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

was
‘wicked’.  She could feel her breathing grow shallow.  Goodness, had she made a
mistake in coming?
    But then inexplicably
his demeanor changed.  Gone were the frown that had darkened his face, gone was
the intense stare that was almost a glare, and in their place was a half-smile
that, while not totally reassuring, made her breathing just a little bit
easier.
    Dare took charge,
placing the order for both of them.  He seemed familiar with everything on the
menu so there was no need to question his recommendation.
    In fact, just then
Erin was feeling so out of her depth she doubted she would have been able to
order anyway.  She wasn’t even sure she’d be able to eat when the meal
arrived.  Dropping her hands to her lap she twisted her napkin with shaking
fingers and pasted a bright smile on her face.
    “Are you
alright?”  Dare’s frown was back.  He was watching her intently, his gray eyes
glittering like shards of glass in the candlelight.
    “I’m…fine, thank
you.”   The words came out stilted and strained.  She swallowed and tried
again, hiding desperately behind her fake smile.  “This is a really nice
place.  It seems to be the nicest restaurant at the resort.”
    “I like it.”  His
voice was brusque and cool.  It was almost as if he had no interest in
conversation.
    Confused, Erin bit
her lip.  Why had he asked her to dinner?  He was acting like she was an
annoyance.
    She dropped the
napkin onto her lap, lifted her head and looked him squarely in the eyes. 
Enough was enough.  “You didn’t really want to invite me out, did you?”
    “Excuse me?” He
straightened, obviously caught off guard by her direct question.
    “This…date, if you
can call it that.  Clearly, you don’t want to be here so why did you invite me
out?”  Erin gave him her coldest stare.
    “I’m…sorry,” he
said, his voice low.  He had the decency to look contrite.  “I’ve had a rough
day and was a bit…distracted.”  He leaned forward and for the first time that
evening he gave her a smile that could be described as warm.  “That’s no excuse
for my behavior and I’m sorry.  Forgive me?”  He gave her a puppy dog look that
melted her heart. 
    How could she say
no?  She smiled back at him.  “Of course,” she said with a slight nod of her
head and when he reached out and took her hand she did not pull it away.
    After that the
rest of the date went smoothly and soon Erin began to relax in Dare’s company. 
He was charming and witty, and she found herself laughing at his insightful and
satirical observations on life.  She was seeing another side to this man she’d
branded as too domineering and too bold.  He actually had a sense of humor.
    She’d just
finished her second glass of wine when the server approached the table, bottle
at ready.  This time she quickly covered her glass with her hand. 
    “I’m fine, thank
you,” she told him with a smile.
    “Are you sure?” Dare
asked and a mischievous smile played on his lips.  “You’re on vacation,
remember?  No time like the present to let your hair down.”
    She thought about
it.  He was right.  It was not like she had to drive a car afterwards so no
fear of DUI.  And she didn’t have to get up next day to head out to work or
classes.  What harm could one more glass of wine do?  Besides, she liked wine.
    She began to slide
her fingers away, her lips slightly pursed in anticipation of the tangy liquid,
but then her better self, good old cautious Erin, came to the rescue.  “No,”
she said, shaking her head.  “I rarely drink so two glasses of wine is enough,
I think.  I’ll have to walk back to the villa, remember?”  She was looking at Dare
and gave a little laugh as he gave her an exaggerated look of disappointment. 
Then when he gave her a pout and wiped away a fake tear she laughed out loud.  Dare
DeSouza was actually a funny guy. 
    Seeming satisfied
that he’d made her laugh, Dare turned to the