Читать книгу Seduction: The Billionaire's Bride of Vengeance - Miranda Lee - Страница 21

NICOLE’S first thought as she climbed into Russell’s dark green Aston Martin was that it was a rich man’s car.

No, a rich playboy’s car, she amended once he’d started the powerful engine and zoomed off in the direction of the city.

No doubt his apartment at McMahon’s Point would be a rich playboy’s pad, with all the accessories necessary for such a leisurely existence. Nicole pictured lots of leather furniture, a Jacuzzi and home-entertainment system.

He had to be taking her there not just for breakfast but also for more fun and games.

A shiver ran down her spine at this last thought. Was she being foolish, going there with him? Clearly, besides feeding her, he was going to try to change her mind about going to Thailand.

Did she have the strength to keep saying no to his wishes? She’d already gone to mush upstairs when he’d said he believed that she’d never acted like that with any other man. When he’d offered himself as her boyfriend, she’d almost said ‘yes please’ straight away.

Even now, she could feel herself weakening.

She could put her return trip to the orphanage on hold till the New Year, she supposed. Once she sold her jewellery, she could send Julie some money to buy Christmas presents for the kids. She didn’t have to go there personally right now.

But Nicole knew if she did that, she’d probably never go. She’d get sucked into the hedonistic world which she’d turned her back on, but which was extremely seductive, especially if it meant more nights with Russell like the last one.

Nicole suppressed a groan, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she battled temptation, plus the tidal wave of desire which just thinking about last night sent crashing through her body.

The car’s sudden braking and slewing to one side snapped her eyes back open to discover a tree in the middle of the road right in front of them. Nicole grabbed the sides of her seat, but Russell managed to just miss it, grinding to a neck-whipping halt with his bumper bar against the leaves.

‘That was close,’ he said with an apologetic glance her way. ‘Sorry if I gave you a fright. I was going too fast for the conditions.’

She exhaled a long and slightly shaky breath. ‘That’s all right. A miss is as good as a mile.’

‘I’ll take it easier from now on,’ he reassured her as he backed up. ‘And stick to the main roads instead of trying to find short cuts. If it was a smaller tree I’d get out and try and move the darned thing, but I haven’t got a hope. Aah, there’s the SES now,’ he said, pointing to some men in fluorescent yellow vests coming down the road. ‘They’ll cut it up and get rid of it.’

‘I hope so. It’s very dangerous.’

A couple of minutes later they were on their way again after being directed around the tree via the footpath.

Once Nicole’s attention was back on her surroundings rather than on the man next to her, she saw evidence of last night’s storm everywhere, with lots of leaves and branches on the road and pools of water at the bottom of hills where the drains had been blocked up. A few of the traffic lights were still out as well.

Finally they reached the city-centre outskirts, where the power was still on and the traffic was flowing more smoothly. Despite being early on a Sunday morning, there were lots of cars on the road.

They’d just made it onto the harbour bridge when the bag in her lap started vibrating, the ring-tone on her phone following a split second later.

‘That’ll be Kara,’ she said as she opened the bag.

‘It might be your mother again.’

‘Oh, I hope not. Hello?’

‘Nickie, it’s me. Are you still blacked out at your place?’

‘Yes.’

‘Thought you might be, since we’re only a few streets away. Look, Dad’s started up the gas barbeque so we can have some breakfast. You and your gladiator are welcome.’

‘Actually, Kara, Russell is taking me over to his apartment at McMahon’s Point for breakfast. We’re already on the bridge, but thanks for the offer.’

‘Now, how come I’m not surprised? Must have got a clue when you didn’t call this morning.’ There was no sarcasm in this remark. Just mischievous pleasure.

‘Sorry. How did the rest of the reception go last night?’

‘Great. Megan had a gorgeous going-away outfit. I gather she and James were spending the night at a hotel in the city, then flying out somewhere romantic this morning. Couldn’t find out where, it was a secret. But enough of that. How was your night? Obviously pretty good.’

No way was Nicole going to give Kara a postmortem on her performance, or Russell’s.

‘The storm was bad, wasn’t it?’ she said instead.

Kara sighed. ‘OK. I get the message. He’s sitting right next to you. How about we use code like we used to when we were teenagers? Let’s see, now … If he was good in bed, just say uh-huh. If he was super-good, don’t say anything.’

After a few seconds’ silence, Kara groaned. ‘Ooh, I’m so jealous. Actually, no, I’m not at all. My Leyton’s very yummy. But you haven’t been too lucky in that department, have you? I mean, I’ve never heard you rave about a guy, not even David. So, tell me more …’

‘Kara, I’m sorry, but you’re breaking up. I’m losing the signal.’

‘You bitch, you are not,’ she said laughingly. ‘That phone of yours would get reception under water. All right, I’ll stop the probing. Look, before I forget, Dad has lined up a jeweller friend of his to come to the house first thing tomorrow morning to look at your jewellery. He said Max is a fair man and will make a fair offer.’

