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"Yeah Or so If all you want to do is look like a poster for Calvin Klein, please go somewhere else I’m sure your other women will appreciate the view"

He choked on his beer and stared at her as if she’d turned green "What did you say?"

"You heard me" She slaan unpacking His body heat pulsed close behind her, but she ignored hione nuts? Why is ht we’d hang out a bit Order a pizza No big deal"

She grit her teeth at his arrogance "Thank you for the generous offer of your company, Max But I have a lot to do and I’d like to be alone We never hung out before unless Michael was around, and I need to get organized"

"You have the whole weekend"

"I’ to the party tomorrow, so I’d like to have most of my stuff done"

"Ah, yes, the party With Edward"

She cut hi look The scene in his office still burned, but she’d be daaive hih An inquisition "I’ out more with Laura I’ll tell Michael I invited her to dinner next week"

That got his attention His lithe frame stiffened "I’d appreciate it if you don’t invite my dates to events without my permission"

"Why?"

"I like Laura, but I’rinned "Another one bites the dust, huh? Too bad, I thought she had enough to interest you for a while" He sucked in his breath She moved on to the next box with a ruthless efficiency and told herself not to engage Unfortunately, he stepped in front of her and forced her to spar

"What do you know about the women I date? Just because I move slow and careful does not mean I can’t settle"

Carina threw back her head and laughed "Oh, that’s a good one If I had a dollar for every wrong woman you chose I’d be richer than you But you didn’t listen to , and you’re not now"

"Name one"

"Sally Eckerson"

He frowned "We dated for three months A successful relationship"

"H with your friend Dale, reht "Oh, yeah But we had broken it off"

"No, you broke it off after you found her in bed with your roommate Then there was the blondone Maybe two"

"Jenna? Not true, we had plenty of good conversations"

She stared hiht her to dinner at Mama’s house She didn’t know there was a war in Iraq or who the president of the US was"

"So, she wasn’t a historian Big deal"

"She admitted she didn’t read books without pictures"

"Vogue has articles in it"

"Yeah, just like you read Playboy for the in-depth stories"

"That’s unfair I happen to love woive them a chance Just because I haven’t found The One doesn’t "

Carina shook her head "I watched the with all the wrong women for a reason You have intimacy issues Each one is doomed to failure" Her traitorous heart wobbled and caved an inch Why couldn’t he see what she did every tiazed at hiive it? But she knew by practice he’d never be ready to settle down He refused to date anyone orthy of hi wo hi his father

He never talked about hi abandoned as a baby never truly healed He’d set himself up to impossible standards in order to protect hi his honor Abandoning the people he loved The easy fix was evident--he refused to take a chance on anyone

She reached up and touched his face The rough stubble scraped against her fingers, and the delicious scent of male heat and sweat andlike your father, Max" He jerked back Shock filled his eyes, but she gave hiue her weakness for hiet to work I’ll see you on Saturday"