The Passion Series Read Online Free PDF Page B

This room had clearly been decorated by a woman.
    “Heather. It’s very good to see you again.” Ryan entered the room, seeming very at ease. It was his turf, after all. In a way, it gave him the upper hand from the start.
    “Hello, Ryan. Thank you for inviting me. You have a lovely home. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the new painting will be placed.”
    He wore trim charcoal pants and a light beige V-neck sweater. He’d run his hands through his hair or something. It looked a little more spiked than she remembered. The look was very suave and utterly sexy.
    “You look lovely tonight.” He smiled and came over to sit across from her. She couldn’t help but notice his lean thighs under the tight fitted pants. “I took the liberty of asking Charles to bring us some champagne.”
    As if on command, the same butler that had shown her in only minutes ago brought in a standing ice bucket, the champagne already chilling. Two glasses were placed on the coffee table. Charles poured some for each of them and left quietly.
    “What are we celebrating?” Heather asked, raising her glass in a toasting motion and taking a sip.
    “You came to see me tonight. That’s enough.” Ryan took a gulp of his champagne and lifted the glass, preparing to take another.
    Just being in the same room with him made her feel warm all over. She set down her glass and removed her jacket. “I think you cornered me,” she said, and looked away, trying to break the hold he had over her.
    When she looked back, Ryan was still gazing at her. It shook her. The look in his eyes affected her intensely, whether she wanted it to or not.
    “I shouldn’t have said that,” she blurted out. Some urge toward honesty overtook her. “I understand that I may have upset you. And I can understand why. The last two times we met, I can’t account for my behavior.”
    Ryan listened patiently. Gaining confidence, Heather went on. “I just want to start over. Get off on the right foot. I’m looking forward to creating the painting for you. I have some very good ideas already and I’m sure I can put my heart into it.”
    Heather sighed and looked down at the table between them. “I want to say something and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. You’re a very attractive man.” That wasn’t the way she’d planned to start, she thought, a little panicked.
    “What I mean is that I know you are a top male star and women swoon over you. It’s obvious why. I don’t have to tell you that you’re one of the sexiest men I’ve ever met.” It was only getting worse, she thought ruefully. This is not the right direction for this conversation—or monologue, as it had become. She better change course, and quickly.
    “Ryan, I know I’m not like the women you date.”
    Ryan’s face softened. He finally spoke and took her out of her misery. “That’s exactly what I like about you, Heather. You are real. You feel. You have passion, whether you’ll admit it or not.
    “I know why you fled the room the other day. I’m smart enough to figure that out. You felt I used you, that I’d take what I want and be done with you. I admit, I have a reputation for that.
    “But reputations aren’t the whole man. I’m hoping you’ll be willing to see another side of me.”
    Heather’s defenses were easily shattered. She couldn’t sweep aside the sincerity in his voice. Maybe he was feeding her a line, and he probably was. She wondered if she could trust him.
    She stood and paced a few steps away from the sofa. A soft smile played over her face. “I came to see the room where you plan to hang the painting. Would you like to show it to me now?”
    Ryan stood and moved closer. There was no more than an inch between them. Heather felt suddenly weak. Ryan placed his hand at her back and gently guided her toward the door. “Yes, let’s have a look.”
    Ryan felt his cock harden. Just being that close to her caused a feeling he hadn’t experienced