MINE FOREVER (BOOK III: The Billionaire's Obsession) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Sam answered thoughtfully. "Maybe you should just tell her. Maybe you need to. Is your silence really worth losing her? She obviously loves you, and whether you want to admit it or not, you love her too. Guess you just need to decide if she's worth it." Sam leaned forward, spearing Simon with a sharp glance. "Don't fuck up. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you do."
    Pain? Regret? Sorrow? For a fleeting moment, Simon could see every one of those emotions reflected in his brother's eyes. By the time he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to ask his elder brother about it, Sam's expression had turned indifferent and apathetic. Simon snapped his jaw closed, recognizing the look on Sam's face, the unequivocal signal that meant his sibling didn't want to talk about it.
    "She's being unreasonable." Simon grumbled, returning his attention to his current problem. He wouldn't push Sam to share his pain if his brother didn't want to.
    "Admit it. You love her." Sam crossed his arms and shot Simon a knowing look.
    "She's stubborn."
    "You love her."
    "I trust her. I tell her everything else."
    "You love her."
    "Fuck!" Simon slammed his fist down on the desk so hard the solid oak shook on its foundations. "She makes me crazy. She makes me happy. I think she's so beautiful that I want to just sit and look at her for hours. One minute I'm perfectly sane, and the next I'm totally losing it. She couldn’t give a shit less about the fact that I'm rich, and I think the woman is blind because I swear she doesn't even notice that I'm scarred. The way she looks at me sometimes makes me feel like I'm ten feet tall. And she's looking at me . Not the billionaire, not the wealthy executive. Just the man. She can be as stubborn as a damn mule, but I even like that because she's determined. Smart. Kind. And she puts up with my cranky ass, accepts me exactly as I am." Breathless from his tirade, Simon sucked in a trembling, uneven gulp of air. He slumped forward, his anger spent. "So, yeah. If these wild lunatic, possessive feelings for her that I have every fucking minute of every day are love...I'm screwed. I'm can't even imagine having to live my life without her." Voice vibrating with emotion, he looked up his older brother, his expression tortured.
    "Then don't." Sam answered simply, his brow lifting, meeting Simon's questioning glance. "We built this company together. We started in a crappy, one-bedroom apartment, bro. Now we're wealthy beyond our wildest dreams and a major player worldwide. If you can accomplish that, you can handle this." Sam's voice went from serious to teasing as he added, "Pull your head out of your ass and solve the problem."
    Simon lips curved up in a small smile. He hadn't heard Sam say those words in years. It had been a frequent statement back in the days when they were still building Hudson. If one of them got stalled in the business by a roadblock, the other would kick them in the rear with those exact words. It had become their mantra, but they hadn't needed it in a very long time. They had plenty of employees who were paid very well to solve those problems before they ever got to Sam or himself. "Sometimes I think that I'd rather rebuild a whole business than to have to deal with this."
    Sam shrugged. "Business is business. It's not always easy, but the outcome is fairly predictable. Relationships are messy. You have no data, no statistics. Nothing to justify taking the leap except emotion." Sam shuddered, as though the thought of jumping into a serious relationship was akin to torture.
    "Then why in the hell are you telling me to do it?" Simon pierced his brother with an irritated glare.
    "You need her." Sam stood abruptly and buttoned his suit jacket. "But if you ever decide you don't want her--"
    "Don't start!" Simon rumbled, his voice lacking venom. If he had realized anything today, it was the fact that his brother had his own secrets, a woman in his past --very likely Maddie, judging by Sam’s