The Temporary Mrs. King Read Free

hardly more than a slight curve of his mouth, but she felt the impact of it slam into her. Sean King oozed charm and sex appeal. The man was bristling with testosterone and Melinda felt a shiver of appreciation shoot through her.
    Oh, this could get dangerous, she told herself.
    â€œDinner, huh?” He set his beer down and nodded. “Okay. I never turn down an opportunity for dinner with a beautiful woman. But I warn you, I’m not interested in being married.”
    â€œI know,” she told him. “That’s why you’re perfect.”
    He shook his head and laughed. “I can’t decide if you’re crazy or not.”
    â€œNot crazy,” she assured him. “Just determined.”
    â€œBeautiful and determined,” he murmured. “A dangerous combination.”
    Heat flashed through her veins in spite of the fact that she didn’t want to be attracted to him. She ignored the warmth still blossoming inside her and said, “There’s a restaurant in town. Diego’s. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
    â€œI’m agreeing to dinner,” he said with another half smile. “Not marriage.” He stood up and looked down at her. “Diego’s. Seven.”
    When he walked away, Melinda watched him. He was tall and lean and moved with a kind of lazy grace that men with lots of confidence seemed to adopt. Sean King was more than she’d expected.
    She only hoped he wasn’t more than she could handle.
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    â€œLucas, what do you know about Melinda Stanford?” Sean spoke into his cell phone as he stood out on the end of the pier, watching the fishing boats head into the harbor.
    â€œShe’s Walter’s granddaughter.”
    â€œYeah, I know that much.”
    â€œWell, what else is there?”
    Way too much to go into over the phone, Sean thought. “Did you meet her when you were on Tesoro?”
    â€œBriefly,” Lucas said. “But then, my whole trip was brief. Walter said ‘No’ so fast, I didn’t even get to unpack my bag before I was on the launch taking me back to civilization.”
    â€œRight.” Sean nodded thoughtfully and kept his gaze fixed on the ocean.
    â€œSo what’s this about?” Lucas asked. “Problem already? The great Sean charm not working?”
    â€œIn your dreams.” Sean laughed, turned around and headed back down the dock. “I told you I’d get the land and I will.”
    â€œYeah…good luck with the old man. I think he got a charm immunization.”
    â€œWe’ll see,” Sean said.
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    Diego’s was small and bright and popular with both locals and tourists. Seafood was the specialty and it was served at small, square tables decorated with brilliantly colored tablecloths that shone like jewels in the candlelit atmosphere. Patio dining offered more privacy, as there were fewer tables and those were spread far apart, but even the customers who stayed inside had a breathtaking view of the ocean and the pristine beach through a wide bank of windows. Moonlight glowed in the night sky and dazzled the water with silver light.
    A sigh of a cool breeze slipped in off the ocean and danced around Melinda as she sat on the patio. Fall weather on Tesoro was capricious at best. Warm during the days, the nights could be cold or as it was tonight, almost sultry.
    But then, Melinda thought, taking a slow sip of her ice-cold wine, maybe it wasn’t the weather making her feel hot and uncomfortable. Maybe it was Sean King.
    No, she told herself immediately. That couldn’t be it. Because she refused to be attracted to him. She wasn’t interested in a man and didn’t think she ever would be again. This was strictly a business proposal and it would really be better for both of them if they could keep sexual heat out of the mix entirely.
    Nerves skittered in her stomach. She trailed her fingertips up and down the stem of her wineglass and