Dante's Temporary Fiancée by Day Leclaire

Author:Day Leclaire
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2010-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Six

“Nervous?” Rafe asked as he downshifted the car.

They climbed farther into the hills overlooking Sausalito along a winding road that led to Primo and Nonna’s. Each bend showcased breathtaking views one minute and then equally breathtaking villas the next. It was pointless to pretend she wasn’t nervous, so Larkin nodded.

“A little. Your grandparents can be rather intimidating. And now there’s the rest of the Dantes to contend with….”

She trailed off with a shrug that spoke volumes. A far greater concern was whether any of them would somehow make some sort of quantum leap and connect her to Leigh. With such a large contingent of Dantes present for Sunday dinner, she’d be lynched for sure.

Rafe spared her a flashing smile. “Try not to worry. The intimidation factor is aimed at me, not you. I’ve already received a half dozen lectures from various family members who are worried about my intentions toward you. Afraid I’ll corrupt you or something.” Pulling into a short drive, he crammed his car behind the ones already parked outside his grandparents’ home. “Other than that, I have a terrific family.”

“Big. You have a big family.”

He glanced at her, curious. “Is it the size that worries you?”

“Everything about your family worries me,” she announced ominously.

He chuckled at that. “Just do what I do and ignore all the drama. You don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to.”

“I’ll tell them you said that, but somehow I doubt it’ll work.”

She opened the car door and climbed out, smoothing the skirt of her dress—something she rarely, if ever, wore. It was new, a purchase that both Nonna and Elia had insisted on making, despite her hesitation. In all reality, it was more of an oversize shirt than an actual dress, right down to the rolled-up sleeves and button-down collar. Unfortunately, she felt as if she’d forgotten half her outfit. Still, she couldn’t deny it suited her.

A dainty gold belt cinched her waist, making it appear incredibly small, while the shirttail hem flirted in that coy no-man’s-land between knee and thigh, drawing attention to her slender legs. She just hoped it didn’t also draw attention to the thin network of silvery-white scars that remained a permanent reminder of her broken leg.

“Stop fussing. You look amazing.” Rafe circled the car and took her hand in his. “They’re all going to love you as much as Mamma and Nonna.”

Despite her nervousness, she couldn’t help finding the Italian inflection that rippled through his voice endearing, especially when he referred to his mother or grandmother. It was as beautiful as it was lyrical.

“I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I?” She blew out a breath. “I mean, even if they don’t like me it really doesn’t matter. It’s not like this is re—”

He stopped the words with a kiss, the unexpected power of it almost knocking her off her legs. Every last thought misted over, vanishing beneath his amazing lips. She shifted closer and wound her arms around his neck, giving herself up to the delicious heat that seemed to explode between them whenever they touched.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.