Finding Hope by Brenda Coulter Read Free Book Online Page A

blew a smacky kiss to Bob and slipped the strap of a small black purse over her shoulder.
    She opened the front door just as Charles touched the bell. “I’m ready,” she announced.
    He looked down.
    â€œTwo shoes,” Hope confirmed. “Let’s go.”
    She kept him company while he ate, then he ordered coffee for the two of them and cheesecake for Hope.
    â€œThanks for joining me,” he said after their coffee was brought. “It’s boring to eat alone.”
    How could he possibly know that? Hope seriously doubted that a catch like Dr. Hartman would have any difficulty finding a dinner companion. “Why did you call me?” she asked, suddenly curious. “Were all the girlfriends busy?”
    â€œI wasn’t in the mood for a date. I just wanted to talk, like we did the other night.”
    Suddenly embarrassed, Hope lowered her gaze. She guessed that to Charles, a date involved quite a bit more than dinner and conversation. Although that shocked her, it was reassuring to know she didn’t interest him in that way. But her cheeks burned and she was uncomfortably aware of his eyes on her.
    She sensed a shift in his mood as the silence lengthened between them. She lifted her head and glimpsed a dark, angry stirring in his narrowed eyes. She had a disquieting impression of swirling winds and gathering thunderclouds and she felt a warning flutter in her stomach.
    He spoke just a shade too casually. “What makes you think there are so many girlfriends?”
    At a loss to comprehend the undercurrent of hostility in his manner, she answered hesitantly. “Well…you’re good-looking and brilliant. You probably have to beat them off with a stick.”
    His eyes flickered dangerously and the storm broke. “I do,” he said harshly, “but not for those reasons. Money is what women really go for, and I am disgustingly wealthy.”
    Upset by his stinging words and his flinty gaze, Hope stared into the rich darkness of her coffee and said nothing.
    â€œDoes that impress you?”
    Her heart twisted. Did he truly believe money was his only attraction? Did he think she was here tonight because of that? She shook her head, aching for him. “Not everyone is like that, Charlie.”
    â€œYes,” he said savagely. “Every woman I’ve ever met.”
    â€œI don’t believe it,” she insisted. He would probably take her head off for this, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I don’t know where you’ve been meeting women, Charlie, but I think you’ve been going out with the wrong ones.”
    â€œNo, they are perfectly suited for what I want.” Thedangerous glint in his eyes made it impossible to mistake his meaning. “And now I’ve shocked you, haven’t I?”
    He had, but more than that, he had meant to do it. Why was he being so nasty? Hope sipped her coffee, then picked up her napkin and dabbed at her mouth. It wasn’t much, as stalling tactics went, but it gave her a few seconds to think. “I guessed that was true, but I never thought you’d say it,” she reproached him. “Not to me, Charlie.”
    She saw the regret in his eyes before he lowered them, but he wasn’t a man who apologized. Her heart flooded with pity. “You’ve got a lot more going for you than money, Charlie, and anyone with an ounce of character is sure to see that.”
    He made a small sound of disgust and shook his head in amazement. “You honestly believe that, don’t you? I suppose you’re about to tell me what a charmer I am?”
    â€œNo.” She opted for brutal honesty because he would sneer at anything less. “You’re not charming at all. You’re about as warm and fuzzy as a porcupine. But I admire you for so many—”
    â€œOh, don’t sugarcoat it, kid,” he interrupted. He smiled, oddly entertained. “I’m an ogre and you know