Read Online Billionaire's Blackmail Bride: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ridge's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Judy Angelo
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far
away from you.”
Lani raised her eyebrows. Hello? Where had that come from? She
wasn’t complaining, though, so she just smiled and said nothing.
After that Lani and Ridge enjoyed their meal which, to Lani’s
surprise, tasted pretty good if she should say so herself. She had to admit,
too, that she enjoyed her conversation with Ridge, the first real one they’d
had since getting married. Who could have known that Ridge Kent had a complex
personality? Ever since they’d met at that first board meeting she’d seen him
as a wise-cracking troublemaker who was only too happy to shove his opinion
down other people’s throats. Now, though, he was opening himself up to her,
showing her a whole new side to his personality.
“We owe it to our children and grandchildren,” he was saying, “to do
all we can to protect and preserve the environment. I feel strongly about this
and that’s the reason why I support research that will help us find viable
energy alternatives.”
Lani tilted her head, curious. “Seriously? But you’re in the oil
business. How do you reconcile the two?”
He shook his head. “Being in the oil industry doesn’t stop me from
being concerned. Right now I satisfy the community’s energy needs but I also
recognize that we need to find alternatives. And trust me,” he smiled, “as we
transition to those alternatives I’ll be the first to jump on board. Where the
business goes, I go.”
She smiled back. “Spoken like a true capitalist.”
He chuckled. “Did you expect anything less?”
After that their conversation moved to her research and the progress
she was making in sourcing plant supplies for her experiments and trials. “Thanks
to you,” Lani said, “I don’t have to be distracted by mundane matters like
leases and bills. It’s such a relief to be able to focus on what matters.” She
gave a soft sigh of contentment. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress and right
now we’re just waiting for a shipment from South America. Once that arrives
we’ll be able to complete phase one of the study.”
“Sounds good,” Ridge said. “I’m glad I was able to help.”
And then Lani remembered. She was grateful for his help, of course,
but it had come at a price. She’d had to leave her apartment and move into his
house, sacrificing her freedom so she could get the funding she so desperately
needed.
And so Lani was torn. On the one hand she recognized that if Ridge
hadn’t come to the rescue the landlord would have probably locked them out of
the building by now. On the other hand, she was more than a little peeved.
Ridge could have given her that money, easy. Why did he have to tack a
condition onto it?
And so as he smiled at her she smiled back but her mind was ticking
away, busy contemplating her next step. She’d started the evening with all
kinds of good thoughts about Ridge. She’d wanted to show him she could be nice.
More than that, though, she’d wanted to tempt him just a little, to see if she
could get him to kiss her again. She’d tasted his kiss, not once but twice, and
she wanted more.
But how could she divorce her desire from her displeasure? He’d
blackmailed her, after all.
“You’re still with me?”
Lani blinked and turned her gaze to Ridge who was watching her with
interest.
“You looked like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders,”
he said. “What’s up? Got something on your mind?”
Ignoring all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Lani decided to be bold.
She would go for what she wanted and be damned with discretion. Slowly,
deliberately, she laid her napkin on the table then reached out and lifted her
glass to take a fortifying sip of wine. Then she turned to face her friendly
foe, deciding on a full frontal attack.
“I want to kiss you,” she said, abandoning coyness and getting
straight to the point. And she might be mad that he’d forced her into this
situation but that didn’t mean she didn’t want him. She’d
away from you.”
Lani raised her eyebrows. Hello? Where had that come from? She
wasn’t complaining, though, so she just smiled and said nothing.
After that Lani and Ridge enjoyed their meal which, to Lani’s
surprise, tasted pretty good if she should say so herself. She had to admit,
too, that she enjoyed her conversation with Ridge, the first real one they’d
had since getting married. Who could have known that Ridge Kent had a complex
personality? Ever since they’d met at that first board meeting she’d seen him
as a wise-cracking troublemaker who was only too happy to shove his opinion
down other people’s throats. Now, though, he was opening himself up to her,
showing her a whole new side to his personality.
“We owe it to our children and grandchildren,” he was saying, “to do
all we can to protect and preserve the environment. I feel strongly about this
and that’s the reason why I support research that will help us find viable
energy alternatives.”
Lani tilted her head, curious. “Seriously? But you’re in the oil
business. How do you reconcile the two?”
He shook his head. “Being in the oil industry doesn’t stop me from
being concerned. Right now I satisfy the community’s energy needs but I also
recognize that we need to find alternatives. And trust me,” he smiled, “as we
transition to those alternatives I’ll be the first to jump on board. Where the
business goes, I go.”
She smiled back. “Spoken like a true capitalist.”
He chuckled. “Did you expect anything less?”
After that their conversation moved to her research and the progress
she was making in sourcing plant supplies for her experiments and trials. “Thanks
to you,” Lani said, “I don’t have to be distracted by mundane matters like
leases and bills. It’s such a relief to be able to focus on what matters.” She
gave a soft sigh of contentment. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress and right
now we’re just waiting for a shipment from South America. Once that arrives
we’ll be able to complete phase one of the study.”
“Sounds good,” Ridge said. “I’m glad I was able to help.”
And then Lani remembered. She was grateful for his help, of course,
but it had come at a price. She’d had to leave her apartment and move into his
house, sacrificing her freedom so she could get the funding she so desperately
needed.
And so Lani was torn. On the one hand she recognized that if Ridge
hadn’t come to the rescue the landlord would have probably locked them out of
the building by now. On the other hand, she was more than a little peeved.
Ridge could have given her that money, easy. Why did he have to tack a
condition onto it?
And so as he smiled at her she smiled back but her mind was ticking
away, busy contemplating her next step. She’d started the evening with all
kinds of good thoughts about Ridge. She’d wanted to show him she could be nice.
More than that, though, she’d wanted to tempt him just a little, to see if she
could get him to kiss her again. She’d tasted his kiss, not once but twice, and
she wanted more.
But how could she divorce her desire from her displeasure? He’d
blackmailed her, after all.
“You’re still with me?”
Lani blinked and turned her gaze to Ridge who was watching her with
interest.
“You looked like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders,”
he said. “What’s up? Got something on your mind?”
Ignoring all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Lani decided to be bold.
She would go for what she wanted and be damned with discretion. Slowly,
deliberately, she laid her napkin on the table then reached out and lifted her
glass to take a fortifying sip of wine. Then she turned to face her friendly
foe, deciding on a full frontal attack.
“I want to kiss you,” she said, abandoning coyness and getting
straight to the point. And she might be mad that he’d forced her into this
situation but that didn’t mean she didn’t want him. She’d
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