Her Three Entrepreneurs [The Hot Millionaires #8] by Zara Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

held precious memories. What had either of them done to deserve this?
    She picked up a sugar bowl that she recalled her grandmother lovingly producing on special occasions. It was still intact but badly chipped and cracked. Suddenly it was too much for her. Athena sat cross-legged in the middle of the mayhem and, for the second time in one day, gave way to a bout of frustrated tears.
     
    * * * *
     
    The bed was a lot more comfortable than it had looked, but Bay couldn’t sleep. He kept the window wide open and a gentle breeze wafted the scent of honeysuckle and rambling roses into the musty room. Bay wasn’t used to the absolute quiet of a remote country farm. He found it soothing and unsettling at the same time. It also made him wonder what Athena did for recreation. Buried away here, any sort of a social life was going to be a challenge.
    No possessive boyfriend had come running to her aid following the break-in, and as far as he knew, she hadn’t phoned anyone. That didn’t mean that she didn’t have a significant other. It was unlikely that someone as attractive as her would be left alone for long. So why hadn’t she called him? Unless she’d given someone the elbow and this was his revenge. A man scorned, and all that. It seemed extreme, but Bay had heard of stranger things happening.
    Then there was George, the protective farmhand, to consider. He, at least, seemed to care about her. But Bay got the impression that she merely looked upon him as a friend. He might feel peeved enough to trash the house, but would he brutally attack his employer? If his intention was to impress Athena, it was hardly the right way to go about it. Bay had been here for a few hours and already knew how close she was to her grandfather. George must be well aware of their tight relationship, seeing them together every day. Still, he’d check him out, as well as the other guy who worked here. He couldn’t imagine either of them influencing the bank’s lending policy, but for want of any better leads, he might as well start there.
    And then the mother… What was that? Someone was downstairs. Bay sat up and listened. Yep, there was definitely the sound of broken crockery being moved about. Why the hell hadn’t that useless dog barked? He slipped out of bed, pulled a pair of boxers over his naked body and slipped quietly down the stairs, hoping Athena hadn’t heard the noise and gone down to take a look herself.
    The door to the dining room was open and a light spilled out. Bay expelled a frustrated breath, already guessing what he was going to find. It would certainly explain why the dog hadn’t barked. He poked his head round the door and, sure enough, Athena sat in the middle of the chaos, quietly sobbing. She wore a T-shirt that had ridden up her slim thighs, leaving little to the imagination. The dog was there, too, resting his head against her knee in a gesture of doggy solidarity.
    Bay didn’t know whether to carry her back to bed—his bed—or creep away again and give her some space. It was beyond him to leave her alone. Her despondency cut him to the quick, and the desire that he’d been fighting all day to fuck her senseless was replaced with an even greater need to make her feel better about herself. Bay was mildly surprised by the change in his priorities. Before he could decide what to do about them, she glanced up and saw him there.
    “Sorry if I disturbed you,” she muttered through her tears.
    “What are you doing up?” he asked at the same time.
    “I couldn’t sleep.”
    “Me neither.” He held out a hand and offered her a gentle smile. “Come on, this is no time to do the housework.”
    He noticed a roll of kitchen paper beside her. She tore off a strip and blew her nose. Then she looked up at him again, as though seeing him for the first time, and blinked. Only then did he realize that he was standing there in his underwear. She didn’t appear to mind. In fact, she got up, took his hand and meekly