Rafe's Temporary Fiancée (The Dante Inferno: The Dante Dynasty Series: Book 6)

by Day Leclaire

  First, Téa is the most adorable, gorgeous, sexy—annoyingly oblivious—person he’s ever met, ready and blithely willing to tumble headlong into any and all disasters that appear in front of her. Not that she sees them.

  And second, there’s the small matter of The Inferno, which strikes the second they touch. Of course, that one touch leads to another. And then another and another until they find themselves tumbling into a disaster to end all disasters … the nearest bed. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t been caught in the act. Bound by an unbreakable Dante code of honor, their next disastrous step is to the altar.

  What neither realizes is there’s a very good reason Téa needs a bodyguard. And if they don’t see what’s happening right in front of them, even The Inferno won’t be enough to save them.

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  Rafe’s Temporary Fiancée, Book #6

  His fake fiancée… It’s time for lone wolf Rafe Dante to feel the fiery power of The Inferno. After a disastrous first marriage to his non-Inferno wife, he’s done with happily-ever-after. To satisfy his matrimonial-minded family, he hires a woman to fake an engagement, claiming they’ve experienced the burning itch of The Inferno. His plan is to pay his fiancée to leave him at the altar, and since Dante legend alleges The Inferno only ever strikes once, he’ll finally be free to return to his lone wolf ways, problem solved. Only one slight glitch…

  The minute he and his temporary fiancée touch, The Inferno strikes—for real.

  Sweet, innocent Larkin Thatcher longs for a family of her own. Unfortunately, it isn’t likely to happen, not considering the secrets she hides. When Rafe hires her to be his pretend fiancée and offers a place to stay, it’s a godsend for both Larkin and her “dog,” a lovely Husky who looks suspiciously like a wolf. But falling in love with his family while lying to them isn’t part of the plan. Nor is the overwhelming desire that sparks between the two, one that threatens their plan to go their separate ways.

  If she must leave, she will, even if it means she’ll be homeless again, but not without an antique bracelet in Rafe’s possession that will identify her father. It’s all she wants from her soon-to-be-ex fiancé. All Rafe wants from her is, well … her. At least, for now. But The Inferno has a funny way of turning “now” into forever.

  What will happen when Rafe learns her true identity? Will “now” turn to never? Or will The Inferno find a way to mate these two lone wolves?

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  Draco’s Marriage Pact, Book #7

  A one night stand…

  A secret baby…

  When Draco Dante experiences The Inferno with Dante family rival, Shayla Charleston, he isn’t the least opposed. In fact, he sweeps her off her feet and straight into his bed. What he doesn’t expect is for her to disappear after their one night of passion. Unwilling to let her go and with The Inferno burning in his veins, he spends months searching for her … only to discover Shayla is expecting his baby. Like, now!

  On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Shayla Charleston has three goals. 1. Make sure her grandmother is taken care of. 2. Take off for Europe with her new boss. 3. Experience a one-night stand. Instead, she ends up in bed with the one man she should avoid at all costs … a Dante, her grandmother’s nemesis.

  Now nine months pregnant, Shayla is torn between families—her husband’s and hers. Even though Draco is reluctant to trap Shayla in an unwanted marriage, he’s determined his son will bear the Dante name. So they come to an agreement. She’ll marry him and, unwillingly, he’ll let her go.

  Can The Inferno resolve old rivalries? And more important, can it prove that love and family trumps everything, even a marriage pact?

  Click to Purchase Draco’s Marriage Pact!

  Gianna’s Honor-Bound Husband, Book #8

  The Inferno hides a dark secret … and Gianna knows it.

  Gianna Dante wasn’t sure she could actually feel The Inferno. But the instant she touches her true love she discovers that not only can she … she does!

