The Billionaire Next Door (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) by Judy Angelo

without the bun and the horn-rimmed glasses.
    She’d surprised him with her outburst but he wasn’t
about to show it.  With practiced nonchalance he shrugged.  “Didn’t have time.”
    “Didn’t have…” She looked just about ready to haul off
and slap him.  “You don’t have the time for your own health?  What kind of bull
is that?” 
    That made Ransom raise his eyebrows again.  A delicate
flower using a word like that?  But as he stared down at Solie, an amused smile
tickling his lips, he had to admit…not so delicate, after all.  Not when she
was bold and bristling right under his nose, her eyes flashing, her full lips
formed into a tempting pout, her breasts rising and falling with every angry
breath she took.  She was no hothouse flower, this one.  No, she was a
thorn-bearing rose and all he wanted to do right then and there was kiss her
till she shed those thorns and unfolded her soft petals so he could sink deep
into…   
    “Listen,” she said, shattering his reverie and dragging
him back to reality, “you have to take your injury seriously.  You can’t be
shrugging this off like nothing happened.  You were seriously hurt and you need
to be under your doctor’s care.  And,” to his surprise she reached out and
clasped a soft hand around his upper arm, “you need to rest.”  With that she
pulled forcefully and turned him around to face the patio door.  “Now, in you
go.”
    Ransom almost laughed.  Instead, he stared down at the
slender creature intent on bullying him back to health.  Who did she think she
was?  Florence Nightingale?
    “Come on.  In.”  She was tugging at his arm, trying to
get him to step forward.
    Of course, he didn’t budge.  He just stood there looking
down at her, waiting to see what she would do.
    Not surprisingly, she glared up at him.  “Move, will
you?”
    He gave her a slow smile.  “And what if I don’t?” he
asked, his voice a soft whisper.
    Solie’s lips tightened and her eyes narrowed.  “Don’t
play with me.  I know the ER doctor who saw you in the hospital.  I can speak
to her about having you readmitted…” her gaze turned threatening “…into my
care.  And you’d better avoid that at all costs…if you know what’s good for
you.”
    Solie released his arm and with her hands she mimicked
the preparation of a syringe with pointy needle.
    Ransom’s eyes narrowed as he watched her.  “You
wouldn’t.”
    She stared boldly at him, her eyes direct and full of
challenge.  “Try me.” 
    He scowled some more but that seemed to have little
effect on his tormentor.  He glanced over to where Trevor stood, seeking any
support he could get.  Snitch that he was, the man looked away.
    Ransom drew in his breath then slowly let it out.  There
was nothing to do but comply.  He knew when he was beat.  He started walking…
    …but not before shooting another parting glare at his
friend.  Now his nosy, domineering…and sexy…neighbor was all up in his
business.
    What the hell had Trevor gotten him into?
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Solie dried the cup and put it away in the cupboard
overhead then she turned back to the island in the middle of kitchen and
gathered up the boxes of tea and the sugar bowl.  It had been almost a week
since she’d muscled her way into Ransom Kent’s life – the health side of it,
anyway – and she was getting to know her way around the house.  She’d just
fixed him a cup of tea and made him lie down in the den.  It was November and
the evenings were beginning to grow cool.  He’d wanted to stay on the patio but
the last thing he needed was a head cold on top of his concussion.  She’d
ordered him inside and he hadn’t been pleased…not that it bothered her in the
least.
    She paused to stare out the kitchen window at Ransom’s
prized gazebo in the backyard, the source of one of their earlier arguments. 
Now it didn’t seem quite so important, not when his health was brought into