Read Online The Billionaire's Ruthless Intrusion (Billionaire Knights Book 1) by Nic Saint - Free Book Online

cheer squad, she admonished herself.
    “He just told me that a major takeover attempt is being prepared.”
    “A takeover… You mean for Knight Enterprises?”
    He nodded, grabbing a seat next to her, his head still close to hers as his voice lowered to a hushed whisper. “It’s the Saudis. They’re thinking about moving into the UK market and deem Knight a prime target for takeover. That way they don’t have to build operations up from scratch in a crowded market.”
    “But… they can’t take over Knight,” she said, appalled.
    Fascinated, she watched his eyes darken to molten ochre, flecks of gold dangerously flashing across the iris. “They can and they will,” he told her. “At least if we don’t put a stop to them. They’ve already been buying up Knight stock in absolute secrecy and unless the major shareholders hold off on the offer they just might succeed in their attempt.”
    Knight’s major shareholders were all members of the family, or at least that’s the way it used to be. Until Stuart’s father had gotten involved with Caroline Popping. The former reality star now possessed her late husband’s portion of shares. And therein, Kirsty instantly saw, lay the rub.
    “Do you think Popping would sell?” she asked.
    It was obvious she’d hit the bullseye, for Stuart grimaced. “She might. Her cash situation isn’t looking too good, if the rumors are to be believed, and offloading stock would give her room to breathe—and spend,” he added bitterly.
    Kirsty knew that there was no love lost between the three siblings and their stepmother, as they considered her responsible for their father’s ignoble death.
    “According to my friend over there negotiations are already underway.”
    “But that’s terrible!” she gasped.
    “Our only option now is to buy her out—outbid the Saudis.”
    “Can you? Buy her out?”
    She was biting her lower lip, Stuart noticed, and the sight of the slightly swollen cupid’s bow did as much to his heightened arousal as her kisses had done. He wanted to replace her teeth with his own and subsequently fold her in his arms and start the slow burn that her proximity was igniting in his heart and soul. No, not his heart or soul, he quickly corrected himself. Merely his body.
    “We could buy her out, if we can raise the money. Problem is, most of it is tied up in the company’s assets.”
    “You could mortgage out the real estate,” she suggested.
    “That would put us in a very precarious situation financially,” he countered, liking how astute she was. “I need to talk to my brothers about this. Too bad Gramps isn’t around anymore. He would have sorted this out in a heartbeat.”
    Grandfather had so many contacts in the business and financial world that he could always count on his friends to bail him out when times were tough. He and his brothers lacked this kind of clout, especially after their father’s antics, which had alienated a lot of their friends and former associates.
    “We’ll figure something out,” he grunted, offering her a lopsided grin.
    The sight of that smile tugging at the corners of his mouth shouldn’t have excited her so, she knew. But it was as if the sun broke through the clouds and lit a fire in her heart, igniting a chain reaction that shook her to the core. To distract herself, she flicked her gaze to the Saudi representative, who sat with his advisors in the far corner of the conference room, holding court to a host of his colleagues. She couldn’t imagine anyone taking Knight away from the family. If these people succeeded, they would become mere employees in their own firm.
    She placed her hand on Stuart’s arm. “We’ll stop them, won’t we, Stuart?”
    He placed his own hand on top of hers, and laced his fingers through hers, the warmth spreading along her arm and adding fuel to the flame now burning ever more powerful in her soul. “Of course we will.”
    As she gazed into his golden eyes, she could see the hint