Mine for Now - The Billionaire's Obsession #2 Read Online Free PDF

natural that he talks about a roommate. We see each other every day.”
    Helen snorted. “Sweetie, he and Sam see each other every day, too, and he certainly doesn’t ramble on about his brother. And he’s never talked about a woman before.”
    Kara tried to get her hopeful heart under control. Just because Simon mentioned her in his conversations with his mom didn’t mean anything. “He and Sam don’t live in the same home.”
    “You like him. And he likes you. A lot.”
    Her shoulders slumped as she set her mug back on the table and toyed with a napkin. She had never been able to hide much from Helen. “I do. I just don’t want to expect too much. Simon isn’t into commitments. I get that.” Sort of. “He’s never even had a steady girlfriend.”
    Helen reached out her hand, resting it over the fingers that Kara was using to slowly rip up a paper napkin. “It doesn’t mean that he can’t or won’t.” Helen let out a heavy breath. “Something happened to Simon when he was sixteen and he’s never been the same, Kara. He’s always been quiet, my intelligent little boy with his face firmly planted in a book and as studious as any parent could ever wish for. But he was also humane, the type of child that would rescue any stray. I remember how badly Sam used to tease him about his bleeding heart. There was hardly a day that went by that Simon wasn’t dragging home a lost animal or trying to right some wrong.” Helen squirmed uncomfortably on the bench seat. “But I think he lost that when he was sixteen.”
    Kara squeezed Helen’s hand. “He didn’t lose it. It’s still there. Look at how he’s helping me. I know something happened. I don’t know the specifics, Helen, but he’s still as kind as he’s always been.”
    “That’s just it. He wasn’t before he met you. You’re the first person outside of the family who he’s cared about in a whole lot of years. It gives me hope.”
    Kara flinched. “Please, don’t get your hopes up. We’re friends. That’s it. Just consider me a stray that he’s rescuing.”
    Helen beamed as she pulled her hand away and grasped her coffee mug, shooting Kara a knowing look. “Yeah, well, then you’re the first stray he’s taken in for about sixteen years. I’d say that’s kind of significant.”
    Kara did the math, her heart pumping. Of course, the party.  Simon ’ s turning thirty-two tomorrow.
    “I’m sure that’s not true. He probably just didn’t tell you.” Certainly, she couldn’t be the first person he had helped since the unknown incident that had changed him at the age of sixteen.
    Helen laughed and said cryptically, “I’m his mother. I have eyes in the back of my head. Ask my boys. It irritates the hell out of them that I know things even when they haven’t told me.”
    Do you know that Simon can only have sex with women if they ’ re blindfolded and tied?   Kara was pretty sure that Helen wasn’t privy to that information, and she sure as hell wasn’t telling her. There were just some things that mothers shouldn’t know. Still, she wondered about Simon’s supposed years of isolation, of containing his rescuer tendencies. It made her chest tight to think about what had happened to Simon, what had changed him from that sweet young boy to an isolated, detached adult.
    Was he really changing? He was aloof at times, and a little bit insular, but Kara didn’t think she could ever imagine him as uncaring or completely solitary. There were some things that were just…Simon.
    Gruff…check.
    Cranky…check.
    Bossy…check.
    Controlling…sometimes.
    Kind…definitely check! Beneath his rough exterior he had a very good heart.
    Sexy…check, check, check.
    He was also witty, smart and completely irresistible in more ways than she could count.
    “Hopefully, he’ll tell me what happened some day.” Kara whispered to herself.
    “I hope he does. He needs to talk about it and leave it in the past.” Helen replied quietly.
    Oh, hell.