A Heart to Rescue Read Online Free

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    H er make-up was flawless, although she dabbed a bit more gloss onto her lips from the tube in her purse. She smoothed the lines of her dress down her body and over her hips. Although she tried to run at least four times a week, there had been a slight thickening in her waist and an extra roundness to her breasts that wasn’t there six months ago. The lavender sheath dress accented her curves, but she was still annoyed with herself for not monitoring her food and exercise as religiously as she did before.
    Of course, if this wasn’t a date, then she shouldn’t care if Nate liked the kind of thin, emancipated waifs who graced the magazine covers versus a woman with luscious curves . Mel had never lacked for male attention, but it had been a long time since she was around a man like Nate, and her skills were rusty. She hoped that she didn’t make a fool of herself.
    Leaving the bathroom, she glanced at the printouts on her desk next to the computer. Nathan Billings name rang a bell in her memory earlier because he was the owner of the three newest and hottest restaurants in town. She remembered eating at the flagship store, Desert Palms , right after it opened. Th e unique thing about Desert Palms was that once the dinner service was done, the restaurant turned over into a nightclub. She vaguely remembered going there right after it opened and drinking too much and dancing in the middle of the crowded dance floor until the wee hours of the morning . Those were the days when she did everything she could to avoid coming home because she and her ex, Harrison, were almost constantly fighting .
    Shaking off that memory, Mel reviewed what else she learned about Nate Billings. He was from C alifornia, but had moved to Spring City after his divorce was final about eighteen months ago. His success with the three restaurant s in town wasn’t by coincidence. O ver the last decade he had cultivate d a reputation as a highly-paid, in-demand restaurant consultant. He had opened and operated more than two dozen restaurants and clubs in various parts of the country. His expertise was in high demand, and when he decided to settle in Spring City and open his own chain of restaurants under his personal brand, the restaurant industry was miffed.
    On the romantic front, o ver the years, he had been linked t o several actresses and models. There was always a lovely young woman on his arm at every grand opening event. Then about three years he got married, and then was divorced just over a year later. Mel couldn’t find anything at all about the reason the marriage ended almost before it began.
    The net effect was that Mel had no idea what would have b rought a man like Nate to Rumbling Rock that Monday afternoon . But when he said he had industry contacts and could help her get a job that was obviously true. Mel figured that he would try to offer her a job in one of his restaurants, wh ich she planned to refuse. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea of working for him.
    The buzz of the intercom rang out and caused her to jump. She crossed the room and pressed the button next to the door. “Yes?”
    “Do you want me to come up?” The question, spoken with a heavy undertone, brought a wave of desire crashing over her. She wondered i f he had any idea the effect his voice had on women.
    “ No, I’ll be right down,” she mumbled. She didn’t invite him up because she c ouldn’t trust herself not to do something stupid like throw herself at him . She snatched one more look at herself in the hallway mirror, smoothed an imaginary strand of hair down, and then grabbed her clutch from the small table underneath the mirror.
    Riding down the elevator moments later, she reminded herself to breath. It was just dinner . It wasn’t an official date . She had to calm down. The elevator doors slid open, and she found Nate leaning casually against the security desk. He straightened as he saw her and a pleased grin crossed his