“That’s what I’m doing.”

The unfairness of the criticism hit Nathan hard. He’d always been the one on the outside. His mother’s long-term affair with Brandon had robbed Nathan of any chance for a normal family life. After her death, when he’d been twelve, he’d gone to live with the Case family. Neither the wife Brandon had cheated on, nor her overprotective sons had been happy to share a roof with the living proof of Brandon’s infidelity. Sebastian and Max were thirteen months apart, with Nathan a mere six months younger than Max. But while his brothers were as tight as twins, they shut out Nathan completely.

“It’s hard to act like part of the team when I’ve been treated like the opposition.”

Silence followed Nathan’s statement. When Max spoke again, he sounded colder than ever. “We’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll set up a meeting with Sebastian in the afternoon. You can bring us up-to-date then.”

Without waiting for Nathan’s answer, Max disconnected the call. Nathan muttered a string of curses and inserted a CD. While Dierks Bentley reminded him that good things happen, Nathan contemplated his situation. The last six months had been hell. He probably wouldn’t have lasted this long if he didn’t love a challenge so much.

Nathan rested his elbow against the door and propped his head on his hand. Unbidden, the sexy image of Emma wearing the black thong and matching strapless bra rose in his mind as he thought back to the night of Grant’s party. Her skin had been like hot silk beneath his fingers as he’d stripped her underwear off. She was exactly the sort he went for, all sultry sophistication and flashing sable eyes.

Her brother, Cody, had been his best friend in college. The first time Nathan had laid eyes on her, she’d been sixteen. The four-year difference in their ages made her jailbait, but she’d stalked him, her curiosity fully engaged on her journey from girl to woman.

An attractive, cheeky brat, she’d worn red lipstick to draw attention to her lush mouth, batted her long lashes and flaunted her shapely golden body in a string bikini every chance she got. She would arch her back and lift her wet hair so the breeze would catch the damp strands.

Amused by her kittenish play, he’d let her practice her feminine wiles on him. Keeping his distance, however, grew increasingly difficult as she got bolder. Then came the afternoon she caught him alone in the kitchen. In an insanely short skirt and high heels, she’d strutted past him, plying his libido with her sassy smile.

If he’d caught wind of her intentions, he’d have been out of there fast, but he never dreamed that she’d back him against a counter and set her full, rosy mouth on a collision course with his lips. For two sluggish heartbeats he’d stared at her pretty face, long lashes painting ebony half moons on her flushed cheeks, and been tempted to teach her a lesson on the dangers of flirting with older men. Instead, rattled by her detrimental effect on his good judgment, he’d rebuffed her without much finesse, cut his visit short and hit the highway.

Twelve years later she was no longer forbidden fruit.

Three weeks ago, he’d had his first taste, and it left him hungry for more.

With an impatient, disgusted snort he shoved the provocative pictures away and focused on the problem at hand: convincing Emma to marry him. Because he couldn’t do the deal with her father and take control of Case Consolidated Holdings away from his half brothers unless he did.

Three

Emma sat in the middle of her walk-in closet. Surrounded by empty hangers and four plastic garbage bags filled with the last of her designer clothes, she fought an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. She needed to replace $35,000 and had about five weeks to do it. The amount staggered her.

Her cell phone rang.

“I was calling to invite you out to dinner,” Addison said, her tone brisk. “Paul’s taking the kids to basketball practice tonight so I’ve got a couple hours free.”

Emma pictured her best friend sitting in her beautifully decorated home office, going over the details for whatever event she was organizing. For the last five years, Addison had been growing her party planning business, working long hours, setting goals and achieving them. With a tireless work ethic and an abundance of determination, she inspired Emma’s entrepreneurial drive and at the same time made Emma feel guilty that she didn’t work harder.

“I don’t know if I can make it,” Emma said, when what she really meant to say is that she didn’t know if she could afford it. Thanks to her father’s actions a year ago, she’d gone from spendthrift to penny pincher. The transformation had been humbling, but she recognized that it had also been a good lesson to learn. “I’ve been going through my closet to see what I can sell.”

“Are

you crying?”

Emma shook her head and dashed the back of her hand against her damp cheek. “No.”

“You sound like you are. Why don’t you just let me lend you the money?”

“You and Paul can’t afford to do that. And I wouldn’t take it anyway. I’ve got to do this on my own.” She’d never get her father to stop meddling if she didn’t beat him at his own game.

“You aren’t going to make enough money in five weeks by selling your clothes. Have you heard from the people running the art and design show?”

A couple months ago, Addison had badgered her into applying for a spot at a prestigious art and design show in Baton Rouge. Unsure how her work would be received, Emma’s nerves had been tied up in knots. Yesterday, she’d been accepted.

“I’m in. But I don’t have enough inventory to take to the show. Almost everything is consigned at Biella’s.” By her calculation, she had at least $50,000 tied up in unsold jewelry. Almost all of it decorated the cases in Biella’s, Houston’s most prestigious jeweler.

“So, go there and get it back. It’s not as if they’ve sold more than five or six pieces in the last six months. I think the Baton Rouge show’s your best bet.”

Tags: Cat Schield Case Brothers Billionaire Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net