Read Online Buying His Bride (The Donovan Brothers Trilogy Book 1) by Alison Ashlyn - Free Book Online Page A

advisability of the contract.
    She would make good on her word.
    During one of the calls, Michael talked her through their strategy for the cocktail evening. “Remember, this is a party to confirm publicly the rumors that have been circulating since we went out last week. We need to move quickly, and people need to understand that our relationship is serious.”
    He’d been all business on the phone, and never referred to what happened between them in the car. Sierra was relieved.
    She couldn’t afford to let wine go to her head again. A business deal was on the line as well as her financial and emotional independence. Mixing business with pleasure never worked, and people got hurt. She’d learned that in college, to her cost, and she wouldn’t let it happen again.
    Sierra handed the vintage faux leopard swing jacket Jen lent her from her boutique to the housekeeper and gulped despite her resolution. While it was all an act for the benefit of others, Michael’s expression was everything a model lover’s should be.
    Appreciative.
    Desiring.
    Scorching.
    “Good evening, Sierra,” he said, for the housekeeper’s benefit and then, as the woman turned away to hang Sierra’s wrap, he whispered in her ear, “You look beautiful.”
    Sierra sighed. “I’ve told you, you don’t need to say things like that. I’ll act my part whether or not you compliment me.” She strived for a casual tone. “And you can thank Jen once again. She masterminded my outfit.”
    Michael straightened. “Jen is becoming one of my favorite people.” His tone went from sizzling to friendly to match her own, but his gaze was still warm.
    This time Jen had kitted her out in a retro tailored black pencil skirt with high waistline that emphasized the length of her long, slim legs and hit them mid-calf. It was paired with a tight-fitting long-sleeved gray sweater with the same strand of pearls she had worn a week earlier. Sierra was covered from neck to calf and wrist.
    Why, then, did the expression in Michael’s eyes make her feel half-naked? Maybe he was one of those men who couldn’t turn off the charm or the libido. God knows there were enough of them around.
    Except he’d shown her last week that he had depth and intelligence as well. As a package deal, he was a lethal combination.
    She always avoided lethal combinations at all costs.
    “What?” Sierra smoothed her hair coiled in an elegant chignon at the base of her neck from which a few auburn strands escaped. “Aren’t I properly dressed for the occasion?”
    “Oh, you’re very proper.” Michael took her arm. “The sweater, the skirt, the dark stockings, the black heels.” Then, as he opened the door to the party, he added, “All I can think about right now is stripping everything off of you and getting you to wrap those long, long legs around my waist.”
    With that, he ushered her into a room full of family and guests.
    ****
    When he came into the foyer and saw Sierra, a wave of desire slammed into Michael’s gut. If she’d looked sexy the night they went to Bijou, she looked twice as alluring tonight in her elegant garb.
    Damn Jen, who probably knew exactly what she was doing when she chose those clothes. Sierra’s figure was impeccable, and the fabrics, while covering her, revealed every last tantalizing curve of leg, thigh, waist, and breast. She’d reddened just now when he whispered his fantasy into her ear. He loved making her blush. He’d lay money on a bet that every red-blooded man in the room was having the same thoughts.
    Michael was a little surprised by how possessive he felt as he steered Sierra through the sitting room full of guests toward his father. His remarks in the foyer had been designed to remind her they were acting the parts of impassioned lovers.
    Or so he told himself.
    But the truth was, they were also a statement of fact. He wanted her. He’d wanted her in his office. He’d wanted her the night they went out. And he wanted her now. He