Filthy Rich Alpha - Virna DePaul Page 0,18

her dedication to work and all things Branden.

Branden wasn’t worried about the photo she’d shown him, but what if there were others? Their erotically charged kiss had been nothing less than sex with clothes on. The door to Branden Duke’s upstairs sanctuary had been open. They’d been so wrapped up in each other they never would have noticed someone sneaking a photo.

If there was more to come, she wouldn’t be able to ignore it. And neither would Branden. Dreading what she might see, Cara checked the Deets website. As he’d predicted, the post was gone.

She felt only marginally relieved.

Chapter 6

Hours after Cara came to see him, Branden got a call from his stepsister Deena. “Do you have a minute?”

“Yes,” he said and hung up, knowing she’d be there in less than a minute.

He was thankful she’d called. If anyone could get his mind off Cara, it was his highly intelligent, intensely driven, out-for-blood stepsister. Of his five half and step-siblings, Deena was the one sister who bounced back time after time from the shit their various fathers put them all through, both before and after Branden’s mother was through with them. His mother had been married six times and Branden had done what he could for the sisters he’d acquired over the years to help them through the tough times.

When he’d first heard Max Dubois was selling D&M, he’d contacted Deena, to see if the company was legit. She was an investigator for the SEC, and they’d worked several investigations together to bring down dirty traders. Deena had told him the SEC suspected the company was involved with underhanded trading and the SEC was looking for a way in. He’d made the decision to buy D&M, partnering up with the SEC as he did so. Dirty traders were the lowest of the low—taking advantage of widows, the disadvantaged, those too trusting to know what they were about to lose until it was all gone. Between him, Deena, and the SEC folks in place, they’d root out the rot that had slipped into the cracks of the company. Lately, however, the investigation hadn’t been at the forefront of his mind.

His mind was filled with Cara Michal. How beautiful she was. How delicious she’d tasted. How it was best to stay away from her, but every time he saw her, he found himself wanting to do the exact opposite. The picture in Deets hadn’t helped. It had brought to the forefront of his mind every small detail that he’d tried to forget about that night and the wild kiss they’d shared.

She’d looked like she’d just been thoroughly fucked rather than just kissed.

And all he could think about was making her look like that again.

And again.

He’d stayed away from her, trying to do the right thing, and she’d had the gall to accuse him of not being interested. God, he’d wanted to make her eat those words. Show her in every possible way how much he wanted inside her and—

Someone knocked on his door and he looked up as Deena opened it.

“Made any headway in our little investigation yet?”

She closed the door behind her. “Keep your voice down, Branden. The halls of Dubois & Mellan are seldom empty.”

“As the company’s new owner, I should be investigating how to trim the fat. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, and if it does, well…” He spoke loudly, as if he was addressing anyone wandering outside his office door.

Deena rolled her eyes and perched herself on the arm of the couch that was farthest away from him. She pulled down the slim skirt of her coral suit almost primly.

“You look great,” he said in a softer voice. “I’m surprised my new brother-in-law lets you come out to play.”

“This isn’t play. It’s constructive work.”

“More like sabotage.”

She hummed a little tune. “I prefer to call it encouraging delusional behavior. We don’t have to do anyone in. Most people seem able to achieve that on their own, don’t you agree?”

“I suppose so.”

Deena ran a hand over the back of the couch, as if the taut leather needed additional smoothing. “How long do you think we can get away with our little act this time?”

“Until someone smart gets one step ahead of us.”

“That may have already happened. Any news on the Deets post?”

Branden shrugged irritably. “It’s anonymous. They claim to be a news blog and they’ll protect their sources. At this time, there’s no reason to think it’s anything but tabloid fodder. Still, I wish I knew who