Free Skin Deep by Cher Carson Page B

missing was the buttered popcorn.”
    “Damn it,” she muttered, feeling the color rise in her cheeks. “I should have known. She’s probably planning a double wedding before you lose interest. Nothing would make her happier than a handsome, successful doctor actually showing an interest in her pathetic, workaholic, spinster daughter.” She knew she sounded bitter and resentful, but her mother had interfered in her personal life for too long. It had to end, now.
    “Hey,” he said, pulling them into a private alcove. “Has it ever occurred to you that your mother loves you and wants you to be happy?”
    “Sure, but her definition of happiness involves marrying a rich guy, having a couple of kids, and moving to an upscale house in the ‘burbs because that’s what she did. It never occurred to her that I worked hard to get a good education and I may want to use my degree to make a name for myself. I don’t need some man to take care of me or complete me…”
    He pressed his finger to her lips. “Don’t you believe you could have it all: a great career, a guy who loves you, and a couple of kids to call you mommy?”
    She was too much of a realist to get sucked into the Cinderella fairy-tale. She wasn’t expecting a white knight to ride in and rescue her from her dismal life. She had a plan to make the dealership profitable again so they could sell it and move on with their lives. “What makes you think that’s what I want?”
    He traced her cheekbones with his thumbs. “You don’t want a man who’s going to love you unconditionally, someone who’s willing to put you above everything else in his life?”
    Fighting back the emotion, she said, “That’s just a stupid fantasy.”
    “It doesn’t have to be,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. “You deserve that kind of love, Alana. You shouldn’t settle for anything else.”
    She gave into the temptation to wrap her arms around his waist. Having his strong arms around her again was both frightening and exhilarating. “I’m not thinking about marriage and kids right now. My first and only priority is making the dealership profitable again.”
    “And when it is?”
    “I’ll list it for sale and hope to find a buyer willing to make a fair offer and take it off our hands.” She pressed her palms into his chest, trying to push him away and pull him closer at the same time.
    He must have sensed her indecision because he linked his hands around waist, refusing to let her go. “Once you sell the dealership, what’s your plan?”
    “I’d like to resume my jewelry business.” She dipped her head, looking at the heavy gold necklace lying in the opening of his golf shirt. “And I’ve thought about what you said. I might like to work as an independent consultant, helping new start-ups.”
    “My offer still stands,” he said, brushing his lips against her cheek.
    She shuddered before giving into the urge to sink into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She hadn’t had a strong shoulder to lean on in so long.
    “God, I love the way this feels,” he whispered, his hot breath fanning the hair around her ear. “I don’t ever want to let you go, sweetheart.”
    “This is just a moment in time, Ryan,” she said, trying to find the resolve to put some distance between them so she could collect her thoughts. This was happening so fast. Within minutes of seeing him again, she wanted him.
    “It doesn’t have to be, honey,” he said, stroking her hair. “I could be that man for you, the one who puts you first, who supports you while you make your dreams come true. We could have it all.”
    She allowed herself to bask in the fantasy for a few seconds before she forced herself to quash it. “No, it would never work. You’re not the man I need.”
    His grip tightened. “Damn it, stop saying that. I can be whatever you need me to be.”
    Part of her thought he may actually