Mistress & a Million Dollars / Satin & A Scandalous Affair: Mistress & a Million Dollars. Jan Colley

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СКАЧАТЬ she couldn’t think about the Blackstones without thinking about Matt Hammond. Her brother-in-law could be hardnosed but he was also a fine, upstanding man, and hadn’t deserved the legacy of doubts her sister had left him and their young son, Blake. His adoptive parents, Katherine and Oliver Hammond, had been wonderful to Marise, too, but her sister hadn’t really appreciated them.

      As for the older adopted son…it was obvious to her that beneath Jarrod Hammond’s veneer of sophistication, he fully believed she and Marise had shared the same liking for the good life that Marise had enjoyed as Matt’s wife.

      Only, nothing was further from the truth. Marise may have been flighty and always looking for something more, but she was happy with her lot in life. And for that she still felt guilty. If only she’d been closer to Marise, maybe then she’d understand why her sister had been keeping company with Howard Blackstone and why he’d left all his jewelry to Marise in his will. But no matter how she’d tried to breach the gap, they were poles apart. She didn’t understand how Jarrod couldn’t see that.

      Just then, her eyes met the man in question across the breadth of the middle deck, and a hush seemed to descend upon everything in the room. An imaginary hush, obviously, though there was nothing imaginary about the hunger in Jarrod Hammond’s eyes. The hunger had always been there, waiting…for what, she wasn’t sure. He’d certainly made no move to further anything between them over the years.

      Not that it would have done him any good. She wasn’t getting involved with another high-powered male. Not after Patrick, her ex-business manager and lover, had invested most of her money in a “surefire” deal and had lost it.

      No, she didn’t need a man in her life.

      And definitely not Jarrod Hammond.

      Suddenly he started to walk toward her. She wanted to run as fast and as far away as she could, up the stairs and out on the top deck where the breeze off the harbor would cool her heated cheeks, but her strappy high heels seemed fixed to the floor.

      And then he was standing in front of her, and she could do nothing but face him and try not to let him overwhelm her with his sheer presence.

      “Hello, Briana,” he murmured as he leaned in close and kissed her cheek, his firm lips lingering just a whisper too long. “We seem to be running into each other a lot lately.”

      She tingled. “Yes, we do,” she said, then saw his eyes darken at her husky tone. Quickly she cleared her throat, trying not to show that she cared he had touched her. “Um…but I didn’t expect to see you here, Jarrod.”

      “Really?” A cool light came into his eyes. “Why not? Kim is my cousin.”

      “Yes.” And one he must know more than the others, seeing that Kim had worked for the Hammonds until recently.

      But that was merely a reason for his presence, not an explanation. The Hammonds and the Blackstones, despite being related, had thrown some pretty wild accusations at each other’s dynasties over the years. Marise had once briefly mentioned how Jarrod’s father, Oliver, had accused Howard Blackstone of some pretty dastardly things, including marrying Oliver’s sister for monetary gain. In retaliation, Howard had accused Oliver of arranging the kidnapping of his two-year-old son, James Blackstone. The child had never been seen again.

      “Maybe I’m surprised to see you here,” Jarrod said, cutting across her thoughts, and she knew nothing much would surprise this man. She had the feeling he’d known she’d be here today.

      “Kim and I have been working together on some of the Blackstone events,” she said, a touch defensively. “We’ve become friends.”

      “Good. She could do with another friend right now.”

      For a moment, Briana thought he was being sarcastic, but then she realized he was sincere. Something inside her softened. Kim had certainly had it tough these past few months, but coming from him—a Hammond who on his brother’s behalf now had another reason to hate any Blackstone—the comment was even more surprising. Perhaps he wasn’t as coldhearted as she’d thought?

      “She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” Briana said, turning away from him to look at her friend, mainly so she didn’t have to look at Jarrod.

      “Yes, she does,” he said in a seductive voice that made her spin back toward him. He was staring at her.

      Whatever had softened inside her now turned to mush. She had to force herself not to redden, her years of modeling doing nothing to stop the faint warmth rising up her neck.

      She took a sip of champagne, then, “What did you think of the ceremony?” she asked for something to say.

      His knowing blue eyes held hers a moment longer before breaking contact. He shrugged. “A wedding’s a wedding.”

      It was such a typical male reaction that she had to smile. “Really? We’re at a lavish affair on a luxury cruiser in the middle of Sydney Harbour on a perfect autumn day, and the daughter of one of Australia’s richest men has just re-married her late father’s right-hand man.” She gave a rueful smile. “No, this wedding isn’t just any wedding. This is a Blackstone wedding in all its glory.”

      The corners of his mouth curved with the beginnings of a sexy smile. “Do Blackstones pay you to promote them like this?”

      She laughed. “I’d be stupid not to promote them, don’t you think?”

      He paused, his eyes hardening as they swept over her features. “And you’re definitely not stupid, are you?”

      Her smile disappeared. “That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

      Something came and went in his eyes. “I admire how far you’ve come in this business.”

      She tried not to stiffen, but she did anyway. What was he implying? “It still doesn’t sound very flattering,” she challenged.

      His lips twisted, then he appeared to mentally back off. “So you like to be flattered, do you?”

      She realized he’d backed off only because he chose to. “Didn’t you know? I need to be flattered at least once every hour,” she mocked, then arched a slim eyebrow. “After all, isn’t that what all models are about?”

      His eyes narrowed slightly, but there was a sardonic tilt to his mouth. “But you’re a supermodel.”

      “So I need to be super-flattered,” she returned as a waiter offered to refill her half-empty glass of champagne. She put her hand over the glass and shook her head. She didn’t need more to drink. She needed her wits about her.

      “I’m told I’m usually good at super-flattering a woman,” Jarrod murmured, once the waiter moved away.

      Her gaze flew back to the man beside her and panic stirred in her chest. “I’m sure you are. Usually.” In a deliberate movement, she looked around for her date. Where on earth was Jake when she needed him?

      And then she saw him listening with mild amusement to Danielle Hammond. The other woman’s coppery curls bounced as she moved her head animatedly, her full mouth wide and smiling in a friendly fashion.

      “Looks like your date is occupied,” Jarrod said pointedly.

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