A Dangerous Widow (A Dangerous Series) by Christina Ross Read Free Book Online Page B

kicked off my black heels when I’d come home.   Wearing those now would have been a bit
much.   Now, I was in my bare feet,
which felt earthy and far less sexy to me.
    When the buzzer rang, I steeled myself for
what was to come, took a breath to calm my nerves, and then just womaned up and
answered the door.   And there stood
the new version of Ben Cade, which was radically different from the young man I
remembered.  
    It didn’t appear as if he’d grown
taller—he still looked around six-foot-four to me.   But his build was completely different
from the youthful, athletic man I’d once been so much in love with.   He was substantially more muscular,
broader, and dare I say even hulking and massive, the lot of which was likely
honed from his years in the military—and from sticking to a workout
routine that had sustained his build.
    His black hair hadn’t thinned or gone
gray.   Instead, it was cut short in a
way that flattered his chiseled jawline and thick neck, and set off his cobalt
blue eyes, which even to this day were framed with thick black lashes.   Just as I remembered.   In fact, his eyes were the only thing
about him that hadn’t changed.
    But the rest of him had, at least
physically.
    “Ben,” I said.   “It’s been so long—my God, is that
really you?”
    “I could say the same,” he said as he looked
at me.   “You look beautiful,
Kate.   I’m sorry to be here under
these circumstances.”
    “As am I.   Please come inside.”
    I stepped aside so he could move past me,
and as he did, I could detect the faintest scent of his crisp-smelling cologne,
and I couldn’t help but admire how well his tailored black suit fit him.   As he moved forward into the living area
of my apartment, I shut the door behind me and locked it.   Everything about him seemed twice the
size of the man I remembered.   And
while he looked more mature—not unlike me—age had somehow enhanced
his looks.  
    I could sense that he wanted to ease into
this, so, as he stepped into the living space, he looked around.   “This is some place,” he said.   “How many penthouses are there?”
    “Four.”
    “It’s amazing.”
    “It’s also kind of obnoxious,” I said.   “But at least it’s not as obnoxious as
where I used to live.   That place was obnoxious.”
    He turned to look at me, and when he did,
there was kindness in his eyes.   “I’m glad that you did well for yourself, Kate.   I really am.”
    “I did OK on my own, Ben—but let’s not
fool ourselves here.   Michael was the
one who did well.   Spectacularly
well.   I wouldn’t be living here now
if I hadn’t sold StoneTech after his death.   So, let’s just be clear about that—all
of this has nothing to do with me.   This is because of Michael’s legacy.   Not mine.”
    “Still the humble woman I remember,” he
said.
    I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I
just said, “Would you like to sit down?”
    “I would.   We should talk.”
    “The living room is just through there.   Can I get you something to drink?”
    “I’ll take a bottle of water if you have
one.”
    “Let me get each of us one, and then we’ll
talk.   Meanwhile, why don’t you go out
onto the terrace and take in the views of the Park.   Get some fresh air.   I’ll join you in a moment.”
    “I’ll do that,” he said.
    I was a fit of nerves as I went into the
kitchen and pulled out two chilled bottles of water from the refrigerator.  
    He looks good , I thought.   He looks goddamned
good.
    I had mourned Michael’s death for years, but
I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that seeing Ben again had stirred
within me emotions that I’d long since forgotten.  
    But that wasn’t why he was here, so it was
time to get over the shock of seeing him again.   To go forward, we needed to catch up,
and then go forward on a professional level.   If we didn’t, we’d get nowhere when it
came to the mysteries that surrounded