Read Can't Buy Me Love for Free Online

said. “And preparing to enter another.”
    “That’s difficult for men?” Meg asked.
    “Exceptionally so,” Cole said. “Most men don’t transition well. We like to put things in boxes, compartmentalize, and once we’ve established where things belong, well, we don’t want to mix it up. Much like you and your lists.”
    Meg stopped.
    “My lists?”
    “You compartmentalize and marginalize with your lists. It’s a very similar system. You give certain things priority while ignoring things you don’t believe are important.”
    “Marginalize? I don’t marginalize? I don’t ignore—”
    “You certainly do,” Cole interrupted. “If it’s not on your list, then according to you, it’s not important.”
    “My lists”—Meg’s brows furrowed, creating a little crease between her eyes—“are a way to stay on task. To try and keep you on task. Too fend off unnecessary…distractions.”
    “Really?”
    Meg still believed her lists were a way to keep control of life? Because the one thing of which Cole was absolutely certain was that keeping control of life was nearly impossible. Life had a way of sneaking up and destroying the things closest to you. He’d discovered the best way to protect against loss was to keep that which was dear to a limited number or, if possible, nonexistent.
    “Yes, really,” Meg said. “And my lists worked exceptionally well for three years.”
    “They did?”
    “You have complaints that I don’t know about?” Meg asked. “Criticisms you’d like to share?”
    “No complaints,” Cole said. “Concerns, perhaps.”
    “Concerns?” Meg’s voice faltered. “About?”
    “What happens to your lists once you have a whole division to run? How do you oversee a hundred people with a list? How do you control the uncontrollable? How do you, Meggy, grow content with chaos?”
    She crossed her arms and stared toward the horizon. She bit her bottom lip as she assessed his questions. Finally, she turned her cool blue eyes back to him, her lips upturned in the tiniest of smiles.
    “I’m not sure,” Meg said, and lifted her eyebrow with the hint of a challenge. “You’re the boss, how would you?”
     
    *
     
    Right back at you, mister.
    “Excellent answer, Meggy,” Cole said.
    He absolutely seemed impressed, content with her question, and yet responded to her only in silence. Cole turned away and continued walking down the beach. His silence irritated her. With most people she’d just ignore their wordless reply—perhaps even believe that she’d bested them, caused them to be silent with her intellect or conversational prowess—but with Cole, for three years, she’d never felt as though his silences were due to her superior abilities. No, every silence of Cole’s merely raised questions of self-confidence in Meg.
     They’d nearly walked to Stan’s beach house when Meg first spied a couple just beyond the house. A man and a woman held hands and walked toward her and Cole. That was what life was supposed to be about, wasn’t it? Love. A lifelong love with a compatible companion. A man you trusted. A man you knew. A man you could feel certain would come home to you and only you. Life wasn’t meant to be about endless meetings and action lists. Life was meant to be about love, but compatibility was key. She slid her eyes to the right and surreptitiously looked at Cole.
    Cole would never be that man.
    Action list or chaos, Cole enjoyed the pursuit of anything new way too much to ever settle down with one woman. The traits that made him stand out as a CEO were not the traits necessary for personal compatibility. His single focus was to be the biggest, baddest media mogul in the world. Not to find a permanent love. Not to waste time on a family.
    The couple in the distance drew closer. The man walked near the water and wore a white shirt over a pair of long stone-colored shorts. The woman wore a white flowing coverup that billowed easily in the ocean breeze. They turned to