Free An Unlikely Bride for the Billionaire by Michelle Douglas Page A

to help herself, she flicked out her tongue to taste him.
    â€˜Mia...’ He groaned out her name as if it came from some deep, hidden place.
    His head moved towards her, his lips aiming to replace his thumb, and her soul suddenly soared.
    Dangerous .
    Dangerous and glorious. This man had mesmerised her from the moment she’d first laid eyes on him and—
    Mesmerised...?
    Dangerous !
    With a half-sob Mia fisted her hands in his shirt, but didn’t have the strength to push him away. She dropped her chin, ensuring that his kiss landed on her brow instead of her lips.
    She felt rather than heard him sigh.
    After three hard beats of her heart she let him go. In another two he slid back along the bench away from her.
    â€˜As I said, I don’t think being convincing will be a problem. However much you might deny it, something burns between us—something that could be so much more than a spark if we’d let it.’
    It would be foolish to deny it now.
    â€˜Why do you have a no-dating rule?’ he asked.
    His words pulled her back. With an effort, she found her voice. ‘It keeps me out of trouble.’
    He remained silent, as if waiting for more, but Mia refused to add anything else.
    â€˜Maybe one day you’ll share your reasoning with me, but until then I fully mean to respect your rules, Mia.’
    He did? She finally glanced up at him.
    The faintest of smiles touched his lips. ‘And, unlike you, I’m more than happy to share my reasons. One—’ he held up a finger ‘—if I don’t respect your no-dating rule I suspect I have no hope of winning your co-operation where Carla’s concerned.’
    Self-interest? At least that was honest.
    He held up a second finger. ‘And, two, it seems to me you already have enough people in your life who don’t respect your wishes. I don’t mean to become one of their number.’
    Despite her best efforts, some of the ice around her heart cracked.
    He stared at her for a long moment, his mouth turning grim. ‘I fancied myself in love once, but when things got tough the girl in question couldn’t hack it. She left. Next time I fall in love it’ll be with a woman who can cope with the rough as well as the smooth.’
    His nostrils flared, his eyes darkening, and Mia wondered if he’d gone back to that time when the girl in question had broken his heart. She wanted to reach out and touch his hand, pull him back to the present.
    She dragged her hands into her lap. ‘I’m sorry, Dylan.’
    He shook himself. ‘It’s true that I’m attracted to you, but you’ve just pointed out how very differently we want to live our lives—high-profile, low-profile. In the real world, that continual push and pull would make us miserable.’
    Mia had to look away, but she nodded to let him know that she agreed. It didn’t stop her heart from shrivelling to the size of a gum nut.
    â€˜Your no-dating rule obviously rules out a fling?’
    â€˜It does.’ Anything else would be a disaster.
    â€˜So these are our ground rules. With those firmly in place we shouldn’t have any misunderstandings or false hopes, right? We just need to remember the reasons why we’re not dating at the moment, why we’re not looking for a relationship, and that’ll keep us safe.’
    She guessed so.
    He drummed his fingers on the picnic table. ‘It occurs to me that I haven’t given you much incentive to help me out. I’m a selfish brute.’
    His consideration for Carla proved that was a lie.
    â€˜I’ve no intention of taking advantage of you. I’m fully prepared to pay you for your time.’
    She flinched at his words, throwing an arm up to ward them off. ‘I don’t want your money , Dylan.’
    What kind of person did he think she was?
    A thief!
    She dragged in a breath. ‘I went to jail for fraud. Do you think I’d accept money