Miss Taken
Authors: Milly Taiden
Tags: #Romance, #Multicultural, #Paranormal, #Romantic Comedy, #Fantasy, #Multicultural & Interracial, #Werewolves & Shifters
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Waking up in some strange man’s bed was never big girl Kira Ardan’s goal for the day. Neither was waking up naked. Wait, naked? Someone had a lot of explaining to do and soon.
Luke Lyen is at the height of his need. He wants a mate and he wants her now. Finding the woman meant to be his brings out the lust he’s been fighting for days. If only she weren’t so stubborn, he might be able to get her to understand she is his. Then they could move on with dirty, freaky loving.
The big lion is doing things with his tongue that makes Kira’s brain cells melt. It will take more than a little danger to get this curvy woman to let go of her firm beliefs. She’s not interested in being anyone’s MINE, but maybe he can convince her to be HIS.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Published By
Latin Goddess Press
New York, NY 10456
http://millytaiden.com
Miss Taken
Copyright © 2015 by Milly Taiden
Cover by Willsin Rowe
Edited by: Tina Winograd,
Dee Carrell
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Property of Milly Taiden
September 2015
—For My Curvy Readers
I like my girls BBW!
Table of Contents
Kira Ardan glanced at the papers her brother handed her. She squinted, pushing her glasses up her nose. “Wait, you want me to what?”
“Which part of what I said didn’t you understand?” Peter snapped. “I want you to check out the land I want to buy.” His brows dipped in a furious scowl. “I heard the locals are angry that I’m tearing down some trees to set up vacation cabins.”
She frowned, ignoring Peter’s attitude and flipping through the papers she had at hand. “You haven’t even discussed this with the current owner of the land.”
He gave her a look like she was being stupid. “So? I’m offering him a lot more than that piece of shit plot of land is worth. If he’s any kind of businessman, he’ll take it.”
She glared at Peter. He acted like he was smarter than everyone else and that annoyed the shit out of her even though he was family. Thanks to her, he hadn’t been sued more than once. Her ability to smooth over ruffled feathers kept his dumbass in business.
“You know, sometimes I wonder if you and I share the same genes,” she sighed. “Peter, I can’t just show up on private property and survey it without the owner’s consent. I can get arrested for trespassing.”
Peter shrugged. “I don’t care what you do. Figure it out and get me photos of the area.”
She sat back in her chair, determined to talk some sense into her idiot brother. “You know, just because Dad put you in charge of the company Mom left to
me
, doesn’t make you smarter. This is my company.”
He raised his dark brows. “The fact he gave me control speaks of who he trusted more.”
She clenched her teeth, hating that her father had been such a jerk that she couldn’t control her own company without having a male on command. Her lawyer had been very clear. She either got married or her brother controlled Rakida Construction.
“I don’t give a shit who he trusted,” she snapped, angry at her father and brother. She stood, pushing her chair back and hearing it scrape on the wooden floor. Her glasses fell forward so she shoved them up the bridge of her nose for the millionth time. “Father only did that because he wanted to force me to get married.”
Her father had always made it clear his daughter needed a man to take care of her. Since her mother died when she was young, Kira had always been independent. It ticked off her father that his little girl didn’t want to do the things he expected out of women.
“Me getting this land deal would benefit you,” Peter declared with a mocking grin. “I don’t give a shit if you never get married. As long as you don’t, I’m in control. If you die, I get it all. Don’t get married. I’m still in charge.”
She squeezed her jaw, pain shooting from her teeth to temples. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to get married. At almost thirty-seven, she realized her expectations of men might be higher than what most men felt she should have. She fought the urge to take off her glasses if only to not see his annoying face.
“I’m not getting married just to take the company from you,” she growled. “But if I do get married,” she said, meeting his gaze, “you’re going back to your own fledgling company and leaving mine to me.”
“And until then, I get half of everything I bring into your company,” he smiled coldly. “This is what our
padre
would have wanted.”
“For me to depend on a man?
Papá
clearly had little common sense,” she said, her anger rising with every word.
Sheets of paper scrunched in her grasp as she turned to leave his office. She didn’t hate Peter. He was her brother and only acted the way he did because that’s how their father had raised him. Besides, it took too much effort to hate anyone. Kira knew she’d never made her father happy being an independent female. He expected her to grovel at his feet. He wanted power over her.
