The Song Bird (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Beth D. Carter Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t know. Maybe return to New Orleans or start over somewhere new. I just wish I knew why she came here, why she took a job as a…”
    “A whore?” he finished.
    She flinched at the word. “Must you use such a vulgar word?”
    “No reason to sugarcoat it.”
    “Just don’t. Please.”
    He stared at her, those light eyes assessing her. She wondered what he saw in her.
    “You’d be okay with accepting the person Amelia is now?”
    “Of course,” she replied softly.
    “Why?”
    “Because I love her.”
    He didn’t say anything for a long moment. But she saw the hard edges of his mouth soften and the tight lines around his eyes ease.
    “And that’s all?” he finally asked. “Love?”
    “What else do I need?”
    His long fingers brushed away the wayward curls lingering at her temple. “Very well.”
    “Thank you. Now for my last question—”
    “I’m sorry, but you’ve already asked me four questions.” Just like that, the tenderness fled, and the cockiness was back.
    “What? No, that didn’t count!”
    “A question is a question, sweetheart.”
    “Oh, you’re such an infuriating man!” She pushed against his chest, trying to move him, but Eli Masters was a mountain of a man. “Why won’t you just tell me what I need to know so I can continue my investigation?”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Investigation? Into what, your sister’s lifestyle? I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but girls like her leave all the time. They move around, head to different places, and they sure as hell don’t leave forwarding addresses. Your sister probably found some man dumb enough to pay for her private services and is living with him right now.”
    There was something in his tone, something deep and dark, that made her pause. His voice had twisted, becoming a little shrill, while the look on his face, in his eyes, was a dark pit of bitterness. She stopped pushing against him, and her hands rested against his chest.
    “If it was that simple, then why the mystery?” she asked, her own tone softening. “What theft made you fire them six months ago? What makes your long-term employees scared to talk about it?”
    He sighed in exasperation. “I fired them because they lied about stealing a personal belonging from a client. End of story. No mystery, no big revelation.”
    She would have taken the explanation at face value, but she saw the barest tightening of his lips and somehow knew that he was lying.
    “No, Mr. Masters. I don’t think I believe that entirely,” she replied. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what goes down in your club when you know every facet, every nook, and every corner of what makes this place breathe life. You had a crystal chandelier personally sent from England. You had a Pleyel piano brought in from France. This club takes up over half a block with meticulous details of architecture I’m sure were to your specifications. This isn’t just a club for you, Mr. Masters. It’s your mistress. So don’t insult my intelligence by saying you don’t know my sister. A man like you doesn’t rise to power by not knowing everything around him.”
    “I am who I am by knowing when to lay low and keep my mouth shut,” he muttered, “something you should learn. It’s a bigger picture, Avilon, more than you can imagine.”
    Several emotions struck her at his words. Fear at his warning, satisfaction that she had managed to get him to admit to knowing more, frustration that he had blocked her yet again. But all of it faded as she watched him lean down to capture her mouth with his.
    For a moment she did nothing, too overwhelmed by surprise. This wasn’t some innocent kiss, exploring for the first time taste and texture. No, Eli Masters took her by surprise, stormed past any protest she might have given to sink himself into her. His tongue swept into her mouth, twining with hers in a sort of odd dance. He moved his hands from the wall and cupped her face as he possessed her mouth with