Smoke and Fire by Donna Grant Read Free Book Online Page B

she’d told herself for so long. It was obvious from the way she couldn’t stop looking at him, listening to his voice, and yearning for his touch that she’d been lying to herself.
    But she wanted him to suffer as she’d suffered. The pain had been so unbearable at times that she honestly thought she might die from it.
    At times she’d wanted to die, begged for it. But each day she woke to see the sun.
    Kinsey tightened her ponytail, wincing as her head began to ache. She decided to forgo the pain and took her hair down. With a shake of her head, she sighed as her headache began to dissipate almost immediately.
    She rubbed the spot where the band had held her hair against her head and closed her eyes. One of these days she was going to learn how to put her hair in a ponytail without it hurting.
    After a minute or two, Kinsey opened her eyes and sat back. Only to find Ryder watching her with his hazel eyes darkened. She knew that look all too well.
    He wanted her. The desire was tangible, physical.
    Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach felt as if an entire flock of hummingbirds was trying to get out. The urge to get up and go to him, straddle his lap was strong.
    Then she thought about the last three years where he hadn’t bothered to contact her. Saving her life or not, Ryder had been a dick in the way he’d left. She’d be an utter and complete fool to give in to her need for him only to have him push her away again.
    She was stronger now. She was the one in charge of her life and her destiny. Even if he was the other half of her soul, that didn’t mean she should allow herself to be treated so harshly. She deserved better.
    Kinsey pulled her gaze from Ryder and focused on the computer screen before her. She pretended as if she had something important to do.
    And she did. If only she could remember what it was.
    Oh. Right. Trying to determine who would want her at Dreagan and why.
    Kinsey pulled up the list of employees at Kyvor, starting with the highest ranking. Of the thirty executives, she had met two of them. Her boss, Cecil Beltz, a sixty-year-old who had worked his way up through the company for forty years.
    And Cecil’s supervisor, Harriet Smythe. She was pretty, and one of the youngest executives at just thirty-three. Though she seemingly came out of nowhere, no one could fault her work.
    Two of the thirty in top management. That wasn’t much to go on.
    â€œWhat did you find?” Ryder asked.
    She glanced at him before frowning back at the screen. “I decided to try and see who all I know at Kyvor. There are thirty in the top brass. I’ve personally met two of them.” She pointed to the first picture. “Cecil, my boss.” Then she pointed to the next picture of a young woman with bleach-blond hair and a bright white smile. “And Harriet, who Cecil answers to.”
    Ryder studied the two for a moment before he began to tap the virtual keyboard. Kinsey was shocked when he pulled up her employee folder and began to look through it.
    â€œYou’ve had four promotions in three years,” he said with a nod of approval.
    Kinsey sat a little straighter. “That’s right.”
    â€œYou made some major moves through the company, Kins, which means you caught the attention of more than Cecil and Harriet.”
    She always loved when he shortened her name. Other people did it and she lost her mind, but not with Ryder. It was the way he said it, as if it were an endearment.
    â€œDid you hear me?” he asked as he turned his face to her.
    Kinsey could’ve kicked herself. “Yeah. Of course, I heard you.”
    â€œYou didna say anything.”
    She shrugged. “What is there to say? You’re stating facts.”
    â€œWhat I’m doing is pointing out that every one of those top executives knows you.”
    Kinsey dropped her head back against the chair and blew out a breath. If she could stop thinking of Ryder as a