Dante's Temporary Fiancee
By: Day Leclaire
“That Was Your Test?” She Demanded. “To See If We Felt The Inferno When We Touched?”
“No. Actually, I was going to kiss you.”
She fell back another step, shocked as much by the statement as by the calm, businesslike way Rafe delivered it. “Why?”
“There’s no point in becoming engaged if you aren’t physically attracted to me,” he explained. “My family would pick up on that in no time.”
Larkin gazed down at her hand and scratched her thumbnail across the faint throb centered in the middle of her palm. “So whatever just happened when we touched is just an odd coincidence?”
“I sure as hell hope so.”
Dear Reader,
At the heart of all romance novels is the issue of trust. No matter what form the conflict takes, the underlying problem is whether the hero and heroine can learn to trust one another with their deepest secrets, and ultimately, with their heart. Anyone who’s been in love knows that giving those final pieces of yourself into the safekeeping of another person is the most difficult part of a relationship. Dante’s Temporary Fiancée is no different.
Just as in real life, Larkin Thatcher and Rafaelo Dante must find a way to bare their secrets—as well as their hearts—to discover their soul mate. That can be a little tricky when each is keeping a secret from the other. Fortunately, Larkin and Rafe have a little help from an unlikely source—a “dog” named Kiko.
You might wonder why I used quotes when describing Kiko. That’s because she isn’t your average canine, but one who has reason to distrust humans as much as Larkin and Rafe distrust the feelings The Inferno has stirred between them. I hope you’ll find yourself rooting for all three of them throughout this story—a tale that at its heart is about learning to trust in love.
All the best,
Day Leclaire
DAY LECLAIRE
DANTE’S TEMPORARY FIANCÉE
Books by Day Leclaire
Silhouette Desire
*The Forbidden Princess #1780
*The Prince’s Mistress #1786
*The Royal Wedding Night #1792
The Billionaire’s Baby Negotiation #1821
†Dante’s Blackmailed Bride #1852
(Severo & Francesca’s story)
†Dante’s Stolen Wife #1870
(Marco & Caitlyn’s story)
†Dante’s Wedding Deception #1880
(Nicolò & Kiley’s story)
†Dante’s Contract Marriage #1899
(Lazzaro & Ariana’s story)
Mr. Strictly Business #1921
Inherited: One Child #1953
Lone Star Seduction #1983
†Dante’s Ultimate Gamble #2017
(Luciano and Téa’s story)
†Dante’s Temporary Fiancée #2037
(Rafaelo and Larkin’s story)
DAY LECLAIRE
USA TODAY bestselling author Day Leclaire is described by Harlequin Books as “one of our most popular writers ever!” Day’s tremendous worldwide popularity has made her a member of Harlequin’s “Five Star Club,” with sales of well over five million books. She is a three-time winner of both a Colorado Award of Excellence and a Golden Quill Award. She’s won RT Book Reviews Career Achievement and Love and Laughter Awards, a Holt Medallion and a Booksellers’ Best Award. She has also received an impressive ten nominations for the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award.
Day’s romances touch the heart and make you care about her characters as much as she does. In Day’s own words, “I adore writing romances, and can’t think of a better way to spend each day.” For more information, visit Day on her Web site, www.dayleclaire.com.
To Kathy Jorgensen, my sister in spirit.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
One
This time his family had gone too far.
Rafe Dante stared at the bevy of women being subtly—and not so subtly—paraded beneath his nose by various family members. He’d lost count of the number of women he’d been forced to shake hands with. He knew why they were doing it. They were all determined to find him a wife. He grimaced. No, more than just a wife.
