Building a Bad Boy. Colleen Collins

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      She shifted in her seat. Kimberly had obviously stumbled into some serious button-pushing territory. “I’m not talking about everyday reality,” she said, keeping her voice conversational. “I’m talking about mystery.”

      “Mystery?” He cocked an eyebrow. “You mean, faking something you’re not.”

      “No,” she said slowly, “I’m talking about adopting a persona that appeals to the opposite sex. Dating is a buyer’s market and women want to ‘buy’ a man who exudes a virile, forbidden, bad-boy persona.”

      He frowned. “Maybe they love the persona, but they don’t want the man behind it.”

      “That’s ridiculous.”

      “That’s the true reality, Ms. Logan. I should know. I lived it.”

      Kimberly realized she was tense, leaning forward in her own chair. Nigel was sitting stiffly, his big square knuckles gripping the arms of his chair. Their gazes were locked, waiting for one of them to back down.

      The door opened and Maurice entered, carrying a steaming pink flamingo coffee cup. “Sorry this took so long,” he said, sashaying across the room to Kimberly’s desk.

      “Was wondering where you were,” she said, hearing the edge to her voice. But this little surprise showdown with Nigel had left her tense.

      “Couldn’t find the Skinny Sweet. Had to do a quick trip next door to the convenience store. Figured while I was there, might as well grab something nutritional for your breakfast, too.” He set down a steaming foil-wrapped package that reeked of onions and spice.

      She shot him a questioning look.

      “Tofu breakfast burrito.” He twirled a finger in a circle. “Wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla.”

      Her mouth dropped open slightly. “You’re kidding.”

      “No, and you’re welcome.” Maurice folded his hands neatly. “Anything else before I go?”

      Kimberly caught herself and smiled tightly at Nigel. “Did you care for anything?”

      “No, thanks.”

      With a pleasant dip of his head at Kimberly, Maurice left.

      Nigel fought the urge to follow the assistant out of the office. This interview was growing increasingly frustrating, just like all his dating experiences. And bringing up The Crusher commercial pissed him off. If there was anything he regretted doing in his life, it was that. As a wrestler, he’d been flexing his skills at least. In that commercial, he’d been nothing but a piece of oiled meat.

      Celine wailed about her man reaching for her, and being all that she could for him….

      Nigel eased out a slow breath. That’s all he wanted, too. A woman who would reach for him, love him for who he was. And he’d give her the same…and more. His heart, his love for the rest of their days. If I walk out now, I might lose that chance. Up to now, he’d tried everything—slipping women his number, writing a personal ad, baking brownies as gifts—and every time, he failed at love. Walking in the Life Dates door was his last chance for love.

      Can’t leave. Can’t give up, not yet. Ms. Right was somewhere out there, he just needed help finding her.

      Although to look at Kimberly Logan, it was difficult to imagine this woman being a matchmaker. From the moment she’d sailed through the door, she’d seemed more like a machine than flesh and blood. Most women wearing a silk suit looked soft, feminine. Even though it was a nice shade of purple, it fit her like a suit of armor. That bun number only added to her strict look.

      Snapping that pencil in two cinched it, though. This was a woman who needed some serious loosening up.

      A woman who, also, from that perplexed look on her face, might appreciate an explanation for his strong reaction to that damn commercial. It’d be in his favor, too. If she understood what turned his crank, she’d know what to leave alone.

      “I hated that commercial,” he muttered.

      She arched an eyebrow.

      He scrubbed a hand across his face. “That image—me looking like a meatball Zorro with a woman in my arms—is the last image the public has of The Phantom. Feels rotten for that to be my parting shot, you know? It’s my biggest regret in life, something I’ll never repeat again.”

      She nodded, all poise and sophistication.

      Reminded him of women from his past. The coiffed, moneyed ones who hung out ringside during matches and tipped their way backstage afterward. Women who were privileged, uptight and desperate for some guy they viewed as wild and bad to help them relax a little. He’d made the mistake of indulging a few of them, then realized their game. They didn’t want him.

      They wanted The Phantom.

      “So,” said Kimberly, pushing the burrito aside with her manicured pink nails. “Who is that man they discovered?”

      “Pardon?”

      “You said that women might love the persona, but not desire the man behind it,” she prompted. “And I was wondering, who did they discover behind the mask? I need to know you, understand your dating history so we can plan our strategy. That’s how we differ from other agencies, and why our success rate is so high. I’m your success coach, as you probably read in our ad. In that capacity, I work closely with you, get to know you, so I can maximize our approach for your success.”

      Her clipped, assured tone was as smooth and polished as the furniture in this room. The only soft thing in the area was the sunlight from a corner window sifting through a ficus tree, creating a pattern of light and leaves on the floor as delicate as lace.

      Plus, there was nothing personal in here. No family pictures, kids’ finger paintings, nothing to show she had a life other than work.

      “Women didn’t like the homebody,” he admitted.

      She raised her eyebrows, a signal for him to elaborate.

      “Homebody,” he muttered, shifting in his seat. “You know, the guy who bakes brownies. Wants the picket fence and two-point-five kids.”

      “I can’t imagine any woman not wanting that…”

      “Oh, I can.” He snorted a laugh. “Nice guys finish last.”

      “May I suggest,” she said gently, “that you’re a nice guy who maybe tries too hard?”

      That hurt almost as much as a ringside body slam. “Baking brownies is trying too hard?”

      “What do you do at night…besides bake?”

      “Sit in my favorite armchair, listen to music. Watch cable if a good movie’s on.”

      “While waiting by the phone.”

      He shifted in his seat. “No.”

      “Where’s the phone?”

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