  Constantine Romano has a will unlike any other and refuses to take Gianna as his until he rebuilds his decimated finances. After all, he might have no choice but to submit to The Inferno’s passion, but he still has his honor. Now, nineteen months, five days, eight hours and a handful of minutes later, he has returned to claim his mate, only to discover she’s moved on. While The Inferno overwhelms him with flames of desire, Gianna has apparently found a cure for its burn.

  And she has. It’s a secret she learned as a child and even though it threatens to break her heart, she can’t force Constantine to love her against his will. While family pressure forces them to the altar, Gianna has a heartbreaking decision to make. Tell her family the truth—that The Inferno isn’t real, just a sweet family fairy tale that can easily be broken. Or keep her silence and marry the only man she’ll ever love, even if he doesn’t want to marry her.

  Has The Inferno finally burned out? Or will its flame catch fire for Gianna and her honor-bound husband before it’s too late?

  Click to Purchase Gianna’s Honor-Bound Husband!

  Becoming Dante: Gabe, Book #9

  Forced to become a Dante …

  Gabe Moretti despises his connection to the Dantes ever since they rejected his mother and sister. He wants nothing to do with them … until he meets Kat Malloy. The instant they touch, a bizarre, passionate reaction overwhelms him. Despite that, he’s determined to keep their relationship a business one. Only, The Inferno has other ideas.

  Kat Malloy wants just one thing, a fiancé to help repair her relationship with her dying grandmother. And Gabe Moretti is the perfect man for the job. Not only does her grandmother adore him, but he has the ability to restore her shredded reputation, primarily because he’s the man who shredded it. In exchange, she’ll give him Heart’s Desire, the gorgeous diamond necklace his mother designed and that he’s spent years attempting to purchase.

  She’s utterly shocked when he insists that in addition to giving him the necklace, she share his bed, or that she finds herself not just willing, but eager. What she doesn’t anticipate is their passion flaming out of control and the unexpected results which lead them to a marriage neither expect or want. Or do they…?

  Will The Inferno help the two learn to overcome their past and find love? And will Gabe finally be able to accept that with Kat’s help he’s finally Becoming Dante.

  Click to Purchase Becoming Dante: Gabe!

  Dante’s Dilemma: Romero, Book #10

  Romero Dante: The town bad boy. The man all good girls should avoid.

  Julietta Bianchi: Sweet and virginal. The woman who’d do anything to save her family. And engaged to Rom’s best friend.

  Rom Dante had always been warned about the danger of The Inferno. After all, it creates an all-consuming, love-at-first-touch lust, which led to his mother’s ruin … and Rom’s birth. Now it strikes again with the one woman Rom can’t have—Julietta Bianchi, the fiancée of his best friend.

  Julietta will do whatever necessary to save her family from financial disaster, even marry a man she doesn’t love. But days before her wedding is to take place, her heart is stolen—with a single touch. Now the two lovers must choose between honor … and each other.

  But Romero’s grandfather warns that to ignore The Inferno will turn love from a blessing to a curse. And Rom can’t allow that, even if it means stealing his bride and forcing her to the altar.

  Click to Purchase Dante’s Dilemma: Romero!

  Forever Dante: Lucia, Book #11

  All love child Lucia Moretti has ever wanted is to share her father’s name. To be a Dante, like her dad. To belong. To feel the burn of The Inferno when she first joins hands with her soul mate. Unfortunately, she no longer believes in fairy tales. Or so she thinks until a protective stranger touches her and The Inferno strikes. Too bad he doesn’t feel it, too.

  Ty Masterson is hired to guard the millions of dollars’
worth of Dante gems Lucia is modeling at a premier celebration to debut the New Beginnings jewelry line. But he finds himself more interested in guarding her body. After a night of passion, it’s discovered the jewelry is fake—switched at some point under his watch—and Ty is torn between duty and his growing attraction for Lucia.

  Then matters take a more serious turn when Lucia suspects she’s pregnant...with Ty’s baby. Will history repeat itself, or will her own lovechild escape the stigma of illegitimacy that Lucia spent a lifetime living?

