"Well, today's a.s.signment may help us determine if it's more," Speedy said.

"What is it?" Trent asked, as though he were actually eager to jump through another of Coleman and Speedy's hoops.

"Glad you asked," Coleman said. "I'm afraid this is another one that's going to require talking, Ms. Kincaid. What we want both of you to do is to find out a little about each other, more than just where you live, your job, and that kind of thing. Basically, tomorrow morning, we want to learn what Trent's hopes and dreams are from Marissa, and what Marissa's hopes and dreams are from Trent. It all depends on the two of you as to how much communicating is required for you to figure that out. And that should give you a chance to connect on a more personal level, beyond the physical."

"And beyond dropped towels and kisses that bite," Speedy added.

"Easy enough?" Coleman asked, ignoring his sidekick.

"Very easy," Trent said. "And for the record, I already know Rissi's hopes and dreams."

"Ma-ris-sa," she corrected, then added, "and how can you even pretend to know my hopes and dreams?"

"You want to hear them?" Trent asked, apparently enjoying himself.

"Sure." She'd spoken the truth. They hadn't seen each other in years, and the brief interactions they had had before moving into this apartment were all fairly heated encounters. Then again, their time in the apartment had also been heated, even physically charged, but nothing at all that would be equivalent to any kind of relationship-building on an emotional level. So what could he know about Marissa's hopes and dreams? Nothing.

Or so she thought.

"First of all, Rissi wants to win this prize, the multimedia ad campaign that will propel her webzine, Atlanta TellAll, to the kind of notoriety necessary for the business to really take off. She wants the business to make enough income to adequately support herself and her two friends, Amy and Candi, who also help run the site. Then-and her boss will have to accept my apologies here-she wants to quit the day job and find a perfect guy. For the record, the only identification she provided for her 'perfect guy' is one who doesn't cheat, though I suspect that she wants much more than that single quality. And last of all, Rissi wants to work from home and have a house full of babies."

Marissa was speechless. He remembered everything she had said last night when she'd rambled on while they chatted over pizza. Every word, nearly word for word, as if her requirements in a man were something he was truly interested in.

Were they?

"You say that you suspect she wants more than that single quality," Coleman said, his voice deep and emotional. "Do you have any ideas as to what that 'more' might be?"

"Yeah," Trent said, "I do. Rissi wants a man who can make her knees weak when he looks at her, a guy who can make her laugh, and make her mad, who l.u.s.ts not only after her body, but also her feisty spirit, and can hold her arms up when she chokes on her pizza."

Speedy sniffed loudly through the speaker. "Oh, man, I'm gonna cry," he said.

"Well, Ms. Kincaid, I guess I've got to ask. Is he right?" Coleman asked.

"Yes." The word was barely audible.

"And can you tell us his hopes and dreams as well?" Coleman continued.

Marissa shook her head, feeling defeated, and flabbergasted. He really seemed seemed to care, but then again, all guys did, at first. "I don't know his hopes and dreams." to care, but then again, all guys did, at first. "I don't know his hopes and dreams."

"Then that's your a.s.signment for tomorrow," Speedy said. "And Trent, it looks like you're getting off easy, since you've already figured hers out. You can spend your day working, or playing, or dropping towels. Whatever floats your boat." He laughed. "And we did promise that we'd take a couple of callers this morning, so we better hop to that, since we're running short on time. Trent, you want yours first?"

"I've always followed the ladies-first principle," Trent said, nodding at Marissa. "Go ahead, Rissi."

She didn't bother correcting him on the name. He'd already completely robbed her of any fight she had left, and in truth, she was too busy remembering how he'd memorized all her hopes and dreams.

"Okay by you, Ms. Kincaid?" Coleman asked.

"Sure," she said, then turned her attention away from the hunky guy in the other chair to the white speakerphone on the desk. "Go ahead."

"Okay, we have our caller for Marissa. And who are we talking to this morning?"

"Hey, Marissa, it's Jamie."

No way.

"Now, Jamie," Speedy said. "I'm reading our information on you from the log, and it says you're the last guy that cheated on Marissa. Is that right?"

"Yeah," Jamie said. "That's right."

"So we've got the first guy who cheated on her-well, not technically cheated, but hurt her-and the last guy who cheated on her, together on the phone with us now, huh?" Speedy said, then added, "Now, based on the information I'm pulling up on TheGuyCheats.com-neat site, by the way-it looks as though you cheated on Ms. Kincaid with a fellow named Reginald."

"That's right, except he prefers Reggie," Jamie said.

