Love Burns Read Online Free PDF Page B

Olivia with a shrewd, assessing gaze. “So, what do you think of my son?”
    “Er…wow, talk about putting me on the spot. He’s, ahh…” Was she blushing? Why would she be blushing? “Stubborn. Loyal to fire dragons. He does everything by the book.”
    “I know, right?” Tabitha rolled her eyes. “I imagine you’ve heard of the Kingsleys.”
    “Well, a little.”
    “Go on. It’s impossible to offend me.”
    “Well…” What the hell. What could it hurt? “I’m aware that for centuries your family had the reputation of being jewel thieves,” she said. “But apparently you’ve gone straight now.”
    Tabitha made a face. “Sad but true.”
    “And you wanted to talk to me tonight because…?”
    Tabitha looked her up and down again. “Calder and I haven’t seen eye to eye for a long time. As you pointed out, he’s very by-the-book. I’m not. But we were reconciled about a year ago, when Calder’s brother Gabriel married a lovely woman, and I have to admit, I probably did him wrong for a number of years by blaming him for his nature. So I’m trying to be a good mother again. I wanted to see what kind of woman my son was going to end up with.”
    “What did you just say?” Olivia burst into laughter. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware of the strain of insanity running through your family.”
    “Well, you should be, it’s quite pronounced. However, that’s neither here nor there. You’re his mate. I can tell by the way he talks about you. He’s not admitting it to himself yet, but he will.” Tabitha frowned in thought. “Yes, you’ll do,” she said finally, and walked off.
    Nora walked up to Olivia, her pretty face pinched in disapproval. “What was that all about? Why were you talking to Calder’s mother? She’s a thief, you know. Rumor has it that she shoplifts and her son always covers up for it.”
    “Calder does that?” Olivia said, astonished.
    “No, his twin brother, Gabriel. Also a thief.”
    Sailor rushed up to them, out of breath. “ Mother , that grotesque Ichabod creature is here,” she said in a whiny, self-important tone. She pointed in the direction she’d just come from. “I would never let myself be married off just for money like that.”
    “Good for you,” Olivia said appreciatively.
    Sailor nodded. “My husband has to be rich and handsome,” she said. “Right, mother?”
    “And that’s my cue to exit,” Olivia said quickly, and vanished into the crowd.

Chapter Five
     
    Olivia threaded her way through fire and ice dragons, head down so she could avoid the gaze of Ichabod, who had climbed up on a bench and was scanning the crowd. He was tall and had a beak of a nose and a sour, pinched expression. She couldn’t believe her father was trying to marry her off to that man.
    Yes she could. Ichabod owned several gold mines, and although her father and his clan were wealthy, they liked to live extremely well. Were they running out of her mother’s money, Olivia wondered, or were they just always greedy for more?
    She couldn’t make it to the parking lot from where she was without having to pass by Ichabod. The only place she could hide was the storage building. If she ducked in there for a bit, hopefully Ichabod would move on and she could make a graceful exit.
    She was in luck. The back door was unlocked, and she quickly slipped inside, pulling the door shut behind her.
    Then she began feeling her way down the hallway. It was pitch dark.
    She ran right into someone – a very tall, muscular someone – and let out a startled shriek. The man clapped his hand over her mouth and dragged her behind a stack of cardboard boxes. They were crammed into a tight little corner, she couldn’t see a thing, and he was pressing her up against the wall. And her body was suddenly tingling in a highly embarrassing fashion; whoever this guy was, he was a solid wall of muscle.
    Am I really that pathetic that I’m turned on by a random burglar? She had to get away from him.
    She