Read Online Kane (BBW Billionaire Romance) by Christa Wick - Free Book Online Page A

flashed inside Daniella’s head as she looked up at Kane.
    “You never said why you were at the hotel the day Lynn died. Was it company business?”
    He tried to wave it off as he leaned closer for what looked like an intended kiss.
    “I’m just glad I was there.”
    She pulled back and saw the subtle change in his expression as he sensed danger.
    Reaching over to the sleeping computer, she hit the enter key. The screen filled with shots of the club’s exterior. A quick flick of her finger scrolled so that a virtual wall of shame came into view, Kane’s picture among a dozen prominent males photographed in the two weeks the reporter had staked out the location.
    Next to each name was identifying information, where available. Names, businesses, cities of residence.
    Kane’s said, “Unknown. Stark International, Raleigh.”
    “So it didn’t have anything to do with this?”
    Beneath the olive-gold skin, she saw a flush of red. His jaw tightened at the same time and his nostrils flattened. She guessed he was mad.
    Pissed, really.
    At being caught by the press and paraded about? At her daring to question him?
    Another click and a picture of a woman who identified herself as Trinity appeared. She was training, the woman said, to be a UFC fighter. She identified Kane as one of her customers. She didn’t know his name. She had to call him “Sir.” She knew and catalogued in great detail the things he had done to her body in the course of their single session.
    Daniella pushed away from the desk, Kane capturing her by the wrist before she could get out of the chair.
    “You don’t understand—”
    “What I didn’t understand was why I was getting all this help for free,” she started, cheeks heating as a bitchy mask slid into place to hide all the hurt raging inside her.
    “Don’t make it out like that, Dani.”
    “Mr. Kane,” she said, shaking her head then glaring at him. “I understand you like to restrain women, but you will release my arm immediately.”
    He dropped her like a fresh lava rock.
    She stood and he shot up.
    She headed for his office door.
    He reached the door first.
    “You are staying, Dani. Think about it, you don’t have a house to sell.”
    She offered a curt, seething smile. “No, I have an insurance policy to file on instead, much quicker. Now move.”
    “Only if you promise to stay,” he answered.
    Was that panic dancing in his eyes?
    He had a whole lot more to worry about than some charity case he picked up off the street. The story focused on the Marine general, but the reporter had asked his invisible audience a number of tantalizing questions that had to do with the general, national security, favors, possible bribes and blackmail.
    Once Kane was identified as Stark International’s Chief Operating Officer, the questions could lead to a Congressional subpoena—and worse.
    “I will leave,” he coaxed as she studied him. “Reed will come and show you how to change the access code. But you have to understand, Dani, these are the kind of men you’ll always have to be looking over your shoulder for, not because they value what you’re denying them—but because you denied them.”
    He reached slowly for her shoulder and she jerked it away.
    “Baby, please. It was dangerous yesterday, it’s so much worse now.”
    She swallowed, trying to erase the little term of endearment he had thrown out in what sounded like a heartfelt tone.
    She didn’t know the truth of Merl’s associates, but she had to agree that the present was so much worse than the day before. She had woken up to so much joy and now it was all ashes. It coated her skin, clogged her nostrils, caked her tongue.
    “Were you at the hotel with a woman you were paying to…”
    Tie up, abuse, discard. She didn’t know which word to throw at him. She did know that Trinity had said her anonymous “Sir” had a reputation at the club of never using the same woman twice.
    Kane’s jaw tightened. It was clear he had no