The Mercenary and the Shifters (The Turning Stone Chronicles) by C.D. Hersh

adultery. Better yet, OmniWorld might accept her plan, and she wouldn’t have to marry for convenience, or inconvenience.
    A round of inquiries netted her no sighting of the man she hunted. She took her drink out on the patio and stood admiring the lights reflecting around the shoreline of the lake. A light tap on her shoulder caused her to turn.
    “I understand you’re looking for me.”
    A tall, blond, muscular man stood inches away, the white, toothy smile on his face as dazzling as a full sun. Attraction to the handsome man surged through her. She shut it down. She had to save all her charm for the old man of Morrison Shipping.
    “What an unusual pickup line,” she said as she rotated away from him.
    He sidestepped until he stood face to face with her. “Not a pickup line, but I wouldn’t mind picking you up.” He held out his hand. “I’m Kyle Morrison. CEO of Morrison Shipping. At least a dozen people said a beautiful redhead was looking for me.” When she didn’t take his hand he started to leave. “But, I guess you’re not her.”
    “Wait.” She grabbed his tuxedo sleeve. “I was looking for you.” She continued to clutch his jacket until he gave her hand a pointed glance. “Sorry,” she said, smoothing the fabric. “I was expecting a much older man.”
    “My father,” Kyle said, giving her another bedazzling smile. “I hope I’m not a disappointment. Dad can be a hard man to live up to.” He studied her. “Do I know you? Your face seems familiar.”
    “Sorry. I’m Fiona Kayler.”
    Another charm-filled smile broke out on his face. “Now I remember you. We went to school together.”
    This time she studied him. “Don’t think so. I’d remember someone who looked like you.”
    “You didn’t give me much attention then. Nerd. Black-rimmed glasses. Pocket protector lined with colored pens.”
    “Oh, my gosh. I do remember you. Geeky Kyle.” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It was rude.”
    Kyle shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me anymore.”
    “I didn’t know your family owned Morrison Shipping.”
    “You didn’t know much about me. You were too busy hanging out with the jocks.”
    She openly ogled him. “You’ve changed.”
    Kyle’s mouth turned up at the corners, and he returned the appreciation. “You haven’t. You’re still as breathtakingly beautiful as you were at sixteen, only sexier.”
    A flush heated Fiona’s face. She was glad the lights on the patio were dim enough to hide her embarrassment. Her hand brushed over the precisely folded silk handkerchief in the pocket of his tux. “What happened to the pocket protector?”
    “I traded it for condoms after I got refractive surgery and buffed up on the Harvard rowing team.”
    And buffed up, he had. She let her gaze slide over him, enjoying the view. Seducing him into marrying her might not be a bad job. Then she remembered Mike’s strong arms around her and the emotions it elicited. Oh, God, she was acting like a tramp. Planning on seducing one man while she thought about another.
    This is business. Strictly business. Pleasurable business, maybe, but just business.
    The justification pep talk didn’t help.
    “What have you been doing since graduation?” The smooth sound of his deep voice brought her back to the moment.
    “Like you, I’m running the family business now. My folks are dead, and everything came to me.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Thanks.” His sympathy surged sad memories over her, and she hastened to change the subject. “You’re the CEO now? How do you like it?”
    “I don’t. I’m here because Dad is dying, and he wants me to keep the business running. I’d rather be on Wall Street, but it’s hard to say no to a dying man.”
    Could it get any better? If she could hold out until his father died, Kyle might be willing to sell the business, since he didn’t want to be here anyway. Maybe she could avoid espionage, a fake marriage, and still