Stripped by Lauren Dane

Author:Lauren Dane [Dane, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459292253
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

What a difference being a thousand miles north made. Bundled up in her heavy coat, Dahlia sat out on the porch sipping coffee and avoiding her father.

His words to her played around in her brain, edging at her heart. That he didn’t see her for anything more than a pretty face hurt more than when strangers thought so.

“Hey.”

Dahlia’s sister, Iris, joined her on the glider swing.

“You’re different, Dahlia. In a good way,” Iris added quickly. “Confident. Tell me.”

Dahlia told her sister about the job with Tate and how excited she was at the possible opportunity.

“You’re the only one who seems to have trouble believing you’re worthy.”

“And Dad.”

Iris sighed. “Back to that in a minute. Tell me about the guy. There’s got to be one. I can tell.”

Dahlia laughed. “His name is Nash and he’s…God, Iris, he’s amazing. Runs the family business with his brother. It’s hard to explain what he does, but essentially he takes people who need things and introduces them to the people who can provide them and gets a commission for it. Only it’s people like Robert De Niro and Sheryl Crow and stuff. He’s cultured and rich. I don’t know how to deal with it. I’m afraid that it means more to me than to him.”

Dahlia paused and her sister waited.

“I think I’m in love with him and it’s not quite been two months. I’m worried I’m going to end up dumped with my heart in a thousand pieces. I’m in way over my head, but I can’t help it. I feel so alive when I’m with him.”

“What are you worried about, then? Do you think he’s just using you?”

“I want to trust what he says. He’s the one who pushed for us to be exclusive. But he travels a lot and everywhere we go women fall over themselves for him. It’s…I don’t know how to handle that.”

“Dahlia, why can’t you see how truly special you are? I know you see how gorgeous you are. And life hasn’t always been easy because of that. But you have such a problem understanding that a man would want all of you. Why?” Iris shook her head. “Okay, so I do know part of why. But so some guy from the hill dumped you in your senior year because his parents thought you were trash. You aren’t, Dahlia. You were always better than Chris Foster and his stuck-up family. It’s time to rise above all that. Some people will judge you no matter what. You can’t do anything about it other than be a person of worth. And you are.

“If this guy knows what’s good for him, he’s in love with you, too. Give him a chance. Don’t judge him the way you hate to be judged. But if he hurts you, I’ll come down there and kick his ass.”

Dahlia laughed. “I love you.”

“And as for Dad, Dahlia, you’re just going to have to accept that he doesn’t get why you’d want to leave Liberty, and he won’t—ever.

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