Read Online Bowles, Jan - In Debt to the Dom [Guilty Pleasures 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Jan Bowles - Free Book Online

jeopardized a career she so obviously loved? She’d been so dedicated, too. She’d even lost her partner over it. However, she’d told him she really loved her house. Maybe that had caused her to turn to crime. He supposed she’d do anything to keep up the payments. He shook his head. No, there was more to this than he first realized. He would make a point of getting to the bottom of it. When she felt better, he’d find out a little more about her sister, Simone.

    * * * *

    The rest of the evening was just a blur. She’d been vaguely aware of Keaton carrying her up to her bedroom, and then the doctor had arrived. He’d prescribed bed rest and plenty of fluids.
    Later, she had wondered if Keaton would still expect her in his room, but Helena, his housekeeper, had brought word with a hot cocoa that he would see her at breakfast the next day.
    She realized that Keaton Rivers was firm but fair, and that he’d looked after her. He was reading his newspaper as she eased herself into the dining chair the next morning.
    “Feeling better?” he asked.
    “Much.” He was staring at her empty cereal bowl, and she knew he was watching to see if she would eat something. This time she had learned her lesson. If she was going to get her revenge on Simone, she needed to be fit and healthy.
    Leaning forward, she picked up a container of cereal and loaded her bowl with it.
    Keaton folded his newspaper and relaxed back against his chair. She guessed he’d half expected her to still put up a fight.
    “Thank you for being so understanding yesterday.” She poured on milk and began eating. “I’ve learned my lesson. If I don’t eat and keep from wallowing in self-pity, I might not be fit enough to seek out my sister and give her a good hiding.”
    He nodded and smiled. “Good. I’ve read some interesting articles about your sister, Simone.”
    Maddie’s attention sharpened, and she lifted her head to look at him. “Is there something in the newspaper about her?”
    He shook his head. “No news of her today.” She relaxed slightly, and Keaton continued, “I just wondered if any of the rumors about her were true.”
    Maddie spooned some cereal to her mouth. “Which ones? There’s been plenty of stories circulating.”
    He drummed his fingers on the table as he stared intently at her. “The wild parties, for one?”
    “True.” Why should she lie? Simone was the last person she wanted to protect.
    “And what about the drugs? Was there any truth in that?”
    Maddie nodded, a cynical smile pinned to her lips. “Absolutely true.” She pointed the spoon at him. “What you have to realize is, Simone is completely out of control. She’s spoiled and has an ego the size of Texas. When she fell in with the wrong crowd…” She thought for a moment. “In this case, the wrong crowd was not some low-lives from the rough end of town, but highly respectable professional people who indulged in, shall we say, recreational cocaine. Amongst other illegal narcotics.”
    “Figures. So did she have enough money to fund this extravagant lifestyle?”
    “At first she did, but when she didn’t turn up for castings and major bookings, the work dried up. She still might be famous, but it’s more for what she does outside the modeling industry now.”
    He stared at her. His blue gaze held her entranced. “And did she ask you for money? Is that why you couldn’t keep up with the payments on your house?”
    “Partly. At first I wanted to help out, at least to see if I could get her into rehab. It did work, but the people she became involved with sought her out.” She shrugged. “I guess the rest is history. So, yes, when I put my house up for sale, she had a big part to play.”
    “Now I can see exactly what drove you to steal the money.” His lips compressed together, and she had the distinct feeling that he was annoyed with her. He now had the perfect reason why she’d stolen the money. He rose from the table. “I said yesterday