Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Read Online Free PDF

grin.  “You only live once, right?”
    Erin felt the heat
rise to her face.  Abruptly she got up and walked toward the French doors that
opened onto the back patio and the pathway to the beach.  “I…need some fresh
air.  I’m going for a walk.”
    She could hear the
chuckles as she slipped outside.  They must think her so pathetic.  The ugly
duckling, finally asked out on a date when they’d been out every night since
they got to the island.  While the girls made friends she would return to her
room each night and curl up in the sofa with a good book.  Not that she’d
minded.  Now, though, she had her chance to prove to them that she was just as
desirable as they were.
    The day flew by
and before Erin knew it the sun had begun to slide down toward the horizon. 
Her heart did a bunny hop in her chest.  This was it.  Her first date while on
spring break. 
    She dressed
carefully, picking out a simple yet elegant black dress.  She accessorized with
a pearl necklace and matching earrings then slipped her feet into high heeled
sandals.  Now it was time for her hair and face.  As she usually did when
trying to look sophisticated she took a firm brush to her curls then pinned her
hair up into a neat bun.  The face was more challenging.  She wanted to look
good but doing makeup had never been her strong point.  She tried some eye
shadow and hated it.  She had no clue what she was doing and didn’t want to ask
any of the girls.  She’d been humiliated enough for one day.  In the end she
gave up and settled for foundation, lip gloss and eyeliner.  If her date didn’t
like her that way then that was his problem.
    Then it was time
to go.  She’d been finding all sorts of excuses to dawdle - she couldn’t find
her purse, she needed another glass of water, she had to redo her lip gloss - until
it was ten minutes before the hour.  Now she’d have to hurry to make it to
Michelangelo’s on time.  She could see that Dare was not the sort of man who’d
take kindly to being kept waiting.
    When Erin stepped
into the lobby of Michelangelo’s she took a deep breath and clutched her purse
tightly in her hands.  She peered down the dimly lit hallway toward the salon
then breathed a sigh of relief.  He wasn’t here yet.  Her racing pulse began to
decelerate toward normal.
    “Good evening, Erin.” 
    She jumped then
whipped round to peer into the darkness of the hallway.  And there he stood,
tall and imposing in an elegant dinner jacket of dark gray.  Those piercing gray
eyes glittered in the dim light and she felt as if his gaze stripped her bare.
    “Dare,” she said,
her voice breathless, “I didn’t see you over there.”
    “I know you
didn’t.  Come.”  He gave her his arm.  “A table is reserved for us.”
    She rested her
hand on his arm and as she did so a shiver ran through her.  Furtively, she
glanced up at him through her lashes.  Had he felt it, her body’s reaction to
his?  She hoped he hadn’t.  That was just what she would need - her body making
its response to him unmistakably clear.  She breathed a soft sigh of relief
when he gave no indication that he’d felt it.  He simply kept on walking, her
hand tucked into the crook of his arm.
    The maitre d’
bowed low, showing extreme deference to Dare, then directed them to a private
room adjoining the restaurant, an elegantly decorated room aglow with the soft
light of a dozen candles shining through stained glass shades that lined the
walls.  In the middle of the table was what looked like a bouquet of flowers
but turned out to be flower shaped candles from which an almost heavenly
fragrance wafted.
    Dare released her
arm and pulled out her chair then he went to sit across from her, his eyes
never once leaving her face.  It was if he was seeing her for the first time,
so intense was his stare.  Or was there something more?  There was a gleam in
his eyes, one that she could not decipher.  The only word that came to mind