Owned By Fate by Tessa Bailey Read Free Book Online Page A

felt his blood heat as she strode into the office and he glimpsed her in daylight for the first time. He’d been right about her hair. Melted caramel. But the lighting in his club hadn’t done justice to her skin. She fucking glowed. His mouth went dry with the need to bite her. Anywhere. It didn’t matter. Just enough to get a decent taste. She glanced up just as she entered the office, her expression transforming from intent to bored in seconds.
    Until she saw him . Her easy stride ground to a halt, beautiful green eyes flashing wide. “W-what is— What? That is…who?”
    Jonah smiled.
    There was a beat of silence before Oliver’s laugh broke through it. “What kind of an entrance is that?”
    Caroline visibly shook herself and looked at her brother as if in a daze. “I thought this meeting was between us and Young Michael Douglas.” She winced. “Sorry. I meant Asher Laurie.”
    Asher waved off her apology good-naturedly, obviously trying to get on her good side. “Don’t apologize. I could do worse.”
    “I believe my sister just implied you’re approaching silver-fox territory.” Oliver stacked his hands behind his head. “Maybe this meeting isn’t as doomed as I thought.”
    “I wouldn’t count on it,” Caroline said, finally appearing to recover from seeing Jonah in her place of work. She shot him a glance and licked her lips nervously. Jonah barely stifled a groan. As far as he was concerned, they might as well be the only two people in the room. Maybe it made him a bastard, but he was thoroughly enjoying her discomfort. Watching her shift around in her high heels, knowing the movement made her thighs rub together, was driving him crazy. At the same time, watching her reclaim the situation so speedily made his admiration grow. She was something, all right.
    Asher cleared his throat. “Shall we get started?”
    Jonah lifted an eyebrow at Caroline when he saw her internal debate written all over her face. Obviously, based on her brother’s attitude, she’d correctly deduced Jonah hadn’t spilled her secret. Still, she clearly wanted to question his presence but also must realize doing so might reveal that they knew each other. He wouldn’t let that happen, of course. It would do nothing to help either of his causes.
    That didn’t mean he wouldn’t let her think him capable of it.
    In the end, she sat heavily in an armchair and nodded at Asher to proceed. Smart girl.
    …
    What in the holiest of hells is Jonah Briggs doing here? This man, the same one who made me explode with the assistance of a feather, is five feet away from my brother. It’s wrong on so many fucked-up levels that I don’t know where to start.
    Even worse, when she’d first seen Jonah, in that split second before dread cold-cocked her in the jaw, her belly had flipped over like a Bisquick pancake. She’d experienced that shameful, now-familiar wave of awareness. The one that had risen inside her, instantaneous and powerful, every time she’d thought of him since Friday night. His fingers moving between her legs, their mouths moaning into each other’s. She’d completely lost sight of her convictions that night, and the near-constant craving for more was her sexually frustrated punishment. She’d been confident it would fade with enough time and distance, yet here he was, in her territory, staring at her as though he’d like nothing more than to drag her into the nearest supply closet and fuck her senseless.
    Good God, when did you start thinking in such disgusting terminology?
    Since she’d been blasted into another stratosphere by a man who preferred to be called Master and dropped the P-word with impunity. Not exactly her usual type.
    Never in her wildest dreams—and she’d had some wild dreams over the last couple nights—did she imagine Jonah would show himself so soon.
    Or at all. Sure, he’d made it clear he wanted more physical interaction with her, but didn’t men always say things they didn’t mean in