His for the Taking by Julie Cohen Read Free Book Online Page A

much to ask of Xenia, as if it was an intrusion on Xenia’s independence. Now she wished she’d just left some, because Zoe hated skirts, and this one was itchy.
    As soon as she opened the bedroom door she smelled coffee. Nick was up, then. On her barefoot way down the hall she resisted going into the bathroom and looking at her hair and face. The sight of her bedhead and her bleary eyes was not going to make her feel any better about herself, and Nick certainly didn’t give a rat’s ass what she looked like.
    When she saw him leaning against the kitchen counter though, wearing jeans and a Red Sox T-shirt that hugged every inch of his perfect body, she nearly turned right back round to go and brush her teeth at least. But he spotted her first, and smiled.
    ‘Sleep well?’ he asked in that damn delectable voice and there was just enough mocking humour in it that she forgot about turning round and marched straight into the kitchen instead. The man was annoying and he could deal with her bad hair and her morning breath.
    He made a move to take down a mug for her but she beat him to it and poured herself coffee without looking at him.
    ‘A little hungover?’ he said and she could hear the smile in his voice.
    She made an elaborate act of peering around the kitchen. ‘I don’t see your father. Does this mean he didn’t come sneaking into the apartment in the middle of the night after all?’
    He shrugged. ‘Maybe later. I’m not in a hurry. I’ve been waiting a long time to see him again.’
    Zoe had her mug halfway to her mouth, but she slammed it down onto the counter, narrowly missing splashing coffee on her hand.
    ‘Yeah, but did it occur to you that I might be in a hurry? I might want to get on with my normal life instead of playing babysitter to you while you make yourself at home in my dead great-aunt’s apartment?’
    Nick took a cloth from the sink and reached over to mop up the spill. Zoe snatched the cloth from him.
    ‘Guess that answers my question,’ he said. ‘You’re definitely hungover.’
    ‘I wasn’t drunk last night.’ She scrubbed at the coffee harder than she needed to.
    ‘If it’s not a hangover, then what put the bug up your ass this morning?’
    Being so attracted to you that I can’t see straight when all you can do is comment on how rough I look. Zoe opened a cupboard, seeing only champagne glasses and yet more ice cube trays. ‘There’s no damn food in this apartment and I need breakfast.’
    ‘I see. Low blood sugar makes you cranky. I’ve got a few more protein bars and that dehydrated stew in my backpack, if you want.’
    Zoe pulled down a packet of something labelled ‘Lapsang Souchong Tea’. ‘I think I’d rather eat this,’ she said, opening the top and recoiling at the pungent odour and sight of black leaves.
    ‘What do you usually do for breakfast when you stay here?’ Nick asked.
    ‘I usually grab something from the deli down the block.’
    ‘Well, let’s do that.’
    Zoe threw the cloth in the sink and took a frustrated swallow of coffee. ‘We can’t, remember? You don’t want to leave in case your father shows up and in case I lock you out, and I don’t want to leave in case you decide to steal all my great-aunt’s antiques. We’re at an impasse and we’re both stuck here until you come to your senses and give up.’
    ‘I’ll go.’
    Zoe stared. ‘What?’
    ‘I’ll go to the deli and get us some breakfast. You can let me in when I come back.’
    ‘But—what if your father turns up?’
    ‘I’m sure you can keep him here for me.’
    ‘But how do you know I’ll let you back in?’
    ‘I trust you.’
    Zoe had been clutching her coffee-mug. She slowly set it down. Nick’s dark eyes were steady on hers and, though he was smiling, he didn’t appear to be laughing at her any more.
    ‘Why?’ she asked.
    He shrugged. ‘You’re right, we’re at an impasse. We have to trust each other sooner or later if we’re going to get through it.