AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I could call her to apologize,” he said, inwardly cringing at the idea of doing so.
“That’s a start,” Micah said. “And by the way, you’re incredibly foolish to dismiss her as a contender for your warrior character. Lorelei is massively talented. She can do anything she puts her mind to. You’re incredibly fortunate she even agreed to try out for the role. Her schedule is usually packed a year in advance. If you remember, I shot a commercial with her a few months ago. It hasn’t aired yet but she’s brilliant. You’d be a fool to pass her up.”
Feeling sheepish, Daniel promised to reach out to Lorelei. After he hung up the phone, Daniel couldn’t get Lorelei out of his mind. Had he been an idiot to dismiss her from consideration? As it was, she was the standout model from today. None of the others had been able to hold a candle to her.
Daniel wasn’t good at admitting he’d made a mistake. It wasn’t the way he was wired, but as his mother often told him, he needed to be open to growth and change. He needed to know his flaws and be able to recognize them in an instant. He was tired of being alone if he was being honest with himself, especially now that his siblings were beginning to pair off with engagements and marriages and children. Recently he had been thinking a lot about those things. Would he make a good father? Could someone truly love him, flaws and all?
His quirky ways and personality had made romance difficult. Although it had allowed him to thrive in the world of video games, it had stymied him in interpersonal relationships. It was frustrating to him. Sometimes he just shut down because of it. It didn’t feel good to be judged all the time. How did you change who you were? It wasn’t as if he was trying to act a certain way. He was pretty sure it was just his nature.
And he wasn’t entirely sure a woman would ever fall head over heels in love with him. Daniel had never been in love although he’d been close on a few occasions. Most recently, he had dated a local restaurant owner named Patsy Simons. They had dated for six months, during which Daniel’s heart had felt as if it had expanded like never before. When he woke up in the morning his first thought had been about Patsy. And his last thought before going to bed had been about finding different ways to make her smile. He had sent her flowers just because and given her spa certificates and a beautiful charm bracelet. He had always gone out of his way to make sure she felt special. Or at least he’d tried. It had all come crashing down to earth when Patsy had broken up with him, telling him he couldn’t provide her with the emotional connection she was looking for. Daniel had been blindsided and hurt by the breakup. He’d gone right back to his life, throwing himself full tilt into his work and pretending as if he’d never allowed Patsy in to his heart. And his skin had grown a little thicker because of it. He knew that the next time he found someone special he would hold himself back a little bit so as not to get his heart stomped on.
Daniel riffled through the papers on his desk. Lorelei James had given them a head shot and her resume. Daniel felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time when he gazed at the model’s photo. A deep and profound attraction. He wasn’t a man who was usually moved by beauty, so he knew it was something else that was pulling at him. There was a look in Lorelei’s eyes that reminded him of himself and the way he felt on the inside. Although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, he thought it might be yearning.
He needed to track Lorelei down and apologize to her for his blunt, overbearing attitude. Calling her on the phone wouldn’t convey his regret at his behavior. And it would be quite easy for her to refuse his call. Nope. Even though he had a lot on his plate, he needed to talk to Lorelei in person and somehow convince her that she needed to sign on for the role of Rhiannon, medieval warrior. Daniel needed to make amends!
“I want all of my kids to find love. I want them to have the happy ending. Matter of fact, I want it for myself as well.”
Jude Donahue
Chapter Two
Lorelei was feeling much calmer by the time she made her way to her house. Driving along the winding roads allowed the sea air to waft under her nose. A quick glance to her left allowed her to get a glimpse of the breathtaking ocean. One of these days she was going to spend the day at Pelican Bay beach and swim and play hooky from her life as a model. Of course she would have to wear SPF 100 in order to protect her delicate skin from the sun. She had a tendency to burn and it wasn’t acceptable for modeling shoots. She also had to make sure her skin aged well, especially since the shelf life of the average model ended in her late twenties. Lately she’d been thinking about life after modeling. A second act of sorts. She had made enough money in her career to retire very comfortably, but she knew she might go stir crazy if she didn’t have something to keep her occupied.
Home sweet home! Buying this sleek, modern home had been Lorelei’s best decision ever. It had been a great investment in herself.
Although her house wasn’t situated right by the water, she could still catch a glimpse of the ocean from her second floor. Her large property was surrounded on all sides by a high black iron fence. She had to put in a password in order for the gates to open and visitors to gain entry. It was a casualty of her fame as a high profile model. She had been stalked in the past by a crazed individual who had made her life a living nightmare. It had changed her entire world and the way she looked at life. Lorelei had done her best to build a life for herself where she felt safe and protected in her home. It wasn’t easy moving past certain situations in her life, but each and every day she reminded herself that she was still breathing, still living, still striving to live a happy balanced life.
