Only Because It Was You, Gus McRaidy

Secretly in Love Determined to gain Gus McRaidy's cooperation, Ann Cunio prepares to use whatever means necessary to get her way including seducing him. It should have been so simple. Her years of self-protection and using men for her own satisfaction comes to an abrupt end when Gus wants her as no other man has before. Can she respond? Excerpt: Ann rolled a muted gloss over her lips and checked her hair one more time. Looking back at herself, she skimmed a nail over the small lines etched around her eyes. Her self confidence quickly eroded. What did men really see when they looked at her? Did they know how deathly afraid she was of them? Did men sense her past or how it destroyed her inner security? Could any man understand her life would always be about hiding from the torment of hard learned lessons? That those lessons were why she felt desperate to protect her daughters from the same fate? Tired, that's why she let these demons consume her right now. A few nights of sleep and she would be able to push all those memories away and deal with her self imposed blandness. Pausing just inside the door, Ann let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting before searching for Gus. In the center of the room, she spotted him. His eyes gazed toward her but he appeared deep in thought. She stole a few moments to admire this handsome, tall and very fit example of masculinity.