Read Enticing Eve: Scandalous Secrets, Book 2 for Free Online

such emotion shone through her declaration of love for his brother.  
    Regardless, Eve was betrothed to Tristan – his brother – and there were some lines even Colin would never cross.
    With his every breath, Colin’s love, his hope, his very future drained from his heart, and he wondered if he would ever again feel joy. The answer hit him like an anvil.  
    Never again. Not without Eve.
    How could he live without her, without the hope of her, knowing she would never again be in his arms? His conscience affirmed that he would survive, of course. He’d done so before. He would do so again.  
    But he would do so in spite of himself.  
    Colin surveyed his surroundings – the rich green furnishings, dark mahogany paneling, and accent pieces. He always considered the drawing room décor to be rather masculine, yet when he first entered the room today it shimmered with the presence of an alluring goddess, golden sunshine, and infinite possibilities. For a brief moment, he felt like all was right with humanity, bolstered by the fact that Eve sought him out. Then his world buckled, collapsing into a cold, lonely place. It was all too familiar. Such had been his colorless, humorless world ever since he left Eve.  
    No matter how much he loved her and as difficult as it was for Colin to admit, perhaps Eve was better off without him. He could never impose such a dark, dreary life on the woman he loved.
    Your brother is twice the man you will ever be.
    Eve’s statement wounded him. Not because she was wrong. To the contrary, she was correct. Tristan was kind, generous, respectable and whole. Colin remained haunted by too many secrets ever to feel complete again.
    Colin would allow Eve to think that he had abandoned her and that he never cared about her. To do so would be far kinder than revealing the truth.

    * * *

    The intruder studied the structure before him, taking care not to be seen. Though making an appearance during the day was a risk, it was well worth taking since it led to the very sighting he hoped for – MacAlistair, in all his artificial glory, staring through the window.
    He didn’t look happy.
    Nor did his guest.  
    At one with his surroundings, dressed in brown, he found shelter behind a large tree and leaned against its sturdy trunk. What could MacAlistair have argued with that blonde about? Could it be possible that she, too, knows the truth?
    Having waited so long for this moment, he could barely contain his delight.
    “I saw him,” he taunted in a singsong voice, his hoarse falsetto joining the birds chirping in the trees amid the lush gardens that surrounded him.  
    At last, the bastard son had resurfaced, claiming a home and an inheritance that did not rightfully belong to him. As far as the trespasser was concerned, Colin MacAlistair had returned to a life he didn’t deserve.
    “I shall right this wrong,” the interloper vowed.  
    Yes, he would systematically destroy the man who had taken everything from him. First, he would uncover Colin MacAlistair’s greatest weakness then exploit it.  
    Oh, how he loved games.  
    This would be his favorite yet.
    “Let the amusement commence.”

Chapter 2

    Eve clenched her hands into tight fists in a valiant yet fruitless attempt to stop them from shaking. Having survived her first encounter with Colin, she knew that she should feel relieved, thrilled even. Instead, Eve found herself at an impasse, struggling to decipher the maelstrom of emotions threatening to overtake her.  
    Her pulse raced at a frantic pace causing her to feel unbalanced. There was more to it, though – an emptiness combined with an agonizing sadness had seeped into Eve’s soul sometime between her initial confrontation with Colin and her exit from his residence. The powerful mixture of emotions caused her chest to ache as if her heart had been bruised. Even the familiar sway of her grandmother’s carriage failed to cheer her.
    My affection for you hasn’t changed …