Suddenly Love Read Free Page A

dinner party Saturday,” he said, deciding that wherever he was going, so was Lissa.
    She paled visibly. “Formal events and dinner parties?”
    “All part of the life you need to write about,” he reminded her. “What’s wrong?”
    “It’s just that…” She drew a deep breath. “I didn’t bring those kinds of dress clothes with me. But I’m staying at the Marriott on Broadway and this is Manhattan, right? I’m sure I’ll find something.” Her voice trembled and he couldn’t understand the cause.
    “You sure?”
    She nodded, putting on a bright but clearly forced smile. He still knew her well enough to pinpoint that.
    “I’ll just leave after lunch and go shopping.”
    “Okay.” He narrowed his gaze, knowing that as soon as she left, he’d be on the phone with his mother to find out exactly what had gone on in Lissa’s life that he deliberately hadn’t wanted to hear.
    Now he wanted to know everything.
    Trevor didn’t understand his sudden turnaround, not completely. But one thing was clear. Their forced time together would provide him with a way to get Lissa out of his system and allow him to move on with his life.
    One way or another.

TWO
    L issa checked into her hotel room, needing time to regroup after this morning. No matter how well she thought she’d prepared herself, the meeting had been worse than her most awful nightmare. She’d pictured their reunion often over the years, sometimes in wistful daydreams, more recently since Trevor had become her assignment. In none of them had his explosive reaction been part of the scenario.
    Anger she’d accounted for, but one look at his disgusted expression and Lissa’s knees had nearly buckled and tears had threatened. Somehow she’d held herself together. Then he’d surprised her again, going from “No fucking way” to all in—and she had to wonder why.
    But she couldn’t worry about his motives now. She had a full schedule ahead of her. After their initial reunion, Lissa had sat through a typical morning in Trevor’s life, which consisted of nonstop phone calls, paperwork, a few confidential meetings for which she’d had to step out of the room, and more phone calls. As a result, she’d had plenty of time to observe him and view the man he’d become.
    Of course Lissa had researched her subject and she’d read about Trevor’s basic background, much of which she already knew: scholarships to Columbia undergrad and business school, where he’d worked his way through, earning the rest of his way while maintaining stellar grades; internships at the top financial firms in Manhattan; and a job waiting for him when he graduated.
    The man was brilliant—something she’d always known—but what he’d accomplished on his own was simply amazing. She was proud of him. So proud, she couldn’t stop the warmth fluttering through her even now. But she’d known all about his golden accomplishments and understood his inner drive to make things happen. As a kid, the arrogance he projected had been an act, a cover for insecurities about where he’d come from.
    Trevor Dane no longer needed to pretend. An earned confidence had replaced the old cockiness. Sexiness had taken the place of what she’d thought of as hunky hotness.
    As for his looks, well, she’d seen recent photos on the company website, but nothing had prepared her for his impact in person. He was gorgeous, the force of his personality magnetic. At a glance, the changes in him were obvious. With his jet-black hair in an expensive cut, a power suit, and a red tie, he radiated confidence. His blue eyes were still as piercing, his knowing gaze as raw. His face was leaner, more chiseled, and if possible, he was even more handsome.
    She had no doubt women lined up to date the eligible, wealthy bachelor, something she figured she’d discover first-hand the more time she spent with him. Pain shot through her heart at the thought, but she had no one to blame but herself. No matter how much