Obsessed (Hostile Takeover #1) by Tawny Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

en suite bathroom was bigger than Mom’s entire apartment--including the galley kitchen, living room, and two itty bitty bedrooms. It was so huge I felt a little lost. It didn’t help that none of my things, except what Kent had carried in, were in the space. It felt like a hotel room—an expensive hotel room.
    “I…sure.” I pulled back the heavy drapes and checked the view out one of the windows. It was spectacular. But it also afforded me an uninterrupted view of the path we’d walked the last time I was here. Now, with the trees and bushes full of leaves, I couldn’t see where that path led. But I knew. I remembered, all too well, about that secret oasis by the pond.
    “You’re not happy.” He was standing directly behind me. Too close. Awakened by his nearness, my nerves fired little mini-blazes through my body. I bit my lip, wishing I could understand my body’s reaction to this man. Sure, he was good looking. So what? He was also a walking penis. All he cared about was finding the next place to put it. I’d never been attracted to guys like Kent Payne. So why was I now?
    Was it his money? Was that it?
    Or the fact that he was totally off limits?
    “Sure I ‘m happy. This is fine. Better than fine. Thank you.” If I was honest with myself, I could admit that the money might be part of his attractiveness. Since Mom’s marriage to Dirk, I’d learned something about the world. I’d learned that marrying a man with money didn’t necessarily make life better but it could make it easier . For years Mom had worked night and day, two fulltime jobs, to put food on the table, pay rent, and help pay for some of my school costs. Now that she was married, she didn’t have to work eighty hours a week. She could slow down, enjoy life, travel…do all the things she’d dreamed of doing someday.
    And now here I was, inches from a good looking, rich, single man. I was a single girl who wanted to get married…someday. I wanted to have children…someday. I wanted a house of my own…someday. If it weren’t for the fact that he was my stepbrother, he could give me all of those things. If I eventually married him, I would never have to worry about whether or not I would be able to feed or clothe my children.
    Then again, I might have to worry about my children being bullied if their friends thought Kent and I were “brother and sister”. I knew how rumors started and spread. I didn’t want to cause that kind of pain for my kids.
    And, thanks to his healthy appetite for sex, I might have to worry about what my husband was doing when he didn’t come home on time. As they said, a tiger couldn’t change its stripes.
    The fact was Kent Payne was off limits. Period. End of story.
    But even if he hadn’t been, he was no prince charming. It was wise to remember that.
    My not-so-prince-charming stepbrother placed an index finger under my chin and forced it up. My eyes met his.
    “We ended things on a bad note when you were here in April. I think we should talk about it.”
    My heart skittered around in my chest like a startled rabbit. “No, there’s nothing to talk about.” I leaned back but smacked into the window behind me.
    “Considering how dilated your eyes are, and how red your face is right now, I’d say there’s plenty to talk about. You’re either still angry or you’re turned on,” he purred.
    Asshole! The tiger was definitely showing his stripes.
    Fury blazed. I didn’t even think. My hand swung up, aimed for his cheek. But he caught my wrist, stopping it just before it struck its target. His fingers dug into my skin. “You are so fun to tease, little sister.”
    “I’m not your sister. And I’m not little ,” I enunciated.
    “So true. So, can we please talk about this like two adults?”
    “Only if you start acting like one.” I twisted my arm. “I still don’t think there’s anything to talk about, but if you insist. It’s your house--.”
    “Our house. This is your home too,” he