The Tycoon's Proposal by Melody Anne Read Free Book Online Page A

exception that in reality he was blackmailing her into his bed. Hell, he’d kick their asses if they did the same thing. It was much easier to notice other people’s flaws than your own and he wanted her too badly to stop what he was doing, even knowing how wrong it was.
     
    “She’s even more gorgeous now than she was as a teenager,” Derek said, with a wiggle of his brows.
     
    “Back off, you’re a married man,” Ryan told his cousin, feeling an irrational urge to mark his claim. He knew Derek was a happily married man but Ryan found he didn’t like any man making a comment about her. Derek simply laughed at his cousin, before the three of them headed off towards the pool.
     
     
     
    “So spill Nicole, we want all the juicy details of how you two got together and what you’ve been up to,” Jasmine demanded of Nicole. She actually relaxed, sitting in the presence of a familiar face and a new friend. There was something very reassuring about having women to talk with, who were nice and understanding.
     
    She found she wanted to spill her guts to them but was afraid Ryan would be furious and then refuse to help her sister. She didn’t think he’d stop the surgery but she wasn’t taking any chances. She still had feelings for Ryan so she could be as honest as possible.
     
    “My sister’s in the hospital and I didn’t have anyone to turn to or talk with so I called Ryan. He was there instantly and the minute I saw him again all those old feelings came right back to the surface,” Nicole said in as simple an explanation as she could.
     
    “Your sister’s in the hospital? What’s wrong with her? How can we help?” Jasmine fired off a bunch of questions with a look of concern on her face. Nicole explained about the heart surgery and before long she was crying with Jasmine and Trinity holding her hands comfortingly. It was so nice to have someone to lean on and simply cry out her heartache. She’d been holding it in for the last several months.
     
    She hadn’t allowed herself to break down and cry even once, because she knew if she were to let go she wouldn’t be able to pick herself back up again. She realized she wasn’t falling completely apart though. She was actually feeling supported by the two amazing women.
     
    The men walked in and saw the three teary women and were instantly on alert. They looked at one another in a panic and knelt down.
     
    “What’s wrong, Baby?” Derek asked with concern.
     
    “You don’t need to worry, Derek, we’re simply women and this is what we do,” Jasmine told her husband with a watery smile.
     
    “You know we have to try and fix it,” Drew added as he rubbed along Trinity’s back.
     
    “That’s because you’re the most honorable men we know but we really will be okay,” Trinity told Drew. Ryan stood motionless as he stared at the three women. He didn’t have the right to fix Nicole’s problems as he was responsible for causing half of them. Everything in him said he needed to pull her into his arms and hold her until the tears faded away, though. He had to remember what she’d done to him. Otherwise he was afraid she’d quickly have him wrapped around her finger once more.
     
    “Now boys, give us more time together, then we’ll start making dinner,” Jasmine said to the men. They reluctantly walked away, though they mumbled to each other about emotional women.
     
    Jasmine and Trinity continued to comfort Nicole until all the tears ran dry. They slowly pulled themselves together and headed toward the kitchen. There was a household staff who normally cooked but sometimes it was soothing to prepare a meal together.
     
    “I hear Joshua crying. I’ll be right back,” Trinity said, walking over to grab her infant from his car seat.
     
    “He’s beautiful,” Nicole said with longing. She’d never allowed herself to even think about having a baby. You had to have a relationship first and she didn’t have the time for