DOTTY (The Naughty Ones Book 3) Read Free Page A

mom, nursing her, reading to her, and running errands that I know others could be doing.
    Dot doesn’t have a selfish, mean bone in her little body. Having this little ingrate say it makes me so angry I’ve had to resist knocking a tooth or six out of his smug little mouth.
    As Alex’s cousin and his boss I have to keep that urge in check, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to make him bleed for even thinking he could touch that pure little imp of a woman.
    As if marrying her is a sacrifice!
    What I wouldn’t give to have it in me to love another woman. Because she’d be perfect, I just know it. She’d love my mom and grandma and fit right into their little circle.
    She’d be a loyal, good wife, and a fantastic mom who would shower her children with warmth and love.
    And all that passion I see sparking behind her blue eyes…
    Hell, just thinking about the down and dirty things I could do to little Dot makes my dick so hard it pounds behind my zipper.
    “Don’t you have work to be doing? The Lynchcorp deal is just about sinking what with old man Lynch getting another investor.”
    Not that I care. This deal has been Alex’s brainchild from the beginning, and though I saw the cons to it right from the start I let him at it, hoping that he’d fuck it up so much the board would be forced to step in.
    Can’t fire the little punk and still keep Aunt Mave in my good books, but maybe if the board comes to the table and does all the dirty work I can finally be rid of the ass.
    “Dude, that shit’s in the bag.” He laughs, waving it off like it’s nothing when we both know that’s far from true.
    He’s sweating, I can see that as I turn around and take him in silently. And his smile is tense as he leans back and pretends a nonchalance that’s going to work to my advantage.
    “Fine. But I still have work to do.”
    “Come on, Paulie! I need help here, man. Old man Harper is on my ass to get Dorothea in line and Dad’s been riding me too. Dorothea likes you, I’ve seen how she doesn’t run from you. Give me a hand here and just talk to her. Talk me up a little, ya know? I need an in with that ice-cold woman.”
    Which is one of the things I have yet to understand. As far as I can see, the Harpers don’t have a thing that Alex and his dad could want. They’re upper middle class, sure, not struggling for money but in no way wealthy. They have a paid-off mortgage and a few investment bonds here and there, nothing major.
    So why go after Dot? What could they possibly want from this marriage? I know this little asshole; he’s about as ready for commitment as I am.
    The only difference is that I fully admit to my lack of balls in that arena, while he just thinks it’s a fucking joke.
    “I’ll help you with her. I’ll go talk to her about this…stuff if you tell me what the hell is going on. Don’t try and spin me some family obligation shit. We both know you’d rather get kicked in the groin than get tied down right now. So tell me, what is it that you and those old fucks have cooking?”
    My agenda is twofold. I need to know what they’re up to and I also want to get to her again without having to explain myself to anyone. Somehow I don’t think me just showing up and taking her out would be smiled upon. She also never fucking came back to me and that’s sticking in my craw.
    It’s the first time I’ve ever come on to a woman and not had her melting for me.
    Interesting.
    “Nothing, man, I swear. You know the whole story. The great-grandparents made a deal yonks ago. Great-Grampa Summers floated the Harpers when their business was going under and all they wanted was for two of the leading families from England to join ranks. Call it a mixing of the bloodlines or some shit. Whatever. All I know is Dad made it clear this is my duty, and as far as the Harpers are concerned she’s already in the bag.”
    Not if I’ve got anything to say about it , I think, watching him squirm beneath my unblinking