Her father’s mission was to make her marry or turn forty before she got control of her company. She only had three years to wait for the latter option and the other was not happening. Not with her relationship history.
She’d been engaged three times. Each ending with her sending her fiancé to hell. She didn’t have the patience to handle men who thought they’d change her. It started with small comments or remarks. Then it grew into full-blown commands. Kira didn’t like anyone ordering her around.
Though successful men, her exes always had a problem with something about Kira. That something was usually her weight. As a big girl with big curves, they assumed she needed someone to tell her to lose weight. Not the case. They soon realized she didn’t really care what they wanted her to look like. She was damn happy with her figure. Rolls, flab, curves and every soft little jiggle that made her who she was.
She marched into her office, ignoring everyone calling out her name and slammed the door. People always wanted to talk when she was in a murderous mood. With a sigh, she kicked off her heels and plopped into her office chair. Leather squeaking filled the room as she swiveled to face the picture window behind her desk and the forest that lay just yards from the building.
She flipped up her black-rimmed glasses into her hair and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She swore she’d end up with a daily migraine if she didn’t take a vacation soon. Her temples pulsed with a dull, throbbing pain.
Her door opened. She didn’t bother asking who it was. She already knew.
“Kira,” Carly, her assistant called out, “I brought you coffee.”
She turned to face Carly with a scowl. “You don’t normally bring me coffee.”
Carly smiled. “I know, but the way you slammed the door made the building shake. I wanted to bring you vodka, but I know you won’t drink during office hours, so this is the next best thing.”
Kira smiled and took the to-go cup out of Carly’s hand. “Thank you. Coffee can’t fix stupid, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
Carly sat in the chair across from Kira’s desk. “Your brother, the pompous ass, pissed you off again?”
“You know him, he gets a little worse every day.”
“I remember the first time I met him when we were kids. He wasn’t an ass yet, and still had his sweet moments. Didn’t take long, though.” Carly smiled, “You know it’s a good thing you’re my best friend, otherwise I’d have already killed him or quit. It’s a toss-up.”
Kira’s musical laughter filled the office. “He is so damn stubborn, just like our father. His way or no way.”
“I take it this is about that property again?”
Kira pursed her lips and sipped her latte. She liked it really sweet with lots of milk. Most of the time Carly made fun of Kira by saying she wanted hot, sweet milk with a pinch of coffee.
“Yes.” She leaned back in her chair and let some of her tension drain. “He’s obsessed with Raging Falls and the surrounding area.”
Carly nodded. “Did he tell you he’s got everyone researching it, now? Especially info on the owner or the team of owners.”
Kira’s brother was stuck on Raging Falls. He wanted it badly. If they got the property and could build on it, going on her idea for new cabin getaways, they’d make a killing and Peter knew that.
“I guess this means I need to figure out who I’ll have to apologize to. Peter’s gonna show up with his better-than-thou attitude, trying to buy out the owners and probably insult them in the process. If he hasn’t already. If he is pestering us this much, he has to be doing it to them as well.”
Carly laughed. Sadly, Kira wasn’t joking. She’d had this happen way too many times in the past. The only thing she could do to keep her company intact was to placate those Peter pissed off.
“I won’t tell him, but I’ll find out who owns that property for you,” Carly said with conviction.
“I don’t understand why it’s such a secret. I mean, you’d think it would be common knowledge.”
“Except it’s not.” Carly placed the files on Kira’s desk in color order. Kira had a thing for keeping things looking neat and organized in her office. At home, that was another story.
“No. The owners are hidden under an umbrella corporation and we can only deal with their lawyer to get any information, which is a pain in the ass.”
“Much like your brother,” Carly agreed.
“Exactly.” She put her empty cup down and met Carly’s gaze. “I guess I’m going on a little road trip.”
Carly pouted. “Wish I could come with you, but I will hold down the fort, instead, and do my best not to end up in jail for assault on your ass of a brother before you get back.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure this will be a very short adventure,” she said. Hiking through woods and figuring out who lived in Raging Falls was not her idea of fun.