Read Online Too Much Temptation by Lori Foster - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lori Foster
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low even for you, Noah. Grace is a nice young woman, too good for you to use that way.”
Grace sputtered, she was so furious. “Too good for him?” Somehow she managed to stand two inches taller and said in a low voice laced with significance, “I should be so lucky as to draw his notice.”
Noah reached forward and tugged on a long lock of Grace’s hair. “You got my notice, Gracie, and you know it.”
Agatha suffered a surge of protectiveness toward Grace. How could her grandson toy with her that way? Grace was in no way used to men and their flirting, and she surely wasn’t used to a man like Noah.
“Are you using her to punish me, Noah?” Was Noah capable of such a thing? Agatha could never underestimate him. “Is that it?”
Grace stiffened further. “Noah didn’t use me.”
“We’re leaving,” Jorge announced, and Noah politely stepped out of his way. Hillary clutched her daughter close and dragged her toward the door.
Grace threw up her arms. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
And as Kara and her parents continued to march out, she added loud enough to rattle the windows, “ I used him! ”
Everyone froze, not even daring to breathe in the wake of that awful disclosure.
Then Noah choked, and to Agatha’s astute eyes, he looked near to laughing. She considered booting him, but he was such a hard young man, she’d probably break her ankle. She wasn’t nearly as sturdy as she used to be.
“So,” Jorge demanded in austere tones, “this is the reason you broke off with my daughter? Because of an…assignation with Grace ?”
“Nope,” Noah replied, calm to the point of indifference.
“No.” Grace agreed, horrified by such a conclusion.
“Then why, damn you?” Jorge asked.
Noah briefly glanced at Kara, and with a twisted smile said to her father, “I have my reasons, and I’m sure Kara could explain them to you. But Grace had nothing to do with them.”
Hillary, trembling in her anger, squeezed Kara closer. “I don’t believe you. It’s obvious to one and all what you’ve been doing. It’s…disgusting.”
Agatha had to figure out what was going on before things got completely out of hand. She didn’t want Grace insulted, or her integrity called into question, but she had to admit it all looked very suspicious.
“You two wait here,” she ordered Grace and Noah. She approached Jorge and Hillary with no idea of what to say. Damn, she hated to be put into these kinds of predicaments and Noah knew it. She avoided scandal and gossip by taking iron control of every situation. Yet she’d never really been able to control Noah. On occasion, he allowed her the ruse of control. But they both knew the truth.
Once they were well away from the library, Jorge muttered in low, angry tones, “This is incredible, Agatha.”
Hillary added, “He should be horsewhipped.”
Agatha considered that suggestion. “You know, Kara, it seems to me Noah’s just sowing some last-minute wild oats.” She made sure neither Noah nor Grace— Grace! —could hear her. The idea of the two of them together was so farfetched she was still a little shocked, and a lot disbelieving. There had to be another explanation. “I understand that’s typical of young men.”
“He’s thirty-two,” Kara pointed out, and to Agatha, Kara seemed far calmer than her parents.
“True. But he’s led a restricted life.”
Hillary made a rude sound at that. “Agatha, please. Before you took him in, he ran wild. There’s nothing restricted in that.”
“Without money? Without familial support? Think about it, Hillary. He was all alone in the world. That can be very restrictive.”
“I suppose,” Hillary reluctantly agreed.
Deep down, Agatha respected Noah, too. It was impossible to know him for long and not respect him, she thought. “I think you should fight for him, Kara.”
Jorge drew up short before the front door, the epitome of the insulted father. “My daughter does not have to fight for the likes
Grace sputtered, she was so furious. “Too good for him?” Somehow she managed to stand two inches taller and said in a low voice laced with significance, “I should be so lucky as to draw his notice.”
Noah reached forward and tugged on a long lock of Grace’s hair. “You got my notice, Gracie, and you know it.”
Agatha suffered a surge of protectiveness toward Grace. How could her grandson toy with her that way? Grace was in no way used to men and their flirting, and she surely wasn’t used to a man like Noah.
“Are you using her to punish me, Noah?” Was Noah capable of such a thing? Agatha could never underestimate him. “Is that it?”
Grace stiffened further. “Noah didn’t use me.”
“We’re leaving,” Jorge announced, and Noah politely stepped out of his way. Hillary clutched her daughter close and dragged her toward the door.
Grace threw up her arms. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
And as Kara and her parents continued to march out, she added loud enough to rattle the windows, “ I used him! ”
Everyone froze, not even daring to breathe in the wake of that awful disclosure.
Then Noah choked, and to Agatha’s astute eyes, he looked near to laughing. She considered booting him, but he was such a hard young man, she’d probably break her ankle. She wasn’t nearly as sturdy as she used to be.
“So,” Jorge demanded in austere tones, “this is the reason you broke off with my daughter? Because of an…assignation with Grace ?”
“Nope,” Noah replied, calm to the point of indifference.
“No.” Grace agreed, horrified by such a conclusion.
“Then why, damn you?” Jorge asked.
Noah briefly glanced at Kara, and with a twisted smile said to her father, “I have my reasons, and I’m sure Kara could explain them to you. But Grace had nothing to do with them.”
Hillary, trembling in her anger, squeezed Kara closer. “I don’t believe you. It’s obvious to one and all what you’ve been doing. It’s…disgusting.”
Agatha had to figure out what was going on before things got completely out of hand. She didn’t want Grace insulted, or her integrity called into question, but she had to admit it all looked very suspicious.
“You two wait here,” she ordered Grace and Noah. She approached Jorge and Hillary with no idea of what to say. Damn, she hated to be put into these kinds of predicaments and Noah knew it. She avoided scandal and gossip by taking iron control of every situation. Yet she’d never really been able to control Noah. On occasion, he allowed her the ruse of control. But they both knew the truth.
Once they were well away from the library, Jorge muttered in low, angry tones, “This is incredible, Agatha.”
Hillary added, “He should be horsewhipped.”
Agatha considered that suggestion. “You know, Kara, it seems to me Noah’s just sowing some last-minute wild oats.” She made sure neither Noah nor Grace— Grace! —could hear her. The idea of the two of them together was so farfetched she was still a little shocked, and a lot disbelieving. There had to be another explanation. “I understand that’s typical of young men.”
“He’s thirty-two,” Kara pointed out, and to Agatha, Kara seemed far calmer than her parents.
“True. But he’s led a restricted life.”
Hillary made a rude sound at that. “Agatha, please. Before you took him in, he ran wild. There’s nothing restricted in that.”
“Without money? Without familial support? Think about it, Hillary. He was all alone in the world. That can be very restrictive.”
“I suppose,” Hillary reluctantly agreed.
Deep down, Agatha respected Noah, too. It was impossible to know him for long and not respect him, she thought. “I think you should fight for him, Kara.”
Jorge drew up short before the front door, the epitome of the insulted father. “My daughter does not have to fight for the likes
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