Kidnapping the Brazilian Tycoon Read Online Free PDF Page A

he’d assumed she’d be his prom date. For one reckless instant, she had been weak, but she blamed it on adrenaline. Yep. Reacting to his touch was dumb, but overanalyzing his strategy for freedom was even dumber. “I’m not stupid. You’re lying.”
    She resisted the urge to touch her lips, warm and tender from her mistake. Get a grip, Addison . In her entire life, she had never abandoned herself that way…forgetting, even temporarily, what mattered. Wishing her nipples would behave, she shook her hands in an attempt to loosen her limbs and dodge that throbbing sensation. What would impact her life and dozens of others was what had brought her here.
    The past week, when she’d arrived in New York and her plans of kidnapping him solidified, she’d taken two yoga classes with Erika’s chatty personal assistant. He had arranged her hair appointments and hotel accommodations in Vegas and was all too happy to gossip about the upcoming elopement. “Denying that you’re marrying her to make me think you don’t need to be on that flight won’t work.”
    “Why are you so sure I’m marrying her? I never said a word to the media. Never even admitted it to my family.”
    What kind of man didn’t alert his own family about an impending marriage? She touched her throbbing temples. The lush greenness of Toca do Tigre flooded her mind, the memories fresh as a ripe mango. The Kwanis growing corn, mandioca, and bananas. Fishing. Making clay pots for their own use and sale.
    The flicker of challenge in his eyes drew her back to the present. “I have my ways. Listen, all you have to do is hear me out. If we reach an agreement, you’re free to go.”
    “How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?”
    She stood in front of him. One thing she learned with the Kwanis was to always look someone straight in the eye. It was a sign of respect. Necessary to gain their trust. “I don’t go back on my word.”
    He scrutinized the dirty floors, the cigarette-stained beige walls and, at last, her. “How much time do you want?”
    “A year.”
    “Six months,” he retorted.
    Time to negotiate . “And you will offer some help to get them readjusted or find them jobs?”
    “I don’t want to deal with that.”
    She smiled. “I will. I’ll deal with that.”
    “You want a job?” A sarcastic chuckle left his lips. “You’re not as altruistic as you originally appeared.”
    “Because of you, I lost my job at the nonprofit. And I lost my work visa.” And she had emptied her checking account to support her return to the US and her stay in New York while she figured out her last attempt at giving the Kwanis more time.
    He sighed loudly. “Because of your being an extremist.”
    “Whatever. We don’t have to see eye-to-eye on everything.” A wave of frustration coursed within her. “Bruno, the man you want to sell the land to, Silas Lancaster, isn’t a reasonable person. I can imagine you’ve tried to sell that piece of land to others, but due to the repercussions, no one has accepted. No one wants to be linked to expelling people from the land they’ve lived off of for years. But Lancaster doesn’t give a damn, and he plans on building luxury residential properties and changing the whole ecosystem.”
    He attempted to fold his arms. His free arm folded, while his cuffed wrist shook. “And you expect me to just change plans?”
    “Being generous and thinking of others is a small price to pay to be able to make it to your own wedding in time.” She pointed at the alarm clock. “I know there’s a private jet waiting to take you to Vegas tonight.”
    “I told you there’s no wedding. There was…but she called it off.”
    “Called it off? Bruno…” She almost mumbled that she was sorry, though for what she didn’t know. Could he be telling her the truth?
    “It’s true,” he said in a low voice. “She changed her mind a few hours ago. If you want to keep me here all night, let’s have at it. Might as well