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He cleared his throat “I’ off a relationship that ended badly I was involved with a woman for the last two years but I wasn’t ready to coh his black hair “Still, I thought things were going well—but appearances can be deceiving”

“And relationships can be messy and sometimes unpleasant”

“You understand”

She nodded More than he knew She glanced at the thin band of gold and rubies encircling the third finger on her right hand—a symbol of the love she’d had too briefly and lost as a result of the Vietnaone as planned, but then whose did? Fate generally took over “How does your recent past relate to your present desire?” she asked Doug

“My ex and I shared business and pleasure We had fun and because she ell-connected in certain social circles, I trusted her information” He shook his head, his frustration obvious

“I take it she wasn’t reliable?”

“She was reliable until she asked outright when I’d be ready to get married I wasn’t But she seeht But she decided I was using her and fed er confirrin “The typical woman scorned”

“And were you? Using her, I mean?”

He paused, giving her question thought That he didn’t answer her with an outright “no” told Merrilee he valued truth as much as she did

He let out a groan “At the ti back, I suppose half the thrill of the relationship was the personal—as opposed to professional—‘in’ she gave me to certain social circles and people I wanted to expose”

She appreciated his honesty and nodded in empathy “And now you’re here So tell me—what is your fantasy?”

He leaned forward in his seat “To make up for what I’ve done I need to be able to look at myself in the mirror” He drew a deep breath “I need to know I can put a woman before myself”

“So you’re asking me to…”

“Pair o’s Runaway Bride I know she’s booked to come down here”