Samuel (Samuel's Pride Series) by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page B

having her in the same house with them was a good
idea. But if he stayed away from her, they should be able to work this out
until he could—could do something. Samuel had a feeling he was so fucked.
    “I see.” Samuel was pretty sure she did
too. Maybe not that Kennedy was his mate but that he was going to avoid her. He
decided that he had to do something sooner rather than later. She left him to
his work an hour later after going over some of the things that needed his
attention.
    His phone ringing startled him. Samuel
glanced at his watch and couldn’t believe that he’d been sitting there for over
two hours. His screen had since gone black, and the coffee he’d brought in here
with him was cold as ice. He answered the phone after the fourth ring.
    “I didn’t think you were going to be
there.” Jimmy sounded excited. “Christ, do you have any idea who you have
working in your kitchen? Damn man, I might come over for dinner every night
just to taste her food. She’s fucking famous.”
    “I knew that much, you idiot. I meant
for you to find out something about her family.” Samuel became aware of the
scents coming from the hall and into his office. “I can smell the standing rib
roast she’s making now. I think she used fresh pepper.”
    He was teasing his friend and laughed
when he whimpered. When he invited him for dinner the man nearly screamed out
that he’d be there. Then he grew more serious.
    “She’s not just this fabulous cook, but
she’s also from a very wealthy family. Her grandmother is Lady Danielle Kennedy
Buehler. Her son, who passed away about four years ago, managed to bring the
family fortune from near ruin when he was just a teenager. They’re not where
they were when the family was in its heyday, but they were doing great until
his death.” Samuel heard him shuffle papers around before he continued. “Kennedy’s
father died, and things went back down almost immediately. The oldest son,
Shamus, has a bit of a problem. He’s not very smart when it comes to
investments, and the fucking fool gambles a great deal. I’m looking now, but I
think he’s into a shark for quite a bit. The family, Kennedy’s mother and siblings,
will be out on their ass if something doesn’t change soon.”
    “And the grandmother? I take it she’s
not letting the grandson handle her money.” Jimmy said she wasn’t. “Smart
woman. And what have you been able to find out as to why Kennedy is here?”
    “She’s engaged.” Samuel felt his lion
roar against his skin. She was his. Samuel wanted to go and find Kennedy and
shake her until she told him what the fuck she was doing here if she was slated
to be married when Jimmy continued. “Apparently she isn’t too thrilled with her
brother’s choice of husbands for her either. The man is nearly twice her age
and sickly. I’m not sure I’d want my sister marrying him, and I don’t care for
her.”
    “So it was arranged.” Jimmy told him
from what he could find it was. “Let me guess, he’s got money and is willing to
leave it all to Kennedy in the event that they marry. That brother of hers is a
peach.”
    “You don’t know the half of it. The guy
I contacted in Ireland said that her brother is a pervert too. I’ve not been
able to narrow that down, but I’m thinking he’s gay. Not to say that there’s
anything wrong with that, but different strokes for different folks. He’s been
known to…let’s just say that he’s less than discreet with his affairs. And with
the money he owes on top of everything else, Shamus is having a hard time
making ends meet. The way he’s trying to bring things together is by gambling
more and more. Idiot.”
    Samuel wondered aloud what the hell he
was doing arranging a marriage for his sister. “I mean, you should see her. Blazing
red hair, skin the color of peaches, and freckles that seem to get darker when
she blushes. And Christ, a body that would make a monk whimper.” He knew that
he’d said too much