Dare to Love by user (read dune TXT) 📗

every turn. Dare she give him more ammunition?

“There’s this man my father thinks would be a good asset for the firm.”

“Asset?”

“Alexander Sheldon. CEO of one of the big law firms in the city. Divorced, multimillionaire, and possibly interested in merging our two companies.”

“Company being your family’s law firm.”

She nodded.

“So you’re being bartered.”

“No!”

His eyes widened at her shouted denial. She sunk down a little bit in her chair, now

having managed to once again capture the attention of the men in there. “It’s not like that

at all.”

“Then tell me what it is like.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

His eyes narrowed “Why wouldn’t I understand? Think I’m too dumb to comprehend the subtle nuances of the rich?”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant at all.” Without thinking, she slipped her hand over

his and squeezed. God, she was failing miserably at this date.

He flipped his hand over, twining his fingers with hers. Her stomach dropped to her

feet and her heart began to pound. And yet she didn’t pull her hand away. He was like a

magnet, drawing her ever closer. She liked touching him, and she really liked when he

touched her.

Did he feel it too? That spark, like a pleasurable jolt that fired you up on the inside?

She suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“Why can’t you just pick your own guy?”

Indeed, why couldn’t she? “That’s my intention.”

“But your dad sees it otherwise.”

She pulled her hand away. His touch distracted her, made it hard to think straight.

“My father is an honorable man, a very good man.”

“But still, he’s trying to control your life. A life you should be able to make decisions for on your own.”

“I can handle my father. When I find the right man, I’ll marry.” She just needed to keep repeating that same phrase to her father, over and over and over again, hoping that

some day it might actually penetrate his stubborn skull.

“Why don’t you just get a boyfriend, or a fiancé? Get your father off your back?” If only it were that easy. Of course, actually dating would be a good start. Funny how

she never seemed to make time for that. “I will. Some day.” And in the meantime, her father would continually shove Alex at her. She shuddered

at the thought.

Like anyone she’d marry would be a business deal, not a love match. And then he had the nerve to suggest that she could do worse than marrying Alex.

“Tell me about this Alexander Sheldon guy,” Jake asked.

She smirked. “Alex is the most relentless, vicious lawyer in the city. He’s never lost a case and never lets anyone forget it. The man takes egotistical to a new level.”

“Mmm, sounds like a great guy.” Jake smiled and winked at her.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Oh, right. According to my father, Alex is perfect. Wealthy, career minded and, of course, from a very reputable family.” Her father hadn’t been amused at all when she made the suggestion that he marry

Alex if he though Alex was so darn perfect. Under no circumstances would she ever

settle for less than complete and utter love. She didn’t even like Alex.

“Yeah, I could see how something like that is important to people like you.” Lucy looked up and met his gaze. “What does that mean?”

“Blood ties, lineage and all that. Can’t be mixing with the lower class now, can we?”

She felt the sharp bite of his words, knew in some convoluted way he referred to himself.

“To some people, I suppose that’s important.”

“But it isn’t to you.”

She met his gaze head on. “Not in the least.”

Jake looked down and worked on tearing the label off his bottle of beer. Had she hurt

his feelings? Damn if she could figure out how to act in this situation. What a nightmare.

She longed for the comfort and safety of her house, where she could hide from all the

ugly realities of social class and family expectations.

“What about you?” She desperately needed to change the subject. “Don’t you have

someone in your life?”

His face tightened for an instant. Lucy recognized the look that crossed his face.

She’d seen it enough times when she looked in the mirror. That empty expression, the

one that signaled lonely.

“I’m too busy to settle down.”

She let out a small laugh. “Now you sound like me.”

“But I don’t have a father trying to marry me off, either.” She grimaced, hating that they’d gotten back on that subject.

There had to be some way to get her father to let loose of this ridiculous marriage idea. Otherwise, every event she attended she’d be hounded by Alex, and her father.

“Maybe I need to find someone to parade around, let Father think I’m involved,” she

mumbled to herself.

“Good idea.”

“It would have to be someone he didn’t know. Otherwise he could manipulate the situation.” She drew figure eights in the condensation on the beer bottle.

“Got someone in mind?”

“Not really. He knows everyone I know.”

“You could use me.”

She snapped her gaze up at him. “Pardon?”

“Use me. To keep your dad from playing matchmaker.” Had she missed a vital part of their conversation? What in the world was he talking

about? “I don’t understand.”

“It’s simple. You let your father think you’re dating me, and he won’t be able to throw this Alex guy at you anymore.”

She took a quick gulp of her beer, hoping the cool liquid would melt the lump in her

throat. “You want to date me?”

He laughed. “No. Just help you out. Appearances and all.” This whole night had been a surreal experience. Had she just stepped into some outer

dimension? She had to get her mind around the thoughts swirling through her.

Her father.

Jake. Alex. It was all too much.

“Why would you want to do that?”

He grinned. “Maybe I want to annoy your father.”

Okay that made perfect sense. Her father had been anything but gracious to Jake.

She

still burned at his condescending manner.

The thought had merit. It was ludicrous of course, but still, parts of it intrigued her.

How long had she fought against her father? Against his ridiculous notions of society and

classes? How