His to Possess #2: The Morning After Read Online Free PDF Page A

probably doing something like hiking around Asia.”
    “Are you worried about him?”
    He was, but he wouldn’t admit it. “He can take care of himself. He can live quite comfortably, on what he’s earned with this company and the generous inheritance from Dad, for a long time.”
    “Do you miss him?”
    A typical female question.
    “I don’t miss his brooding or his constant disapproval of my methods.”
    She nodded. “In other words, you wouldn’t admit it if you did.” She finished her last bite of prime rib then put down her fork. “Clearly from the fact you’re keeping his office, you’re hoping he’ll come back. The question is, what will you do when he does? Will you listen to his ideas and try to incorporate them into your plans for the company?”
    “Don’t you think you’re overstepping your bounds?” he said in a stern voice.
    Her lips compressed and she looked properly contrite. “I’m sorry, sir. You’re right. It’s none of my business.”
    Instantly, he missed the warmth in her eyes. The connection they’d been sharing that went beyond the boss-employee relationship. Maybe they couldn’t act on the sexual attraction between them, but he didn’t want to lose the closeness they’d established over dinner.
    She had only been trying to help, but he wasn’t used to anyone poking their nose in his family business. On the other hand, he hadn’t been doing a great job keeping a good relationship with his brother and he truly wanted him back.
    “I’m sorry. I’m not used to opening up about my family relationships. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
    He didn’t go on to tell her that this business with Brenhart and Saunders was exactly the kind of thing Rafe would want them to pursue.
    Her eyes filled with understanding and she placed her hand on his. Instantly, a spark of awareness sizzled through him. He saw it in her eyes, too, and she shifted her hand away, wrapping her fingers around the stem of her wine glass then lifting it to her lips. He couldn’t help but watch as she sipped the burgundy liquid. Her lips glistened as she ran her tongue around them and he longed to lean forward and taste them. To slip his tongue inside her silky, warm mouth, then to kiss her while she melted into his arms.
    A waiter came by and collected their dinner plates, replacing them with martini glasses filled with chocolate mousse.
    “Sometimes it helps to talks about things,” she said. “Why don’t you tell me a story about you and your brother growing up? How did you get along?”
    He smiled. “Well, when I turned eight years old, Rafe was six, and he decided he wanted to get me something for my birthday. Our parents always arranged a gift from brother-to-brother on these occasions, but Rafe was adamant that he would arrange his own gift. Something he got himself. So on my birthday, he handed me a small box that he’d wrapped himself. There was tape everywhere and not all of the box was covered, but he was proud of his accomplishment. When I opened it up, inside was a gold watch. Just like the one my father had, that he knew I had always been fascinated with.”
    “Where did he get a gold watch?”
    “That’s the thing. It was my Dad’s. At that age, Rafe didn’t really understand the idea of ownership. He just knew I loved that watch, and Dad barely wore that one since he had several, so on the morning of my birthday Rafe retrieved it from my Dad’s dressing room, wrapped it up, and presented it to me.”
    She smiled, her green eyes glittering in the soft light of the candles. “That’s sweet.”
    She was right. Even at eight years old, Dane had been touched by his brother’s generosity and desire to make him happy. He had hated the fact that his father had only seen a child who needed a lesson in ownership and had beat him with a belt. Their mother had not stood up for Rafe because she would never disagree with their father.
    “But enough about me. Let’s delve into your past,