Island Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (The Kisses Series Book 9) Read Online Free

the heck was my sister doing?
    “Is this true, Harper?” My mother fixed me with her best mom glare. When I was a kid, I would confess to anything under that look. It was hard not to break down even though I was twenty-six years old and no longer living under her roof.
    “Rosie wouldn't lie, Mom,” I answered. It was true enough that I would avoid showing my guilty face.
    Mom looked back and forth between the two of us for a moment before smiling broadly at me. “You have a real date?”
    “Apparently,” I said while Rosie nodded vigorously.
    “I can't tell you how happy that makes me, Harper.” Mom actually looked relieved. “I just want you to find that special someone and settle down like your sister. I need more grandkids and Rosie's baby needs some cousins.”
    “That's the plan, Mom. Date this guy, marry him, have lots of babies,” I said, ticking off fingers for each item of my future.
    “Don't be sarcastic, Harper,” Mom scolded, but then she wrapped me up in a big hug. “I'm just so proud of you for trying.”
    Because I wasn't trying before , I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut.
    “See, Mom, everything will work out,” Rosie promised.
    I looked over at her and she grinned with two thumbs up.
    “Okay.” Mom let me go and stood up straight. There were tears of joy in her eyes. If I had known that promising her a good date would make her this happy, I would have done it a long time ago.
    “You okay, Mom?” I asked.
    “I'm great, honey.” She wiped her eyes and smiled. “I'm just so happy to hear you're actually going to give this one a chance. Please, give him an actual chance? Don't make him hate you like do with all the guys you go out with now.”
    I managed not to let my jaw hit the floor. “Yes, Mom.”
    “I have to get going,” Mom announced. She hugged Rosie, then dropped to her knees to kiss Rosie's belly. “Be good in there, little one. You keep growing, you little cutie.”
    “Drive safe, Mom,” I said.
    “I will.” She stood up from the floor and then gave me a big hug. “Thank you for trying this time, Harper. I love you girls so much.”
    “We love you too, Mom,” Rosie assured her. I nodded.
    “You didn't park me in, did you?” Mom asked, picking up her purse
    “Of course not. You're free to go,” I informed her. She smiled and waved and headed out the door. I could hear her saying goodbye to Thomas in the living room as she went and as soon as I heard her car engine start, I let out a huge sigh of relief.
    “Well, that was fun,” Rosie commented.
    “Yeah.” I turned to face her. “Especially the part where I have a date from Kindling Romance? What the heck was that, Rosie?”
    “I should probably explain...” Rosie blushed.
    “Yeah, that would be good,” I agreed. “Please tell me how I have a date lined up at a service I never signed up for.”
    It was a lucky thing my sister was pregnant. I couldn't kill a pregnant lady.

2
    “ K indling Dating ?” I rounded on my sister as she put the cute onesie away into a closet full of onesies. “Did you really sign me up for Kindling Dating or was that just a way to get Mom off my back?”
    Rosie didn't answer right away. She took her time putting the new clothes into the closet and then turned to face me.
    “You really are signed up and you really do have a date,” she finally said. “If you want it. No pressure.”
    “No pressure?” I flopped into the rocking chair, nearly flinging myself right back out of it. “You told Mom. She's going to follow up on this until I marry the the poor guy!”
    Rosie frowned, her hand going to her swollen belly and pushing as the little boy inside of her kicked her like I wanted to do. “I thought it would be good for you. I thought you'd be happy.”
    “You signed me up for a dating service, Rosie,” I said, trying to calm myself by rocking. The motion was soothing, but I was still agitated. “One that costs money. There's a reason I stay on the free ones. I