Alluring Infatuation by Skye Turner, Kari Ayasha Read Free Book Online Page A

and my skin is smooth, with an olive complexion.
    I do have some laugh lines around my eyes, but I don’t think they detract from my appearance. I’m not a drop dead gorgeous girl, but I know I’m attractive. My eyes are a smoky blue swirled with hazel and my lips are full and naturally rosy. My cheekbones are prominent and my nose is straight and patrician. I’m attractive.
    I don’t think I’m attractive enough to have turned Dade’s head anywhere other than the island though and with him being a famous rocker, I doubt I’d have even been a blip on his radar in most other places.
    Shaking my head, I try to stop those ridiculous thoughts again. It’s not like they matter anyway. He hates me.
    Groaning over the fact that I cannot get him out of my head, I straighten my back as I head into what I’m sure will rival the Spanish Inquisition, also known as dinner with Arlene and Terry Bird.
    The door opens as I approach and George, the proprietor for the past forty years, greets me. “Well hello, little Melonie! You’re still as pretty as a picture. Your parents are already inside at their usual table. I’ll tell Marco to bring some bread out for y’all. I’m glad you made the trip out to see us tonight.”
    I smile into his rotund face and lean down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you Mr. Clavandine. It’s always a pleasure to see you.”
    He blushes. “Go on. Get inside. They’re waiting on you. If I was a younger man, I’d demand to wine and dine you.”
    I laugh. This is the same conversation we’ve had for the past ten or so years. He’s such a flirt and as sweet as can be. One of the great ones.
    I chuckle as I head inside. “I couldn’t do any better than you, Mr. Clavandine.” I wink as he laughs.
    I can see my mother’s ash blonde head from across the restaurant. She’s a statuesque woman and is extremely beautiful. She was a pageant queen in her day, and hoped I’d follow in her footsteps. Sadly, I was more interested in studying things and getting my hands dirty than looking pretty, so she eventually gave up on that dream.
    My daddy sees me and stands up. He walks around the table as I approach and pulls me into his strong arms. “How are you, Cricket?”
    I hug him back and snuggle against his familiar smell. There’s nothing on earth a Daddy’s hug can’t cure.
    Pulling back, I look at him and smile. “Hi, Daddy. I’m good.”
    He searches the eyes that match his for a minute, before he grunts and lets me go to pull out my chair as I kiss my momma’s cheek.
    I sit and an ice water with lemon is placed in front of me along with a fresh loaf of crusty bread. Daddy passes the bread around and I take a sip of my water as I wait.
    Momma smiles at me and tsks. “Melonie, baby. Tell us how you are. And don’t give us that spiel about being fine.”
    I laugh. Momma never did bite her tongue. She’s a true Southern woman. Loving and nurturing, but strong and not scared to stand up for those she loves and things she believes in. She’ll wear pearls and a dress, but can shoot a gun, skin a deer, and intimidate a 6’4” man with just a withering glance. I really don’t like when that glance is directed at me.
    She’s a true steel magnolia.
    Daddy asks. “How is the practice?”
    Work is something we can talk about. He’s a doctor, too, only he’s a veterinarian. He was so proud when I decided to go into medicine.
    “It’s great. We have so many babies on the way in the next few months. We’re growing every day. We just had to hire two more nurses and we also are looking into hiring a nurse practitioner to help out because we’re so busy. Dr. Bush and I each have our own ultrasound technicians now. We were just getting too backed up with Jan by herself. She’s amazing, but she’s only one person. I have her and Dr. Bush hired her own.”
    I’m really proud of our practice. We started it together five years ago and things have just picked up ever since. I still can’t believe that