Read Online Dressed in Yellow: BBW Contemporary Romance by Karina Ashe - Free Book Online Page B

prize heifer being passed from one goatherd to the other?”
    “Think you have your nouns mixed up a bit- hey!” He grabbed the hand she swung at him. “If you swing on me again I’ll put you over my knee!”
    For the first time he sounded almost- not quite angry- but serious with her.
    “I don’t play those kinds of games with women,” he said, warning. “No hitting, Aiva- I mean it. If I lost my temper I could hurt you.”
    She swore at him. Leon lifted her onto the counter, the phone clattering to the floor. They were now eye to eye, green and black locked in a heated battle. His hands captured and held her down.
    “Be still, Aiva! When we’re married I’ll fuck you every evening. Take this sweet pussy so many ways, so many times you’ll be begging me for time to breathe.”
    She stilled, shocked by the words, turned on, felling said pussy melt in response.
    “When we are married, Aiva.”
    “That’s so antiquated.”
    “My dear, you don’t have to look your father in the eyes, man to man,” he replied, with finality. “I do.”
    “Then when are we getting married?” she asked, her voice rising in a frustrated squeak.
    He pinned her with a hot, dark glare. “Make me an offer I can’t refuse.”

 
     
     
    Chapter
    7
     
     
     
     
     
    Daniel called her before dawn on Monday, right before she went on her daily rounds to the wholesalers for fresh blooms.
    “What?” She answered, not feeling very gracious.
    “Today is the anniversary of the contract, cousin.”
    Aiva froze, hand slipping from the doorknob. She’d wondered why he’d been so... quiet... the last few days.
    “What?” Damn, she should have re-read the thing once all the drama started to kick off. But time seemed to go so fast these days she hadn’t kept up with anything but making one payment at a time.
    “In light of all the activity with the media, Sudano and all the other inconveniences, I feel it is in my best interest to take over now.”
    The pleased amusement in his tone chilled her. His words sounded great on the surface... Aiva struggled to remember the terms of the contract, closing the door to turn and go back into the house. She went straight to the second bedroom she used as a home office, cell between her shoulder and ear, beginning to pull documents out of the file cabinet.
    “So what does that mean?” she asked.
    “It means, cousin, the balance of the loan is due immediately.”
    Aiva sat down, hard. “What?” She knew the balance by heart- that was the one part of the contract she had memorized. “I can’t pay all of that at once.”
    “No? Then I’m afraid you’re in default.” The pleasant tone oozed over her spine. “And that means, cousin, that I can choose either the business as recompense- or the equivalent in terms of personal service from yourself. So be here at my office by noon, eh?”
    Aiva disconnected, dropping the cell onto the desk and pulling out her contract. She spent a cold ten minutes reading it carefully, then dialed him back.
    “I have forty-eight hours to come up with a lump sum,” she said. “You won’t see me at noon today, cousin .”
    Forcing herself to go through the motions of running her business even though she just wanted to sit at her desk until the bank opened at eight a.m., Aiva continued her trek to the wholesalers, opened the shop, filled orders, helped customers. At eight a.m. exactly she placed a call to the loan officer.
    “I’m afraid you just don’t have enough established credit,” he said. “You’ll need a co-signer or at least another year of history before we can do a mortgage for you.”
    “Aiva, what’s wrong?” Mandira asked, poking her head into the storeroom. Her friend’s brow wrinkled. “You look sick. Are you feeling well?”
    She told Mandira everything, her best friend looking angry by the end of the explanation.
    “Damn, that sucks. And I know you hate being dependent on him-“
    Aiva tugged at her curls, frustrated. “It’s