Yours to Hold: Ribbon Ridge Book Two by Darcy Burke Read Free Book Online

want to vandalize the house I’m renting? You’re a piece of work.”
    “Yeah, well I’m trying to be helpful.” There was an acidity to his tone that made her feel instantly contrite. Knowing what she knew about him, she regretted making him out to be a total clusterfuck. “At least I’m not the world’s shittiest therapist,” he said.
    She couldn’t stop her sharp intake of breath, which was stupid. She was the world’s shittiest therapist. That didn’t mean she wanted to hear it from him. Maybe he wasn’t so nice after all. “If your opinion of me is so low, why do you keep asking for my help?”
    “Because you knew my brother, and the way I see it, you owe me and my family.” He took a step toward her and leaned in close enough that she caught a whiff of his aftershave or cologne or whatever it was that smelled like spice and sandalwood. “And I mean to collect.”
    He turned and headed back toward his car. When he got to the driver’s door, he looked at her. “I’ll call you about the names in the laptop. Pick an evening when I can take you out for a drink.”
    No invitation, no polite query, just an expectation that she’d jump to do his bidding. Yeah, nice was not how she’d describe Kyle Archer. Nice-looking, for sure . . .
    A minute passed, and he didn’t leave. She stood there and watched him, waiting for him to go so that she could get her key and go inside. And pour a giant glass of pinot.
    She finally strode to the passenger side and rapped on the window.
    He rolled it down and arched a brow at her. God, he was sexy. That really sucked.
    “Aren’t you going to leave?” she asked.
    “I was waiting until after you went inside.”
    “Let me guess, another lesson in gentlemanliness from your mother?”
    His mouth tried to smile, but he suppressed it. “You don’t have to sound so annoyed by it. Any other woman would be impressed.”
    Her purse strap slipped down her arm. “Is that what you’re trying to do, impress me?” Was she flirting with him? Why in the hell was she flirting with him?
    “Hell no.”
    Stung, she swung her purse over her shoulder and backed away from the car. “There’s no way I’m getting my key out in front of you so that you can let yourself into my house and search it for clues that don’t exist.” Wow, paranoid much? Yes, ever since she’d come home after breaking up with Mark and found her entire bedroom covered in red rose petals. She hadn’t been able to move out of that apartment fast enough.
    Kyle leaned over the console and glared at her. “I think I already established that I could break in if I wanted to, but I also thought I’d proven myself to be a gentleman. Since that’s gotten me absolutely nowhere, I give up trying to be nice.” He started the car. “Don’t forget to call me.”
    She watched him back out of the driveway and take off down the quiet street. Exhaling the tension that had bottled up during their bickering, she retrieved her spare key and let herself into the house. She quickly locked the deadbolt, not because she was scared, but because it was an ingrained habit. No, Kyle Archer didn’t scare her. At least not the way that Mark had. The fear she felt about Kyle had nothing to do with her safety and everything to do with her emotional well-being. In any other circumstance, she could see herself liking him, maybe even wanting to date him.
    She blew air through her teeth as she went into the kitchen and set her purse on the built-in desk. Pouring a glass of her favorite Oregon pinot noir, she took a fortifying sip and tried to think of how she could avoid seeing him again.
    Unfortunately, she was certain he wouldn’t give up. And she was just as certain that she didn’t want him to.

Chapter Three
    H OLED UP IN his office Friday morning, Kyle scrutinized the names in Alex’s laptop for the hundredth time. He knew a lot of them—family, friends, Ribbon Ridge business associates and acquaintances. He didn’t know