Megan Cole - Riches - Snog, Steal and Burn

‘Tell me about it. There was a plane ticket inside the ticket, which is why I’m here, and instructions to meet a car at Heathrow.’

‘Nothing else?’

‘Nothing.’

Remy was silent for a moment. ‘Celine, I don’t like the sound of this. It could be dangerous.’

‘I know.’ She’d thought about it enough! ‘But what am I supposed to do, Remy? What if it is real and I did nothing? I’d never be able to forgive myself. I mean, my parents bug me and want me to do this stupid college course I’m so not interested in, but they’re still my parents.’

After a moment, Remy nodded. ‘I do understand, Celine. You’re very brave. I don’t think I could do it.’

‘Come back and tell me that again when it’s all over.’ Celine didn’t want to think about it any longer. ‘Can we talk about something else? Or at least drink ourselves stupid.’

‘You won’t hear any complaints from me.’ Remy bent down to pick up something from the floor. ‘Does this belong to you?’

‘My earring, it must have fallen out.’ She went to take it off him but Remy grabbed her hand.

‘Be careful, Celine, won’t you? It’s not the sort of thing a girl like you should be getting involved in.’

She had no time to answer, as just then they hit a patch of turbulence and the whole plane lurched. Immediately, the seat-belt signs pinged back into life. Remy picked up the bottle. ‘Let’s finish this sitting down.’

It was a shaky walk back and Remy was right behind her. Close enough Celine could make out the Marc Jacobs aftershave. He even smells sexy.

Remy followed her to her seat. ‘I’ll come and sit by you, hey? In case you get scared.’

With the turbulence and all the champagne, Celine started to feel really dizzy. Remy had barely sat down before she’d lost her balance and fallen right on top of him.

‘Oops!’ She started laughing. ‘I’m really sorry.’

He looked at her. She looked at him. Their mouths were inches from each other. ‘So…’ Celine said, but then she shut up, because that was when he started kissing her.

Chapter Five Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-one Chapter Twenty-two Chapter Twenty-three Chapter Twenty-four Chapter Twenty-five Chapter Twenty-six Chapter Twenty-seven Chapter Twenty-eight Chapter Twenty-nine Chapter Thrity Epilogue Credits Previously by Megan Cole About the Publisher

London, UK Two days later

Jhumpa looked out of her hotel room window. Below, shiny black cabs and big red buses were streaming past like a procession of brightly coloured bugs. This city beat to a different rhythm than the one she’d left behind in India, but it was no less exciting. It was why she’d booked herself into the famous Dorchester hotel, the epitome of English elegance and luxury.

She was meant to go straight to the house in Glandularshire, or wherever it was, but her flight hadn’t landed at Heathrow until midnight. Jhumpa wanted a good night’s sleep, so she was prepared and fresh for whatever lay ahead. She still felt edgy. Someone else was calling the shots and she didn’t like it.

Her suite on the ninth floor had a panoramic view of the city.

Jhumpa cast her eye over the skyline: she could see the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben. Even at night it was pretty amazing; just like she’d seen in the movies.

There was a stirring from the bed. The delicious form of Caleb stretched out and turned over under the starched white sheets. Even from here Jhumpa could see the tightly packed bands of muscles across his back. She smiled to herself. Yes, bumping into Caleb had turned out very well indeed.

Jhumpa wasn’t normally into one-night stands. Back home in Mumbai she was always very selective about who she brought back to the apartment. The last thing she wanted was someone doing a kiss-and-tell on her when she was a famous actress and spoiling her public image. But things weren’t normal right now, and when she’d been sitting in the hotel bar nursing a Cosmopolitan and Caleb had come over and offered to buy her another… well, one thing had left to another.

Even if Caleb hadn’t been so hot, Jhumpa would have been pleased to have someone to talk to. She would never have admitted it, but she’d been feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable the moment Caleb had chosen to walk up. Good timing. Funny how a complete stranger could fulfil such a purpose.

Caleb was just her type. Blue-eyed and dirty blonde, he looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch model. Jhumpa liked her American boys and when she’d found out he was an aspiring actor like her, they had lots to talk about. Caleb had already asked her to go and stay with him in Hollywood, said he could introduce her to a few people. Jhumpa would wait and see. Caleb might be pretty, but he could be just another jobbing barman with aspirations of being the next De Niro. No offence, but Jhumpa wasn’t going to waste her time on people who were never going to make it.

Caleb was cute, at least, and was taking her mind off things. As well as the whole drama with her dad, just before she’d left India, Jhumpa found out she hadn’t got the servant girl role in Emerald Summer.

“Too beautiful,” was what the director said, apparently. She’d be a “distraction”. Jhumpa had been devastated but put a brave face on. Everything happened for a reason. She was destined for bigger and better things.

At least she would be, once this whole weird business was sorted out. Jhumpa stared out the window again. Where are you, daddy? She’d lied to everyone about why she was taking a trip - had told no one about the weird note she’d received in the post, telling her to go to Cadwallader house, if she wanted to help her dad.

Time to myself, she’d told Bez and her friends. Get away from everything. Everyone understood, and the police had promised to keep her updated with any developments. Every time the phone went Jhumpa’s stomach dropped like a stone. Thinking this would be the call to say her dad was dead.

‘You OK?’

Caleb was sitting up, hair tousled sexily.

‘Completely.’ She pulled the silk dressing gown tighter and padded across the room. Caleb pulled her down for a kiss. His lips were as soft as clouds. Jhumpa could still feel their traces on her body.

‘Can’t you sleep?’ he asked. Nice accent, lazy Californian.

‘My body clock is all over the place.’

He gave a chuckle. ‘I can think of something we could do.’

Jhumpa smiled as Caleb’s hands started to move over her dressing gown. ‘I need my sleep.’

‘I need you,’ he said.

‘Caleb…’ she smiled warningly. He was really nice. Pity they lived on other sides of the world.

He stopped caressing and looked at her ruefully. ‘OK, I know. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.’

‘You got it.’ Jhumpa hadn’t said much, just that she had an important meeting. She put her arms round his neck, keen to move off the subject.

‘When did you get that tattoo?’ She’d noticed the small dagger behind Caleb’s ear at the bar. It didn’t seem to go with what he was about.

‘Thailand, a couple of years back. You like it?’

‘It’s alright.’ Personally, Jhumpa didn’t know why people wanted to ruin their bodies with tattoos. They were, like, mega tacky. Caleb’s was quite subtle though.

He laughed again. ‘You’re not a tattoo kind of girl, I already guessed that.’ He started planting butterfly kisses on her neck, making her shiver. ‘You’re a real lady, Jhumpa, you know that?’