King’s Million-Dollar Secret Read Free

important.” She shook her head and laughed. “Honestly, I’m sorry I said anything. I only meant that it was hard for me to hire King Construction, knowing what I do about the King family men.”
    â€œReally.” He folded his arms over his chest and asked, “What exactly do you think you know about the Kings?”
    His gaze was narrowed and fixed on her. She felt the power of that glare right down to her bones and even Katie was surprised at the tingle of something tempting washing through her. Suddenly nervous, she glanced over the back of the stove to look at the pipes as if she knew what she was seeing. Still, it gave her a secondto gather her thoughts. When she felt steady again, she said, “You mean beside the fact that they’re too rich and too snobby?”
    â€œSnobby?”
    â€œYes.” Katie huffed out a breath and said, “Look I know you work for them and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I only know that I never want anything to do with any of them again.”
    â€œSounds ominous.”
    She laughed at the idea. Katie doubted very much that Cordell King had given her a second thought since he’d abruptly disappeared from her life six months ago. No, the Kings steamrolled their way through the world, expecting everyone else to get out of their way. Well, from now on, she was going to oblige them.
    â€œOh, I don’t think any of the Kings of California are staying up nights wondering why Katie Charles hates their guts.”
    â€œYou might be surprised,” he said, dusting his hands off as he looked at her. She shifted a little under that direct stare. “You know, I’m a curious kind of guy. And I’m not going to be happy until I know why you hate the Kings.”
    â€œCuriosity isn’t always a good thing,” she said. “Sometimes you find out things you’d rather not know.”
    â€œBetter to be informed anyway, don’t you think?”
    â€œNot always,” Katie said, remembering how badly she’d felt when Cordell broke things off with her. She’d just had to ask him why and the answer had only made her feel worse.
    Rafe smiled at her then and she noted how his features softened and even his eyes lost that cool, dispassionate gleam. Her heartbeat jittered unsteadily in her chest asher body reacted to the man’s pure male appeal. Then, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, that smile of his widened and he actually winked at her.
    But a moment later, he was all business again.
    â€œYour temporary gas line is hooked up. But remember, we’re shutting the gas off during the day. We’ll let you know when it’s safe to use the stove.”
    â€œOkay. Thanks.” She took a single step backward and Rafe walked past her, his arm brushing against hers as he did. Heat flashed through her unexpectedly and Katie took in a deep breath. Unfortunately, that meant she also got a good long whiff of his cologne. Something foresty and cool and almost as intriguing as the man himself. “And Rafe?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œPlease don’t repeat any of what I said about the King family. I mean, I probably shouldn’t have brought it up and I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable while you’re working here.”
    He nodded. “Won’t say a word. But like I said, one of these days, I’m going to hear the rest of your story.”
    Katie shook her head and said, “I don’t think so. The Kings are part of my past and that’s where I want to leave them.”
    Â 
    By the end of the first day, Katie was asking herself why she had ever decided to remodel. Having strangers in and out of her house all day was weird, having noisy strangers only made it worse.
    Now though, they were gone and she was left alone in the shell of what had been her grandmother’s kitchen. Standing in the center of the room, she did a slow circle, her gaze moving over