Kestrel (Hart Briothers #3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

this come from?
    He
pulls away from me and steps back, rubbing his mouth.
    “I’m
sorry, but you’re not my type.” His features initially register shock. But
worse than that, distaste replaces it.
    That
stings. Really stings. But even more dreadful, I am morbidly ashamed of myself.
That doesn’t stop me from digging myself into an even deeper hole.
    “What?
Am I not sexy enough? Are my clothes not revealing enough?”
    “Um,
Dr. Drayton, this is more than a bit awkward.”
    “No,
tell me. And my name is Carter.”
    “You’re
propositioning me.” Now I detect shock and more than a hint of mockery.
    “No,
not propositioning. I want to strike a deal. You see I’m a desperate woman. And
desperate people do all kinds of things.”
    “Carter,
I’m really not interested.”
    “I
know I’m not very attractive, but if you want me to change the way I look, I
can do that.”
    “You
don’t understand.”
    “What?
Am I not good enough for you?”
    His
eyes skim me from head to toe. “Good doesn’t have anything to do with it.
You’re not bad enough for me.”
    “Huh?”
    Then
he grabs me, twists his hand in my ever-present ponytail, and kisses me. But
it’s nothing like anything I’ve ever experienced. This is not a kiss. It’s a life-changing
event. His lips don’t touch. They possess and control. I am so stunned my mouth
opens. His tongue sweeps in and it doesn’t lick; it tastes and sucks as it
tangles with mine. His teeth even engage in a way I didn’t think was possible.
There is nothing sweet and gentle about this kiss at all. Now I understand the
meaning of absolute passion. By the time he releases me, my head spins from the
lack of oxygen and my fingers gouge into his biceps, hanging on for dear life.
    When
I think he’s done, his mouth dives down to my neck where his teeth scrape and
his tongue paints. I shock myself to hear deep groans emanating from me. Jesus,
what the hell is he doing to me? Then suddenly he ceases.
    “Now
do you understand, Carter?”
    He’s
tall, but so am I. And I’m not ready to give up my quest.
    “You
don’t think I’m up for this challenge?”
    His
eyes narrow as he snakes a hand under my lab coat and grabs my ass. He laughs
at my gasp.
    “Not
at all. You’re so green, you’re wet behind the ears.”
    “That’s
not the only place I’m wet.”
    Now
it’s his turn to be shocked. Then he lets out a laugh. “I’m not sure what to
make of you, Dr. Drayton.”
    “Give
me a chance. Please.”
    He
gestures with his head, saying, “What you have up here is a huge dose of
unhealthy.”
    My
lids drop. He’s right, but I can’t face letting it go. “If I lose this, I’m
afraid I’ll lose her memory, too.”
    “That’s
nonsense.”
    “Don’t
you dare tell me what’s nonsense. Have you ever lost a
child?” I wrench out of his embrace.
    “No.”
    “Don’t
act so high and mighty, then. You were probably raised like I was, without a
care in the world.”
    His
features immediately darken and his lips thin. “I’d tread carefully, if I were
you. You don’t know a thing about me, Dr. Drayton. Assumptions can be very
dangerous.”
    “Point
taken.”
    “What’s
your price?”
    “My
price?”
    “For
the house?”
    “Will
you accept the arrangement?”
    “The
carriage house rental is yours. The room I have to consider.”
    “I
meant what I said. I’ll do anything you want. No holds barred.”
    “You
may change your mind,” he warns. “And then what?”
    I
shrug. “Do what you want with the room. And I won’t change my mind. I swear.”
    “The
price?”
    “Four
point five.”
    “I’ll
have a check delivered tomorrow. When can you have your things out?”
    Jesus!
He didn’t blink or even quibble. Uncle Foster said I’d never get that much.
“That depends. Do you want the furnishings?”
    “Isn’t
there anything you want to keep?”
    “Well,
of course. Some of the family antiques I’ll want, but if I’m moving into the
carriage house, I