Read Online The Billionaire Next Door (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) by Judy Angelo - Free Book Online Page B

she’d looked flustered but soon, with him out
of her personal space, she was back to being Miss In-Control.  The moment of
surprise past, the cute pout returned to her lips and she gave him a crooked
smile.  “Hey, what’re you doing in my kitchen?  You never come in here.”  A
slight frown creased her brow.  “I was making a surprise for you but now you’ve
gone and spoiled it."
    Ransom put up his hands in self-defense.  “Hey, I’m
sorry.  You never told me to stay out.”
    Solie gave him a rueful grin.  “You’re right.  I should
have, shouldn’t I?”  Then she shrugged.  “Better yet, I should have done this
at my house…” then she grimaced, “…except that my oven conked out all of a
sudden.”
    He gave her a sly grin.  “Lucky me.”
    Solie raised an eyebrow.  “How so?”
    “Now I have a beautiful woman hanging out in my kitchen,”
he said in a low, slow voice, “and who could ask for more?”
    For a moment she looked nonplussed, a hint of color
rising in her cheeks, then she seemed to catch herself.  Eyes narrowed, she met
his stare head on.  “You know what?  Get out of my kitchen and don't come back
till I call you.  No men allowed.”
    Ransom did not move.  He just stood there watching her,
seeing the color rise in her face, feeling the tension build.  Then, his point
made, he gave her a relaxed smile.  “No problem,” he said softly, “but don’t
take too long or I’ll come and get you.”  Then, releasing her wary gaze, he
turned and walked out of the room.  Before this he’d kept his attraction to
Solie to himself but he’d had enough of being decent.  Now it was time for his
lovely little neighbor to get to know the real Ransom Kent. 
    ***
     
     
    “I told you, there’s nothing going on.  I’m my same old
dreary self.”  Solie reached up to pull a box of gloves out of the cupboard
then turned to the nurse who stood by, arms folded, a cheeky grin on her lips. 
She glared at the woman.  “Will you leave me alone?”
    “No, I won’t,” Jen’s smile widened,  “not until you tell
me everything.  Who is he?”
    “Kyra.”  Solie turned to her friend in desperation. 
“Will you tell Jen to leave me alone?  She’s getting on my last nerve.” 
    Kyra swiveled around in her chair to regard both women
then her face broke into a smile even wider than Jen’s.  “Sorry, Sol. No can
do.  Hey, I’m curious, too.  I wanna know.”  She rubbed her hands together like
a kid getting ready to raid the cookie jar.
    “Oh, no.  Not you, too.”  Solie couldn’t help but sigh. 
She could see that both Jen and Kyra were determined to back her into a corner
and dig as much information out of her as they could.  Well, too bad for them. 
They’d soon find out there wasn’t any information to get.
    “So who is he?”  Jen pressed.  “Who’s this new guy in
your life?”
    “Oh, please.”  Solie rolled her eyes.  “Obviously, you
guys have too much time on your hands.  Do you sit at your stations daydreaming
or something?  Where did you get this crazy idea?”
    Kyra shrugged.  “Well, you have been a lot nicer
lately.”
    “I’m always nice.”  Solie glared at her.
    “Yeah,” Jen said with a chuckle, “right.”  Then she
cocked her head to one side.  “Seriously, though, you’ve changed over the past
couple of weeks.  I caught you humming yesterday, for goodness sake.  Now if
that isn’t a sign that there’s a new man in your life, I don’t know what is.”
    Kyra frowned.  “You’re right, Jen.  All of a sudden
she’s ‘Little Miss Cheerful’.  Now talk before I move in at your place till I
can figure out what’s going on.”
    Seeing that she could not convince them otherwise Solie
drew in her breath and let it out slowly.  “All right, there’s a man.”
    “I knew it.”  Jen punched the air, eyes gleaming.  "What’s
his name?  Does he work here?  Do I know him?”
    Kyra on the other hand, looked