Stealing Cupid's Bow Read Free

doesn’t matter what I think. It’s easy to see marriage isn’t the norm anymore. You have to wonder if things are changing to the point where it will completely fall out of fashion.”
    “'Fall out of fashion'?” she echoed the phrase. “No, there’s no way.”
    He grinned. “You seem so sure.” The sun coming in the window lit his eyes just the right way, making them look sky blue. His hair caught the light as well, causing the golden locks to shine.
    He was beautiful.
    She yanked her train of thought back to the conversation. “Of course I’m sure. Love would have to pretty much cease to exist in order for marriage to go away, and that will never happen.”
    “Really, you think so? But what’s so great about love?” he pressed. “Look at what happened to you. Wouldn’t it be better if it didn’t exist anymore? Then no one would experience such pain.” He leaned slightly in and fixed her with a serious gaze.
    How could he say such a cynical thing? Were they seriously debating about the merits of love existing? Her eyebrows drew together. Maybe he was teasing her.
    She searched his face for any break in his facade and found none. But then, in the next second, he assumed an innocent expression, and she knew at once he had been teasing her. They laughed in the same instant. Her chuckle was a bit soggy, and she had to blow her nose, but it was such a relief after the last twenty-four hours.
    Alexander raised his voice to get the attention of the flight attendant walking by in the aisle, “Excuse me, miss.”
    She stopped and turned to look at him. A flirtatious smile broke out on her face. Raine guessed she was not the only one to be instantly charmed by Alexander.
    “Yes, sir, can I get you something?”
    “My fellow passenger here has had a rough morning. I think a tea or coffee would do her some good.”
    “Yes. Of course,” she said, “which would you like?”
    The question seemed to be geared toward her but the flight attendant’s eyes never left Alexander. He looked at her, waiting for her answer. But she was struck speechless for a moment by how considerate he was. It was the second time, in the short while they’d met, that he’d thought of her comfort. Brad had never even opened doors for her, even on the first date.
    “Tea would be great,” she said. But opening doors wasn’t the end of the world. When she was with Brad she’d always felt like a prize. And he had a zest for life that was irresistible. When they were together they always had fun. He worked for DSSI, a security system company, and whenever they got a new product he always practiced his sales pitches on her. Sure it had been kind of boring, but he said he didn’t feel right about it unless he practiced with her. It had made her feel special. Like she’d been contributing to his success.
    Alexander gave the flight attendant a smile of thanks and she headed toward the back of the plane. Settling back in his seat, he turned to Raine again. “Anyway, what were we saying? Oh yes, I was saying I find it much easier to keep my expectations low.” He smiled a cheeky grin that took Raine’s breath away.
    She smiled back, but inside she couldn’t help but disagree with him. She herself had high expectations. Love was a wonderful thing, something she’d looked forward to her whole life. She knew, once she found it, it would be even better than her imagination.
    “You are such a tease. I know you don’t mean that,” she said.
    He shrugged. “To each their own. The divorce rate doesn’t lie. In fact, it’s getting worse every year. Are you hoping to be one of the few, like your parents, who will be the positive side of the statistic?”
    “Yes, I am, as a matter of fact,” she said.
    “Well as long as you’ve accepted how low your chances are, I don’t think I can stop you from hoping,” he teased.
    “So are you saying that, instead of dreaming about getting married and spending my life with someone I love, the most I