around the details of his private life, sending her far too many mixed signals as he struggled with himself over the correct way to approach her.
He sighed. “This is what I meant.”
“If we’re to continue dating, you would want to tell me what to wear? What to do?” she asked.
“Not in every aspect of your life, not every minute of the day. Dammit, it’s hard to put this into words that won’t sound intimidating, threatening.”
“Try,” she insisted.
“I’ve come to care about you. I’ve learned a great deal about you through your writing and our sessions these past few weeks and I want to know more. But I must admit, I tend to suffer from a personality trait that won’t let me watch someone I consider a friend harm herself.”
“Harm herself? You think I’m hurting myself somehow?” Her voice, though quieter, still held an edge that told him he’d upset her further.
“You work too damn hard. You take far too much onto your slender shoulders and when you look in the mirror, I’m fairly certain you don’t see what the rest of the world does. Keira—you’re beautiful. Why hide that?”
“I-I don’t know,” she said, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he sensed she was calming down. Maybe he hadn’t ruined tonight beyond all repair. Yet. “I guess it’s just easier than fending off jerks or trying to prove to every person I meet that I’m not stupid.”
“Since when does beauty equate to stupidity?” he asked.
“You said you were an only child, right?”
He nodded.
“Well, I’m one of three sisters. Teagan’s the talented one, Riley’s the outspoken daughter and I’m the pretty one. I don’t want to just be pretty.” 56
Come Monday
“I can understand that.” He could, too. Keira was a very serious, intelligent woman, but he thought perhaps she was going too far to prove her point. “Maybe, if you’d like, I can help you learn to accept who you are a bit better.”
“Give me an example of how,” she urged, though he detected a slight trace of wariness in her voice.
“You don’t wear makeup, don’t style your hair, you wear nondescript clothing all in an attempt to disguise your looks. Keira, you’re denying who you are every single day you wake up and walk out of the house like that.” She leaned back against her chair and folded her arms across her chest. He wondered if her body language was her attempt at distancing herself from him or from his words. Maybe both.
“I’d like to take you shopping tomorrow,” he continued. “Help you pick out some clothing that suit you.”
“Suit me or suit you ?” she asked.
He grinned. “Can’t they suit us both?”
The waiter returned with their meals and Will was grateful for the slight disruption.
He was beginning to feel like he was shoving his foot farther in his mouth with every word he spoke.
“I’d like to go shopping with you,” she said after several silent moments.
He looked up, surprised.
She wore the most adorable crooked grin and he felt the overwhelming desire to kiss her. “I think I’d like to try on some pretty things and God knows I could use some fashion guidance. It’s been a while since I’ve actually put forth any effort as far as my wardrobe goes.”
He smiled at her concession, at her incredibly giving nature. “I’ll pick you up at ten.”
57
Mari Carr
She laughed and nodded. “As luck would have it, tomorrow is my day off. I’m all yours.”
He sucked in a breath at her comment, silently wishing it was true.
58
Come Monday
Chapter Five
As they left the restaurant, Keira struggled to process everything that had happened to her in such a short time. Her feelings for Will were such a jumbled mess in her mind, she wasn’t sure which end was up. All she knew for sure was that she wanted him as she’d never wanted another man. With every move he made, every word he uttered, she felt herself falling deeper under his spell.
His comments about her appearance, her
He sighed. “This is what I meant.”
“If we’re to continue dating, you would want to tell me what to wear? What to do?” she asked.
“Not in every aspect of your life, not every minute of the day. Dammit, it’s hard to put this into words that won’t sound intimidating, threatening.”
“Try,” she insisted.
“I’ve come to care about you. I’ve learned a great deal about you through your writing and our sessions these past few weeks and I want to know more. But I must admit, I tend to suffer from a personality trait that won’t let me watch someone I consider a friend harm herself.”
“Harm herself? You think I’m hurting myself somehow?” Her voice, though quieter, still held an edge that told him he’d upset her further.
“You work too damn hard. You take far too much onto your slender shoulders and when you look in the mirror, I’m fairly certain you don’t see what the rest of the world does. Keira—you’re beautiful. Why hide that?”
“I-I don’t know,” she said, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he sensed she was calming down. Maybe he hadn’t ruined tonight beyond all repair. Yet. “I guess it’s just easier than fending off jerks or trying to prove to every person I meet that I’m not stupid.”
“Since when does beauty equate to stupidity?” he asked.
“You said you were an only child, right?”
He nodded.
“Well, I’m one of three sisters. Teagan’s the talented one, Riley’s the outspoken daughter and I’m the pretty one. I don’t want to just be pretty.” 56
Come Monday
“I can understand that.” He could, too. Keira was a very serious, intelligent woman, but he thought perhaps she was going too far to prove her point. “Maybe, if you’d like, I can help you learn to accept who you are a bit better.”
“Give me an example of how,” she urged, though he detected a slight trace of wariness in her voice.
“You don’t wear makeup, don’t style your hair, you wear nondescript clothing all in an attempt to disguise your looks. Keira, you’re denying who you are every single day you wake up and walk out of the house like that.” She leaned back against her chair and folded her arms across her chest. He wondered if her body language was her attempt at distancing herself from him or from his words. Maybe both.
“I’d like to take you shopping tomorrow,” he continued. “Help you pick out some clothing that suit you.”
“Suit me or suit you ?” she asked.
He grinned. “Can’t they suit us both?”
The waiter returned with their meals and Will was grateful for the slight disruption.
He was beginning to feel like he was shoving his foot farther in his mouth with every word he spoke.
“I’d like to go shopping with you,” she said after several silent moments.
He looked up, surprised.
She wore the most adorable crooked grin and he felt the overwhelming desire to kiss her. “I think I’d like to try on some pretty things and God knows I could use some fashion guidance. It’s been a while since I’ve actually put forth any effort as far as my wardrobe goes.”
He smiled at her concession, at her incredibly giving nature. “I’ll pick you up at ten.”
57
Mari Carr
She laughed and nodded. “As luck would have it, tomorrow is my day off. I’m all yours.”
He sucked in a breath at her comment, silently wishing it was true.
58
Come Monday
Chapter Five
As they left the restaurant, Keira struggled to process everything that had happened to her in such a short time. Her feelings for Will were such a jumbled mess in her mind, she wasn’t sure which end was up. All she knew for sure was that she wanted him as she’d never wanted another man. With every move he made, every word he uttered, she felt herself falling deeper under his spell.
His comments about her appearance, her
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