Miranda Lee - Desire And Deception

www.millsandboon.co.uk

THE STORY SO FAR…

After her father’s death, Gemma Smith made two astonishing discoveries: amongst his possessions she found a priceless black opal, and an old photograph that made her believe that she could be nearly twenty—almost two years older than her father had led her to believe. Gemma decided to leave the Outback to find out more about her mother, who had died when she was born, and to start a new life.

Fate introduced her to Nathan Whitmore, a successful screenwriter and the acting head of Whitmore Opals. Highly attracted to Gemma and struck by her vulnerability, Nathan offered her a reward for the black opal, which he suspected had been stolen from Byron Whitmore, his adoptive father, more than twenty years before. Nathan also offered Gemma a home and jobs in Sydney—first as “minder” to his wayward teenage daughter, Kirsty, and then, when Gemma had mastered Japanese, on the sales force of Whitmore Opals. Gemma found herself falling for her new protector, although various members of the Whitmore household warned her that Nathan was a heartless seducer.

But, to her delight, Nathan proposed marriage, though Gemma still had her doubts: she may have been about to become the second Mrs. Nathan Whitmore, but did she really know her husband-to-be…and what about the intriguing secrets of her real origins, and the black opal?

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK

GEMMA SMITH-WHITMORE: after her father’s death, Gemma discovers a magnificent black opal worth a small fortune and an old photograph that casts doubt on her real identity. In quest of the truth and a new life, she goes to Sydney, and fate introduces her to Nathan Whitmore, her husband-to-be…

NATHAN WHITMORE: adopted son of Byron Whitmore, Nathan is acting head of Whitmore Opals and a talented screenwriter. After a troubled childhood and a divorce, he is ruthless and utterly emotionally controlled. Will he ever drop that mask and give Gemma the love that she needs…?

JADE WHITMORE: the spoiled, willful only daughter of Byron and late Irene Whitmore (nee Campbell). Her wild-child ways give the wrong impression to everyone except, perhaps, Kyle Armstrong?

KYLE ARMSTRONG: the new marketing manager at Whitmore Opals. He is unforthcoming about his background—does he plan to use the Whitmore family for his own ends?

BYRON WHITMORE: recently widowed, he is the head of the Whitmore family, and a stranger to love.

LENORE LANGTRY: talented stage actress, ex-wife and Nathan Whitmore and mother of Kirsty, Lenore has finally found love with top lawyer, Zachary Marsden.

MELANIE LLOYD: housekeeper to the Whitmores, Melanie has been on emotional autopilot since the tragic deaths of her husband and only child.

AVA WHITMORE: Byron’s much-younger sister, she struggles with her weight, her unmarried state and her fear of failure.

KIRSTY WHITMORE: the wayward fourteen-year-old daughter of Nathan and Lenore.

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

JADE woke to daylight and confusion.

Where on earth am I? she wondered fuzzily, her head thick with the after-effects of sleeping tablets.

And then she remembered.

She was back in her old bedroom at Belleview. Back home.

‘Oh, God,’ she groaned, and rolled out of bed, clutching her pounding temples while she staggered, naked, across the white shag carpet and into her white and gold en-suite bathroom.

‘Oh, God ,’ she groaned again when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her short white-blonde hair was sticking out in all directions, her dark blue eyes like black holes in her pasty face.

But it was her bruised breasts that drew and held her attention. She hadn’t realised...

Jade stared at them for a long moment before shuddering violently. Suddenly, the full horror of what she’d narrowly escaped hit her, and she sank down on the side of the bath, her head dropping down between her knees as the nausea rose from her stomach. For a few seconds, the room spun, but the moment passed. Jade braced herself with hands on knees and slowly lifted her head. She still felt a little clammy and decided to sit there for a while longer.

Her thoughts kept going round, however. Regretful, recriminating thoughts.

She shouldn’t have agreed to let Roberto use the spare room of her unit till he could find a place of his own. She definitely shouldn’t have agreed to his holding a small party last night.

But in truth, she hadn’t seen any danger. After all, Roberto was gay. And so were all his friends. Jade had always found gay men not only sweet, but kind and gentlemanly and very interesting to talk to. They made good friends for women. Safe friends.

But one of Roberto’s friends had not been safe.

The horror washed in again, bringing another wave of nausea.

Jade stood up abruptly and walked over to the shower, snapping on the water and standing there testing till it was hot enough. Stepping into the steaming spray, she shut her eyes and turned her face upwards, closing her mind to everything but the steady beating of its cleansing, reviving heat.

It was a mental trick she had learnt long ago. When things got too painful, she just clicked off her thoughts to everything but the most immediate and superficial needs. Washing. Eating. Sleeping.

For the first time, it didn’t work. She couldn’t seem to forget that hand over her mouth, that steely arm clamped around her breasts, those filthy words whispered in her ear. If she hadn’t managed that lucky kick to her assailant’s groin, God knew what would have happened.

But she had, and unexpectedly she’d been free. Snatching up her car keys from the hall table, she’d bolted for the door, wearing nothing but a silk robe, driving home to Belleview at a speed which owed thanks to its being three o’clock in the morning, with the streets of suburban Sydney almost deserted. Heaven knew what would have happened if she’d been stopped by the police. God, she could see it now, being arrested for dangerous driving and hauled, half-naked down to the police station. Then a sour-faced Nathan arriving the following morning with the family solicitor in tow. Like the last time.

Only the last time her arrest had been for possession of drugs. Zachary Marsden had defended her on that occasion as well.

Of course, it hadn’t been her marijuana in the glovebox of her car. She detested drugs. It had belonged to a so-called friend who’d vowed she’d given up the habit. Luckily, Zachary was a top defender—would her father employ any other kind?—and he’d soon proved her innocence to the satisfaction of the magistrate and the charges had been dropped. Zachary had really believed in her innocence, too, which was more than could be said for Nathan.

What a hypocrite her adopted brother was!

He pretended to be holier-than-thou, just like her father. But she knew what he’d been up to before Byron found him on the streets of King’s Cross. Yet he had the hide to judge her over her supposedly loose lifestyle, to criticise her for being sexually provocative.

Jade had to laugh at that. Nathan oozed sex. Why, there wasn’t a woman within fifty feet of him who hadn’t wanted him at some stage, her own mother included.

Immediately, Jade’s mind closed in on the subject of her mother. In her opinion, she hadn’t had a mother. End of story.

Back to Nathan.