Secrets of the Playboy's Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

into his mouth and she made a delicious sound of arousal. Leo wanted to hear that sound again and again. He felt her shiver, but he wasn’t sure if it was from arousal or cold.
    “Let’s go back to the house,” he said and pulled her toward the ladder to the boat. “But you should know that when we ride on the boat the breeze will make you even colder.”
    “We could fish,” she said.
    He blinked, surprised at her suggestion. “You know how?”
    “Of course,” she said. “Do you? If you don’t, I can show you.”
    He laughed at the lightning-fast switch from uncertainty to confidence. “I can fish,” he said. “A long time ago, I fished for my supper.”
    She met his gaze. “Was that before or after you were hatched at the age of sixteen?”
    “Both,” he said and turned her toward the ladder. “You go first and I’ll bring up the rear.” She climbed the rungs and he was given an up close view of her gorgeous derriere in her bikini bottom. He groaned, wondering if he would be able to stick to his plan to make her come to him.
     
    Hours later, Leo watched her lean back in the Jacuzzi and sigh. “What a great day,” she said, then cracked open one eyelid. “Too bad the fish I caught was so much bigger than yours.”
    He chuckled. “Lady’s luck,” he said. “I couldn’t show you up. You’re my guest.”
    She opened both her eyes and scowled. “That’s pure bull. The next thing you’ll be doing is telling me you’re not competitive.”
    “Only every bone in my body,” he said.
    She smiled and her gaze dipped to his shoulders in feminine appreciation. She’d done that several times today, so he knew she wasn’t immune to him. He was winning her inch by inch. The notion filled him with a rush he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
    “Like the hot tub?” he asked.
    She nodded, closing her eyes again.
    “It’s even better when you’re naked,” he said.
    She opened her eyes to sexy slits. “And how would you know that?”
    “It’s in the manufacturer’s instructions,” he said.
    A gusty laugh from her rippled all the way down his body to his groin.
    “I dare you to take off your swimsuit,” he said.
    “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she said with a sigh.
    “Even if I promise to keep my hands off of you?” he asked.
    “The problem,” she said as she moved closer to him and he pulled her onto his lap, “is that I won’t want your to keep you hands off of me.”

Three
    A s the helicopter landed on top of the high-rise in Philadelphia, Leo took Calista’s hand and helped her onto the ground. Within moments, George was driving them in a limo toward her apartment. She turned to Leo. “This has been an incredible twenty-four hours. Thank you for everything.”
    “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” he said and lifted his finger to stroke her cheek. “It doesn’t have to end.”
    His touch distracted her, making her heart beat erratically. “What do you mean?”
    “I’d like you to move in with me,” he said.
    Calista blinked, surprised by his speed and decisiveness. “Wow,” she said. “That’s fast.” She took a breath. “It’s very tempting, but as I’ve told you, I really want to be married before I live with a man.”
    “Why is that so important to you?” he asked with more than a trace of irritation on his face.
    “I told you that I believe in family. A husband, wife and children can provide the ultimate joy, security and comfort for each other. I want that for myself. I want to give it to someone else,” she said, her gut twisting because although she believed what she was saying, she knew it wouldn’t come true for her.
    “Was your upbringing that idyllic?”
    She looked away, feeling a stab of shame about her father’s financial disaster and death that never seemed to go away. “Of course not,” she said. “Maybe because it wasn’t idyllic, I’m determined to have something different for myself. It may sound crazy to you, but I want the