Harlequin Romance March 2021 Box Set Cara Colter (the mitten read aloud TXT) 📖

head against the back of the sofa. ‘Apparently she planned to use my money to save her family’s fortune. Once that was done she planned to divorce me—and take me for everything she could get, of course.’

‘Of course…’ she echoed faintly.

‘A child featured in this plan of hers too.’ For the briefest of moments his mouth tightened. ‘She planned to get pregnant and…’

She’d planned to use their child as a weapon against him? ‘Oh, Owen.’ No wonder he was so damn gun-shy now when it came to relationships. ‘I’m sorry. What a dreadful experience. I—’

‘All I can see now, though, is what a lucky escape I had. And you’ve reminded me that not all women—in fact not even the majority—are out for what they can get. I find myself…weirdly grateful.’

‘Which is better than being bitter,’ she agreed slowly.

‘And I’ve been meaning to thank you for something else too.’

She took a sip of beer, trying to ignore the latent power of his body that was starting to sing a siren song to her. ‘Oh?’

‘I had a good talk with Lissy and sorted everything out.’

‘I’m so glad!’ His half-sister was smart and sassy, and she’d quickly become one of Callie’s favourite people. Besides their shopping trip, they’d also spent a day in the city sightseeing, plus had another two dinner-and-movie nights at Owen’s.

‘She was taken in by Fiona too—totally fooled by her. Until Fiona “tactfully—”’ he made air quotes ‘—told Lissy that she was taking up too much of my time, was too demanding, and that maybe it was time for her to grow up a bit and stand on her own two feet.’

Callie’s feet slammed to the floor. ‘She did what? What a complete and utter—’

‘I know.’

‘I hope you told Lissy that any woman who treats her like that isn’t worth your time of day, and is not someone you want to be in a relationship with, and…and…’

He reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘I did. We sorted everything out. I’ve also promised to do my best to stop being such an overbearing, bossy big brother. We’re good, Callie.’ He squeezed her hand again. ‘And that’s because of you. Thank you.’

She should pull her hand from his. She should, but she didn’t want to.

‘So I’ve been thinking…’ he started. ‘If you get this job—and I think it’s a sure thing given your video—’

‘It would help if I could find out who my father is,’ she inserted.

‘Well, I’ve been thinking…you’d be based in the States, right?’

She nodded.

‘Does that mean you’ll stay in New York?’

Something in his tone had her lifting her gaze from the sparkly purple nail polish on her toes to his deep smoky gaze. ‘I… I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead.’

‘Tonight I realised that in the month you’ve been living in this apartment you’ve built a nice little community here. It’d be a shame to uproot yourself and start over somewhere new.’

She opened her mouth. She closed it again. If she could live in any part of America… ‘This tiny bit of New York feels a lot like home,’ she said slowly, realising it was true.

With infinite care, he lowered his feet to the rug, something in his gaze darkening and deepening. He set his beer on the coffee table and then took hers and set it beside it. ‘Good.’

Her heart tried to beat a path out of her chest. ‘Good…?’

One strong hand lifted to trace her cheek, while the other slid beneath her hair to cradle the back of her head.

‘It’s very good, Callie.’

His thumb traced her bottom lip, sensitising it until her breath hitched and the pulse in her throat fluttered.

‘Owen?’ His name was nothing more than a breath of a whisper.

‘I find I don’t want to say goodbye to you, Callie.’

And with that his mouth lowered to hers and she lifted her lips to meet it, helpless to resist the pull between them.

She’d expected the kiss to be slow and sweet, becoming hypnotically drugging as it deepened. It was nothing of the sort. The moment their mouths met they both fired to life—as if a current of pure energy had passed between them. Immediate hunger roared through her. Hunger that demanded satisfaction and release. Now.

Her fingers buried themselves in the thickness of his hair as she tried to draw him closer. His hands went to her waist and he lifted her into his lap, so she could straddle him and plaster herself against his chest in a move that felt like utter perfection. The alternative was for him to push her back into the sofa and cover her body with his but, while she hungered for that too, she appreciated the autonomy this move gave her, the sense of control.

Not that she had any control!

Drugging kiss after drugging kiss had her losing all sense of time. Owen kissed her with a single-minded focus that undid her completely and had her holding nothing back. She dragged his shirt from the waistband of his jeans to run her fingers across the hot, firm flesh beneath, and he hissed out a breath before raking his nails lightly up her thighs, now exposed as her dress rode high. She had to brace both hands against his ribs as a tremor shook through her.

Growing too impatient with the buttons on his shirt, she tore it open, buttons flying in every direction.

‘I like your style.’ He grinned at her—a lazy uplift of his lips that momentarily infuriated her because it hinted at a control she could no longer boast.

Lowering her head to one flat male nipple, she grazed it with her teeth, wiping the smirk from his face.

He swore softly, his hips bucking against hers. ‘Callie.’

She ignored him to turn her attention to his other nipple until, with another oath, he snaked his hands beneath her dress to cup her buttocks and draw her more firmly against the hard length of him, thrusting up against her. A sob was dragged from her throat as light burst behind her eyelids, and