The Billioniare's Bought Bride (Contemporary Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

both Summerhaven’s taxes and the half-million-dollar mortgage Ted took out, I’ll pay you back. I’ll give you a lien against the property as collateral.”
    “I already own the lien.”
    Her mouth dropped open into a wide O before she sputtered, “What?”
    He didn’t even have the decency to appear sheepish. “The mortgage your brother took out. You know how they’re bundled and sold? Well, I bought it.”
    She stared at him. “You’re serious.”
    “Very much so.”
    “If I don’t pay taxes by the end of July, the county gets my land Aug. 1. If I fail to refinance the mortgage by August 31 when the note is due, you’ll own Summerhaven.”
    She sat very still, her gaze never leaving his face. A clock ticked and Madison swore her heart stopped beating. Outside crickets chirped and inside a fly buzzed angrily against the new screen door in an attempt to find freedom.
    Dylan broke the long silence. “Yeah, I will. Unless you can give me a good reason why I shouldn’t. Can you?”
    His poker face was indecipherable. Not one emotion flickered. And here she’d thought that she couldn’t sink any lower, be humiliated any greater than she had been yesterday. She’d been so wrong.
    She wanted to slap him, knock off that unreadable expression. How dare he toy with her! Her hands shook, and she moved the mug out of reach before she tossed the hot contents all over him. She’d come to the devil himself, only to find out he already owned her soul. Worse, his body called to her, making her a silly wanton. She stilled, turning to stone. Show no weakness to thine enemy, her grandfather used to say.
    The uncomfortable silence stretched, and Maddy sank her bottom teeth into her top lip, curling the flesh under until the pain became unbearable. Anything to kill the impending tears that threatened to rain down at any moment. She would not let Dylan Blackwater see her cry. She was through with tears. She would not let him enjoy this victory.
    “Stop that.” Metal scraped hardwood as Dylan stood. He reached forward and firm fingers shook her jaw, forcing her to unclench her teeth. “Stop it, Maddy. Don’t react like a kicked dog and put your tail between your legs. For once in your life show some damn backbone. God knows you didn’t ten years ago.”
    His invasion of her personal space was too great, far too intimate, and she bolted to her feet, her chair skittering backward and toppling. She turned on him, and like yesterday, her finger jabbed into his rock hard chest.
    “That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Some stupid petty revenge? A chance to degrade me, pay me back for all those years ago when I rejected you and Ted beat you up? Well, fine. Be satisfied. But this is the end of your show!”
    Her humiliation threshold breached, she shoved him away and made a beeline for the kitchen door. Ignoring his shout, she rushed outside, the housefly escaping with her. She stumbled around the side of the cabin and toward the dock, everything a blur as she made her way to the water.
    She shoved the canoe off and climbed in. The vessel wobbled but didn’t tip as she landed with an ungraceful thump in the back. Leaning down, she grabbed for the paddle that lay on the canoe floor and got the canoe turned toward home.
    “You silly fool.” Behind her, angry words mixed with the sounds of running feet and splashing water. She glanced backward. Dylan had shed his shirt and shoes and swam after her. She dug the paddle deep and tried to propel the canoe out of his reach.
    She needn’t have bothered. Despite his soaked shorts, Dylan’s body sliced through the water. Before she’d paddled fifteen feet beyond the end of the dock, he’d caught her. With one hand, he grabbed the metal edge, yanked the side of the canoe, and tipped. Maddy fell out, right into his awaiting arms.
    “I’ve got you. Stop flailing about or I’ll drop you and then you really will get soaking wet.” She stopped struggling as Dylan held her