The Millionaire’s Mission
Millionaire Hudson Conrick is used to being liked for his family name and fortune. So when Melody Hammond cuts short their blind date, Hudson can’t help but be curious about the pretty ministry director. And when Conrick Construction wins the bid to expand the women’s shelter at the Village of Hope ministry where she works, he’ll get the chance to know her better. He soon learns that because of her painful past, Melody leads a cautious life. But as a former solider, Hudson craves adventure. Can he convince Melody that while he likes to have fun, his reckless days are behind him—and that he’s her perfect match?
“You come from a rich family,” Melody began.
“I’m from a small town in Georgia and grew up poor. What do I know about the life of a multimillionaire?”
“Maybe you should find out,” he said. “People are people. How can you make a judgment without getting to know me?”
“Tonight was wonderful, but this has to be it.” Melody wished he would listen to reason, but his mentioning her judgment went right to her guilt. Was she too critical? But this wasn’t all about his money. She couldn’t forget his love of skydiving and car races—dangerous activities that took lives. She couldn’t be with a man who took such risks.
“I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Please don’t make this difficult. It’s not just because you come from wealth and I don’t. You like to live on the edge, and I like to play it safe. How can that be a good combination?”
He smiled. “It might be fun to find out.”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not when I want something.” Hudson’s look could cut steel. “You haven’t heard the last of me, Ms. Hammond.”
MERRILLEE WHREN is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart® Award presented by Romance Writers of America. She has also been the recipient of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award and the Maggie® Award for Excellence. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of thirty-five-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Please visit her website at merrilleewhren.com or connect with her on Facebook at facebook.com/merrilleewhren.author.
Falling for the Millionaire
Merrillee Whren
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
—1 John 4:18
I would like to dedicate this book to my agent,
Pattie Steele Perkins, who helped in
so many ways to make this book a reality.
Contents
Blind dates mimicked test-driving cars. Tonight Melody Hammond had another one to deal with. What would it bring? Her friends kept sending her fancy sports cars when all she wanted was a nice simple sedan.
The doorbell rang. She peered through the peephole in the front door of her small brick ranch house in her suburban Atlanta neighborhood. She couldn’t tell much from the distorted image except that the man was tall and had dark hair.
This was one date that carried some consequences. Tonight’s fund-raiser for The Village of Hope Ministries was an event intended to raise money for Melody’s pet project—building more housing for abused and troubled women. Too often the ministry had difficulty finding space for all the women who needed help and had to turn many away. She planned to do everything within her power to see this project funded.
People had paid a lot of money to attend this formal dinner dance, including her date. She hoped it would go well, so she could represent The Village properly. She wanted to believe anyone who had an interest in helping a charity was a decent person. Unfortunately, she’d learned over the years that not all donors to good causes were good people. Some had ulterior motives.
Melody took a deep breath, then tried to produce a genuine smile as she opened the door. That breath caught in her throat as she stared up at Hudson Paine Conrick, the Fourth. In his black tuxedo he was handsome beyond description. His dark hair curled and waved in a rumpled kind of way. The five-o’clock shadow he sported gave him a dangerous look—at least where a woman’s heart was concerned.
A Ferrari.
No doubt.
He gave her a lazy grin. “Ms. Hammond, Hudson Conrick. Nice to meet you.”
Melody