Read Online Betting the Billionaire by Avery Flynn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Avery Flynn
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behemoth at the intersection of two highways. The sun had dipped low in the western sky, its warm rays receding with each second and reminding Gabe of last night’s trek through the snow. There wasn’t a flake falling anywhere in the vicinity, but he couldn’t shake the sense of déjà vu creeping across his skin under his thick wool coat. But this time, he wasn’t on the hunt for shelter, he was looking for redemption—and forgiveness.
Maybe it was because of his cousin’s call and his father’s .14 blood alcohol content. Maybe it was because he’d had time to process the news about his biological dad. Maybe it was because standing in Keisha’s office, facing down his nemesis, he’d realized that Dell Jacobs wasn’t just a faceless bad guy who needed to be punished. He was an old man with a droopy cheek and a company circling the drain.
Or maybe it was because what had driven him to Salvation hadn’t been the need for retribution, but the sound of Keisha’s honeyed voice that had fueled way too many late-night fantasies over the past six months.
Fuck. What if Carlos was right?
Leaving his now refueled—he would not be telling Carlos about that—Aston Martin on the gravel drive next to a heavy-duty pickup truck, he trudged to the propped-open door on the side of the barn. The smell of fresh cut wood hit him as soon as he crossed the threshold. The woodsy scent of pine and the pungent smell of red oak were heaviest with a hint of walnut floating underneath. Damn, he loved it. Making something out of a few sticks was a lot like investing. He took a company that hadn’t achieved its full potential and built it up until it shined like freshly-applied varnish.
He turned the corner and almost ran smack dab into the step ladder Keisha stood on, pulling to a stop at the last moment. But it was too late. Keisha whipped her body around, shaking the ladder. She wobbled on her perch on the fifth step. The ladder went left. Keisha went right.
Acting on instinct, Gabe reached out and caught her in his arms, tucking her close as the ladder clanged against the concrete floor. His right hand curled around her luscious ass, and it took everything he had not to squeeze the succulent flesh. Her arms tangled around his neck, ensnaring him in her sensual almond scent and scattering every intelligent thought in his head.
She looked up, her wide, brown eyes unsure but hungry. “Gabe,” she whispered.
A man could get drunk off her voice. Shit, he felt like he already had. His hands glided over her voluptuous curves as he lowered her to the ground, unable to let go even when her feet touched the floor. Anticipation buzzed in the air between them, holding them in place like magnets.
Neither of them spoke.
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even remember his own name as want barreled through him like a runaway train. He couldn’t deny it any longer. He hadn’t come to Salvation for revenge, not completely. When he’d pulled his Aston Martin onto the interstate, he’d come for her. This woman— his woman, his body demanded—she undid him.
“Baby Girl, are you okay?” Dell wheezed as he rounded the corner, suspicion and worry drawing crevices in his forehead.
It was the face of a concerned father, not a villain. Gabe hadn’t gotten as rich as he was by ignoring the sixth sense that weeded out the truth from the facade.
Whatever had transpired between his real dad and Dell hadn’t caused the accident. He knew it in his gut as surely as he knew the attraction between himself and Keisha was more than just about fucking a hot chick. With her sass and her savvy she’d shown him over the past six months, she challenged him and kept him coming back for more.
Carlos had been right. About all of it.
Gabe shoved his hand through his hair with enough ferocity to yank out more than a few strands. God, he’d fucked this up on so many levels and had no clue how to set things right.
Keisha blinked. Finding her equilibrium
Maybe it was because of his cousin’s call and his father’s .14 blood alcohol content. Maybe it was because he’d had time to process the news about his biological dad. Maybe it was because standing in Keisha’s office, facing down his nemesis, he’d realized that Dell Jacobs wasn’t just a faceless bad guy who needed to be punished. He was an old man with a droopy cheek and a company circling the drain.
Or maybe it was because what had driven him to Salvation hadn’t been the need for retribution, but the sound of Keisha’s honeyed voice that had fueled way too many late-night fantasies over the past six months.
Fuck. What if Carlos was right?
Leaving his now refueled—he would not be telling Carlos about that—Aston Martin on the gravel drive next to a heavy-duty pickup truck, he trudged to the propped-open door on the side of the barn. The smell of fresh cut wood hit him as soon as he crossed the threshold. The woodsy scent of pine and the pungent smell of red oak were heaviest with a hint of walnut floating underneath. Damn, he loved it. Making something out of a few sticks was a lot like investing. He took a company that hadn’t achieved its full potential and built it up until it shined like freshly-applied varnish.
He turned the corner and almost ran smack dab into the step ladder Keisha stood on, pulling to a stop at the last moment. But it was too late. Keisha whipped her body around, shaking the ladder. She wobbled on her perch on the fifth step. The ladder went left. Keisha went right.
Acting on instinct, Gabe reached out and caught her in his arms, tucking her close as the ladder clanged against the concrete floor. His right hand curled around her luscious ass, and it took everything he had not to squeeze the succulent flesh. Her arms tangled around his neck, ensnaring him in her sensual almond scent and scattering every intelligent thought in his head.
She looked up, her wide, brown eyes unsure but hungry. “Gabe,” she whispered.
A man could get drunk off her voice. Shit, he felt like he already had. His hands glided over her voluptuous curves as he lowered her to the ground, unable to let go even when her feet touched the floor. Anticipation buzzed in the air between them, holding them in place like magnets.
Neither of them spoke.
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even remember his own name as want barreled through him like a runaway train. He couldn’t deny it any longer. He hadn’t come to Salvation for revenge, not completely. When he’d pulled his Aston Martin onto the interstate, he’d come for her. This woman— his woman, his body demanded—she undid him.
“Baby Girl, are you okay?” Dell wheezed as he rounded the corner, suspicion and worry drawing crevices in his forehead.
It was the face of a concerned father, not a villain. Gabe hadn’t gotten as rich as he was by ignoring the sixth sense that weeded out the truth from the facade.
Whatever had transpired between his real dad and Dell hadn’t caused the accident. He knew it in his gut as surely as he knew the attraction between himself and Keisha was more than just about fucking a hot chick. With her sass and her savvy she’d shown him over the past six months, she challenged him and kept him coming back for more.
Carlos had been right. About all of it.
Gabe shoved his hand through his hair with enough ferocity to yank out more than a few strands. God, he’d fucked this up on so many levels and had no clue how to set things right.
Keisha blinked. Finding her equilibrium
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