Free Dream Date With the Millionaire by Melissa McClone

be.”
    Dani couldn’t tell if her hair length was a good thing. Not that his opinion mattered. Much. “I keep thinking I should cut it and go for one of those trendy new styles.”
    “Your hair looks great the way it is,” he said. “You shouldn’t change it unless you really want to.”
    He sounded as if he’d had this conversation before. And then she remembered. Caitlin. “Spoken like a true big brother.”
    Bryce shrugged, looking a little embarrassed and a lot more like his profile picture—that shy, easy to hurt guy Dani had imagined.
    “It’s sound advice,” she added. “Thanks.”
    “Just don’t ask me to braid your hair.” He shivered. “I still have nightmares over that one. Caitlin, too.”
    Dani laughed. “Don’t worry, I can braid my hair myself.”
    He made an exaggerated swipe at his brow. “Good, I was worried for a minute.”
    She was a little worried herself.
    Bryce was too cute, the kind of guy you wanted to take home. Intelligent, nice, attractive, funny. Her friends would like him. Her mother and sisters, too.
    Not a date, she reminded herself.
    “Nice outfit,” he said.
    “Thanks.” She’d chosen a nice pair of brown pants, a blue blouse and a cropped lightweight jacket. Not super-fittedclothes, but these showed a few curves. She’d considered wearing her baggy sweats or another of the loose-fitting outfits hanging in the back of her closet and forgoing makeup again, but something inside of her had revolted at the thought of playing the role of ugly duckling again. She wanted Bryce to see her for who she was.
    Inside and out.
    His gaze, slow and appreciative, didn’t stop at her breasts, but ran the length of her and back up again. “Your shirt brings out the blue of your eyes.”
    She drew back. “You know what color my eyes are?”
    “You sound surprised.”
    “I am. Most guys…”
    “Most guys,” he prompted.
    She might as well be honest. “Most guys never see beyond my bra cup size.”
    He shrugged. “Their loss.”
    Dani was used to men liking her body, not her. She was always seen as a trophy, a piece of arm candy. She bit her lip, not sure what to make of Bryce.
    “Close your eyes,” he ordered.
    She did.
    “What color are my eyes?”
    “Green.”
    “Correct,” he said as she opened her eyes. “Guess you’re not just interested in my cup size, either. So we’re even.”
    Dani wasn’t sure about that. She felt off balance, as if her not-so-neat little world had been spun in yet another direction by him. She didn’t like the feeling.
    “Ready to eat?” he asked.
    “Please. I worked through lunch and am starving,” she said. “Whatever you brought smells delicious.”
    “It does smell good, but I can’t take credit for the food. I picked up dinner at a little place on Chestnut.”
    Bryce led her from the rotunda to a path leading around the lake. “I put down a blanket to claim a spot. With nice weather like this, I didn’t want to take any chances.”
    “It is a beautiful day.” She tilted her head toward the sky so the sun’s rays could kiss her cheeks. “Though I’m not sure there are any bad picnic spots here.”
    “True,” he admitted. “That’s why I like this place. Even with the tourists snapping pictures like crazy, it’s still peaceful.”
    “I know.” His words echoed how she felt and made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. “I’ve always thought of this place as somewhere to escape from the hectic pulse of life in the city. And you never know what you’ll see. One time they were filming a television show.”
    He stopped at a grassy area where a blue blanket was spread out. “Here we are.”
    Dani stared across the water. The two swans she’d seen earlier were still floating on the lake, but this time they had the “palace” as the backdrop behind them. “A veritable feast for the eyes with the lake, plants and architecture.”
    “It’s kind of like stepping back to ancient times with the Corinthian