Safe in the Tycoon's Arms (Harlequin Romance) by Jennifer Faye Read Free Book Online Page A

insisted. “She has a good heart.”
    “Still, you shouldn’t have sent her here. This house...it’s off-limits.”
    “I thought after all of this time you’d have let go of the past.”
    He’d never let go. How could he? It’d mean letting go of his little girl. A spot inside his chest ached like an open, festering wound every time he thought of how much he missed seeing Carrie’s sweet smile or hearing her contagious laughter. But he didn’t want to discuss Carrie with his aunt...with anyone.
    Hoping to redirect the conversation, he asked, “What do you know about Kate?”
    “Didn’t she tell you?”
    A knock at the back door caught him off guard. He wasn’t expecting anyone as he never had visitors. And if it was some sort of salesperson, they’d go to the front door.
    “I’ve got to go. Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you back later.”
    “Lucas, be nice to Kate. She has more than enough on her plate. She can use all of the friends she can get.”
    And with that the line went dead. What in the world had that cryptic message meant? He didn’t have time to contemplate it as the knock sounded again.
    He let out a frustrated sigh as he set his phone on the center island. So much for getting any answers about Kate. Now all he had were more questions.
    The knocking became one long string of beats.
    “Okay! I’m coming.”
    Lucas strode over and yanked open the door. A cold breeze rushed past him. His mouth moved, but words failed him.
    There standing in the rain, completely soaked, was Kate. Her teeth chattered and her eyes were red and puffy. This certainly wasn’t the same determined woman he’d dropped off at the hospital. Where her hair had once been styled, the wet strands clung to her face. What in the world was going on?
    Without thinking he reached out, grabbed her arms and pulled her inside. His mind continued to flood with questions, so many that he didn’t know where to start. But finally he drew his thoughts into some semblance of order and decided to start at the beginning.
    “Why didn’t you call?” He slipped her purse off her shoulder and set it on a kitchen stool. “I’d have picked you up.”
    Were those tears flowing down her cheeks? Or raindrops? He couldn’t be sure. Obviously he’d have to hold off getting to the bottom of this. His first priority was getting Kate warmed up.
    “We need to get you in a hot shower.” She started to shake her head when he added, “No arguments. You’ll be lucky if you don’t catch pneumonia. If you hadn’t noticed, it’s awfully cold to be walking around in the rain.”
    He helped her out of her jacket, which definitely wasn’t waterproof. Next, he removed her waterlogged red heels. When he reached for her hand to lead her to his bathroom, he noticed how small and delicate she was next to him.
    She looked so fragile and his instinct was to protect her—to pull her close and let her absorb his body heat. He resisted the urge. It wasn’t his place to soothe away her worries. When it came to relationships, he should wear a sign that read Toxic. And that was why he intended to grow old alone.
    In his bedroom, he had her wait while he grabbed a towel and heated up the shower. When he returned, she was still standing there with her arms hugging herself, staring at the floor. What in the world had happened? Did she have bad news at the hospital? Had someone died?
    Not that it was any of his business. He wasn’t a man to lean on. He had no words of wisdom to share to make whatever problem she had go away. If he had, he’d have used it to fix his own messed up life. He’d have gotten his family back. The house would be filled with the sounds of his daughter’s laughter. Instead the silence was deafening. He shoved the troubling thoughts away.
    “Let’s get you in a hot shower.” He showed her to his bathroom. “Will you be all right in there alone? Or should I call my aunt?”
    In a faint whisper, she said, “I’m fine.”
    Sure