His Unexpected Lover (The Thorpe Brothers) Read Online Free Page B

this work.”
    “No!” she snapped at him , not sure if she was saying ‘no’ about making it work or him driving her home.  “I’ll get home on my own.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” he practically growled.  “Hold on.  I think my keys are in the bedroom.”
    As soon as he disappeared in search of his car keys, she slipped out the door.  Thankfully, a cab was at the curb letting someone else off so she was able to dive into the back just as Axel was rushing out the door.  Her last image of him was his furious face as the cab driver pulled away and she knew that the tears were already streaming down her cheeks. 

Chapter 2
     
    Current Day….
    Kiera pushed the martini out of her line of sight.  She wasn’t going to drink it.  She looked up to try and find a waitress, wanting something a bit less lethal.  She was just about to raise her hand when the office manager for The Thorpe Group spotted her from another table.  Kiera wanted to just slide under the table and pretend like she wasn’t here, but Autumn – a stunning brunette woman – walked gracefully to Kiera’s table. 
    “What are you doing here all alone?” she asked, smiling sincerely at Kiera.  “Why don’t you join us?  We’re about to celebrate Mia’s newfound freedom , and I heard that you were instrumental in figuring out what was really going on with that sleezebag ex-fiancé of hers.”
    Kiera was already shaking her head when Mia Paulson herself appeared at the edge of the table.  “It’s you!” she gasped and bent low, hugging Kiera tightly.  “I didn’t have a chance to thank you for what you did earlier today!  You are my hero!”
    Kiera laughed, feeling painfully self-conscious, when a blond woman appeared next.  Of the three new arrivals, Autumn was the tallest, but only because she was wearing three inch, spike heels that must kill her feet every day.  Mia was a bit shorter, but only because her sleek black slacks and neat white shirt weren’t in a style that could handle three inch heels.  The latest arrival was about an inch shorter, which meant that Autumn and Mia were about Kiera’s own height of five feet, six inches. 
    “This is our former client, Mia Paulson, but of course you already knew that,” Autumn was explaining, “and this is Cricket Fairchild, who we found cursing out our beloved leader. So we kidnapped her into joining us as well, thinking she would be a perfect addition to our party.”  Cricket was a vivacious blond woman with startlingly intelligent eyes. She was shorter by a couple of inches, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in energy.  It practically sizzled throughout her body and her blond curls bounced around her beautiful face. 
    The three women didn’t wait for an invitation .  They hustled Kiera over to their table, an empty chair already pulled over from another table.  Autumn even pulled Kiera’s work folder away and stuffed it back into Kiera’s leather bag before turning to raise her hand, getting the attention of the waitress. “We’ll have a pitcher of margaritas and four glasses please,” she said with a smile to soften the request. 
    Kiera sat uncomfortably by the three, gorgeous women, feeling insecure and inadequate while she slowly sipped her drink.  The women chatted on about Ash Thorpe and how Mia was furious with him for being so arrogant and domineering.  A few “stupids” and “jerks” were thrown in there for good measure. 
    But as they talked, Kiera realized that , although these ladies were shockingly beautiful, they were all down to earth, funny, and more laid-back than they’d initially appeared. 
    “Sounds lik e we all have man troubles,” Kiera observed, taking another sip.  These women weren’t intimidating.  They were just like her, all in love with men who were just as irritating and obnoxious as Axel. 
    Of course, she wasn’t in love with Axel.  At least, not any more.  There had been a time…
    No, not going