Curvaceous Heart by Terri Pray Read Free Book Online

the entire meeting out of the water.”
    Sue nodded and tried not to wince. His jaw clenched, full, sensual lips pressed into a tight, thin line. “I’m sorry.”
    “What for? Unless you’re behind the posts,” he growled.
    “What?” Her hands tightened on the arms of the chair.
    “No, that doesn’t make sense, you’d not be here if you were involved in this. But I do want to know how you found out about the post, and this ring of bloggers , and just what they’re up to.”
    Sue shifted in the chair.
    “I’m not sure we can go into all of that right now,” Barb began to explain. “There are some hurt feelings involved and a couple of people who I don’t feel comfortable…”
    “I want the information.” He turned to face Barb. “And I don’t take well to being told no. So when I tell you to fill me in on the details then that’s exactly what you will do.”
    “I’m sorry but…”
    “Barbara -- that’s your name, isn’t it? Well, Barbara, I am not asking you, I’m telling you.”
    “Now hold on one damn minute. You might be the son of the boss here but we don’t belong to you. Shit, we didn’t have to come to you with this information and you sure as hell don’t have any right to treat us like this. So go ahead, fire me. I don’t care. I don’t want to work for someone who acts like this.” Sue gave a sharp wave at Barb before her friend could say anything further.
    He blinked and took a step back. “Well, if you just gave me the information I need then it would be a different matter.”
    Sue pushed up from the chair, her hands clenched into tight fists. “I’m sorry we ever came to see you. Barb, I think we should leave. It appears that Mr. Martin needs a lesson in basic manners. Obviously we both have better things to do than pander to his every need.”
    A smile twitched at the corners of Barbara’s lips, and a mischievous light danced within her eyes. “You may well be right. Perhaps we made a mistake in trying to help him.”
    “Now hold on a damn minute. You can’t just leave like that. I need more information.” Alan frowned, the growl little more than a memory in his voice.
    Sue turned back to look at him. “Then maybe you should remember that shouting, growling, and making demands might be a way to get information from some people, but unlike them I’m not a coward who will back down to an angry child.”
    Alan blanched.
    “So we will see ourselves out, or you can call down for Stephanie to escort us out, either one works for me.” Her heart raced beneath her rib cage, her lungs burned, and yet despite the rolling stomach, the quiver in her legs, and the way his dark, wonderful eyes narrowed on her face, she held her ground.
    Had anyone ever stood up to him before?
    “Did you just call me a child?”
    “Damn right I did. You’re acting like one. And here I thought you were a businessman who knew how to handle men and women. Instead I find a boy trying to make demands of people who went out of their way to help him.” Sue turned and took a step towards the door.
    She made it as far as putting her hand on the doorknob before he spoke again.
    “Look, I’m sorry. I just -- can we start again?”
    “Are you going to accept that I’m not going to disclose sensitive information without the permission of those involved?”
    One strong hand rested lightly on her shoulder. “Yes.”
    A shiver ran through her body under his touch. God, she didn’t need to deal with this right now. Yes he was handsome and spirited, the way his eyes flashed as he shifted from one emotion to the next was bewitching, but she wasn’t here to flirt with the man. Besides, even that hadn’t been serious.
    “And you promise there will be no more growling, or giving orders?” What would it be like to lean against his hand, and feel his touch fully?
    “The giving orders I can promise, the growling -- well, all I can do there is try.”
    Sue took a deep breath and turned to face him. His full,