Guilty Pleasures: A Collection by Janelle Denison Read Free Book Online Page A

seen the yearning in her eyes, the loneliness, the desire to give a real and stable committed relationship a try. Would she latch on to the next man to come into her life, just because she desperately wanted marriage and a family of her own?
    That possibility was enough to make him realize that he wasn’t prepared to lose Alyssa to another man.
    Not now.
    Not ever.
    And that meant it was time for him to make his feelings and intentions known—but in a gradual, subtle way that wouldn’t scare her off.
    A slow smile curved the corners of his mouth as an idea formed in his mind. What better way to attract Alyssa’s attention than to enlist her help in turning him into the kind of sophisticated, executive type who normally caught her eye and make her see that
he
was everything she was looking for in a mate.
    As a personal shopper, making him over was right up her alley. Granted, he’d always been a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, and while he preferred his casual no-nonsense attire and finger-combed hair, he wasn’t opposed to changing his image if it meant showing Alyssa that he was the one for her—from his outward appearance to the deep, emotional bond they’d always shared.
    And that’s when his resolution came to him. He was finally going after the girl of his dreams. And by midnight on New Year’s Eve at the party they’d both be attending, there would be no doubt in Alyssa’s mind exactly how he felt about her.
    #
    Sitting in front of the computer in the small office she’d made of her spare bedroom in her apartment, Alyssa ate the last bite of the cheesecake that Shane had sent home with her then returned her attention to finishing up the final billing statement that wrapped up the Christmas season.
    December had been a great month profit-wise, and her business as a personal shopper was definitely prospering beyond her initial expectations. Her clients ranged from large corporations who needed holiday gifts for their employees and exclusive clientele list, to busy executives who didn’t have time to purchase presents for their high-end accounts and colleagues, to some of Southern California’s wealthier social set who were looking for that special something for friends and family members.
    In the past year she’d expanded her business to include shopping for charity events, weddings and elaborate parties, and preparing gift bags for special events such as award banquets and conferences. Between perusing the internet and hitting the local malls for specifically requested items, she was constantly busy and always challenged.
    She’d long ago decided that the best part about her job was shopping until she dropped while spending someone else’s money. Especially since she was frugal and very practical with her own cash. Having grown up without her father, and with her mother only bringing in a very modest income as a secretary, there hadn’t been much left over for anything frivolous. Alyssa had become thrifty by nature—which accounted for the nice nest egg she’d accumulated over the past few years.
    But just as she’d confided in Shane earlier that evening, despite her success with her own business there was something lacking in her life. She was gradually coming to recognize the longing to give herself over to one special person, to be able to come home to a husband, and a family of her own. And for as much as she feared letting any man get too close emotionally because she’d witnessed her own mother’s pain and heartache when her father had died, at the age of twenty-six Alyssa knew it was time for her to get past insecurities and finally take a chance with her heart and see where it led her. Hence her New Year’s resolution to open herself up to the possibility of a committed relationship with the right guy.
    The right guy
. That thought made her think of her best friend Shane. She smiled, because he exemplified everything she was looking for in a lifelong companion. Not only did he possess