Hotbed Honey Read Online Free PDF

him. "Trust me. You wouldn't."

    * * *

    "Oh my God."

    Max's car had just emerged from a grove of billowing storybook trees on the winding driveway that led to their borrowed mansion. The home before them boasted two incredibly tall columns that stretched from the expansive front porch to an arch at the top of the third story. Part brick, part white stucco, it reminded Kimberly of homes she'd seen on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous . Nestled deep in the wooded hills, it made her think of a fairy-tale paradise.

    "Get used to it," Max told her as she continued to gape. The car came to a halt in the circular driveway that fronted the mansion and Kimberly stumbled out of it, her eyes still exploring the splendor of it all. "You live here, you know. You can't seem too amazed by anything."

    "I've got all day to work on that," she told him. "But for now, I can't help it—I'm pretty amazed."

    "There's a pool. Did you bring a suit?"

    Kimberly glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded, then returned her gaze to the house. She'd figured no decent mansion would be caught dead without a pool. Now that she saw the place, she was surprised it didn't have two or three.

    "What's it like?"

    She turned to give him her full attention. "What's what like?"

    "Your swimsuit."

    Despite the suggestion in the question, Kimberly knew it had nothing to do with him . It had to do with their job. "Yes, it's a two-piece. Our guest should love it."

    He nodded at her, then quickly shifted his focus to getting her stuff from the car, but not before she thought she detected an unexpected glimmer of personal interest twinkling in his eyes. So maybe it wasn't just a business question. Her stomach raced with the idea that he might still be attracted to her…

    But damn it! She stomped her foot on the ground to punctuate her annoyance with herself. Why did she even care? She was here to arouse the bad guy, not Max.

    Still, she couldn't help it if Max was aroused, too, could she? After all, she was only doing her job. Arousal didn't necessarily mean romance—often the two weren't even connected—but how could she help letting her mind wander in that direction? Her heart resumed its racing, but she tried to keep it under control as much as possible.

    "Something wrong?"

    She looked up with innocent eyes as Max rounded the car with her bags. "No. Why?"

    "I thought you were stepping on a bug or something." He looked toward the foot she'd just stomped.

    But Max wasn't the only one who could avoid unwanted conversations, she decided. "Let's go inside. I want to look around." And she rushed ahead toward the door.

    * * *

    Beyond the foyer, which was lined with Mexican tile, the immense house stretched in all directions. A bright, spacious family room with a vaulted ceiling and huge picture windows that looked out on the pool area caught Kimberly's eye. To the right was a crisp white kitchen with a cooking island and a breakfast nook with another picture window.

    In complete awe, Kimberly wandered the length of the nearest hallway, finding an elegant dining room filled with massive oak furniture. Renaissance art graced the walls. She next discovered an office and a library, a billiards room and a plush bathroom big enough to house a small family. She stumbled through a door into the three-car garage to find one spot empty; however, a gray Mercedes and a jade-green Jaguar convertible sat neatly where they belonged.

    Returning to the foyer on the route she'd traveled, she found Max wearing an annoyed look as he waited for her at the bottom of the curving staircase she'd glimpsed when she'd come inside. "Do you mind?" he muttered. "This thing weighs a ton." He motioned to the suitcase clutched in his right fist.

    Kimberly merrily took the garment bag from his other hand. "Shoes," she explained of the suitcase. "Lots of them." Then she went past him on the stairs, still in wonder over the spectacular home she would call her own for the next few days.