Convince Me (Holton Series #1) by B. L. Blair

had not worried about
money.  He made decisions without consulting anyone and wanted to control
every situation.
    Walking across the kitchen to rinse
her cup at the sink, Anna realized she owed Steven an apology.  His call
had been designed to help her.  By telling her where they were dining,
Steven had been giving her the information she needed to plan her
wardrobe.  Anna shook her head as she walked back to the bedroom. 
She had to get her emotions under control.
    She spent the afternoon rearranging
her apartment and organizing her closets.  Although she had finally
unpacked everything, she wasn’t happy with the location of the furniture. 
By the time she was finished, Anna had worked out all the tension.  She
was even looking forward to her evening with Steven.
    After a long, leisurely bath, Anna
carefully fixed her hair and makeup.  She wore one of her favorite
dresses.  It was navy blue and closely fitted her figure enhancing her
tiny waist.  The color flattered her complexion and after fastening her
mother’s pearls, Anna stepped back from the mirror knowing she looked her best.
    Anna grabbed a light coat from the
closet and wandered into the living room.  Glancing at the clock, she
realized she was ready twenty minutes early.  She sat on the couch and
tried to read a magazine.  Unable to concentrate, she rose and began
pacing the floor.  When she noticed what she was doing, Anna began to
laugh.  She was nervous and it surprised her.  It had been a long
time since she had been nervous before a date.
    Walking over to the small window
and looking out, Anna smiled.  She hadn’t dated in a long time either but
since moving to Holton she had two dates in less than two weeks.  Her
mother had been sick for a long time before she died and Anna hadn’t wanted to
leave her alone.  After she died, Anna had been so wrapped up in her grief
and then her move to Holton that she hadn’t had time for men.  Maybe
Steven had done her a favor after all.  He had snapped her out of her rut.
    The doorbell rang and startled
her.  She looked at the clock.  It was five-thirty on the dot. 
Anna took a deep breath and wiped her hands on a towel before opening the door.
    Steven filled the doorway and
silently gazed at her.  In his arms was a bouquet of flowers and he was
dressed in a dark suit and another flamboyant tie.  His eyes traveled from
her head down to her toes and back again.  When his gaze returned to hers,
he gave her his slow, gentle smile.  Anna felt the response deep inside
her and her body tingled.  Her nervousness slipped away as she opened the
door wider and he stepped in.
    Smiling, he handed her the
flowers.  He hadn’t purchased the traditional roses but instead presented
her with gorgeous, long stemmed pink and white striped lilies.  Where he
had found them, Anna could not imagine but they were beautiful.
    “Good evening,” Steven said. 
“You look wonderful.”
    “Thank you,” Anna said shyly. 
She suddenly knew he was trying to impress her.  The fancy restaurant in
downtown Dallas and the beautiful flowers that must have cost a fortune were
signs of a man wanting to show a woman he was interested.  Anna was being
courted in the truest sense of the word.
    She moved back to allow him to
enter the room before walking toward the kitchen.  “I will put these in
water.  They’re beautiful, Steve.  I love lilies and these are
exquisite.”
    He had followed her into the
kitchen.  “I’m glad you like them.”
    Steven glanced at the living
room.  “You’ve rearranged.”
    “Yes,” Anna nodded.  “I wasn’t
happy with the way it was before.  What do you think?”                                                      
    “It’s great.  It gives the
room more open space.  It makes it look larger.”
    Anna pulled a large case from one
of the cabinets and began filling it with water.  She glanced at Steven
and saw that he