J
ust pulling up into the driveway made her smile with happiness. After parking her convertible, Lorelei walked along the flagstone path and paused to gaze at her flowers. They were looking spectacular. She loved to garden. Working with her flowers made her feel calm and serene. She needed it at the moment after the disastrous encounter with Daniel Donahue. Just thinking about him made her furious. Who did he think he was? A dictator? The king of the world? She let out a sigh. He was a very rich and successful man, one who clearly enjoyed throwing his weight around. Lorelei had known men like Daniel ever since she started modeling at the tender age of sixteen. She had achieved major success in the industry at twenty-one.
Lorelei shook off all the bad thoughts and let herself into her home. Thank goodness for central air, she thought. Summer in Pelican Bay served up brutal temperatures. She liked the interior of her home to feel cool and airy. Lorelei headed to her kitchen and threw her purse down on the counter before opening up her fridge and rummaging around for lunch. A few minutes later she sat down in her great room with a tall glass of lemonade and a bowl of pasta with Bolognese sauce. It was her favorite meal and she usually made a big batch of it on the weekend and then ate it throughout the week. She was a creature of habit when it came to many things in her life. For someone who was constantly on the go, it felt nice to be relaxing a bit in the middle of the day rather than on set being photographed. She felt fortunate to have her career, but everyone needed a break once in a while.
Just as she got up to put her plate in the dishwasher, the intercom linked to the front gate began to buzz. Who in the world was visiting unannounced? A slight panic gripped her for a second before she reminded herself she was safe. No one was going to hurt her. Perhaps it was a delivery. That wasn’t uncommon.
Lorelei moved slowly toward the intercom, then pressed the button and said, “Hello. Who is it?”
A deep voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Hi, Miss James. It’s Daniel Donahue. Could I speak to you for a moment?”
Lorelei felt as if a slight wind might blow her over. What in the world was Daniel Donahue doing at her house? How in the world had he found her? And what was she going to say to him that wouldn’t make her sound like a raving lunatic? She still felt angry about their earlier encounter. She found it hard to go all Zen and forgive him in an instant.
She cleared her throat. “Mr. Donahue. I really don’t think there’s anything to say. You made your feelings known earlier this morning. The message was received loud and clear.”
She heard a loud sigh on the other end. “I have a tendency to come across as a bit blunt. Will you please give me an opportunity to rectify my mistake? I would be forever grateful for it.”
Forever grateful? Ugh. Why did he now sound like a polished and polite gentleman? rather than a rude boor? She began to falter right there and then. He was Micah’s brother after all and she’d vowed to be more flexible and forgiving. Being churlish wasn’t her style.
She pressed the intercom again and said, “Okay, but just for a few minutes. I have somewhere to go.” She buzzed the gate open then placed her dish in the dishwasher.
Had she made a mistake in allowing him in? She began to rummage around in her kitchen drawer for her bottle of mace. She didn’t think she would have to use it on Daniel Donahue, but a person could never be too careful. Lorelei didn’t like being alone with strange men and she didn’t allow it to happen very often. Her mind began to race. How had he found her address? Through Micah? Her agent? It didn’t sit well with her that people could so easily obtain access to her whereabouts. It left her feeling unsettled. And although she didn’t want to admit it even to herself…slightly scared. And she hated feeling frightened. It made her feel as if she was giving her power away to an emotion. It had taken her years to get to a safe place where she wasn’t looking over her shoulder every moment of every day.
When the doorbell rang Lorelei took a few moments before answering it. Once she felt calm and composed she opened the door, inhaling a deep, fortifying breath as she did so. Daniel was standing at the door with a sheepish expression etched on his face. He looked a little bit different from earlier. He was wearing shorts and a turquoise-colored polo shirt. She had to admit he was handsome. Daniel was tall and lean with a dark head of hair and gray-blue eyes. She had to stare for a moment. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen eyes this color before and she certainly hadn’t noticed them earlier. No doubt her mind had been focused more on his attitude than on his good looks.
“Thanks for seeing me,” Daniel said, shifting from one foot to the other.
She waved him inside, then closed the door behind him. Daniel Donahue was giving off safe vibes. Lorelei usually put people into two categories—safe vibes or red flags.
For whatever reason, Lorelei didn’t feel intimidated by Daniel’s presence the way she normally did around men she didn’t know very well. It was hard to explain but he exuded a very calm air. Perhaps it was because he was Micah’s brother and she knew tidbits about the Donahue family. They were good folks. How bad could he be?
