Bound to be Dirty Read Free

mouth, stopped her fork. “That’s a series. Don’t you need to read all three to get the full story arc?”
    â€œOh yeah,” Kim said. “That’s a bit much.”
    â€œIt certainly is.” Lily shook her head. “No way do I want that much BDSM.”
    Kim gave a quick splutter of laughter and tilted her head toward the neighboring table.
    Lily realized that, as they’d been talking, the lounge had filled up and the four of them had automatically raised their voices. At the table beside them, a couple of tailored guys with big black cases—lawyer bags, in all likelihood, as the courthouse was a block away—shot surreptitious glances in their direction. Her cheeks heated.
    â€œOne book,” Marielle agreed, spearing a buffalo-style hot wing. “After we eat, I’ll pull out my iPad and we’ll choose. By the way, are we meeting next Monday? It’s Boxing Day.”
    Because the club members led such busy lives, they’d discovered they could never agree on one full evening a month. Instead, they met every Monday for an hour after work. For Lily, who ran a busy family practice clinic, it had the benefit of getting her out of the place early for once. They’d also found that weekly meetings let them discuss their impressions as they read the books.
    â€œI like sticking to our routine,” Lily said, and the others agreed.
    In the first months, all their chat had been about books, but over time it had become more personal. Now she turned to Kim. “Did your parents arrive safely?” They were flying in from Hong Kong for Christmas.
    Kim nodded, her color-streaked hair flicking like a tropical bird’s wing flutter. “Yes. They’ve been in Vancouver the last few days, and I’m driving them out to the ranch tonight. And guess what? Umbrella– Wings is official now. The name and logo are trademarked, the company’s incorporated, and the board of directors is Ty, me, Mom, and Dad.” Kim, who had degrees in business administration and fine arts, was launching a company. UmbrellaWings would make umbrellas and parasols with distinctive shapes and patterns modeled after the wings of butterflies, birds, and other flying creatures.
    â€œBut it’s your company, right?” Marielle said. “You won’t let your parents tell you what to do.”
    â€œThey can suggest,” Kim said. “After all, they’ve built a successful business. But no, they can’t tell me what to do. I think they’re getting the message.”
    Lily swallowed a mouthful of tender calamari. “Good for you.” She wished her own parents—who always thought they knew what was best for Lily and her younger brother—would do the same.
    â€œIt was tough for them to accept that I’m not moving back to Hong Kong,” Kim said.
    â€œAnd not marrying a nice Hong Kong boy,” George said, “but living in sin with a sexy rodeo star.”
    Kim grinned. “We downplay the rodeo part. To my folks, Ty’s the responsible owner of a successful family ranch. This week my parents will see how impressive the ranch is. We’re going to try to get them up on horses.” Kim, who’d never ridden before meeting Ty, now owned a rescue horse named Distant Drummer that she’d helped Ty heal and train.
    â€œI hope everyone gets along,” Lily said. Her parents didn’t approve of Dax, which created strain at family gatherings. She wasn’t looking forward to Christmas dinner on Sunday.
    â€œAre your parents staying with you and Ty?” George asked Kim.
    â€œNo way. That’d put a cramp in our sex life. They’ll stay with Ty’s parents.” After Ty had bought Ronan Ranch with rodeo earnings, his parents had come from Alberta to help run it. They lived in the old ranch house, and he’d built another house down the road from them.
    â€œAre your parents hinting that you