He sounded sincere, but Neal Alexander could probably convince a woman of anything. “Fine then. You didn’t have to bribe anyone. You just let the good looks and the credit cards do all the talking.” There’d been a minute that hot summer night where the looks and charm had mesmerized her, pulled her in and captivated her. But no matter what she offered that night, he hadn’t been interested.
“If you want to submit your work, I might know a few people.”
People as in women? What sort of knowledge did he have? Intimate? Certainly not a working relationship because she’d never heard of him involved in any sort of business. Not that she would know, but…it was doubtful.
Her expression must have relayed her doubt because his next words fell out cold, distant. “Or not.”
She cleared her throat, stumbled over her response. “I appreciate the offer, but…”
“But you’re wondering how I could possibly know anyone who could help you? That I’m trying to feed you a line for an ulterior purpose, and whatever I tell you is a lie, in need of serious vetting?” He held her gaze, made it impossible to look away. “How am I doing? Close?”
She tried to fight the heat rushing to her cheeks, failed. “I’m sorry. I haven’t seen you in years and you could be the president of your own company for all I know. You could have tons of connections…”
“But that would be a stretch to believe, wouldn’t it?” The tiny nod made him smile. “I don’t blame you. I know what I’ve done and I wouldn’t believe what I said either. People tell you that you can have another chance to make things right, that no matter what your life’s been like or what you’ve done, there’s always time to change. You just have to commit to it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you, as long as you know what you’re doing and you’re honest with yourself. But that’s not always the way it goes. Sometimes you have better luck with a stranger believing you than your own family or those who used to know you. Sure, you can tell them you’re not that person anymore, but most of the people, including your family, will look at you as though you’re creating some sort of fairytale.”
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