Miranda Lee - Scandals And Secrets

THE STORY SO FAR…

After her father’s death, Gemma Smith left the opal fields of the Outback for Sydney to find out the truth about her mother, and to sell her priceless discovery, a flawless black opal.

Fate introduced Gemma to Nathan Whitmore, a famous screenwriter, who offered her a reward for the gem, which had been stolen from Byron Whitmore, Nathan’s adoptive father, twenty years before. Highly attracted by Gemma’s vulnerability, Nathan also seduced and married her.

Gemma’s life was changed forever, and she witnessed startling events in the Whitmore household, too: Nathan’s wild-child adoptive sister, Jade, discovered happiness with Kyle Gainsford, while Melanie, the family housekeeper, let go of her traumatic past and married Royce Grantham. And just look at what had happened to Ava, Byron’s ungainly, much younger sister! She had lost weight and had found Vince Morelli, the handsome, caring Italian of her dreams! But where did all that leave Gemma and Nathan?

There were so many doubts and rumors that Gemma couldn’t ignore, including the disturbing things Damian Campbell had told her about Nathan’s troubled past….

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK

GEMMA SMITH-WHITMORE: on 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 search of the truth about her mother, and a new life, she goes to Sydney, where she is seduced by, and then married to Nathan Whitmore.

NATHAN WHITMORE: adopted son of Byron Whitmore, Nathan is a talented screenwriter and playwright. After a troubled childhood and a divorce, Nathan is utterly ruthless and controlled. Will he ever be the loving, caring husband of whom Gemma has dreamed?

CELESTE CAMPBELL: head of the Campbell Jewelry empire, Celeste is rumored to have had numerous affairs with younger men. Celeste’s beauty and business acumen make her a woman not to be toyed with—she does the toying. But her predatory exterior hides a broken heart for an old love that refuses to die…

BYRON WHITMORE: patriarch of the Whitmore family, he is a strong, dynamic figure, whose unhappy, loveless marriage came tragically to an end. Secretly very sensual, he did once come close to a woman, but his ambition was greater than his desire…

DAMIAN CAMPBELL: younger brother of Celeste, Damian abuses his position as sales and marketing manager in the Campbell Jewelry empire, as he is only interested in self-gratification and sexual pleasure. He doesn’t care whom he hurts in their pursuit.

LENORE LANGTRY: talented stage actress, ex-wfie of Nathan Whitmore and mother of Kirsty, Lenore has finally found love with top solicitor Zachary Marsden, though she still maintains a close relationship with Nathan.

AVA WHITMORE: Byron’s much younger sister, Ava has blossomed and is now engaged to Vince Morelli, the owner of a gardening and construction business.

A NOTE TO THE READER:

This novel is one of a series of six set in the glamorous, cutthroat world of Australian opal dealing. It is the author’s suggestion, however, that they be read in the order written.

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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

CELESTE was turning for her twentieth lap when a glimpse of male legs standing at the end of the pool brought her to a gasping halt, water-filled eyes snapping upwards.

‘Good God, Damian,’ she said irritably once she’d caught her breath and found her feet. ‘You frightened the life out of me.’

Her brother laughed. ‘Nothing and no one can frighten the life out of you, Celeste. What on earth did you think I was? A rapist?’ He laughed again. ‘I would pity any poor rapist who set his sights on you, sister, dear. I know who it’d be ending up on his back.’

Celeste flashed her brother a coolly reproachful glance as she stroked over to the wall, intuition telling her he was referring to her reputation as a man-eater, not complimenting her on her martial arts skills. Damian delighted in delivering sarcastic little barbs her way. In that respect he was very much like Irene.

Dismay and irritation mingled to rattle Celeste momentarily. If there was one person she didn’t like thinking about it was her half-sister. Irene’s death last year might have lessened the feelings of hostility and hatred Celeste had harboured against Irene all these years, but thinking about her inevitably led to thinking about another person, who was unfortunately very much alive.

‘What do you want, Damian?’ she snapped, her nerves suddenly on edge. ‘It’s not like you to surface on a Saturday till at least mid-afternoon. When you come home on a Friday night at all , that is.’

Her brother did not have a monopoly on sarcasm, Celeste realised with a twinge of conscience. Not that Damian was capable of being hurt by such remarks. If anything, he seemed to enjoy any allusion to his decadent lifestyle.

Damian was a lost cause in Celeste’s opinion. Spoilt, selfish and lazy, he was also far too good-looking for his own good. When he’d been younger, she’d made excuses for his wild behaviour, hoping he might grow out of being reckless and irresponsible, especially when it came to the opposite sex. But twenty-nine saw him as a playboy of the worst kind. Celeste was appalled at how many happy marriages he had destroyed. What a pity the wives never saw the wickedness behind that boyish smile and those magnetic black eyes!

If Celeste had had her way, she would have tossed Damian to the four winds ages ago and forced him at least to fend for himself. That might have given him a bit of character. But he was the apple of their mother’s eye, and Adele had ignored all her daughter’s advice when it came to her ‘baby’. She’d insisted Damian be given a position in the family company, for which he was paid a salary far and above his contribution to Campbell Jewels, a salary which never seemed to meet his ever-increasing needs. Only last week, he’d approached Celeste for a loan, which she’d given him on the condition it was the first and last time.

‘I hope you haven’t come here looking for more money,’ she added tartly as she levered herself out of the pool and stripped her cap off. Long tawny blonde waves tumbled over her forehead and eyes. Celeste combed her hair back off her face with her fingers before walking over to pick up a towel and start drying herself. ‘If you have, you’re wasting your time.’

Damian lowered himself on to one of the cane loungers and surveyed his sister with a curious mixture of dislike and admiration.

For a female rising forty, she was still a hot-looking bird. Of course she spent a fortune on her face and hair, and she worked the hell out of her body to keep it looking like that, without an ounce of extra flesh, every muscle toned and honed to perfection.

She was not to his taste, however, either physically or personality-wise. Celeste was as hard as her body. He liked his women soft, in all respects. And he preferred brunettes, especially one particular brunette with big innocent brown eyes, the most luscious body and the sweetest of smiles.