"Reggie," Speedy repeated. "I'll make a note."

Coleman cleared his throat and took over. "Jamie, you said you had something to ask Marissa?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about everything that went on with us, Marissa, and I really wonder if you didn't see it coming. I mean, most of my friends knew that I, you know, play for both teams. And personally, everyone says that you'd have to be blind to miss it, so I'm wondering if you really did miss it?"

"What do you mean?" Marissa asked, puzzled.

"I mean, do you think that maybe you went out with me because because you knew it wouldn't work? You know, maybe you suspected that I'd cheat? Maybe not with a guy, but with someone? I mean, it could be that you're one of those girls who really don't want things perfect. Maybe you can only, you know, be happy when you're with someone that you know will cheat." you knew it wouldn't work? You know, maybe you suspected that I'd cheat? Maybe not with a guy, but with someone? I mean, it could be that you're one of those girls who really don't want things perfect. Maybe you can only, you know, be happy when you're with someone that you know will cheat."

"That's ridiculous," Marissa said, but she couldn't keep Amy's similar words from tripping through her thoughts: "Ever wondered if you didn't pick those guys on purpose?" "Ever wondered if you didn't pick those guys on purpose?"

"I have to agree with Marissa that it sounds off the wall," Coleman said. "But then again, we do hear of women who have been in abusive relationships, and for some bizarre reason, they continue to gravitate toward men who abuse. Suppose we've stumbled onto a whole new phenomenon, where a woman has been cheated on, and therefore gravitates toward cheaters."

"Hey, you're getting way too deep for me," Speedy said.

"I'd be interested in taking some callers on this topic, but we'll have to cover that tomorrow morning, perhaps at the beginning of the show, before we chat live with Trent and Marissa. Right now, we need to move on to Trent's caller, unless Ms. Kincaid has anything else to say to Jamie."

"No, nothing," Marissa said. Was she a serial cheater-dater? And did such a thing even exist? She couldn't deny that she'd been mentally pondering the possibility.

Trent's hand reached toward hers, en route to her mouth. "Don't," he mouthed. "He's crazy. You don't date cheaters on purpose."

Marissa had to stare at his mouth to make out the silent words, and staring at his mouth wasn't a good thing. She remembered how good that mouth had felt when he pressed his lips to hers yesterday, hot and sensual and delicious, right up until she bit him. She focused on the tiny crease in his lower lip, evidence of her attack. Evidently, Trent noticed where her attention had turned and grinned. He tapped a finger against it, winked, and mouthed, "Doesn't hurt."

"Okay, we've got our next caller ready," Coleman announced. "Still there, Jackson?"

"I'm here," Trent said.

"We've got Lily on the line, all the way from Clearwater, Florida, where she's listening to us on the Internet. You still there, Lily?"

"Yes," the woman said, and Trent's head jerked slightly; it was only a small movement, but Marissa noticed. Then his eyes widened, mouth flattened, and this time, his word wasn't mouthed. It was quietly spoken, but Marissa was able to hear it.

"d.a.m.n."

"And you have a question for Trent Jackson?" Coleman continued.

"Yes, I do. I just found out about this radio station contest this morning, and I still haven't been out to The GuyCheats site, though I plan to as soon as I'm done talking to him. Anyway, I didn't want to wait, because my girlfriends told me that they heard Trent Jackson lying on your program, and I wanted to call in and set the record straight."

"Trent's lying?" Speedy asked. "Well, maybe he needs to go in a lying database, too. Anyone started TheGuy Lies.com yet? Or should Coleman and I get in on that one?"

"Speedy," Coleman warned.

"Just having a little fun," Speedy said. "Go ahead and tell us what the inside scoop is, Lily."

"Well, I didn't hear it myself, like I said, but one of the girls that works with me-her name's Georgia-she said that she was listening to this show last week-I think she said it was Friday-and heard you say it was Trent Jackson, of Jackson Enterprises."

"Right," Speedy said. "And if you want to personally listen to it, click on the previous broadcasts on our home page. But go on, tell us what you want to say to Trent."

"Well, Georgia and I have talked about our previous relationships and all-I mean, I'm happy now, married with a baby on the way-but we've talked about relationships from before, you know."

"Right," Speedy said again, while Trent's face drained of color. What did this woman know? And why did he look so worried about her telling it?

Marissa tried to make eye contact with him, but he kept staring at the speakerphone, as though staring at it would make Lily quit talking, which, of course, wasn't happening.

