Free Dream Man by Judy Griffith Gill Page A

would give me some kind of an edge. Make a barrier of sorts. I have had a couple of pretty serious, live-in relationships in the last ten years or so. One lasted nearly two years, and, during that time, things with other women eased up a bit. So I figured if I were married for real—” He broke off with a helpless shrug.
    Jeanie shook her head. “You’re pretty naive for a man of thirty-eight, McKenzie. At least about women.”
    He stared at her. “No I’m not! Lord, if anyone should know about women, it’s me! Didn’t I just tell you, I can’t seem to keep them away? I probably could have married a hundred times, if I’d wanted to. I just never wanted to.” He blew out a breath of air, his lips pursed. “Until now. And now I do.”
    â€œRight.” she said, smiling wryly. “Now you want to give your brother a break, so you’re willing to marry someone. That’s really weird, Max. Maybe you should write yourself up as one of those people making a strange job offer.”
    He rose so quickly, she thought he was going to come and drag her off the couch. But he stood where he was, blue eyes snapping with sudden anger and possibly with hurt, although she doubted that. His feelings for her were purely sexual, so how could her refusal cause him emotional pain? His flush faded as he approached her, leaving his face without color. “I’m not willing to marry ‘someone’! I want to marry you, specifically you. I thought I had made that clear. That was no job offer, Jeanie. It was a sincere and genuine proposal of marriage, the first and only one I have ever made, and I never expected to have it laughed at.”
    A spurt of responding anger propelled Jeanie to her feet too. “Forgive me for seeing humor in it, but I’m afraid I can’t possibly take it seriously. It might as well have been a job offer the way you made it. What you were doing was propositioning me, Max! Offering a wedding ring in exchange for regular sex and protection against marauding females. Well, thanks, but no thanks! People marry for love or not at all in my book. They marry when their love is so big and so wonderful that they only want each other and they want it forever. Other people. As for me, I won’t marry, not for love nor, as the old saying goes, money. I’ll hang onto my freedom with both hands till the day I die! And so should you, since you’re a self-confessed cage hater too. Besides, if you were to marry someone and that had the desired effect of getting women out of your hair long enough for your brother to be happily settled, what would happen when a woman came along who wasn’t intimidated by your married status? And believe me, women do exist who don’t care if a man’s married or not! Some of them see it as a challenge they can’t turn down. If you wanted her, you’d be free to go after her, wouldn’t you? There’ll be none of that neat little emotion known as love that sometimes holds people back from hurting others.”
    His expression gentled. “Is that why you’re refusing me, Jeanie? Because you’re afraid I’d hurt you?”
    She sighed in exasperation. “No, Max. I’m refusing because we don’t love each other. We don’t even know each other!”
    He stepped so close, she could smell the subtle scent of his cologne. She wished she didn’t have to breathe, but more than just an autonomic reflex dictated that she draw in deep drafts of it.
    â€œWe could get to know each other. If love makes self-respecting people act the way I’ve seen some women—and guys—act, then I’m glad I can’t feel it. I’d hate to look like a fool. But that doesn’t mean I can’t feel, Jeanie.”
    His hands were warm on her arms. She knew she could pull away from him, that he wouldn’t stop her, but he was like a magnet drawing her closer. Her