The Playboy's Proposal (Sorensen Family) by Ashlee Mallory Page A

started to object, but he’d pressed two fingers to her lips, effectively cutting her off.
    “ When he asks you out,” he continued, “you can’t be too available. Remember, you have to make him work for it. He has to know that you’re not just sitting home pining away, waiting for him to ask you out, and that you have other…options. You’re going to have to turn him down.”
    She’d almost laughed then. “Turn down a date with Luke Seeley? Are you insane? That’s what we want—what I want. What we’re doing all of this for.”
    “Do you want to just be one of the many women the guy sees once before moving on, or do you want to be someone he’s really interested in? Someone he has to work to see, a prize in itself? Guys like a challenge. And that’s what you need to give the good doctor. You have to trust me on this. Say yes too soon, and that’s all it’s going to be. Think long-term.”
    Even now the thought of declining a date from Luke seemed ludicrous. Not that she was in imminent danger of his asking her out, since it was Thursday and he was bound to have plans already set for the weekend.
    So it was something of a shock when five minutes later someone knocked on her door and, instead of Roz’s long face, she looked into the warm gaze of Luke Seeley.
    Holding two cups of coffee in his hands.
    “Thought it was only fitting that I returned the favor and brought you some coffee today. I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a skinny vanilla latte. Hope that’s okay—it just seemed to be a popular drink of the women ahead of me.”
    “It’s perfect, thank you.” Even if she hated the flavor of vanilla in her coffee and preferred whole milk to skim, thanks to the richer texture it gave. But she smiled and took the cup from his hand.
    “Not a problem.” He stood there another second, staring at the floor as he considered something. “Actually, maybe you can help me out with something. Dr. Albert has to cover the clinic this Saturday, so it’s thrown a little hitch into my golf plans.”
    He was going to ask if she’d mind covering for Dr. Albert. She’d been asked a couple of times before to cover by other doctors, and being the newbie, she didn’t want to risk making enemies. She waited now for the appeal, resigned to having her hard-earned Saturday off taken away.
    “So…since you play and all, I wondered if you’d consider being my partner.”
    She couldn’t have heard him right. He was asking her to play with him? This Saturday?
    Her head seemed to be spinning at the possibility, and she forced herself not to jump up and bounce around the office. Best to be sure. “Sorry?”
    He smiled, confident and certain. “Saturday? Golf? With me?”
    Yeah. She’d heard him right. She opened her mouth, ready to say, “Of course,” and ask what time should she be ready, but then she remembered what Henry had said.
    To make him work for it. To…tell him no.
    “I—I think that sounds like fun, only…I kind of already have weekend plans.”
    “Come on, I’m sure you can manage to pull yourself out of bed by seven no matter how hard your partying is the night before.” If possible, he was smiling even brighter, sure he could charm her into coming.
    Well, she’d acted so freaking infatuated around him the past couple of months, she couldn’t blame him. It helped firm up her resolve.
    She smiled and, like a pro, she licked her bottom lip—even though she felt like an idiot doing it. Only…
    Luke was staring at her mouth. Hmm.
    “No, I’m afraid we have plans the whole weekend.” She played it coy, not elaborating more.
    He seemed to finally realize the implications, and his smile cracked a little. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were involved with anyone.”
    Her mouth went dry, her mind working to try and keep up with the pretense. What would Henry suggest she say? “Nothing serious.”
    Luke’s smile brightened back up. “Another time, then? Maybe we can even go for dinner