"But anyway, Georgia heard him say on your show that he has never cheated on anyone. Now, I don't know anything about the lady that was on there saying that he cheated on her, but I do know from firsthand experience that he lied."

"He lied?" Speedy questioned.

"If he said he hasn't ever cheated on anyone, then yes, he lied, because he cheated on me."

"He cheated on you?" Coleman asked.

"Yes, he did. With my sister."

Trent placed his hand on his forehead, then slowly eased it down his face, shaking his head as it progressed. He looked, in a word, guilty.

"Well now, this is an interesting call," Speedy said. "And I guess now we need to let Trent respond."

Marissa's skin p.r.i.c.kled as she waited to see what Trent would say. If this woman, Lily, was telling the truth, then that meant that Marissa's fears were reality, and that she was doing it again-finding herself attracted to a cheater. Then again, she was her mother's daughter. And Mona Kincaid had married the king of cheaters, Marissa's father. Evidently, the apple really didn't fall far from the tree.

But if Lily weren't telling the truth . . .

"Well, Trent?" Coleman asked. "Did you cheat? On Lily?"

"Yeah," Trent said, moving his hand from his face and frowning at Marissa. "Yeah, I did."

If you want a woman's attention, confiscate her vibrator.

-TRENT J JACKSON

Chapter 15.

Trent had heard that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. He was about to test the theory on a female. However, with the way his luck was going, Rissi might take one look at the hero sub and toss it right back at him, or worse, toss the sandwich and and the plate. the plate.

Since this morning's broadcast, she'd spent the entire day in the breakfast nook with her back facing Trent as he worked at the desk in the living room. If it weren't for the constant banging of her computer keys, and the fact that she did get up occasionally to take Petie out, Trent wouldn't have noticed she was there. But he did notice, thanks to the banging, and thanks to the fact that he couldn't help but notice Rissi Kincaid. She was under his skin, big-time, and he was still determined to have her against it, big-time.

If he had his way, that would happen tonight, whether she realized it yet or not.

He carried two tall gla.s.ses of iced sweet tea into the breakfast nook, placed one in front of her and the other on the opposite side of the table. She didn't even look up from the screen. Undeterred, he returned to the kitchen, scooped up the two sandwich plates, and moved back to the breakfast nook. He sat behind his plate, then pushed hers across the table. This time, she peered over the top of the screen in an I-dare-you-to-stay gesture that Trent thought was absolutely adorable. He waved a hand over the plates, filled with the subs, chips, and dill pickle spears, then picked up his sandwich and took a bite.

"I don't want you here," she said, but her eyes darted to the plate beside her.

"Maybe not, but you want that sandwich. Go ahead and try it. I'm a d.a.m.n good cook."

"You don't 'cook' a sandwich."

"Well, I make a good one, that's for sure," he said, and took another big bite while she watched.

She grumbled, but pushed the laptop aside and picked up the sub. Taking a lady-sized bite, she chewed, swallowed, closed her eyes, and softly hummed her approval.

"Told you," he said smugly.

"You are so c.o.c.ky," she said, then took another bite, this one not nearly as ladylike.

"Confident," he said. "And what do you do when I'm not around, go without eating? Do you realize it's nine o'clock at night, and you never even stopped for lunch?"

She blinked, then looked at her laptop, apparently to check the onscreen clock. "We had a system crash today, and Gary asked me to work on it, but I didn't realize how much time had pa.s.sed. No wonder I'm so hungry." She popped a potato chip in her mouth then took a sip of tea. "Thanks for the food, but just so you know, it doesn't mean I'm going to forget that you're a cheater-or that I'll give in to the little tease thing you've been doing."

"Okay," he said, glad she'd opened the door for this conversation. "We're going to have to talk tonight, since you're supposed to fill Coleman and Speedy in on my hopes and dreams during tomorrow's broadcast, but first I want to talk about the 'tease thing' you're talking about, and about what Lily said on the air this morning."

"I don't have to know anything about-"

"Listen, I made you a sandwich. Can you just eat the thing long enough for me to talk?"

"It won't do any good," she said, then sighed. "But you did fix me a sandwich."

"So you'll listen to me, without interrupting?" he asked.

"Until I'm done eating." Although she tried to sound smart-a.s.s, one side of her mouth crooked up a tad, and Trent could see that she really wanted to set her smile free.

"Since you left before the broadcast was over this morning," Trent began.

"Petie needed to go out."

"I thought you were going to stay quiet until you finish eating," he said. "I can can take that sandwich away, you know." take that sandwich away, you know."