  Click to Purchase Forever Dante: Lucia!

  For a full list of Day’s books, visit her website!

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  Excerpt: Draco’s Marriage Pact

  Chapter One

  She was a nervous wreck.

  Shayla Charleston stood in the luxurious bathroom at the San Francisco headquarters of Dantes, one of the world’s premier jewelry empires, and regarded herself in the mirror. To her relief her nerves didn’t show, and once she got through tonight this would all be over. Not only that, but tomorrow she’d turn twenty-five and maybe, just maybe, fulfill each of the three goals she had set for herself.

  Goal number one: Pay back her grandmother.

  Shayla had worked like a dog these past three years to reimburse Grandmother Charleston for the cost of her college education, an education her grandmother had scrimped and saved for, even at the risk of allowing their home to decay around their ears. Though her grandmother had hoped Shayla would resurrect the family business, she hadn’t inherited the talent or the ability. But she could and would represent the family interests when she met with members of the Dante clan tomorrow. If she were very lucky, that meeting would provide her grandmother with badly needed financial security, something Shayla would do anything to ensure, no matter how difficult.

  Goal number two: Get the job of her dreams.

  Shayla smiled broadly. Check, check and double check. The minute she escaped her meeting with the Dantes, she’d climb on a plane headed straight for Europe, where she’d begin her job as a translator for the highly reclusive international businessman, Derek Algier. The job would take her to some of the most beautiful and exotic countries in the world and she flat-out could not wait.

  Goal number three: Experience a one-night stand.

  Tomorrow, before she assumed her new responsibilities, Shayla wanted to be swept off her feet and experience a mad, impetuous romance. Just this once. One night of passion before she reverted to her more reserved, dependable nature. Was that too much to ask?

  She pressed an anxious hand to her stomach. But first, she had a party to crash.

  The door to the restroom opened and several women entered. Everyone exchanged polite smiles and one of the women gave Shayla’s gown an envious glance. It relieved her mind since it confirmed the alterations she’d made to her mother’s designer gown—one left over from the Charlestons’ glory days—were invisible to even the most discerning eye.

  Even better, a quick, assessing glance in the mirror assured her makeup looked exactly right, as did her hair. Considering the lighting conditions and scratched mirror in the cheap little motel room she’d rented—all she could afford at this point—it was a miracle she’d managed to pull it together as well as she had. No question about it, she exuded wealth and privilege, something the Charlestons hadn’t experienced in a full decade thanks to the Dantes.

  Now to do a little reconnaissance in anticipation of tomorrow’s meeting. If she could get a feel for some of the prime players, she just might gain an edge in their negotiations, something she badly needed considering how out of her depth she was. She reached for her vintage beaded handbag and the list buried inside, dismayed to discover that the clasp had once again popped open when she’d set it on the counter.

  The bag had also been her mother’s, another echo from the past that whispered of genteel elegance and casual prosperity. She wouldn’t have minded the broken clasp except for one not-so-minor detail.

  The items she carried inside were worth millions.

  She couldn’t afford to lose the precious bundle. Unlike her college education, she’d never be able to repay her grandmother for the loss. Reaching inside, Shayla tucked the leather pouch into the deepest corner of the bag—not that it was terribly deep. Then she extracted the list her grandmother had given her and scanned the names one last time, committing them to memory.

  Primo Dante, the family patriarch and founder of the Dantes jewelry empire, now retired. Severo Dante, CEO and chairman of the board. Then there were the twins. Marco handled international sales and relations. She doubted she’d meet him. Lazzaro was their chief financial officer. Guaranteed he’d sit in on the meeting. That was the best intel her grandmother had to offer and everything her own research could turn up, which would have to do.

  Satisfied she had the names down pat, Shayla refolded the paper and tucked it into her handbag. She double-checked to make certain she secured the clasp good and tight. Taking a deep breath, she examined her appearance one final time and nodded. She could only hope she’d fit in.

