Possession (The Plus One Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page B

birthday.” He set the coffee down. “I’m going to take a shower.” He vanished behind the bathroom door.
    Locking her out.
    Oh God, what had happened to his sister?

 

     
    Chapter Three
     
    Moving quietly, Kat came down the curving stairs into a massive room. The west side of Sloane’s house was floor-to-ceiling glass panels overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Walking through the foyer that flowed into a formal sitting area, she passed by a stunning double-sided fireplace that separated the formal space from the kitchen and family room.
    Oh man that kitchen made her drool. A huge center island big enough for two adults to sleep on. Even better, it had a deep double sink, making it a dream workspace. Four high barstools with padded seats and backs lined up on the outside edge. The kitchen also had top-of-the-line appliances and excellent lighting—the room made her itch to bake.
    Kat glanced over at the living space. A flat-screen TV was mounted over the fireplace. A leather couch and a few chairs—all large enough for a room full of Sloane-sized men to be comfortable—were placed around an exquisite rug that probably rivaled the cost of her condo. The entire room had a sense of relaxed wealth.
    Unsure what to do, wait for Sloane or figure out a way to get home, Kat explored the kitchen and discovered a walk-in pantry. As long as she was stuck in a kitchen made of awesomeness, she was so going to use it. She located flour, white sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and vegetable oil. If she could scrounge up milk, butter and—
    “Hello there, pretty lady.”
    She whipped around. Her right knee buckled, and Kat grabbed the nearest shelf, catching herself before she fell on her ass. “Oh!” Dragging in air, she took in the tall, thin man leaning tiredly against the doorjamb of the spacious walk-in pantry.
    “I’m Drake. And you are?”
    Her heart hammered, but she recalled that Sloane had a friend staying with him. “Kat. I’m, uh, Sloane’s…” Hell, what did she call herself? “Friend.”
    “Well, Kat, right now you look a little cornered. Come out, so you don’t feel trapped in the pantry.” He shuffled slowly back.
    Kat frowned. Sloane had said Drake wasn’t well. “You just startled me,” she assured him. Had Sloane told Drake about her panic attacks?
    “You were concentrating on something.”
    “Blueberry muffins. Do you know if Sloane has fresh or frozen berries?” How old was Drake? He was nearly as tall as Sloane, but older and much thinner. His sallow coloring suggested that he wasn’t just unwell, he was very sick.
    “In the freezer.” His eyes lit up. “You’re going to make blueberry muffins? Right now?”
    “You like muffins?”
    “Hell yes.” Drake opened the massive stainless-steel freezer and pulled out a bag of blueberries. “Tell me what to do. I’ll help if I can have some muffins.”
    “Sure thing.” For the first time this morning, energy filled her. “Do you like to bake?”
    “I like to eat. Or I did until the damned chemo and radiation. And then Sloane hired this team of nurses and nutritionists, and I swear they strip all the joy out of food.” He shook his head in disgust.
    Chemo. Radiation. Cancer. The words resonated through her cells. Sloane was close enough to this man to take him into his home. He’d hired specialists to help Drake. Once she had worried that Sloane had no one to rely on, now she suspected he did—this man.
    And he was very sick.
    Was Kat doing something wrong? Some people adhered to special diets, believing that would help the body fight off illness. People should do whatever gave them a sense of power over their condition. Was she overstepping here? “Maybe this is a bad idea.”
    He sank onto a barstool, looking like Kat had kicked his dog. “No muffins? Not even one?”
    Damn it. She was a total sucker. “I’ll try, but Sloane might, uh, I might have to leave.” It wasn’t her place to reveal Sloane’s personal information. She