The Billionaire's Salvation: (The Billionaire's Obsession ~ Max) Read Free Page A

secluded.
    “Well, it was very sweet of you to take Tucker for some exercise,” Maddie told Kade, leaning over to peck him on the cheek.
    “Hey, knock that off. Sam puts up with Max getting a little affection, but if you aren’t related, you better keep your distance.” Simon Hudson, Sam’s younger brother, approached the table with his very pregnant wife, Kara, his voice holding a serious note of warning.
    “We are related by marriage…sort of,” Kade replied, grinning as Simon helped Kara step over the bench on the opposite side of the table and sit. “She’s the sister of my brother-in-law. That should count.”
    Simon was frowning, his concern for his ready-to-pop-any-moment pregnant wife evident by the stressed look on his face. Kara was glowing, her face rosy from her walk with her husband. Simon finally glared at Kade as he sat beside his wife and commented gruffly, “Doesn’t count. If you aren’t related by blood, forget it.”
    Kara smacked her husband in the arm. “Kade’s like family. Leave him alone, caveman. We happen to like it that he treats Maddie and I like sisters. I’ve made Kade and Max my honorary brothers.”
    Max barked out a laugh. “So can we come on over there and give you a brotherly little hug, Kara?” he asked, watching Simon carefully. Honestly, he really shouldn’t bait the poor guy. Simon was obsessively jealous and his wife was nine months pregnant, but Max just couldn’t help himself. Shooting Kade a conspiratorial glance, both men began to rise.
    Simon growled—actually snarled—as Kade and Max stood.
    Kara beamed, delighted, looking pleased with the idea of giving both men a brotherly hug.
    “Come one step closer and you’ll both end up in the hospital,” Simon warned dangerously.
    Max smiled, while Kade laughed uproariously. Yeah, it was definitely not nice to tease Sam and Simon about their women, but since neither Kade nor Max actually had a woman, it was just so entertaining to watch Simon’s reaction. Both of them sat back down, knowing better than to push the jesting any further. Max had no doubt that Simon would make good on his promise.
    “Just wait,” Simon warned. “Payback sucks.”
    Max’s smile faded. While Kade had recently been dumped by his longtime girlfriend, his brother-in-law would probably find a good woman someday and get paid back for teasing Simon. But Max knew he never would. And he’d never treated Mia the same way Sam and Simon treated their wives. His parents had loved him, given him everything an adopted child could ever want, and in return, he’d always tried to make them proud by behaving with control. Not that he hadn’t wanted to go completely cave dweller on Mia at times—actually pretty much all the time—but he hadn’t allowed those emotions to claw to the surface. He’d ruthlessly crushed those feelings, burying them deep inside him, and he had loved Mia with the same tepid, felicitous affection his dad had shown his mom. But, Holy Christ, it hadn’t been easy. Max knew his possessive, animal instincts had been there with Mia, snarling to get out, but he’d always hid them, constantly struggling to keep them leashed. Now, he wished he would have set them loose and loved her wholeheartedly. He’d been afraid of scaring her off, freaking her out with his irrational behavior. But watching the other men with their women, he wasn’t entirely certain that she wouldn’t have wanted him that way. Kara and Maddie seemed happy, entirely certain that they were loved. Had Mia felt that way? Max wasn’t sure she had.
    Sam brought over a huge platter of freshly cooked burgers and hotdogs. Picnic tables were hastily pushed together to seat everyone, the wood nearly groaning with the weight of all the people and enough food to feed a small army. Kade slid in next to him on his left, and Maddie slipped into the seat to his right.
    Max’s eyes scanned the crowd sitting at the table and then around the perimeters of the park,