Kelly Hunter - The Trouble with Valentine's

No, money for nothing wasn’t her style at all. But ten thousand pounds for a week’s work … a week’s fairly unorthodox and demanding work … Well now, that was a different matter altogether.

‘How much do you need to complete your studies?’ he asked curiously.

‘Ten thousand pounds plus money to live on. But I’ve already saved five so with your ten thousand I figure I’ve got it covered.’

‘And then what?’ he said. ‘Then will you roam the world in search of ancient artefacts and long lost oriental treasure?’

‘Yeah, just like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones,’ she said, heavy on the sarcasm. ‘You know, maybe you need to get out more. You might just be spending too much time in fantasy land.’

‘See? I knew it wouldn’t take long before you started sounding like a real wife,’ he countered with a grin. ‘Don’t you want to be a Tomb Raider?’

Sure she did. She just didn’t think it very likely. And as for sounding like a nagging wife … Hah! Wait till she really put her mind to it. ‘Right now I’m thinking I want to be Xia here because she’s really good at this alien butt-kicking business, isn’t she? What does she get if she wins?’

‘Points.’

‘Points as in money? Does she get to shop afterwards?’

‘Only for a new weapon.’

‘What, no plastic surgery? Because I really think a breast reduction is a must here.’

‘Our target demographic is teenage boys.’

‘I’d never have guessed.’

‘Besides, there’s nothing wrong with her breasts; those are excellent breasts. Fantasy breasts.’

Hallie sighed.

‘Not that yours aren’t very nice too,’ Nick added politely.

‘Mine are real,’ she said dryly, slanting him a sideways glance. ‘Completely real. Just in case anyone should ask.’

‘I’m very impressed.’ His eyes were blue, very blue, and his smile was pure pirate. ‘Because they look to be in excellent shape. I should probably take a closer look; acquire a real feel for them so to speak. I’m not a fact-file person either.’

‘Is your distributor’s daughter watching?’ she countered smoothly, even as her breasts tingled and her nipples tightened at the thought of him touching her. ‘Are we in a public place?’

‘Sadly, no.’ And through eyes half closed, his attention back on the screen, ‘Man I love kinky women.’

Oh, boy. ‘So what’s in this game for us girls?’ she said hastily. ‘Other than this very cool vibrating controller.’

‘Shang.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Shang. Paladin princeling.’

Nick flicked back to the main menu and a male figure appeared on the screen. He had dark, carelessly cut hair, an exotic face, a tough lean bod, and was no slouch in the ammunition department either. ‘Is that a gun in his pocket or is he just glad to see me?’

Now it was Nick’s turn to sigh. ‘You’re not taking this seriously.’

‘It’s a game, Nick. I’m not meant to.’

‘You’re right, you’re not. My mistake. I’m the one who has to take it seriously. My people have spent three years developing this platform, Hallie, and now it’s up to me to market it. I can’t afford to make mistakes. Not with John Tey, not with his daughter. That’s where you come in.’

‘Call me naive when it comes to big business but I think lying to a potential business partner about your marital status is a mistake,’ Hallie felt obliged to point out.

‘You sound like my conscience,’ he muttered. ‘If you have a plan C let’s hear it.’

‘Ah, well, I don’t currently have a plan C.’

‘Pity.’

He looked tired, sounded wistful. As if having to deceive John Tey really didn’t sit well with him. Sympathy washed over her and all of a sudden she wanted to slide on over to his recliner and comfort him. Weave her hands through that dark, tousled hair, touch her mouth to his and feel the passion slide through her and the heat start to build as she feasted on that clever, knowing mouth and – Whoa! Stop right there. Because that wasn’t sympathy.

That was lust.

‘What?’ He was looking at her strangely.

‘Indigestion,’ she said. ‘I think it was something I ate. Probably the clams.’

‘Probably the situation,’ he said. ‘What’s it to be Hallie? Are you in or out?’

Hallie hesitated, tempted to say yes. Not for the adventure, the excitement, or the money but so that she could spend more time with Nick. The same Nick who was prepared to pay her ten thousand pounds so that at the end of the charade she’d leave .

A sensible woman would refuse him now and save herself the heartbreak, the genuine heartbreak, that was bound to come if a woman was careless enough to fall for him. A smart woman would sigh over that Hermès handbag, maybe even spend a minute or two imagining what it would look like on her arm, but in the end she’d turn away. That was what she should do.

What she said was, ‘Do you believe in destiny, Nick? Do you believe in fate?’

‘Only as a last resort. Why?’

‘I think we should let the game decide. Xia and Shang against the Martians. If we win we go to Hong Kong as man and wife. If we lose, you throw yourself on the tender mercies of Mr Tey and spill your guts.’

‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’

She was.

‘Deal,’ he said, and the fighting began.

Two murderous hours later it was decided. They were going to Hong Kong.

JASMINE TEY HAD ALMOST conquered her habit of stiffening with apprehension every time someone mentioned Nicholas Cooper’s name. It had taken a while. Two weeks, to be exact, and it had been a month since she’d last seen him. So much could happen in a month. New memories could replace excruciatingly embarrassing ones. Selective amnesia could happen, not that it had …

Not that it could with Kai standing in the kitchen telling her that Nick was coming back next week to finish his business dealings with her father.

And bringing his wife.

Jasmine would never have done what she did had she known about his wife.

‘So, are they staying here or downtown?’ she asked in what she hoped was a disinterested voice.

‘Here.’

‘Oh.’

‘You enjoyed Nick’s visit last time,’ said Kai mildly.

Yes, she had. Nicholas Cooper had been fun to have around. His eyes had so often been crinkled and smiling. He’d been careful to include Jasmine in his conversations and he’d paid attention to her opinions whenever she’d voiced them. She’d taken it as encouragement.

So heady, Nick’s attention.

So stupid, what she’d done next.

She’d gone to Nick’s room one night and waited for him. Not naked, nothing so shameful as that, but she’d waited, hands twisting, breathless with anticipation. She wanted to know what a man’s lips would feel like against hers. She ached for the slide of warm hands around her waist. She’d wanted someone to want her and there were so few some-ones in her sheltered world to choose from.

She’d wanted Kai to notice that Nicholas Cooper had treated her like a woman rather than a girl.

She’d been such a fool.

Nick had stepped into the guest room, taken one look at her standing to one side of the window and blanched.

He’d stammered something about leaving his computer downstairs and needing to go and get it.

‘ Wait ,’ she’d said. ‘I didn’t mean —I don’t mean to offend.’ She’d looked pleadingly at him. ‘I thought—’

She’d thought he might like to take their friendship further.

‘Jasmine.’ Nick’s voice had cut across hers, low and urgent. ‘God help me if I’ve given you the wrong impression, I never meant to, but if it’s romance that you want from me … I’m sorry, but I can’t.’