting by the entrance, who from the nametag and clipboard could only be Seneca, her personal love consultant and erstwhile travel agent.

  “I’ll be pretty busy. Thanks.” Jess slipped him a fiver, without lingering over the hand contact.

  The driver shrugged and hefted her battered brown suitcase up the lodge steps and into the main foyer. “Your loss,” he said with a flippant smirk that reminded her far too much of her ex.

  Jess resisted the urge to laugh out loud.

  “You must be Jessica.” Seneca called out as Jess ascended. Her dark brown eyes crinkled when she smiled. She was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and cream colored top that set off her dark complexion.

  “Call me Jess.” Jessica peered into the almost empty main foyer where overstuffed leather furniture surrounded a huge stone fireplace. “Am I the first to arrive?”

  “The last, actually.” Seneca put her hand on the back of Jess’ arm to guide her inside. “We were afraid you might have changed your mind.”

  Jess grimaced. She’d “changed her mind” at least a half dozen times, turning down further contact from fellow LoveLiners. Her love consultant didn’t pull punches, but Jess admired that quality, especially in a society that thrived on double-talk. “Not yet. But I can’t speak for later.”

  “Women’s prerogative.” Seneca winked conspiratorially. “I think you’ll be pleased when you meet your prospects. Do you need to freshen up or anything?”

  Jess nodded. “After a five hour flight? Yes, please!” She could review her investigative tactics and questionnaire later.

  “Check in at the desk. Your room is on the first floor, just down that hall.” Seneca gestured. “There are other vacationers here, by the way. This is a small mixer, so just be aware that everyone here isn’t in the program.”

  “Great, thanks.” Jess turned and stopped dead in her tracks.

  Standing next to the huge natural stone fireplace in the center of the lobby was a man with tousled dark hair and broad shoulders encased in a black designer t-shirt she definitely wouldn’t mind removing. He was tanned with a square jaw and full lips, a hot fudge sundae poured into a pair of faded blue jeans.

  Her mouth went dry. She’d always had a thing for guys who could work a pair of jeans better than a suit. She was a dynamo in the workplace, but her recent forays in dating made her feel like a total novice.

  Their eyes met. He gave her a careless grin over the manager’s shoulder. The kind that reduced most women to silly putty. Her nervousness spiked even as her knees went weak. Tall, dark and hottie. Jess bit her bot
tom lip. Was he part of the LoveLines group?

  The guy lifted his chin. He was definitely a charmer, and in her world that meant trouble. She couldn’t make the same mistake twice. She wouldn’t. His smile deepened. Jess coughed, trying to loosen the breath stuck in her throat.

  Seneca gave her a curious look. “Everything okay?” Her gaze darted from Jess to the guy at the fireplace.

  This guy was used to getting his way with women, a definite magnetism Jess couldn’t afford to succumb to again.

  “Just a little nervous about meeting the others.” Jess hefted her suitcase, willing her eyes not to stray toward him. “See you in a few?”

  “Sure.” Seneca nodded, but her eyes remained thoughtful.

  Jess checked in to a private room on the first floor where she changed into her favorite ivory silk blouse and touched up her lipstick. She took a few deep breaths to get over her raging hormones and unpacked her clothing and briefcase, setting the inconspicuous file for LoveLines on the desk. Paperwork was a bracing reminder of the real reason she’d come. It certainly wasn’t for tall, dark and hottie with the double fudge eyes.

  She sighed with regret. Her room was extravagant, the perfect blend of luxury and casual comfort. Positioned on the main floor, her suite overlooked the lodge’s huge pond and had a detailed view of the distant mountain range from the French doors to her private patio. Near the gardens, she saw a couple meander down a gravel path that skirted the pond, totally enamored with each other.

  What the heck was she doing here?

  After a lousy marriage, painful divorce, and almost three months of wading through profiles, she still hadn’t found someone. And to make matters worse, the random anxiety attacks she’d suffered through college had returned. Suze said it was symptomatic of the crap her ex had put her through. Stan, her ex, was a corporate investment banker who’d made it his priority to deposit himself into as many willing women as he could find.

  All the time she’d wasted, ignoring her intuition in the hopes of finding love and security. Stan obviously had no problems with the opposite sex. So, why couldn’t she open herself to a second date? Or even a second cup of coffee? Getting assigned to a dating service investigation should have been a great way to commit herself fully to entering the dating scene.