Kelly Hunter - Red-Hot Summer - The Millionaire's Proposition / The Tycoon's Stowaway / The Spy Who Tamed Me

‘Don’t what?’

‘Win. That’s the way it is, Katie.’ He looked over her shoulder. ‘Ah, the doors are opening. Let’s go in and try not to…’ His eyes widened, his voice trailed off. Then, ‘Damn,’ he said under his breath. ‘He is here.’

Kate turned to see what he was seeing. ‘What? Who? Oh! He looks like—’

‘Me.’

‘Only—’

‘Taller.’

‘Well, yes, but—’

‘Better-looking.’

‘I was going to say “older”.’

His eyes zoomed to her. ‘Are you going to tell me he’s more age-appropriate for a thirty-two-year-old? Because if you are—don’t. I’m not up to another discussion about my age.’

Kate could only blink. She seemed to be thinking What the hell? a lot tonight but…well, what the hell…?

His eyes roamed behind her again. ‘Oh, for the love of God!’

Kate turned again as Scott’s lookalike descended on them.

‘Who is he?’ she asked.

‘My brother. His house is one of the finalists.’

That was all he had time to say before he was enveloped in a bear hug.

‘Scottie!’ his brother boomed out.

Scott stiffened, before giving his brother an awkward pat on the back.

Edging back as fast as he could, he took Kate’s elbow and brought her closer. ‘Kate—my brother Hugo.’

Hugo? As in Play Time? The word that would stop Scott in his tracks? What the freaking hell …? This evening was turning out to be very…instructive.

The resemblance between the two men wasn’t as strong close-up. Hugo was like a more refined version of Scott. His eyes were brown, not green. And he spoke with a slightly British accent—very different from Scott’s Aussie drawl. Kate thought the accent was an affectation until Hugo confessed, with the fakest attempt at self-deprecation Kate had ever heard, that he’d been to medical school in England.

He looked more conservative than Scott—from his sharp, perfect haircut to his traditional black-tie get-up. Hugo was more talkative, more…accessible. But there was something missing. That indefinable something Scott had in spades—that mix of charm and wit and sexy intrigue. Hugo was obviously smart. He was good-looking. A little stuffy, maybe, although he seemed like a decent guy. But nobody would rush to Hugo’s side the way they rushed to Scott’s.

Kate was on the point of filing that description away when Hugo raised the subject of the award, with a look at Scott that could only be described as pitying —and Kate’s hackles rose, sharp and hard. Okay, description revised. Hugo was not a decent guy; Hugo was a bastard.

‘So—Creative Residential! Who would have thought we’d end up competing again , Scottie?’ Hugo asked, with a heavy clap on Scott’s back. ‘I checked out Silverston on the website. Good job, Scottie. Really good job.’

‘Thank you,’ Scott said with a smile that was definitely forced.

Kate, hating that smile, blinked innocently up at Hugo. ‘You’re not a doctor and an architect, are you, Hugo?’

‘Well, no, but—’

‘So your architect is the finalist?’ More wide-eyed I don’t understand innocence.

‘Yes, my man Waldo.’

‘Oh, your man. I see. Scott’s client is leaving the honours to him. Credit where it’s due, right?’ Kate asked, and hoped Scott’s client wouldn’t embarrass her by appearing out of nowhere!

Hugo chuckled, oblivious to any insult. ‘Ah, but I had considerable input into Waldo’s design,’ he explained. ‘So when I asked if I could come along this evening, of course Waldo was only too happy. Especially when I told him there would be a little friendly family rivalry for the prize.’

Scott, whose eyes had frosted in a way that did not look at all friendly, raised his eyebrows. ‘ Waldo let you have a say? Waldo Kubrick ?’ He turned to Kate. ‘Waldo is brilliant—actually, the best. But he’s more temperamental than a busload of French chefs.’

Hugo gave Scott another pitying look. ‘Yes, he is the best, isn’t he?’ Then came an apologetic and yet not at all apologetic cough. ‘Sorry, Scottie.’

‘Sorry?’ Scott asked. ‘Why?’

There was something in Hugo’s eyes that Kate didn’t like. Something malicious.

‘Let’s just say Knightley is pretty special,’ he said. ‘The buzz is there.’

Kate felt a laugh building and had to bite the inside of her cheek hard. Knightley? His house was called Knightley ?

‘Yes, it is,’ Scott said coolly, and gestured towards the ballroom. ‘Well, good luck, Hugo. We’re heading in.’

And then Scott turned to Kate—who was trying not to laugh and at the same time silently communicating to Scott that she knew why the name Hugo would stop him in his Play Time tracks—and something lit in his eyes as he took in the expression on her face. And his smile, for the very first time, was in his eyes.

And it was absolutely devastating.

Scott felt a little off-balance.

It had been a lightning-fast emotional shift—from the normal feeling of inadequacy he always experienced around his brother to wanting to take Kate in his arms right there in front of Hugo, to whom he never, ever introduced anyone. And not only take her in his arms but breathe her right into his body. All because she’d wanted to laugh. It didn’t seem to matter that he didn’t even know what had amused her. Not that Kate didn’t usually laugh—she did, a lot, and he loved that. But there was just something different about it tonight.

‘What’s so funny?’ he asked as he pulled out her chair.

She sat. Waited for him to sit beside her. ‘Not that I want to disparage your brother, Scottie —’

He groaned.

‘Sorry, but I owe you for all the Katies,’ Kate said.

Wince. ‘Yeah. I get it. No more Katies. Hand-on-heart promise.’

‘But what is with that house name? Is Hugo an Emma fan? Or maybe his wife? Naming the house after Mr Knightley, perhaps?’

‘Emma who?’

Kate rolled her eyes. ‘Never mind. I think the explanation is simpler. He named it after himself , didn’t he? Like one of those British stately homes?’ She was biting the inside of her cheek again. ‘Maybe he got the idea at med school…’

‘Knightley,’ Scott said slowly. ‘ Knightley. Oh, my God. I didn’t even think—It never occurred—I mean—God!’ He sat, stunned, for a moment, and then he started laughing. ‘God!’

‘It’s not a laughing matter,’ Kate admonished, but Scott could see she was struggling to keep a straight face. ‘It’s de rigueur to name your home after yourself, you know.’ Her mouth was starting to twist. ‘My own apartment is c-called C-Castle C-Cleary.’

And then Kate was laughing too, and the sound of it was just so sexy he had to touch her. Needed to share this delicious absurdity with her physically.

He reached for her hand and she twined her fingers with his, still laughing. Even her eyes were laughing. What must that be like? To have eyes that laughed? Eyes that were warm like molten silver. Beautiful.

His throat closed over and the laughter jammed. Stuck in his throat. All he could think about was kissing her until she was breathless. As breathless as he felt just looking at her. Breathless. And perfect. For once, perfect…

Kate stopped laughing too, and then she reached out with her free hand. Touched his face as if she felt it too. The connection.

And then panic hit.

No! No connection. He didn’t want that.

He jerked back, away from her touch.