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Authors: Leanne Banks
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times when he’d been sure he didn’t have a heart. He closed his eyes for just a second to drink in her essence then he used his chin to nudge her chin upward.
Her eyes met his, wariness warring with something he couldn’t read. “Don’t lie to me again,” he said. “Don’t mislead me. Don’t shade the truth. Don’t cheat on me. Do you understand?”
She gave a slow, solemn nod. “Yes.”
“I’m glad we understand each other,” he said and took her mouth and pulled her against him, determined to take her again.
After a night spent in Leo’s bed, Calista awakened alone, feeling sore in secret places. She’d suspected Leo would have a strong sexual appetite, but she hadn’t expected him to be quite so ravenous. And she hadn’t expected he would make her so hot that during those private, primal moments she almost forgot who he was. She had the sinking feeling that she had gotten in way over her head. Grasping for something to quell her panic, she mentally flipped a page on the calendar. Technically, now that one night had passed, she had less than six months to go until she had completed her mission.
She rose from the bed and took a shower, allowing thewarm water to soothe muscles unaccustomed to such a strenuous, intimate workout. Drying off, she wrapped her hair in a towel, pulled on a too-large terry cloth robe and walked back into the bedroom.
The scent of bacon and waffles drifted toward her. She glanced at the balcony and spotted Leo sitting in a chair with his legs propped up while he read a newspaper. He wore a pair of jeans and an unbuttoned shirt that revealed his muscular chest. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly how that chest felt against her naked breasts.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, he glanced up and met her gaze. “Good morning. Breakfast is waiting. I don’t know what you like, so I told the cook to fix a little bit of everything.” He lifted the large silver cover off the tray to reveal a feast of breakfast food.
“Good grief, that would feed a small foreign country,” she said, her mouth watering at the sight of the fresh strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, along with the rest of the meal.
“What do you like?” he asked.
“Everything,” she said, sitting down beside him. “I usually grab a quick bite or drink a breakfast shake before I walk out the door, so this is a splurge.”
His gaze hovered on her. “No need to worry. You burned some calories last night.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “So I did,” she murmured and took a bite of waffle.
“Good?” he asked.
She nodded. “Delicious. Thank you. Don’t you want anything?”
He lifted his cup of coffee to his lips. “I’ve already eaten.”
After breakfast, she got dressed and Leo took her out onhis smaller boat. It was a warm, sunny day and she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the lake. He put down anchor in a private cove and she served the picnic the cook had packed for them, although she was still stuffed from breakfast.
In different circumstances, she would have been in heaven—married to a man who could take care of her and her family. A gorgeous, intelligent man full of passion with a sense of humor. She knew, however, that she didn’t love him and he didn’t love her.
“I need to take a trip to Japan in two weeks,” he said. “I want you to go with me.”
She mentally flipped through her work schedule. “That’s short notice, but I’ll check the company calendar.”
“I’ll be wanting you to join me on most of my trips,” he said. “You may need to think about quitting your job.”
She blinked at his suggestion and shook her head. “I couldn’t do that. I work for a fabulous company with excellent benefits. I would be a fool to give it up.”
“It’s silly for you to worry about benefits now that you’re married to me. You’ll be covered under my insurance and I can give you an allowance twice your salary,” he said.
Her throat tightened because she
Her eyes met his, wariness warring with something he couldn’t read. “Don’t lie to me again,” he said. “Don’t mislead me. Don’t shade the truth. Don’t cheat on me. Do you understand?”
She gave a slow, solemn nod. “Yes.”
“I’m glad we understand each other,” he said and took her mouth and pulled her against him, determined to take her again.
After a night spent in Leo’s bed, Calista awakened alone, feeling sore in secret places. She’d suspected Leo would have a strong sexual appetite, but she hadn’t expected him to be quite so ravenous. And she hadn’t expected he would make her so hot that during those private, primal moments she almost forgot who he was. She had the sinking feeling that she had gotten in way over her head. Grasping for something to quell her panic, she mentally flipped a page on the calendar. Technically, now that one night had passed, she had less than six months to go until she had completed her mission.
She rose from the bed and took a shower, allowing thewarm water to soothe muscles unaccustomed to such a strenuous, intimate workout. Drying off, she wrapped her hair in a towel, pulled on a too-large terry cloth robe and walked back into the bedroom.
The scent of bacon and waffles drifted toward her. She glanced at the balcony and spotted Leo sitting in a chair with his legs propped up while he read a newspaper. He wore a pair of jeans and an unbuttoned shirt that revealed his muscular chest. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly how that chest felt against her naked breasts.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, he glanced up and met her gaze. “Good morning. Breakfast is waiting. I don’t know what you like, so I told the cook to fix a little bit of everything.” He lifted the large silver cover off the tray to reveal a feast of breakfast food.
“Good grief, that would feed a small foreign country,” she said, her mouth watering at the sight of the fresh strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, along with the rest of the meal.
“What do you like?” he asked.
“Everything,” she said, sitting down beside him. “I usually grab a quick bite or drink a breakfast shake before I walk out the door, so this is a splurge.”
His gaze hovered on her. “No need to worry. You burned some calories last night.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “So I did,” she murmured and took a bite of waffle.
“Good?” he asked.
She nodded. “Delicious. Thank you. Don’t you want anything?”
He lifted his cup of coffee to his lips. “I’ve already eaten.”
After breakfast, she got dressed and Leo took her out onhis smaller boat. It was a warm, sunny day and she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the lake. He put down anchor in a private cove and she served the picnic the cook had packed for them, although she was still stuffed from breakfast.
In different circumstances, she would have been in heaven—married to a man who could take care of her and her family. A gorgeous, intelligent man full of passion with a sense of humor. She knew, however, that she didn’t love him and he didn’t love her.
“I need to take a trip to Japan in two weeks,” he said. “I want you to go with me.”
She mentally flipped through her work schedule. “That’s short notice, but I’ll check the company calendar.”
“I’ll be wanting you to join me on most of my trips,” he said. “You may need to think about quitting your job.”
She blinked at his suggestion and shook her head. “I couldn’t do that. I work for a fabulous company with excellent benefits. I would be a fool to give it up.”
“It’s silly for you to worry about benefits now that you’re married to me. You’ll be covered under my insurance and I can give you an allowance twice your salary,” he said.
Her throat tightened because she
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