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I believe in myself. Don’t you believe in yourself?”
    Of course she did. As far as work went, anyway. As for personal stuff…
    Irrelevant, Allison decided. She shrugged impatiently. “I suppose. Anyway, we got off track with the—”
    â€œYou got off track, as I recall. With your prejudice against the wealthy.”
    â€œI’m not prejudiced.”
    â€œWhat I don’t get is how you can run a charitable foundation. Aren’t rich people kind of your bread and butter? How do you manage to hide the fact that you despise them when you’re asking for donations?”
    She flushed. “That’s a terrible thing to say. For one thing, it’s not only the wealthy who contribute to charities. And for another, I don’t hate rich people. I’m incredibly grateful to anyone who donates their money—or their time—to the Star Foundation. Especially when they do it because they want to, and not because they expect something in return.”
    His jaw tightened. “Unlike me, right? Is that what you wanted to hear? Yes, I’m selfish. No, I don’t give without expecting something back. I’m sorry I don’t meet your high standards for human behavior, or fit into your perfect little world where everyone acts like a saint. But here’s a reality flash for you.”
    He stabbed a forefinger on the table in front of her. “Charities all over the country are struggling right now, and yours is no exception. You can keep on looking down your nose at me, and let your foundation suffer—or you can admit you need my money and take it. How many of the families you pretend to care so much about will be hurt if you turn me down?”
    He leaned back again. “Sounds pretty damn selfish to me.”
    She was so mad her hands were shaking. But the worst part was, she knew he was right.
    If she turned down his donation, she’d have to cut programs and services. The reality of that stared her in the face.
    Looking across the table at him, seeing the coldness that had come into his expression, Allison felt a sudden wave of recklessness.
    Why shouldn’t she accept his offer? They’d go out to a few overpriced restaurants and have a few stilted conversations. Why had the idea of that made her feel so nervous, so awkward and unsure of herself? Right now, she didn’t feel awkward at all. The anger flowing in her veins made her feel like she could do anything.
    So yes, she’d take his money. With a donation this big, she might be able to add some services this year. Expand her existing programs. Reach more families.
    And she’d get something else from him, too.
    â€œI’ll do it.”
    He blinked at her in surprise. “What?”
    â€œI accept your proposal.”
    â€œYou do?”
    â€œOn one condition.” She leaned forward, schooling her features into what she hoped was an implacable expression. “You’ll visit Julie in the hospital this Saturday.”
    To drop her eyes at this point would be a sign of weakness, so she held his gaze as his eyes narrowed and his dark brows slanted together.
    After a minute he started to drum the fingers of one hand against the table. When he realized what he was doing he curled that hand into a fist.
    â€œWhat if I say no?”
    She shrugged. “You’ll have to find another woman of character who’s not attracted to you. It won’t be that hard. From where I sit, those two qualities seem to go together naturally.”
    Another minute of silence. Then his fisted hand relaxed, and he leaned back in his chair.
    â€œI should have realized you were capable of driving a hard bargain. You don’t give up easily, do you?”
    â€œThe families I work with don’t give up. I hold myself to the same standard.” She took a quick breath. “So do we have a deal, or not?”
    His eyes didn’t leave hers. “We have a deal,” he said.
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