  Exiting the restroom, she scanned the guests waiting in the foyer outside of the reception. This would be the most difficult part, and most traumatic for someone of her nature. Security stood at the doorway collecting invitations. She waited until a large, laughing crowd descended and attached herself to one side, slipping past during the momentary confusion. And just like that, she crashed the Dantes’ reception. She hastened across the threshold and focused.

  First business. Check out the Dantes on her list.

  Then maybe she’d find the perfect man, a man who’d make tonight the most special of her life.

  Draco Dante noticed her the instant she stepped into the room. Noticed her, and wanted her with a fierceness that nearly brought him to his knees. He felt the visceral tug of attraction and didn’t resist. Of course, at that point he didn’t fully appreciate the ramifications of what was happening. Or if he did, he assumed on some level he could fight free from its hold whenever he wanted. He didn’t realize The Inferno had set its hooks in him and was reeling him toward his doom. He still believed himself in control of his own destiny.

  Until that night he’d never believed in The Inferno. Never believed in the family legend—or curse, as some considered it. In his opinion it was ludicrous to think a man could identify his soul mate with a simple touch. Ridiculous to believe there were even such things as soul mates. Resisted with all his might the possibility there was one, and only one woman out there meant just for him. He’d heard the stories over the years. Watched as one by one, cousin and brother had fallen to its insidious influence. But whatever this was, whatever hit him when he first set eyes on this woman, stole every thought from his head save one.

  Take the woman.

  At a guess she stood a full five foot eight and had a wealth of hair knotted at her nape, the ebony color a perfect complement to her ink-blotch eyes. Though her curves weren’t voluptuous they were impressive enough to capture the attention of most of the men in the room. Or maybe it was the way she displayed them, in a ruby-red halter dress that hugged her breasts and nipped in at her narrow waist before pouring over shapely hips and a deliciously rounded backside.

  She stepped across the threshold and moved with graceful purpose toward a corner display out of the main flow of traffic.

  He headed toward her, cutting off the competition with a neat sidestep. She stood in front of one of the Eternity wedding band displays, riveted by the rings, her full attention focused on them.

  “Beautiful, aren’t they?” he said.

  She continued to study the display, effectively ignoring him. “Stunning,” she murmured.

  “I believe this is the part where we’re supposed to introduce ourselves,” he prompted with a smile.

  “No, thanks,” she said with a quick, reserved glance and shifted to move around him.

  That’s when he made his mistake. Before she could es
cape, he reached out and caught her hand in his. “Wait—”

  It hit with all the heat and power of a lightning bolt, stunning him. The sizzle, the inner sparks, the arc of want and desire, like someone had forced his entire body into a light socket and then amped up the juice. It all cascaded through him in an unending torrent. It didn’t hurt, just surprised him. Worse, it horrified him because he had a hideous feeling his reaction to her confirmed his worst suspicions.

  She pulled back from him. “What was that?” she demanded, her brows snapping together. “What did you just do to me?”

  “Son of a—” He shook his head to clear it. “I think I just Infernoed you.”

  “Well, don’t do it again. I didn’t like it.” With that, she turned her back on him and disappeared into the crowd.

  It took Draco an instant to react. Not certain whether to swear or laugh—maybe both—he went after the woman. He caught up with her near another display.

  He stood at her side, not that she took any notice. “Are you telling me you only felt a shock when we touched? It wasn’t anything more than that?”

  Her attention remained fixed on the gems as though they held the answer to all of life’s mysteries. “Was I supposed to feel something more?”

  “The way I’ve heard it . . . yes.”

  She turned her head and regarded him with a curious stare. Her eyes were large and tilted at the edges, and filled with something sad and ageless. They were also stunning in their ability to convey her every emotion. And right now they conveyed a clear message: Go. Away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Why was it the one woman he wanted more than any other wouldn’t give him the time of day? If it weren’t so frustrating, it would be funny. “Maybe we could start over. I’m—”