Buying His Bride (The Donovan Brothers Trilogy Book 1) Read Free

for the second time she found herself in this man’s company, Sierra shook her head. “You seem to know my name, but I still don’t know yours.”
    “Ms. Callahan, this is Michael Donovan.” Murdoch made the introduction and, Sierra extended her hand. “Michael, may I present—”
    “Sierra Callahan,” said Michael, taking her hand. As soon as she could, she removed her hand from his. “As you can see, John, we’ve met. Once. Under wetter circumstances.”
    Donovan. Michael Donovan. Something about the name teased the edge of her brain as he seated himself in the twin of her chair.
    Like the older man, Michael was dressed in a suit, but nothing could disguise the sheer animal presence of his form or an innate grace of movement. Broad-shouldered, lean-hipped, with legs that were long and powerful, he had an equally compelling face. She remembered it well.
    He was of no personal interest, though. Her alcoholic father, now dead, hadn’t given her reason to trust men, and her ex-college boyfriend William had confirmed her lack of faith in them. William had caused her a great deal of misery back in the day. She shuddered and suppressed the flutter of dread that still surfaced on the rare occasions she thought about him.
    She’d made it a habit to tune out men long ago. Especially the good-looking ones.
    Michael addressed his next comment to her. “We’ve run a report. We know everything we need to know. Except whether you’d be willing to take the position I’m offering.”
    Was he kidding? They’d run a background report on her? Without her knowledge or permission?
    With difficulty, she corralled her temper.
    “I don’t want to be rude, but who exactly do you think you are?” If it was possible to be angry and intrigued at the same time, then she was both. “Brian Smith sent me here for what I thought would be a business interview, and suddenly it’s all cloak-and-dagger and I’ve had my privacy invaded by two people I don’t know!”
    “Nothing so mysterious as cloaks and daggers,” said Michael. “I apologize for the intrusion of the report. It was necessary under the circumstances, as I think you’ll understand in a moment. I may have a unique proposition for you.”
    Shivering from the combined effects of office air-conditioning and nerves, Sierra was in no mood for prevarication. “What is it?”
    “We have it on good authority from your associate Mr. Smith that you might be exactly the kind of person I need.” Michael paused, as if choosing his next words carefully. “But in this assignment, discretion will certainly be the greater part of valor, as will a certain amount of courage and maturity. Hence Murdoch’s unusual remark about how young you look.”
    The two men exchanged a glance.
    “Believe it or not, I haven’t come straight from the schoolroom.” Sierra retrieved her coffee and took a sip to steady her nerves and her temper. The warmth of the cup was an added bonus. “Brian isn’t only my supervisor but a good friend. You both trusted him enough to invite me here. He seemed to feel that I might be suitable for this mysterious opportunity.”
    Michael nodded, studying her. “You might be, at that.”
    “But he didn’t have any real information about the position. Except that it wasn’t a typical consulting assignment, and that it would fall outside the purview of McKinley’s usual expertise.”
    He smiled. “I gave Murdoch strict instructions to save the details for our interview today. Your friend isn’t aware of them himself.” He continued to watch her with a speculative look and Sierra’s tension grew.
    “Well, here I am, Mr. Donovan. Perhaps now might be a good time for those details.” She set down her cup once again, prepared to listen. “What is it that you feel I might be able to do for you?”
    Sierra’s words hung in the air for a moment, taking on a suggestive connotation she hadn’t intended. She swore she saw a glint in Michael’s eyes.
    “An