Safe in the Tycoon's Arms (Harlequin Romance) Read Online Free Page A

vulnerable before, too.
    “You don’t look too sure about this.”
    He was usually much better at hiding his thoughts, but the dismal events of the day combined with the lateness of the hour were his undoing.
    “I’m not. Let’s just go to bed.” Her drooping eyelids lifted and he immediately realized how his words could be misconstrued. “Alone.”

CHAPTER THREE
    T HE SUN HAD yet to flirt with the horizon when Kate awoke to the alarm on her cell phone. Though she’d only snuck in a few hours of sleep, she felt refreshed. Her heart was full of hope that today her most fervent prayer would be answered.
    It will all work out. It has to.
    As she rushed through the shower, the what-ifs and maybes started to crowd into her mind. Finding a cure to her daughter’s brain tumor had been rife with negative diagnoses. That was why they were here in New York City—to see a surgeon who was willing to do the seemingly impossible. But what if—
    Don’t go there. Not today.
    With her resolve to think only positive thoughts, she pulled on a red skirt and a white top from her suitcase. The light tap of the continued rain on the window reminded her of the night before and meeting Lucas Carrington. He definitely presented a distraction from her attack of nerves. She wondered if he’d be just as devastatingly handsome in the daylight. She tried to convince herself that it’d been the exhaustion talking, that no man could look that good. But she’d seen the magazine spread with him shaved and spruced up in a tux. He really was that good-looking. Which raised the question: What was he doing living here in this unkempt, mausoleumlike house?
    Kate proceeded down the grand staircase, with her suitcase in one hand and her purse in the other. She hated the fact that she would never learn the history or secrets of this mansion. This would be her last trip down the cinematic steps. She paused to take one last look around.
    She was in awe of the house’s old-world grandeur. Her gaze skimmed over the cream paint and paused to inspect the various paintings adorning the walls. Her nose curled up. She knew a bit about art from her work as an interior designer and these modern pieces, though not to her liking, would still fetch a hefty chunk of change at auction.
    Even though the current decor didn’t match the home’s old-world elegance, she still saw the beauty lurking in the background. In her experience, she’d never found such charm and detailed work in any of the newer structures. Sure, they were all beautiful in their own unique ways, but this mansion was brimming with personality that only time could provide. She’d be willing to bet that if the walls could talk they’d spin quite a tale. She was certain that given the opportunity to rejuvenate this place, she could learn a considerable amount about its history. But she’d never have that chance.
    With a resigned sigh, she set her suitcase by the front door before heading back the hall to the kitchen. She couldn’t shake the dismal thought of Lucas turning a blind eye to the house’s disintegrating state and letting the place fall into utter disrepair. Who could do such a thing? Was it possible he didn’t realize the real damage being done by his neglect?
    If the man took the time to walk upstairs once in a while, he’d notice the work that needed to be done. Some of the repairs were blatantly obvious. It was a little hard to miss the drip-drip-drip last night as the rain leaked through the ceiling of her bedroom. She’d used a waste basket to collect the water. Maybe she should say something...
    No. Don’t go there. This house and Lucas are absolutely none of your business.
    She paused outside the kitchen door and listened. No sounds came from within. She wasn’t so sure she was up to facing him in the light of day after getting caught last night in her nightshirt. Still she refused to just slip away without thanking him for his generosity.
    She pushed the door open and