Prince's Passion. Carole Mortimer

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СКАЧАТЬ looked slightly surprised. ‘Of course. If I can. What—’

      ‘Persuade your charming husband that it’s time for the two of you to leave.’

      Stazy looked nonplussed. ‘But it’s still early, Nik; what on earth will I tell Susan and Leo—?’

      ‘I don’t care what you tell them,’ he cut in forcefully, starting to panic slightly as he could see Jinx and the older couple were coming to the end of their goodbyes. ‘Your house is on fire. You need to take your husband home and seduce him—’

      ‘Jordan doesn’t need any seducing,’ Stazy assured him happily.

      Nik winced. ‘I really didn’t need to hear that.’ He was still coming to terms with the fact that his little sister was married at all, let alone to a man as powerful and experienced as Jordan Hunter. ‘Okay, find your own excuse, but think of something soon, hmm!’

      ‘Fine.’ Stazy held up soothing hands. ‘I take it you aren’t coming back with us, after all?’

      ‘You take it correct,’ he confirmed grimly, his gaze still fixed on Jinx. ‘But whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly, will you?’ Jinx was starting to move towards the door now!

      ‘I’m gone,’ his sister assured him—before doing exactly that.

      And by the speed with which his sister and brother-in-law made their excuses to their host and hostess, before immediately leaving, Nik had a feeling that the suggestion of seduction might have worked on Jordan, after all!

      Nik shook his head. Stazy had made her choice, and it was a choice he wholeheartedly approved of; it was his own problem if he was still having trouble coming to terms with another man being more important to Stazy than he was.

      At this moment he had a much more serious situation to deal with!

      ‘Sorry I was delayed.’ He hurried to Jinx’s side just as she reached the front door, taking a firm hold of her arm before turning to smile warmly at the older couple who accompanied her. ‘I hope you don’t mind including me in that offer of a lift home?’ His tone was deliberately charming. ‘My sister was going to drop me at my hotel, but she and Jordan had to get straight back to their house—some sort of emergency…’

      The couple shot each other a briefly knowing look before assuring him they didn’t mind at all, that there was plenty of room for him in their car.

      Not that Nik had thought they would be a problem; it was Jinx’s response that could turn this situation around.

      He raised questioning brows as he looked down at her, his expression deceptively calm, only the tightening of his fingers on her arm showing evidence of his inner uncertainty as to what her next move would be.

      Her eyes were purple as she looked right back at him, anger flaring in their depths, even though she too managed to look outwardly calm.

      Come on, Jinx, Nik inwardly encouraged; at least give me a chance.

      If he lost sight of her now, then he would have to start all over again tomorrow. Not that he minded doing that, but it would save a hell of a lot of time if she would just be a little more cooperative now.

      ‘Actually—’ she turned back to the older couple, smiling ‘—it really isn’t that far. Nik and I can easily walk it.’

      ‘Are you sure, Jinx?’ The other woman frowned her uncertainty with the suggestion. ‘It’s at least a couple of miles,’ she explained to Nik.

      ‘But it’s such a lovely evening.’ Jinx released her arm from Nik’s grasp to lightly link it with his. ‘I think it would be so much more fun to walk. Don’t you, Nik?’ she asked sweetly.

      Beware the smile of an angry female, he acknowledged ruefully, at the same time happy to fall in with whatever Jinx suggested—as long as it included him. ‘Much more fun,’ he agreed dryly; a two-mile walk through the Saturday-night revelry of London sounded more like hell to him, but if it ultimately ended up at Jinx’s home, the home she shared with her father, then he was willing to put himself through it if she was.

      If it ultimately ended up at Jinx’s home…

      Somehow, after what she had said to him earlier, he had a feeling that wasn’t her intention.

      ‘Tell me,’ he murmured softly once they had been walking together in silence for some minutes through the balmy streets, Jinx’s arm still linked with his own, despite her efforts to release it, ‘will we be crossing any bridges on this fun walk home?’

      ‘Several,’ she snapped back tautly, obviously not happy with his reluctance to release her.

      ‘That’s what I thought.’ He grimaced—having a distinct feeling she was considering pushing him over the side of one.

      ‘One thing I can assure you of, Nik,’ she bit out tautly. ‘I’m not violent.’

      ‘Just private, hmm?’ he said knowingly.

      ‘Just private.’

      ‘I’ve heard several people refer to you as Jinx this evening,’ he said in an effort to divert her thoughts.

      ‘Close friends, yes,’ she confirmed stiffly—obviously not counting him amongst their number.

      Nik disregarded that for the moment; she might not think they were going to be close friends, but he knew better! ‘How on earth did you come by such an unusual nickname?’

      She shot him a mocking glance. ‘Changing the subject?’

      ‘Rapidly,’ he confirmed, laughter gleaming in his eyes; the chances of this petitely beautiful woman being able to force his six-foot-three, one-hundred-and-eighty-pound frame over the parapet of a bridge were ludicrous to say the least. Which wasn’t to say she wouldn’t give it a damn good try!

      She gave an uninterested shrug. ‘When I went to school the other children quickly latched onto the fact that my initial was J. followed by Nixon, and when you say the two of them together…’ She trailed off pointedly, giving him a sideways glance. ‘You aren’t coming home with me, you know.’

      Of course he knew. After the last two months of sending letters to her father, just in the hopes of being able to meet him and discuss the movie rights to his book, of the use of a PO box for that correspondence, of the author never agreeing to so much as meeting with his own publisher, it would be expecting too much now for his daughter to just take Nik home with her and introduce the two men.

      ‘You mentioned earlier that your father isn’t well…?’ he said instead.

      She stiffened, all expression suddenly erased from her face. ‘I mentioned it, yes,’ she acknowledged guardedly.

      ‘Nothing life-threatening, I hope?’ Nik persisted.

      ‘It depends on what you call life-threatening,’ she returned evasively, a frown now marring her creamy brow.

      He shrugged, having an idea that in the case of Jackson I. Nixon the writing and subsequent success of No Ordinary Boy didn’t fit in too well with his other literary achievements. СКАЧАТЬ