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“You’re saying you’re not a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy? That you don’t date a woman for a few times and then forget her?”

“I’m saying I used to be that kind of guy. Before I met you.”

“So all those women you dated were just you trying to get over me?”

“Pretty much. After you friend-zoned me, anyway. At first I thought I’d get over it. I was fine with being friends and continuing to date other women. But I figured out it wasn’t working. I didn’t want other women. I wanted you.”

“The whole thing was a con. Me pretending to be your girlfriend was a scam. Was I supposed to fall in love with you?” She could tell she was really pissing him off. His jaw looked as hard as cement and his hazel eyes were flinty gray.

“Yeah. That was the plan. I thought if I could get you to spend time with me in a pretend relationship you’d realize that there’s no reason we can’t be in a real relationship.”

“No reason except you lied to me.”

“Not really. I just didn’t tell you.”

“A lie of omission is still a lie.”

“Damn it, Damaris, what the hell was I supposed to do? If I’d told you earlier that I was in love with you, you’d have run.”

“Maybe. But we’ll never know, will we?”

“Be honest, Damaris. Admit you’d have run away as fast as your boots would take you.”

That might be true but she sure as hell wasn’t going to admit it. She crossed her arms over her chest, raised her chin and glared at him.

“Either you care about me,” Nate said, “or you’re a better actress than I ever thought you were.”

“I’ve never denied I care about you. You’re one of my best friends. Of course I care about you.”

“And that’s all you’ll admit to. Oh, wait. You’ll admit you’re hot for me but that’s just sex, right? So obviously, sex isn’t the problem. What is? What are you so damn afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid. And the fact that you lied to me is what makes me not trust you. Because it was a lie no matter how you try to explain it away. This whole pretend to be dating thing was just a ploy to get close to me. If you can lie about one thing you can lie about others. I don’t want to make another mistake.”

“A mistake like the mysterious man from your past? The one who cheated on you?”

“It was a little more than simple cheating.” That was the understatement of the century. Try destroyed her faith in men and in her ability to judge a man.

“If you’re honest, you’ll admit you’d never have become friends with me if you thought I was in love with you.”

Nate was right about that. But she had good reason. “He lied to me too.”

“And there it is. The mystery man from your past. He must have done a hell of a number on you. Don’t you think it’s time you told me about him?”

He was right. She had to tell him. And once she did…he’d understand why they were over. “His name was Warner. Warner Jarrett. But I knew him as Weldon Jenson.”

Chapter Twenty-One

He’d given her a fake name? He was a liar. Well, that helped explain her feelings about lying. They both sat down, one on each end of the couch.

“You know I’ve gone out with a lot of guys,” Damaris began. “Not lately, but I’ve dated most of the guys around here.”

“I know.” Of course he knew. Every time he’d heard she’d dated someone he’d been jealous. Did she like the guy? How much did she like the guy? Enough to…at that point he’d made himself quit thinking about it. It did no good to imagine Damaris with other men. That just made him crazy.

Until he finally made love to her and she’d told him she hadn’t had sex in eight years. “And this guy, the guy with the fake name, was why you wouldn’t get involved with anyone. Why you hadn’t made love in years.”

“Bingo. Oh, it was a killer. Jaclyn is the only person who knows about it. And now you.”

“Let me get this straight. One guy cheated and you can never trust anyone again? Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction?”