The Only Shark In The Sea (The Date Shark Series Book 3) Read Free Page B

the peace of living on her own. As much as she seemed to enjoy being by herself, the quiet of being in an apartment alone at night had prompted her to seek out her furry friend.
    From what Vance could gather from the discussion, Natalie had little to no social life. She did her best to avoid her neighbors at all costs and had as little interaction with her coworkers as she could manage. Which was too bad, because Vance actually found her to be delightful and rather engaging once she started to feel more comfortable with him. Questions about family were skirted, and anything having to do with her life before coming to Chicago got a vague answer. A few theories were starting to unfold for Vance, but he risked one more question as they finished their desserts.
    “Natalie, what prompted you to call Guy?”
    Everything she had said during the evening pointed to her being perfectly happy staying away from, well, everyone. Vance wasn’t sure why she suddenly wanted to start dating. So far, he was the only person she hadn’t had a straight up aversion to. He imagined that if some poor man did try to ask her out, she’d faint or run away to hide in her apartment with Gypsy.
    Natalie was clearly uncomfortable with the question, yet she surprised him by answering. “I know Guy isn’t just a dating coach. He’s a psychiatrist.”
    “And that made you feel more comfortable working with him?” Vance asked, though it didn’t sound right even to him.
    Confirming his suspicions, she shook her head. “I don’t really care about dating. I want to be alone. I just…” She glanced down at her hands twisting around each other. “I just don’t want to be afraid all the time.”
    “You thought Guy could give you tips on overcoming your fears.” Vance nodded, seeing how her thought process had brought her to this meeting. He still didn’t fully understand her choice, though. “Why not just go to a psychiatrist from the beginning?”
    Natalie took in a deep breath. She tried to hide it, but Vance could hear the way it quavered. Keeping her eyes down, she said, “This was less risky.”
    His next question should have been why talking to a psychiatrist was a risk for her, but he didn’t ask. He had no idea what this woman had been through before moving to Chicago, but it had affected her deeply. For whatever reason, revealing her experiences was terrifying. Knowing that didn’t stop him from saying what he needed to say.
    “Natalie, the reason I’m here tonight isn’t just because Guy’s flight was delayed.” He paused when she looked up at him, clearly startled. “Guy asked me to come to this meeting last week after your initial interview.”
    “Why?” she asked. The fear in her eyes pulled at him, but he couldn’t back down.
    “Guy calls me in when he thinks one of his clients needs more counseling than what he can provide to overcome an event or experience that’s keeping them from having a normal relationship.” He paused again, taking in her panicked expression. “I know that idea scares you, but I want to make you a deal.”
    Her breathing was escalating, but she was still keeping it under control for the moment. He didn’t push her, and after a few minutes, she asked, “What kind of deal?”
    The breath he had been holding since voicing the offer slipped out of him slowly. “The deal is, you don’t have to tell me anything about your past that you don’t want to, but you would come to see me at my practice twice a week.”
    “Why would I come see you if we’re not going to discuss my past?” She seemed genuinely confused by the offer.
    “Because we’re not going to work on your past until you’re ready. In the meantime, we’ll work on trust instead.”
    Natalie pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean by that.”
    Resting his elbows on the table, Vance leaned toward her. “I won’t question you about what made you scared of other people and unable to