The Rented Husband (Southern Nights Series)

Chapter 3

**Edited by Adelina Clonts**

“The Rented Husband”

2011 © All Rights Reserved

Chapter 3

Brody reached out in front of Olivia and opened the door. She stopped dead in her tracks and peered over at him out of the corner of her eye looking at him suspiciously. He flashed her one of his million watt smiles and simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Ladies first,” he said cordially.

Growing up in the South he had always been taught that opening doorsand pulling chairs out for the lady was the gentlemanly thing to do, and he considered himself to be a perfect gentleman, most of the time anyway. Although right now, he was insanely curious as to why Ms. Fancy Pants suddenly asked him to lunch. He had Olivia Murray pegged as the sort that didn’t fraternize with guys like him. No, actually he couldn’t really see her with any kind of man; not with the stick that seemed to be permanently stuck up her butt.

Brody stayed just a couple steps behind her as they walked into the deli andtook a moment to admire exactly how fine her butt was, even with a stick lodged up in it. The way that her rear end swayed with each purposeful step she took would make any red blooded breathing man stand up and take notice, he mused. The lady sure had a confidence that radiated from her, one that even possibly rivaled his own. And that was saying something considering the size of his ego.

After walking into the deli, Olivia was feeling the overwhelming first signs of nerves settling within.Was she crazy for asking Brody O’Connor to do this, to be her rental husband? She answered herself by snorting aloud at the mere absurdity of the question.

Stopping at an empty booth she glanced over her shoulder at the admittedly handsome man. His cerulean blue eyes were watching her every move. He was grinning at her with a charming smile that she was certain had probably melted many women’s hearts over the past few years.

“What?” he finally asked her lifting a questioning brow. Olivia shook her head and took a deep breath.

“Nothing,” she said curtly. Averting her gaze and flattening her mouth into a grim line. She added a stiff, “Nothing at all,” before rigidly sliding into one side of the booth. Her mind briefly drifted back to her earlier phone call with Ashley. Romancing the idea of another arranged set up with what her sisters newest idea of hubby material might be, chased away any jittery nerves she previously had.

Once Olivia had taken her seat, Brody slid into the booth across from her and rested his elbows on the table. He could sense that Ms. Fancy Pants had something on her mind but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why it would have anything to do with him of all people. He would have figured himself to be the last person on earth that Olivia Murray would have come to for a civil lunch conversation, not that he was complaining. Even with her astute manner and tapering gaze, Olivia Murray was most definitely hot.

“So,” he started and lightly tapped his fingers against the table top in a rhythmic beat. “Why did you want to see me?” he asked her straight out because his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Her piercing brown eyes stared back at him with such intensity that he almost buckled under the pressure. She had easily earned the name Dragon Lady in the court room and now he clearly understood why. With just one look, she could almost bring a man to his knees.

“I-” Olivia said and then snapped her mouth shut when two menus were slapped on the table in front of her and a gaudy waitress stood beside them.

“What can I get you two?” the assertive waitress with the double D breast enhancement straining out of the top of her too small shirt asked, looking solely at Brody. She was smiling from ear to ear and not so subtly trying to push her chest out even further for his benefit.He turned that award winning smile on the waitress who swayed slightly before grabbing a hold of the edge of the booth to steady herself.