“Oh, really. How? From your vast knowledge about men? Irish men, in particular?”
She sat back in the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t know anything about me,” she said.
“And you know next to nothing about me,” he countered.
“I know what you want.”
“Prove it.”
What happened next happened so quickly that Dex wasn’t able to stop it. In one quick movement, she leaned over, grabbed his face between her hands and kissed him. At first, he wasn’t sure what to do, but then he took advantage of the invitation and slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her closer.
Her lips parted slightly and he slipped his tongue into the sweet warmth of her mouth. When a tiny sigh slipped from her throat, Dex took it as another invitation and dragged her body on top of his until he could run his hands over her backside. His pulse pounded, the warmth of desire pumping through his body.
The kiss ended as quickly as it began when Marlie drew back and looked at him with a wide-eyed gaze. “I—I think I’ve made my point.” She scrambled over to her side of the SUV and quickly fastened her seat belt. “We can go now,” she murmured.
“Bloody hell, you must really want me to do this project.”
“I do,” she said. “It’s imperative.”
“Imperative?”
“Yes, no one else could do it like you could.” She drew a sharp breath. “I mean the documentary,” she quickly added. “Not the kiss.” Marlie cleared her throat. “But the kiss was good, too.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you meant.” He started the truck, his heart slamming in his chest. He’d never reacted so strongly to a simple kiss.
“Just so you know, that’s not usually part of my pitch. Nothing is going quite the way I intended.”
“Will there be more kissing involved, or is it all business from here on out?”
“Would kissing you make you more inclined to take the job?” she asked.
“Probably not,” he replied.
“Then I suppose that’s the last time I’m going to kiss you.”
“Good,” he said, throwing the truck into gear and pulling out onto the road.
Though Marlie Jenner would provide the perfect distraction from all the pain he’d experienced in the past eight months, he wasn’t about to use her just to satisfy his own lust. He wasn’t ready to work again, and nothing she offered him, even a few enjoyable kisses, was going to change his mind. Once he got her back to the cottage, he’d send her on her way.
2
MARLIE USED THE ride back from the pub to silently go over her pitch in her head. She’d have just one chance to convince him, and she had to make sure she got it right.
Dex pulled the SUV onto the small parking pad next to the cottage and turned off the lights, then the ignition.
“I’ll just go get my computer,” she murmured, reaching for the door.
But he placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. “Wait,” he said.
Her gaze drifted down to the spot where his fingers rested. A warm flush crept up her cheeks and she had to tell herself to breathe. “What is it?”
“I have to be honest with you. As much as I enjoyed that kiss we shared, nothing you say is going to convince me to do your project. So I don’t need to see your presentation. But if you’d like to come inside and get to know each other a little better over a drink, I’d be interested in that.”
Marlie stared at him, her mouth agape. “I— How dare—? No! No, I’m not interested in coming inside and having a drink.” She opened the car door and stepped out, then slammed the door.
Dex jumped out after her. “I just thought since you did kiss me and you seemed to enjoy it that...”
Marlie shook her head, then turned to walk away. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to go inside with him and see exactly where a few drinks might lead. But that would be supremely unprofessional. Plus, she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
She spun back around. “You’re missing out on a really great project. You have a chance to do something important for a wonderful Irish writer. And don’t think I don’t know you could do this project blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back.”
Dex smiled. “That would be a bit dodgy,” he said.
Marlie cursed beneath her breath, then strode toward her car, fighting back the tears that threatened. She’d blown it. And yet, as she got inside her car, she couldn’t put her finger on where she’d gone wrong. Somewhere between the pub and the cottage, he’d changed his mind. Before that, everything had been going so well.
Or had it? Maybe he’d never had any intention of listening to her pitch. Maybe all he really wanted was a quick roll in the hay. She grabbed the keys from her jacket pocket and started the car. “I never should have kissed him,” Marlie muttered.
She’d never been an impulsive person, especially when it came to men. There was just something about Dex that rendered her completely irrational.
Throwing the car into gear, she steered the Fiat back onto the road, roaring past Dex as she headed toward the lights of the village.
As she drove through the dark, she refocused, scrambling to come up with an alternate plan. But Marlie was faced with the realization that she’d put all her eggs in the Dex basket. Though she had a list of other options, other cameramen who might be interested in the project, she hadn’t made contact with any of them. She’d never expected to waste two full weeks chasing after Dex Kennedy, and filming was due to start in mere days.
Rain began to hit the windshield and she turned on the wipers. When she reached the small village, Marlie pulled the car over and grabbed the map, trying to figure out the fastest way back to Killarney. Yet the thought of walking away from Dex and everything he had to offer was causing her to doubt her actions. She’d come this far. Was she really ready to give up so easily?
“No,” Marlie muttered. He hadn’t even given her a chance. She cursed softly. At least not a chance to talk about her project.
So just how far was she willing to go to convince Dex to do her film? She’d never compromised herself for the sake of professional advancement. Yet now that the film of her career was about to slip through her fingers, she had to take drastic action, and she wasn’t going to give up. Not until she’d exhausted every last option with Dex. Every last option, except sex. That, she decided, was her line.
Marlie made a quick U-turn and headed back toward the little cottage. When she reached the building, she pulled up near the stone wall and turned off the ignition.
The house was dark and she wondered if he’d left already. But the SUV was still parked in its spot. It was early, not even 8:00 p.m. Had he gone to bed? If she waited here, she could catch him in the morning, maybe in a better mood. Or she could bang on the door and demand that he hear her out.
Marlie grabbed her laptop and got out of the car. Nothing had ever come easily to her. Why would Dex Kennedy be any different? Somehow, she would put aside her ridiculous attraction to him and keep her wits about her. And she’d convince him that this film was the most important thing in her life—and his.
When she reached the door, Marlie drew a deep breath. “He’s just a guy. Just an ordinary guy. He’s not that good-looking. Or charming.” She rapped on the door, her heart pounding. After a second knock, Marlie realized he wasn’t planning to answer.
“I know you’re in there. I’m not going