Blood In The Stars Read Online Free

came back to mock her. Career woman who has everything but won’t feel fulfilled until she finds a man. A sigh escaped at the thought. She didn’t need a man to feel fulfilled. She couldn’t even really explain it. But lately, a strange urge had come over her—one that said she needed to settle down, that she sought something, or someone.
    Someone . What a pleasant thought. She wanted children someday but of course, she needed a boyfriend first. A sad smile touched her lips. It would be nice to have someone to hang out with once in a while. Someone to stand with along the riverwalk as they stared at tourists. Someone to hold her hand as they shopped along Michigan Avenue.
    Maybe the demon in her dream mirrored the demon in her life. Perhaps she really did need a man to feel fulfilled.
    Yet the dates had brought nothing but disappointment. Some were socially awkward. Others had asked her to pay for half of dinner. She had wanted to tell them if they couldn’t afford to take a girl out to dinner, then they shouldn’t have joined the service at all. But she had kept her mouth shut and continued to go on the blind dates arranged for her.
    Tomorrow would be the last one. No more excuses for crappy profiles, either. With this strict resolve, Daria turned on her laptop and logged into her account. Her jaw dropped.
    A picture of a gorgeous man greeted her. She clicked it to enlarge and let out a long, wistful breath.
    The man stood outside an office building. With the sleeves of his baby blue dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and the first two buttons undone, he appeared relaxed from a hard day on the job. He’d shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, the material emphasizing his long legs.
    She clicked on the next picture, a headshot. His short black hair stood spiky in front and his dark brows curved into perfect arches. Lush lips smiled to give a glimpse of straight, white teeth.
    Her mouth had gone dry and with a will of its own, her finger trailed down the edge of his jaw to outline the contour of his mouth.
    The picture drew her in, not because of his stunning face that could have any woman in the world, but because she suddenly felt this man needed her. He was as lonely as she was. Daria shook her head. What was she thinking? This guy didn’t need anyone with that great smile. Yet when she studied the picture more, her first impression ingrained itself further in her mind. Yes. Desolation lined his eyes. But why? He was beautiful.
    Was this man a model? Did people like him actually exist? And if they did, would they date her ?
    Probably not.
    She glanced at the mirror in her room and noted the dark circles around her eyes. Great. She looked like death warmed over.
    Tomorrow night, the matchmaking service had said. All she had to do was accept on the website and then show up at the right location at the right time. She moved the cursor across the screen to accept the date.
    Then she hesitated, her confidence wavering. Maybe she was setting herself up for rejection. Doubt rippled through her.
    Quickly, before she changed her mind, Daria accepted the date. She swallowed hard, surprised at her rash decision. Then she began to rationalize it. A meeting wouldn’t hurt. And if things didn’t go well, she didn’t have to see him again. She nodded to reaffirm her logic. Yes, one date. She needed to put herself out there. Wanted to.
    She opened the man’s profile, realizing she didn’t even know his name. Her brows met after she saw it. How interesting.
    Jason Angel.
    Daria sat in the cab tapping her fingers while the car waited at a red light. She didn’t know what the dating service was thinking. She hated sports bars. One could never shout loud enough for anyone to hear above the din. And sports weren’t her thing to begin with.
    She preferred dinner at a cozy restaurant where the chatter never buzzed into a roar. Or a symphony. But that wouldn’t allow them to talk, which occasionally she thanked her lucky stars