Taken by You (Taken by You Book One) by M.L. Young Read Free Book Online

bookshelf, did you?” he asked with a smirk.
    Blake flipped a light switch and the room started to light up with a dim glow. It wasn’t as bright as the rest of his place, but as the lights fully came on, I saw the collection he was talking about. The room, which was almost the size of my apartment, was wrapped on all walls with scores of books.
    Some were standard modern books, while others, encased behind thick glass, were rare in every sense of the word. I walked up to those, not caring so much for the recent ones, as I looked up and down at them.
    He had ancient texts, signed first editions of classic literature, and even a book that looked waterlogged and slightly ripped up.
    “ What’s this one?” I asked.
    “ Oh, that? It was on the Titanic . It isn’t exactly valuable for the book itself, but more for the fact of where it was. It wasn’t too pricey, either,” he said.
    “ You weren’t lying about the size of your collection. It really is marvelous,” I said, my face so close to the glass that I was fogging it up.
    “ I never lie about size, Penelope. Everything I own is big,” he said.
    I felt myself tingling with that comment as I continued to look around and not even give him the benefit of a smile. I could see him watching me in the reflection of the glass as I looked at a collection of scrolls rolled up with some ancient text on them. What was the real reason he brought me in here tonight? Why me? I was starting to feel like this whole closed-off romantic dinner thing was a ploy for something not internship-related. I might not be the most sophisticated with regards to men, but I was also not an idiot, especially when things were laid out right in front of me.
    “ May I ask you a question?” I asked.
    “ You may,” he replied.
    “ Why am I here right now?” I asked, as I turned around to look at him.
    “ I’m afraid I don’t understand the question,” he said.
    “ I’m just trying to figure out how we went from me in your office trying to secure an internship to me standing in a dimly lit room in your apartment alone with you,” I said.
    “ You’re free to leave at any time, Penelope. I will gladly call Gustav now and have him escort you home,” Blake said.
    “ I didn’t say I wanted to leave. I asked why I’m here,” I said.
    “ You’re a smart woman, Penelope. I’m not going to act like you’re some idiotic little girl. I will admit that there is an attraction I feel just by looking at you. You’re special, Penelope,” Blake said.
    He started to move in closer towards me, and I felt all the blood in my face rush to my cheeks as they began to turn warm. I put my right hand on my left forearm, standing there, as he came closer.
    “ I’m not special, Blake. I’m like everybody else out there. I’m average,” I said.
    “ No,” he said, before his left hand gripped my waist. “You’re something special, all right. I don’t know what it is about you, but I know I need more.”
    “ I don’t think—”
    “ Shh,” he said, pressing his right index finger softly against my lips.
    He pulled it away, a small smile on his face, before I looked down. My heart was now beating a mile a minute. The same finger that rested upon my lips now went under my chin and slowly pushed it upwards so my eyes once again met his.
    He moved in closer, his eyes starting to close as he did, and his lips touched mine. My eyes still open, I closed them slowly, as I felt his left hand grip harder onto my waist and pull me in closer. I wrapped my arms around him, running my hands through the back of his short brown hair. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe I was kissing him.
    Just as I had gotten comfortable and fully experienced the lust that he had given me, I pulled back and I wasn’t quite sure why.
    “ No,” I said, wiping my lips. “I can’t do this. You’re my boss. Well, you’re not my boss yet, and I probably won’t get the internship now, but it isn’t