Convincing Victoria

Victoria Aitken is always in control. In her early thirties, she has a demanding job, a condo in the city and a weekend house in the country. She sleeps with men according to her own timetable and it's never serious. She doesn't do commitment and hasn't had a relationship since a broken engagement years ago. Lately, though, she's been restless. The hours she works are getting longer, her friends are getting hitched, and she feels left out. But she loves her life. Really. She just thinks there's something missing. Bryant Simpson is a nurse practitioner who works at the local clinic. Never without a woman in his sights, he has a revolving door that he's proud of. It's not that he doesn't want to settle down. He just doesn't see why he has to do it right this minute. He has all the time in the world and so many women to choose from. He may be a tiny bit jealous of his brother and sister-in-law, and their kids, but he's having way too much fun to worry about why that would be. Early one Saturday morning, an older couple in trouble show up at Victoria's house in the country, and she ends up taking them to the clinic. There, she meets Bryant, and he's an arrogant, smirking know-it-all in a white coat. But goodness, the man is finely made. Still, his advances are ignored because she's always the one in control. She will make her own advances, thank you very much. Bryant is captivated by Victoria and tries everything he can think of to get her to go home with him, to no avail. He's mystified because this never happens to him. Ever. Women like him. A lot. So, what gives? He backs off, though, and offers Victoria a one-night-stand whenever she wants it. Which he hopes will be very, very soon. They seal the deal with a kiss that changes everything. Victoria doesn't do more than one-night-stands. Though she agrees to a rain check sex date with Bryant, the kiss they shared has turned her world upside down. She's feeling things she'd thought were buried after her last failed relationship. Things that involve commitment and sharing. It scares her to death and she has to decide whether to face what Bryant might represent, or ignore it. When Bryant and Victoria finally get together, they share an evening of revelations and lust that leads to the willingness to take one day at a time. Months later, when Bryant proposes, the words "I love you" come easily to Victoria, though she thinks Bryant is still a bit too smug for his own good. But maybe, she'll let him have this one, because she's finally getting what she wanted.