some rebellious teenager, but it had been deeper than that, and he had vowed to never hurt like that again. Mariella was not Cathleen. That was why he knew she was perfect. He wanted her. He’d never be that vulnerable again, and with Mariella, he knew that wouldn’t be possible. She thrilled and excited him. There was also a fresh vitality about her that he wanted to protect. He didn’t know why, but he planned to find out. One thing he knew for certain—Mariella was the woman for him.
Gen let out a startled scream when Mariella stormed through the door of their condo.
“What happened?” she asked.
Mariella threw her purse on the dining table. “Ian Cooper.”
“Didn’t it go well?”
She tossed her portfolio on the couch. “No.”
“What did he want?”
“He wanted to offer me an exclusive six-month contract to complete Jeremiah’s project.”
“You accepted, right?”
“I certainly did not,” she said, offended by the suggestion. “I would never work with such a—well, I can’t call him a man because he isn’t one. He’s a…a bastard completely impossible to be around. Condescending, rude, utterly without civility.”
“But he’s successful and could really help your career.”
“I don’t need his help,” she said through clenched teeth. “Even if I did, I would rather hang on to a broken branch over a fifty-foot cliff or face falling into a sandpit than grab a hand he offered.”
“You’re just upset.”
Mariella raised her hands to the ceiling. “I’m furious. I hate him.”
“Think of your modeling career,” Gen said softly. “Didn’t you have to work with people you didn’t like?”
“Not often.” She flexed her fingers. “He kept me waiting for over an hour.”
“But Mariella, you did leave home rather early.”
“He wasn’t busy. He could have seen me.”
“Sometimes, Mariella, you have to compromise. I know you’re not used to doing that, but—”
“This man doesn’t know the meaning of the word. I’m sick of talking about him.” Mariella kicked off her shoes, and went to open her portfolio. She noticed two glasses on the side coffee table. “You’ve had a visitor.”
Gen suddenly looked shy. “Josh came by.”
“I see. Don’t let him monopolize your time. You should see other men. You might get attached too easily. It isn’t that way for men.”
“I want to see Josh.”
“The Cooper men are sly.”
“Josh isn’t like Ian.”
“No, but he falls prey to Ian’s influence. You wouldn’t want your life dominated by the opinions of someone else, would you?” Mariella said.
“No.” She sighed. “There is no way it will work anyway.”
“Why not?”
Gen sent her a glance. “You know. We talked about it. Remember?”
“Maybe Josh wouldn’t mind,” Mariella said, thinking that having a sister-in-law with Gen’s past would be a stain on Ian’s image in his mind.
“But Ian would and you just said Josh listens to him. Ian wouldn’t want someone like me married into his family.” She bit her lip. “But if you could persuade him—”
Mariella widened her eyes and rested a hand on her chest. “Do I look like a magician? I couldn’t persuade that man to do anything.” She waved a dismissive hand. “You wouldn’t want him as a brother-in-law anyway.”
Gen shook her head as Mariella sat down beside her. “I think you’re making a big mistake. What is six months to a lifetime of success?”
“I’ve already said no and I couldn’t go back.” She felt some of her anger ebbing as she thought of the possibilities. “He would love to see me grovel and I’ll never give him the satisfaction of seeing me do so.”
“Well, I guess that’s that.”
“Yes,” Mariella said with a twinge of regret. She then felt annoyed with herself. She’d done the right thing. Her mother had taught her and her sisters about the important things in life. Being born beautiful had its downsides, her mother had always said, and
Gen let out a startled scream when Mariella stormed through the door of their condo.
“What happened?” she asked.
Mariella threw her purse on the dining table. “Ian Cooper.”
“Didn’t it go well?”
She tossed her portfolio on the couch. “No.”
“What did he want?”
“He wanted to offer me an exclusive six-month contract to complete Jeremiah’s project.”
“You accepted, right?”
“I certainly did not,” she said, offended by the suggestion. “I would never work with such a—well, I can’t call him a man because he isn’t one. He’s a…a bastard completely impossible to be around. Condescending, rude, utterly without civility.”
“But he’s successful and could really help your career.”
“I don’t need his help,” she said through clenched teeth. “Even if I did, I would rather hang on to a broken branch over a fifty-foot cliff or face falling into a sandpit than grab a hand he offered.”
“You’re just upset.”
Mariella raised her hands to the ceiling. “I’m furious. I hate him.”
“Think of your modeling career,” Gen said softly. “Didn’t you have to work with people you didn’t like?”
“Not often.” She flexed her fingers. “He kept me waiting for over an hour.”
“But Mariella, you did leave home rather early.”
“He wasn’t busy. He could have seen me.”
“Sometimes, Mariella, you have to compromise. I know you’re not used to doing that, but—”
“This man doesn’t know the meaning of the word. I’m sick of talking about him.” Mariella kicked off her shoes, and went to open her portfolio. She noticed two glasses on the side coffee table. “You’ve had a visitor.”
Gen suddenly looked shy. “Josh came by.”
“I see. Don’t let him monopolize your time. You should see other men. You might get attached too easily. It isn’t that way for men.”
“I want to see Josh.”
“The Cooper men are sly.”
“Josh isn’t like Ian.”
“No, but he falls prey to Ian’s influence. You wouldn’t want your life dominated by the opinions of someone else, would you?” Mariella said.
“No.” She sighed. “There is no way it will work anyway.”
“Why not?”
Gen sent her a glance. “You know. We talked about it. Remember?”
“Maybe Josh wouldn’t mind,” Mariella said, thinking that having a sister-in-law with Gen’s past would be a stain on Ian’s image in his mind.
“But Ian would and you just said Josh listens to him. Ian wouldn’t want someone like me married into his family.” She bit her lip. “But if you could persuade him—”
Mariella widened her eyes and rested a hand on her chest. “Do I look like a magician? I couldn’t persuade that man to do anything.” She waved a dismissive hand. “You wouldn’t want him as a brother-in-law anyway.”
Gen shook her head as Mariella sat down beside her. “I think you’re making a big mistake. What is six months to a lifetime of success?”
“I’ve already said no and I couldn’t go back.” She felt some of her anger ebbing as she thought of the possibilities. “He would love to see me grovel and I’ll never give him the satisfaction of seeing me do so.”
“Well, I guess that’s that.”
“Yes,” Mariella said with a twinge of regret. She then felt annoyed with herself. She’d done the right thing. Her mother had taught her and her sisters about the important things in life. Being born beautiful had its downsides, her mother had always said, and
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