Tycoon Takes Revenge Read Free

aka Ms. Rumor-Has-It.
    She froze, blinked, and then stared.
    No. But the headline was still there, staring at her, taunting her.
    She scanned the rest of the article while a sickening feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.
    Sybil alleged that Noah and Ms. Rumor-Has-It had been secretly involved for some time. The column went on to disclose a lovers’ row that they’d had at the book-launch party last night. It ended by toying with the delicious possibility that Kayla’s skewering of the millionaire playboy in her column had been a smoke screen for her own clandestine relationship with him.
    Kayla’s mind raced. Had Sybil witnessed her argument with Noah last night and wrongly concluded she’d been privy to a lovers’ spat? Or—a more ominous thought intruded—had someone led Sybil to believe it was a lovers’ spat?
    She looked up from her computer screen and caught one of the Sentinel ’s health columnists giving her a curious look. Had Sybil’s headline already been making the rounds?
    Kayla’s eyes went to the flower bouquet again. Now that she’d read Sybil’s headline, the flowers suddenly made sense.
    Noah. The rat. Whether he’d started the flames or was just fanning them, she had a thing or two to tell him.
    Using the Internet, she located the main number for Whittaker Enterprises. Once she dialed it, she was quickly transferred to Noah’s secretary.
    â€œMay I ask who is calling?” the secretary intoned once Kayla had asked to speak with Noah.
    â€œIt’s Kayla Jones.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Ms. Jones, but Mr. Whittaker isn’t in the office yet this morning. May I take a message?”
    He wasn’t in the office yet? Probably due to his late-night carousing, she thought acidly. Her eyes strayed to the clock on the wall, which indicated it was just after nine.
    As she looked down and started to tell Noah’s secretary that she’d call back later, her gaze landed on the man striding toward her.
    Noah Whittaker, smiling sunnily.
    â€œNever mind,” she said absently into the receiver. “I’ve found him.” She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to show up at her office! Planning to milk this baseless rumor for all it was worth, was he?
    She hung up and straightened, rising from her chair just as Noah came to a stop in front of her.
    He nodded to the impressive arrangement of red roses. “Glad to see I got my money’s worth.”
    â€œYou snake.” She kept her voice low, not caring that her tone sounded furtive. The last thing she needed was for someone at the Sentinel to overhear her conversation. Fortunately, it was still early enough that a lot of the staff hadn’t rolled in yet.
    Noah chuckled. “Now is that any way to thank the guy who’s come to apologize for our lovers’ quarrel?”
    â€œYou know it was no such thing!” she exclaimed in a low tone, catching another curious look from the Sentinel ’s health columnist.
    â€œI suppose,” he returned placidly, “you’re about to express outrage and claim bloody retribution.”
    She looked at him. He seemed so smug, and he was so infuriating. “You planned this,” she accused. “You let Sybil think we were… involved. ” She could barely get that last word out. “You sent the flowers to make it seem as if Sybil’s story held water.”
    â€œNot only did I let Sybil think we were involved,” he replied, “I told her we were.”
    â€œWhat?” she squeaked. That was the best she could manage without drawing attention. Inside, however, she felt like screaming.
    â€œRight after you left last night, I had an unexpected run-in with Sybil. Apparently she witnessed enough to know we’d been arguing.”
    Kayla closed her eyes. It was a nightmare, a complete nightmare.
    â€œI’ll say this for her,” Noah continued, “that woman has a