Tycoon Takedown Read Online Free PDF Page A

there. “Thank you, no. I have everything I need.”
    Charles told the driver the name of her hotel and they pulled out into traffic. As they drove into the heart of the city, the streets were crowded with people. If she had been there for any other reason, Melanie would have appreciated the differences between the rural lifestyle sh e’d been raised in and the bustle of the city streets.
    But New York didn’t matter.
    The man beside her didn’t, either.
    There was too much at stake to worry about what Charles thought of her. “Sarah said this is your first trip to New York City.”
    Melanie nodded but didn’t turn away from the window.
    “How long will you be here?” he asked.
    “Maybe a day. Maybe a week.”
    “Is there anything yo u’d like to see while you’re here? A play perhaps? I could have my secretary procure tickets to almost anywhere. It doesn’t matter if the event says it’s sold out. Everyone keeps some tickets on the side.”
    For just the briefest moment, she imagined he was offering to go with her, but quickly decided not to make a fool of herself yet again and simply shook her head no.
    “Normally I would offer to take you to dinner this evening, but I didn’t know you were coming. I have plans that are, unfortunately, impossible to change.”
    How polite. How utterly civilized and the polar opposite of the way h e’d been in Texas. She thought back to the first time they met. H e’d been furious with the idea that his sister was shacking up for the summer with the cowboy. H e’d walked onto Tony Carlton’s ranch like h e’d owned it and gone head-to-head with a man most wouldn’t have had the nerve to tangle with. H e’d been cold and dismissive—and more than a little insulting even to her. At least until she had thrown a glass of lemonade in his face and told him what she thought of him and how he was treating his sister.
    Sarah said that, despite how he appeared, Charles would do anything for his family. Well, he was certainly proving her right. For Sarah’s sake, his attempts to make Melanie feel welcome were unwavering.
    And I’m being rude by not even looking at him while he makes polite conversation with me. Why? Because despite how tough I look on the outside, I am not. I’m scared, and I don’t want him to see it in my eyes.
    The car pulled up in front of her hotel. The driver opened the door. Charles stepped out and offered a hand to Melanie, but she ignored it. The less she touched him, the better. Her body wasn’t on the same page as her brain for this trip. It wanted to fling itself into his arms and beg him to come inside with her. Lust and loneliness were a powerful combination.
    If I threw myself at him, would his rejection be as polite and awkward as our conversation has been?
    I should be grateful he’s not attracted to me. This trip is already complicated enough.
    The bellman took her bag. Charles stepped aside for a moment to speak with someone in the lobby while Melanie checked in.
    “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Charles said when he returned. His deep voice sent ripples of pleasure through her.
    Melanie’s breath caught in her throat. Is there anything about him that isn’t above average? Her eyes dropped to his crotch instinctively and she blushed.
    Stop. I don’t even like men in suits.
    Well, not most men. Charles had an air of power that made his clothing choice irrelevant. Men and women alike stopped to watch him, and not only because he was a classically handsome man with broad shoulders and a square chin. No, he had what her friends back home would call the “don’t-fuck-with-me” attitude. It gave his polished exterior an edge. People stopped and stared at him, sensing he was important even if they weren’t sure who he was.
    “You don’t have to call me.” Melanie looked down at her worn jeans and hugged her backpack tighter. “I may not even still be here.”
    He took out his card and wrote on the back of it before handing it to her.