Read Online Dante's Temporary Fiancée by Day Leclaire - Free Book Online

realm of experience.
    Memory crashed down around her. Getting fired. Rafe’s proposal. Their shocking first touch. Their even more shocking kiss. His proposition. Her losing her apartment. And finally, her arrival here with Kiko. The knock came again and she jumped.
    â€œJust a minute,” she called.
    She yanked open her bedroom door, only to discover that the knocking came from farther away. She stumbled in that direction, realizing there was someone at Rafe’s front door. A very determined someone. She hovered in the foyer, debating whether or not to answer. Betternot to, she decided, considering it wasn’t her house. Unfortunately, the unexpected guest had a key and chose that moment to use it.
    The door swung open and a woman poked her head inside. “Rafe?” She caught sight of Larkin and her eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Nonna said—”
    â€œWhat is wrong, Elia?”
    Larkin recognized Nonna’s voice and shut her eyes. This could not be good.
    â€œWe’ve come at an inconvenient time,” Elia turned to explain. “Rafe has a guest.”
    Nonna replied in Italian, the sound knife-edge sharp. Then the door banged open and Nonna marched into the house. “Larkin? I am surprised to find you here.”
    â€œI’m surprised to find me here, too,” Larkin admitted. “In fact, I’m surprised to find us both here.”
    â€œWhat the hell is going on? Can’t a man get a decent night’s sleep?” Rafe’s voice issued from on high and he appeared at the top of the staircase leading to the second story. “Mamma? Nonna? What are you doing here?”
    He stood there, hands planted on his hips, his chest bare, a loose pair of sweats riding low on his hips. Larkin stared, dazzled. Despite his obvious annoyance, she’d never seen anything more gorgeous.
    â€œOh, my.”
    The comment escaped, along with her breath, her common sense and every last brain cell she possessed. To her utter humiliation, his mother took note, suppressing a smile of amusement at her reaction.
    But really… His body was an absolute work of art, sculpted with hard muscle that filled out his lean frame. His shoulders were broad, with strong, ropey arms, though she’d suspected as much when he’d lifted herin them last night and carried her to the couch in his office. His abdomen was flat and sporting the type of six-pack that she would have been only too happy to spend an entire night sampling. His mane of hair fell in rumpled abandon, the colors a lush mixture of browns and golds.
    â€œWe came over to arrange a time to meet Larkin,” Elia explained. Her smile wavered. “Surprise! We met.”
    Rafe thrust his hands through his hair and Larkin suspected by the way his lips moved that he was swearing beneath his breath. “Let me get dressed and I’ll be down.” His gaze sharpened, arrowing in on Larkin. “May I suggest you do likewise?”
    â€œOh, right.” She glanced down at her own shorts and cropped T-shirt with something akin to horror before offering Rafe’s mother and grandmother a weak, embarrassed smile. “Excuse me, please.”
    She dashed in the direction of her bedroom and closeted herself inside. Kiko stared at her alertly from where she lay in one corner, curled up on a thick, cozy rug. “What do you say we try out the backyard again and see what you think about it in the daylight,” Larkin suggested.
    She opened the French doors leading outside and watched while Kiko limped into the yard. She kept an eye on the dog for several minutes to assure herself that the fence would withstand all escape attempts before taking a swift shower and throwing on the first set of clean clothes to come to hand. The fact that a night spent in a backpack had pressed a thousand wrinkles into them couldn’t be helped.
    Calling to Kiko, Larkin headed in the direction ofthe coffee