Sarasota Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

Payton, Noah, and Libby would have to cut their loses and allow the bank to short sell or auction the place. Sometimes, on days like today, she wanted to do just that.
    He laughed at her. “Why would I answer such a loaded question, Elizabeth? For you to find reasons to turn me off from you, so I won’t go through with it.”
    She lost her temper in a sudden and stupid way, whirling around and glaring up at the face that haunted her dreams for years. And on some nights, it still did. “We both know you’re not marrying me!” In that split second, she realized she never stopped loving the gorgeous, tortured man staring down at her. God, the realization drilled her bones, and she almost lost her breath right in front of him.
    Something unnamable flashed across his face. His hand came up, cupping the side of her face. “If I didn’t know better…”
    “I think she’d be more comfortable at our place,” Drake walked in, carrying a familiar satchel.
    Libby pushed Trey’s hand away and stepped around him. “Is that mine?”
    “Yeah. I picked up your laptop at the firehouse while checking on the repairs.” She almost said thank you but caught herself. Instead, she stretched out her hand as he gave it to her. “You may be in there a day sooner than we anticipated.”
    “I won’t get my hopes up.” She closed her eyes. “But that would be great.” The sooner she was home, the better. When she opened her eyes, Drake was leaning down, his lips near hers. She skirted him. “What are you doing?”
    He raised a censoring brow. “I want a kiss, but if you’re going to be a prude…” He shrugged, his tiger’s gaze encircled with sooty lashes locking onto her lips. “Don’t worry about it.”
    “I’m taking this to the desk,” she muttered quickly and bolted from the testosterone-laden room. Entering her temporary office, she unzipped the satchel, removing her laptop and, thankfully, her charger.
    “I’ll see you in the morning, Elizabeth,” Trey called from the door, his fingers strangling his walking cane. “Unless you want me to stay the night.”
    The time was just past six, so she guessed Trey had other plans, probably other women to do. And she hated the way that thought made her feel. She gestured around the room, where he’d had the extra bed removed. “There’s only one bed in this place.”
    “Precisely.”
    She glanced over her shoulder and worked up the best sneer she could muster on short notice. “Morning, it is.”
    His voice dropped a seductive octave when he said, “Since you can’t go to another man without breaking our agreement, you may want to reconsider your frigid attitude.” She inhaled sharply, but no words formed on her tongue. He nodded as he walked away. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
    Drake walked into her office. He sat his tight ass on the edge of the desk, waving a hand over the desk phone. “Room service is 24/7. Anything you need or even want is merely a phone call away.”
    “Does that include happiness?” she asked sarcastically, running her fingers over the phone buttons. “I don’t see that option here…”
    
He took her hand gently in his. “Believe it or not, I’m sensitive to your situation.”
    She wasn’t falling for good-cop-bad-cop. “Right.”
    He released her hand and stood. “If you don’t want my comfort, fine. Avery’s been hurt, my family’s shook up. I’m told Gilda is clutching her chest as we speak. So I need to see her personally, and tell her things are as right as rain.”
    She wondered if that’s where Trey headed off to, but fought her curiosity. “Does Gilda Easton know what little bastards she’s raised?” She regretted the words the second they flew out of her mouth.
    “Your father is the bastard in this, though you refuse to see it that way.”
    She placed her hands flat on the desk. “I never refused to see it that way. My father should have never done…I don’t have words to express how I feel about the