‘That’s great, Kara. Thank him for me, would you?’

‘Will do. But you’d better come home some time tonight. Don’t stay over at lover boy’s place again.’

‘I should be back for dinner tonight,’ she told Kara.

‘No, you won’t,’ Russell interrupted. ‘You’re coming out to dinner with me.’

‘I heard that! He’s very forceful, isn’t he?’

‘More like very presumptuous,’ Nicole said with a reproving glance his way.

‘Very smitten, I’d say,’ Kara said. ‘But don’t let him get his own way too much. Come home after dinner.’

‘I intend to, don’t worry.’

‘I asked Dad about him. Dad knows everything about everyone with money in this town. Anyway, McClain Real Estate has an excellent reputation for honesty and integrity. Russell McClain, however, is a bit of a mystery man. He keeps a low media profile and doesn’t socialise, which is weird for someone in property sales, according to Dad. Of course, I already knew he wasn’t a party-goer, or I’d have met him somewhere. Dad said his family can’t be from Sydney or he’d have met them. Yet they must have money because Mum said she’d heard from Megan’s mother that he went to school with James Logan and Hugh Parkinson. That’s how he came to be in the wedding party.’

Nicole rolled her eyes. That family were incorrigible gossips! Of course, they had little else to do with their time. None of them worked.

‘Thank you for that vital information,’ she said ruefully.

‘It is vital. He’s a catch, sweetie. Don’t let him get away.’

‘See you some time tonight, Kara. Bye.’ She hung up and immediately switched her phone to ‘voicemail’. No more calls for her today!

‘What vital information was that?’ Russell asked as she slipped the phone back into her bag.

Nicole decided to be as honest as he was reputed to be.

‘Kara’s been asking around about you.’

‘And?’

‘Her mum said your family must have money because you went to school with James Logan and Hugh Parkinson.’

Russell’s heart lurched at this reminder of the expensive education that had pushed his father further into debt.

‘I was a scholarship boy from the country,’ he said truthfully enough, not adding that such scholarships hardly touched the sides of the expenses associated with going to such a school. ‘My family were far from rich. What other misleading information did she uncover?’

‘Her dad said you had a good reputation in the real-estate world.’

‘Well, I’d like to think that was true.’

‘Yet you don’t network much in a social sense.’

He flicked her a frowning glance. ‘Is that comment from you, or Kara’s dad?’

‘Kara’s dad. But Kara and I already knew you weren’t big on Sydney’s social scene, because we would have met you before if you were.’

‘I’ve never been one for dinner parties. Or gallery openings. Like I said, I’m a country boy.’

‘And there I was, thinking you were a playboy.’

Russell smiled. ‘You’re mixing me up with Hugh.’

‘Yet you’re good friends with him and James Logan, both of whom love socialising, not to mention the limelight. You can’t open a glossy without seeing a photo of one of them.’

‘We were forced to share a room together at school,’ Russell explained. ‘I think it was a case of opposites attracting, because we soon became firm friends. Then, after we left school, we flatted together at uni. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, Nicole. They’re both great guys.’

‘If you say so.’

‘So that’s it, is it? No more vital information about me?’

‘Pretty well.’

‘You’re leaving something out.’

Nicole sighed. ‘OK. Kara also said you were a great catch and I wasn’t to let you get away.’

‘Really.’

‘Look, that’s Kara talking, not me. Girls like Kara think the answer to their future happiness is a seriously rich husband.’

‘And you don’t agree?’

‘I might have. Once. Please don’t be offended, but I’ve come to the conclusion that seriously rich guys are all arrogant, ruthless, selfish bastards with absolutely no conscience at all.’

Russell only just managed to hide his surprise at this unexpected statement. Once again, he wondered if she meant what she said. Or was she being super-clever by pretending she wasn’t on the lookout for a rich husband?

‘That’s a rather sweeping generality, don’t you think?’

‘Is it? Yes, you’re probably right. My bad experience with David has made me terribly cynical. I’m sure there are several seriously rich men out there somewhere who are nice. Kara’s dad is a darling,’ she conceded.

‘And then there’s me, of course,’ he said with a superbly straight face.

‘Just because you were once a country boy, Russell, doesn’t mean you haven’t been corrupted.’

‘What will it take to prove to you that I’m not a playboy?’

Nicole shrugged. ‘I think what happens today will speak for itself.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Well, you’re not bringing me to your fancy bachelor pad overlooking the harbour just for breakfast, are you?’

His fancy bachelor pad …

Russell had to laugh. Life could be very perverse, no doubt about that. ‘You might be in for a surprise or two.’ ‘I don’t think so.’

‘We’ll see,’ he said for the second time that morning.

‘We certainly will,’ she countered firmly.