"Very nice."
"Did you get one yet for your place?" she asked.
Of course not, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Instead he pointed to the coffee table where an instruction manual lay inside a clear plastic sleeve. "What's that?"
She looked down, then picked up the package. "I don't know. It's for a freezer. We don't have a … "
Slowly she raised her head until she stared at him. "You didn't."
He pointed to the kitchen. Beyond that was a utility room with a washer, dryer and as of an hour ago, a brand-new freezer. She ran through the kitchen. He followed. When he'd caught up with her, she was running her hands lovingly down the door before opening it and gazing at the full shelves.
There were packages of meat, chicken and fish, a stack of frozen pizzas, bags of vegetables, containers of juice and ice cream. Annie stared for nearly a minute, her eyes wide, her mouth open. Then she closed the door and turned to face him.
He'd known a lot of beautiful women in his life. He'd slept with them, dated some, left more than a few. He'd been seduced by the best, even been married, but no one had looked at him the way she did now-tears in her blue eyes, a expression of pure happiness on her face.
"You didn't have to do that," she told him.
"I know. I wanted to. You can buy in bulk. It's cheaper. I know how you love a bargain."
"It's the best gift ever. Thank you." She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Seriously, Duncan. This is life-changing."
He pulled back his hand, not wanting to be sucked into the moment. He'd seen a need and filled it. Big deal. "It's just a freezer."
"To you. To me it's something I don't have to worry about for a while. It's a chance to catch my breath."
He'd given gifts before. Jewelry. Cars. Vacations. Now, standing in Annie's shabby little house, he realized he'd never given anything that mattered. No one had been touched by something he'd done before. Maybe because Annie was one of the few women he'd ever liked.
Wanting and liking were completely different. He'd gone into this arrangement to improve his reputation and get his board of directors off his ass. But somewhere along the way, he'd started to like Annie. He couldn't tell if that was good or bad.
"This is my good deed for the holiday season," he said. "Don't read too much into it."
"Right." Her smile was knowing. "Because you're not a nice guy."
"I'm not."
"So I've heard." She pulled open the freezer again and removed a pizza. "This has everything on it. Does that work?"
"You're cooking a pizza?"
"They served only sushi at that cocktail party." She wrinkled her nose. "Raw fish isn't my favorite."
"Pizza it is."
She went back into the kitchen and started the oven. "Want to watch a Christmas movie while we wait?"
"No."
She laughed. "I'd let you pick which one."
"I'd still say no."
The tears were gone and now her eyes sparkled with laughter. "You're not overly domesticated, are you?"
"I never had a reason."
"But you were married. Didn't the former Mrs. Patrick tame you?"
He moved closer. "Do I look tamed?"
"Hmm." She squinted. "I think I can see little marks on your cheeks where the reins went."
He reached for her and she ducked away. But she slipped on the vinyl floor. He caught her in his arms, her body yielding against his. The need to pull her close was strong, the desire instant. But the reminder of his ex killed the moment. He let her go.
"Valentina wasn't interested in domesticating me," he said, deliberately stepping back.
Annie leaned against the counter. "What was she like? Cameron said she was interesting."
"I doubt that. Cameron would have said she was a bitch."
"That, too."
Duncan didn't think about his ex-wife any more than he had to. "It was a long time ago," he said. "She was a journalism major in college. I'd just bought my first billion-dollar company. She came out to interview me for a paper she was writing. Or so she said. I think it was a way to meet me."
Valentina was four years younger than him, but she'd been cool, sophisticated and confident. He'd been a former boxer, over-muscled and accustomed to using his size to get his way. She was all about the subtle win.
"Is she beautiful?" Annie asked, not quite meeting his gaze.
"Yes. Blond hair, blue eyes." He studied the woman in front of him. Technically the description fit Annie as well, but the two women had nothing in common. Annie was soft and approachable. She trusted the world and thought the best of people. Valentina played to win and didn't care who got hurt in the process.
She'd smoothed his rough edges, had taught him what it meant to be a gentleman. Through her he'd learned about wine and the right clothes and which topics of conversation were safe for polite conversation. She was all about doing the right thing-until the bedroom door closed. There she preferred him as uncivilized as possible.
"How long were you married?"
"Three years."
"Did you … " Annie cleared her throat. "I assume you were in love with her. It wasn't a business arrangement."
"I loved her," he said curtly. As much as anyone could love a woman who kept her heart firmly protected in a case of ice. "Until I walked in on her screwing one of my business partners."
Not even in their bed, Duncan thought, still more angry than hurt at the memory. On his desk.
"I threw her out and borrowed enough money to buy off all my partners," he said, looking past her but not seeing anything around them. Instead he saw a naked Valentina tossing her long hair over her shoulder.
"You weren't foolish enough to think I really loved you," she'd said in answer to his unspoken question.
He had been that foolish. All the time he'd been growing up he'd known he had to be strong to stay safe. With Valentina, he'd allowed himself to forget the painful lessons he learned in his youth. He never would again.
Annie touched his arm. "I'm sorry. I don't know why she would do something like that."
"Why, because in your world marriage is forever?"
"Of course." She looked shocked that he would even ask. "My dad died when I was really young. My mom talked about him all the time. She made him so real to me and Tim. It was like he wasn't dead-he'd just gone on a long trip. When she died, she told me not to be sad because when she was gone, she got to be with him again. That's what I want."
"It doesn't exist."
"Not every woman is like Valentina."
"You find anyone worthy of those dreams of yours?"
"No." She shrugged. "I keep falling for the wrong guy. I'm not sure why, but I'll figure it out."
She was optimistic beyond reason. "How many times have you had your heart broken?"
"Twice."
"What makes you think the next time will be different?"
"What makes you think it won't be?"
Because being in love meant being vulnerable. "You would give a guy everything. Only for him to use you for what he can get, then walk away? Life is a fight-better to win than lose."
"Are those the only two options?" she asked. "What happened to a win-win scenario? Don't they teach that in business school?"
"Maybe. But not in the school of hard knocks."
She reached for his hands and curled his fingers into fists. "It must have been frustrating to learn you couldn't use these to battle your way out of every situation."
"It was."
Annie hadn't known much about Duncan's ex-wife beyond what Cameron had told her. Now she had a clearer understanding of what had happened. Valentina had hurt Duncan more than he would admit. She'd broken his trust and battered his feelings. For a man who was used to using physical strength when backed into a corner, the situation had to have been devastating. He'd allowed himself to lead with his heart, only to have it beaten up and returned to him.
"There hasn't been anyone important since Valentina?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"There have been those who tried," he said lightly.
"You're going to have to trust one of them. Don't you want a family?"
"I haven't decided."
She shook her head. "You have to admire the irony of life," she said. "I would love to find someone and settle down, have a houseful of kids and live happily ever after. The challenge is that I can't find anyone who sees me as the least bit interesting in the romantic department. You, on the other hand, have women throwing themselves at you, begging to be taken, but you're not interested." She stared into his gray eyes. "You shouldn't give up on love."
"I don't need your advice."
"I owe you something for the freezer."