Fortune's Dream House by Nina Crespo

Author:Nina Crespo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-10-27T17:57:30+00:00

Chapter Twelve

As Eliza drove away from her cottage, she glanced at her parents’ house.

No one was home. Early that morning her father had sent her a text telling her they’d have to skip their usual Saturday morning coffee together. He’d gotten a call from someone he knew near Corpus Christi who needed help with their horse. He would be gone until Sunday.

His plans fit in with her schedule. She was holding down the office for the weekend along with Sharon.

Honestly, it had been a relief not to have to face him again. Lately, things between them had been...tense.

That past Tuesday, the night of the Valentine’s Day bachelor auction, the gossip train had traveled faster to her parents’ house than she had. And her father had done something he hadn’t done since she was in high school. When she’d arrived home after the auction, he’d been waiting for her on the porch with the light on.

Desperate gold digger or a secret possessive girlfriend—those had been the two rumors he’d heard about why she’d entered a bidding war for Max. Her dad had been worried about her reputation.

She had to tell him the truth. The whole truth. The homeowner’s stipulation on the sale, the pretend relationship, the frantic phone call from Nancy and finally her desperate bid and convincing kiss. He hadn’t approved, but he’d also said that since she was a grown-up, he was staying out of her business.

After their talk, and her mom’s “just checking in” call that ended with a subtle warning to be careful, she’d felt anything but a grown-up. But she’d made choices, including kissing Max for a photo that had now been plastered on every blog connected to the conservation society and Chatelaine. But it served its purpose. The capturing of that moment, and suggesting her winning Max was part of the plan, was enough to convince Cal to get back on board with selling Max the house.

She regretted the kiss. Not because the photo was plastered on the internet. But because she just couldn’t forget the way his hands had slid around her waist to hold her close. How she’d naturally leaned into him. How the firm press of his mouth caused decadent desire to curl through her like wisps of smoke, clouding her mind and making her forget where they were until Max had eased away.

It had been less than a satisfying ending. But ever since that night, she wanted to kiss him again. Was it possible to become addicted to kissing him? Thank goodness she wouldn’t have to tempt fate. The closing attorney had the ball now and would finalize the house transaction. If she and Max did have to be in the same room, kisses were off-limits for them from now on.

And once she got past her fake relationship with Max, she was never doing anything remotely close to pretending with any man again.

Close to a half hour later, Eliza walked into the real estate office carrying her work tote.

Sharon looked up from where she sat at a desk in the middle of the space, safeguarding the hallway behind her.

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