Free Enticing Eve: Scandalous Secrets, Book 2 by Tracy Goodwin

turned to face him. “I have always considered myself fortunate to have Sebastian for a brother.”
    She paused for a moment, studying the rose as she twirled it between her fingers before adding, “I realize now that I am the luckiest of ladies,   for I am
    blessed with not one, but two such brothers.”
    Victoria kissed him on the cheek. “Welcome home, Colin.”
    Colin watched her ascend the stone steps leading to the terrace, his feet planted firmly on the thick lawn blanketing the earth.  
    Home.
    What does a home comprise, after all? Is it merely a dwelling with bricks, mortar, and furnishings? Or is a home more than a physical building? Is a place considered home because of those who reside there?  
    He never expected to feel such acceptance anywhere, let alone at the family estate of his illegitimate father. His newfound sister surprised him, Victoria’s words and actions leaving him speechless. Surely, he was the fortunate one for Colin knew he didn’t deserve such family.
    As Colin watched Victoria climb the steps, he turned, surprised to find Eve’s intense stare boring down upon him from the terrace. The moment was fleeting as she quickly turned on her heel and disappeared from view.
    Why did she glare at him like she was jealous?
    With each step he took, Colin silently pieced the events together. Eve didn’t know Victoria was his sister, of that he was certain. Gwen had assured him that the family had told no one of it, not even their closest friends. So the scene Eve witnessed between him and Victoria could be perceived as questionable.
    Eve is jealous.
    Molten blood pounded through his veins; his heart pumping harder at his discovery. For the first time, Colin believed Victoria to be correct. Eve certainly wouldn’t be jealous if she didn’t still care for him. It was true – it had to be. Why else would Eve react in such a manner?
    Colin slowed to a stop when he reached the top step. Until now, he remained determined to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his brother and Eve’s; however, his conversation with Victoria and this latest turn of events changed everything. Seeds of selfishness had taken root, burrowing through to his very soul.  
    He didn’t travel to hell and back to watch the woman he loved marry someone else.
    From the first moment he first saw her, bathed in moonlight crying quietly on a terrace, Eve had stolen a piece of his soul. From that day forward, he lived for her.  
    Even surrounded by bloodlust and brutality, the memory of her helped him survive every sweltering day and every cold night. He remembered Eve bathed in the warmth of bright sunshine, her blonde hair glowing like a halo, her full lips and high cheekbones the soft pink hue of a painting he once saw at the Royal Academy of Arts. Her mesmerizing smile and dazzling eyes the color of a dewy spring garden made him feel like he’d been graced by an angel.
    Just as he would rise from the ashes of his past, Colin would discover Eve’s true feelings for him.  
    Little did anyone suspect that Colin MacAlistair had returned home a new man. He would take great pains to ensure no one would ever suspect the lengths to which he would go to reclaim the woman he loved.  
    God help him. Colin couldn’t live without knowing the truth and he wouldn’t rest until he had uncovered it.

Chapter 3

    Eve couldn’t believe her eyes, certain that she must be imagining things. What if though, for the sake of argument, Colin were to court Victoria or any eligible female for that matter? Why should the mere possibility affect Eve so?  
    Her nagging conscience whispered, You care about him .  
    She refused to listen. Moreover, Eve resented Colin for stirring such contemplation within her.  
    “There you are,” Gwen looped her arm through her brother’s giving him a gentle squeeze. Eve realized that she was staring and quickly turned her attention to the opulent place settings in front of her.  
    “Fiona,” Gwen