Read Online To Win Her Trust by Mackenzie Crowne - Free Book Online Page B

boyish grin. “Aww, but I’m curious.”
    “Then you’re destined to be disappointed because it’s not up for discussion.”
    “What if I insist?”
    She matched his cross-armed stance. “What if I insist you go and never come back?”
    He chuckled and backed off. For now. “Fair enough, but if the subject isn’t up for discussion, why mention it?”
    “I didn’t mention the cause, you did. I brought up the attacks themselves or, more precisely, the attack I experienced yesterday, which directly correlates with my proposition.”
    “Which is?”
    “Since Ronald obviously isn’t available, I’m wondering if you’d be interested in…dating me? Temporarily, of course.”
    His gut muscles clenched in anticipation. A huge step toward victory. He cocked his head. “Well, now. Can you give me a second to think about it?”
    She met his teasing grin with a blank stare.
    “That’s a question you don’t need to ask.”
    “Yes, I do, and before you answer, there are a few things you should know.”
    He quirked a brow. “If you tell me you used to be a man, you’ll break my heart.”
    “I’m serious.”
    “So am I.” He laughed when she huffed an impatient breath, and he touched a fingertip to her brow. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You get the cutest little wrinkle between your eyes when you’re aggravated.”
    She batted his hand away. “If you aren’t going to take this seriously, then we may as well forget it.”
    “Aww now, I said I was sorry. Go ahead. What is it I need to know?”
    “First stipulation.” She held up her index finger. “I said temporary and I mean it. I’m talking a few dates. Three tops.”
    “That’s precise. May I ask why the arbitrary number?”
    “I’m not interested in long term.”
    He nodded. “Okay, I can appreciate that, since I’m not either. What is it exactly you are interested in?”
    “Understanding.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “I want to understand how you managed to stop a panic attack in its tracks because, believe me when I tell you, that’s never happened before.”
    He shook his head. “I’m confused. If you wanted to know how I stopped the attack, why were you propositioning Ronald? Why not come straight to me?”
    “I figured it would work with any man, and I like Ronald.”
    Definitely confused. “It?”
    “The kissing thing. I’ve never considered that approach before, but I can’t argue with the results.” The sexy wrinkle deepened when she frowned. “That brings me to stipulation number two. Our dates need to involve some kind of gathering where I can test my theory amongst a group of strangers.”
    He wanted to stop her there and get to the bottom of that “kissing thing”comment. What did she mean she hadn’t considered that approach before? But she was on a roll. He couldn’t wait to see where she led them. “What’s this theory?”
    “It’s twofold, actually.” Like a professor in front of her class, she warmed to her subject. “You shocked the breath right back into me when you kissed me, but I’ve been thinking, maybe the shock isn’t what allowed me to calm down. Maybe the difference was I was concentrating on something other than the crowd for a change. It makes sense, don’t you think?”
    Her mouth twisted and her bright eyes clouded over in blind concentration, as if she were working out the issue. She didn’t wait for him to reply. “And then there was the way you sent the crowd on their way. No one’s ever done that for me before. With very few exceptions, whenever I’ve had an attack, I’ve been on my own.”
    A memory of the wild fear in her eyes flashed in his mind, and an odd band of discomfort squeezed his chest. “What about your family? Couldn’t they see what was happening?”
    She lowered her lashes, shuttering the flash of wariness in the soul-deep depths of her eyes. Dismissing his question with a wave of her hand, she changed the subject. “As you can imagine, agoraphobics tend to keep to