The Tycoon's Red Hot Marriage Merger Read Online Free Page A

had everything it would take to satisfy him.
    “To be honest, I’ve never tested the equipment.”
    Shock reverberated through him. He hadn’t expected her blunt confession, nor the instant uptick of his attraction to branding her as his. “Why not?”
    “The opportunity never arrived.”
    “You sure you want to go through with this?” He couldn’t ask her to give up a lifetime of love for her idiotic family. But if he was honest with himself, he sure hoped she said yes. Because he wanted her more now than ever.
    She raised her chin and held his gaze. “Absolutely,” she said. “So, do we have a deal?”
    The music’s energy pulsed through him. His blood roared in his ears with ferocity. Excitement warred with caution. Her innocence came with a high price tag. He’d wanted revenge, and making Cassandra his wife in every way that mattered would be an added bonus to make up for all her father had stolen.
    Everything within him ached to be with Cassandra—to melt her icy exterior and fire her soul into a blazing siren. “I have one more condition,” he said. He had to know if she could separate her heart from this union.
    “What more can you possibly want?” she asked.
    He gazed into her questioning indigo eyes. His chest tightened and the music around him faded. “Children. I expect them. And I expect you to love my sons and daughters though I will never give you the same affection,” he warned. If she flinched at his command, he’d walk away from her offer no matter how enticing the deal.
    Understanding. Something more—an answering kinship—softened her features. She chewed her delectable lower lip, contemplating. “Love isn’t in the equation. I agree to the terms.” She straightened her shoulders and squared her stance. “After all, they will be my children, too. Anything less will not be tolerated. You have my word.”
    The band constricting his lungs loosened. Marco exhaled a deep breath. Until now he’d planned to takeover her family’s company and ram his way back into her world to prove a point. Cassandra Nelson had provided him with a surprisingly easier solution. One with a built in, non-emotional sexual commitment, and the possibility of his sons gaining from their union. Every snob who had turned their backs to him would regret their false accusations.
    “Perfect, then I’ll marry you,” he said, then brushed his mouth over hers. A feather light kiss meant to seal the deal, not send a jolt of electricity through his entire body.
    ###
    Time slowed and Cassandra was only aware of Marco. Of his hard muscles and male scent. Of his commanding mouth fusing with hers. Of his delicious taste—tangy, and spicy, and all man. Heat fired through her even though she reeled mentally, spiraling out of control, with the ramifications of her decision.
    The incredible feeling of his body twining around hers on the dance floor unleashed something wild within her. Something she’d never believed existed. Because until now she had seriously questioned her ability to be sexual, wondering for years if maybe she had been flawed or born with some weird defect that had no cure.
    Obviously not.
    She could hear a rush of thunder in her ears, and warmth pooled low in her belly. Wanting unfurled, its tendrils twining through her limbs and loosening her resistance. She came alive once he possessed her. Wanton. Shocking public behavior. Behavior which would scandalize her family. But in this moment, none of that censure could stop her from craving more.
    Instinctively, she parted her lips, her rebellious body craving more. More of him. More of what was to come later. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, mating with hers in an age old dance. Over and over he delved inside her, feasting on her like she was a decadent dish only he could devour.
    His hands were everywhere. Her hair, her back, and dangerously close to the swell of her breasts. She knew she should stop him, but she couldn’t fight the sudden surge of