Battle for the Soldier's Heart by Cara Colter

had never crossed her mind. And never would have if he hadn’t opened his big mouth.
    The stricken look was quickly replaced with one of pure stubbornness.
    “I’ll invite whomever I please for dinner. And what’s more, Rory Adams, I am not looking for anyone to run my life. I would only be interested in a relationship of equals.”
    “A what?” he sputtered.
    “Never mind.”
    “A relationship?” he said, incredulous.
    “I didn’t mean it the way you are taking it.”
    “You’re blushing.”
    “I’m sunburned.”
    “You should know I am not a guy who is interested in a relationship of any kind. Not equals. Not unequals.”
    For a moment she scanned his face, and he steeled himself, daring her to see the yearning that had nearly swallowed him earlier.
    “I’m not looking for a relationship, either!” she protested.
    “You just said—
    “That just slipped out. I meant it generically, as in no kind of woman with any sense of her self would tolerate being bossed around.”
    “Directed,” he inserted.
    “Whatever! Personally, I’m not looking for a relationship of any kind. I’m done with that sort of thing. I’m a career woman. And a very successful one.”
    “That’s not true, Grace.”
    Her jaw dropped. “It is. I can show you my financial statements!”
    “I wasn’t referring to your success at business. I don’t believe you’re done with that sort of thing, the big wedding followed by the cute house followed by a baby. And then another one. Three. I bet you want three.”
    “I don’t. I’m done with those dreams!”
    “I can see in your face that you’re not. I can see in your face exactly what you’re looking for. What you’ll always look for—what your mom and dad had. A perfect family to go with your perfect days. The cottage in the summer. The Thanksgiving turkey. The big
Christmas hoopla.”
    “After the breakup of my relationship I’ve decided none of that is for me.”
    “I can clearly see what is making you such easy prey for Serenity.”
    “I am not her prey! What an ugly thing to say!”
    Ugly. Raw. Cynical. That’s what he was. It made him unworthy of her kisses, but maybe it also made him the perfect one to deflect Serenity.
    “You think you’ve given up on your hopes and dreams, but you really haven’t.”
    “I have!”
    “They’ve just gone underground. Serenity knows what you want. You’d give your right arm for Tucker to be Graham’s. A substitute for that baby you thought you and Henry were going to have.”
    “Stop it!”
    He could see angry little spots of color on both her cheeks. Good. He had succeeded at nipping any attraction she was feeling for him in the bud. So he shrugged. “Okay.”
    Just as suddenly as it had come, her anger was gone. “Don’t you want Tucker to be Graham’s son?”
    The truth was it was much easier to contemplate Tucker not being Graham’s, and that’s how he was playing it until he had cold, hard proof that showed him differently.
    “I’m coming for dinner tomorrow,” he announced.
    “You’re not! I haven’t invited you.”
    “I’m not letting you deal with Serenity on your own. You’re naive. You’re way too innocent.”
    “I am not innocent,” she sputtered. “What on earth would give you that idea?”
    The fact you could barely wear that bathing suit. Your kiss.
    “Let me help you deal with it,” he said quietly.
    For a moment she looked stubborn. But then she looked at the note in her hand and he saw the doubt on her face.
    “I won’t say anything to Serenity,” he said, playing that doubt. “I’ll let you handle it. But I’ll be there, gauging what she says, running it through the meter of my cynicism. I’ll offer you my opinion after, but I won’t force it on you.”
    And if I pocket a spoon with a little saliva sample on it, who’s that hurting?
    “All right,” she said, clearly unhappy with the surrender, unhappy that she was accepting what she needed most and wanted least.
    Not to