A Kiss to Seal the Deal Read Online Free PDF

tight. ‘You don’t know me that well, Kate, so I’ll forgive the assumption that I would have the slightest interest in what you’re doing down there.’
    Kate glared. ‘I’m sure you didn’t get where you are in business without knowing the first step in a successful negotiation is to know thine enemy.’
    â€˜We’re not negotiating.’ But he didn’t deny they were enemies. ‘That would imply some leverage on your part. As far as I’m aware, you have none.’
    She stiffened her back. ‘I have twelve weeks.’
    His eyes darkened. ‘News travels fast.’
    â€˜It’s an important time frame for my team. Of course I checked.’ She’d been calling the probate authority every few hours until the timeline had been announced.
    â€˜What’s stopping me from shutting this door and only opening it in three months when your time is up?’
    Kate’s heart hammered. Absolutely nothing. ‘The hope thatthere’s a decent human being in there. And that bullying people is just what you do for giggles these days.’
    His left eyelid twitched but he didn’t move otherwise. ‘ You came to me . Twice now.’
    A hiss squeezed out past tight lips. ‘Mr McMurtrie, I don’t enjoy debasing myself. I don’t have the luxury of walking away from all of this, much as I might like to.’ She swallowed hard. ‘I’m fighting for my life’s work here.’
    It’s all I have.
    Her heart pounded the words out in Morse code and she shoved the prickle of concern down deep. Somewhere in her subconscious, she knew that she needed to get some life balance back. That she’d put her whole life on hold for this project and that, somewhere in the past three years, it had started to feel normal.
    But life balance could wait. Changing Grant McMurtrie’s narrow mind was what mattered now.
    He stared at her long and hard. ‘I’ll give you one hour.’
    Kate almost sagged with relief. ‘Thank you.’
    He turned for the house. ‘I’ll just get my keys.’
    Her hand shot out to curl around his wrist. Warmth pinballed between them. ‘Uh, can I ask you to take a shower first?’
    He turned back slowly. Deliberately. She swallowed hard.
    â€˜I’ve been battling the artesian pump,’ he said darkly. ‘I wouldn’t have expected the seals to be bothered by a little honest sweat.’
    â€˜Actually, it’s the opposite. You smell too good.’ Heat blazed high into her cheeks as the words tumbled from nervous lips. ‘I mean, too human . We don’t wear deodorant or fragrance or even perfumed shampoo in the field. It helps stop the seals from scenting us coming.’
    If any more blood rushed to her head she was going to pass out. Ground, open up and swallow me now.
    â€˜That explains a lot.’ Those green eyes bored into her, butthen they softened. ‘If I have to smear seal dung all over myself to disguise my scent, I’m not coming.’
    The humorous murmur was like a lifeline tossed into the Sea of Mortification; Kate grabbed it with both hands. ‘Of course not. That would be a criminal waste of a perfectly good sample.’
    His straight lips opened to speak and then twisted in the closest thing to a smile she’d seen him offer. ‘Give me fifteen minutes.’
    â€˜I’ll see you out there.’ Standing around compliantly while Adonis took a shower was not part of her plan. ‘Do you know where to come?’
    â€˜Dave’s Cove?’
    Kate nodded and turned for her car but, before she could relax even a bit, he called after her.
    â€˜The shower is coming off your sixty minutes.’
    With every breath, the power seemed to shift further and further away from her. Sheer bravado kept her walking. She flicked her hand in the air as though dealing with gorgeous, clever, angry men was an everyday occurrence and called