Surprised by Family: a Contemporary Romance Duet Read Online Free

read.
    When he read and signed the first document, he glanced over at MaryAnn, realizing she was going to hover over him until he’d gone through the entire stack. He bit back an impatient comment and kept reading.
    ***
    Later that evening, Baron saw Leila as soon as he entered the great room of the house belonging to Benton College’s president.
    Baron wasn’t in the habit of going to college cocktail parties—in fact, he tried to avoid cocktail parties as a general rule—but he’d been invited, and he currently had reason to stay on the good side of the Benton administration.
    For years, his father had wanted the college to sell him the parcel of land on the west side of campus—including the little church. Only after the recent storm damage had Benton College shown any openness to the sale at all.
    His father had wanted this to happen, so the purchase was now a priority for Baron as well.
    He greeted his hostess and made some idle small talk, his eyes straying over to Leila across the room.
    He couldn’t believe the mousey little girl he remembered had transformed into this woman.
    Leila had her back to him, but he recognized her small form and the lush curve of her ass. He’d seen her some when she’d been an older teenager, but he definitely didn’t remember her having such a gorgeous body.
    She wore a dark skirt suit and a pair of heels that accentuated her legs. When her head turned he saw she was still wearing the wire-framed glasses. She was talking enthusiastically to a couple he recognized from the Board of Trustees.
    She used to have a thing for him. She’d written him a very flowery poem that still made him chuckle to think about.
    Baron hadn’t had sex since his father had died. He hadn’t even been on a date. He’d done nothing but work and worry and try desperately to recover the flimsy threads of his family remaining.
    He was suddenly hit with the desire to feel like himself again. To be himself. He didn’t have time for a dangerous adventure sport, and he didn’t have the energy to restart his active social life.
    But at least he could enjoy a woman for one evening.
    Baron knew how to do that.
    He played nice with the president for a while and then made his way over to the other side of the room, picking up two glasses of Merlot as he did
    Leila’s glass was empty, but he could see the wine she’d been drinking was red.
    She still hadn’t noticed him, which was honestly surprising and a little annoying. He certainly didn’t assume he had to be the center of attention, but Baron wasn’t used to not being noticed at all. At least by women.
    She was still talking to the same couple, and a few more college trustees had wandered over to listen.
    One of them, an affluent Boston heart surgeon, nodded and smiled at Baron as he approached. “James, you should hear this. You’re interested in our little church too.”
    “What should I listen to?” Baron smiled at Leila. “Dr. Luther, it’s good to see you again.”
    Leila blinked, his presence obviously taking her by surprise, but she returned his smile. “Hi.” She accepted the glass of wine he offered, slanting him a decidedly suspicious look afterwards.
    Baron was accustomed to getting any woman he wanted. He never had to try very hard.  Leila wasn’t the kind of woman he normally pursued, but he was hardly blind to her delicious little body, her deep green eyes, and those sensuous lips.
    And he wanted to feel like himself again, if only for one night.
    His smile didn’t waver as he raised his glass slightly toward her. “I’ve already looked into Dr. Luther’s research on the churches of the Great Awakening. It’s very impressive.”
    He met her eyes with an arch of his eyebrow, which should have left her breathless. Instead, she responded with a dry look of inquiry, as if she was wondering what he was up to.
    Surely, she recognized that he was subtly coming on to her.
    “Why are you interested in West Church at all?” she