Love And Liability. Katie Oliver

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ wager.”

      “And does Camilla know about your ‘silly wager’?” Holly didn’t know why — she didn’t even like Camilla Shawcross — but she was nonetheless outraged on her behalf.

      “No! Of course she doesn’t know.”

      She crossed her arms against her chest. “Do you keep trophies from all of your…conquests, Mr Barrington?”

      “Am I being cross-examined?” he asked evenly. “Because that’s what it sounds like.”

      “I just think it’s reprehensible, that’s all. Tucking a woman’s thong in your suit pocket—”

      “It wasn’t like that. And it wasn’t Camilla’s.”

      Holly eyed him sceptically. “No? Whose was it, then? Or do you have an assortment of thongs from your many conquests?”

      He let out an exasperated breath. “It wasn’t anyone’s. I—” he scowled “—I went into Agent Provocateur and I bought it.”

      “You bought it? You mean—”

      “I mean,” he admitted, “that I haven’t actually slept with Camilla Shawcross. I only wanted my co-workers to think I had. So I bought the thong and took the tags off, and tucked it in my pocket. It worked a treat.”

      “So you lied!” she exclaimed. “You lied to win the wager.”

      He shrugged. “I don’t like to lose.”

      “I’d forgotten that about you,” Holly said suddenly. She leaned forward to open the dog gate when they arrived at the first stile. “We were arguing in the sandbox once, about whether we could dig through to China, I think — and you lost the argument. You were so furious you threw cat poo at me.”

      “It was dried cat poo,” he pointed out, and paused. “It was my way of showing that I liked you.”

      “Really? Well, I hope you’ve learned more acceptable ways since then to show you like someone,” she said tartly.

      Alex came up behind her and closed the gate. “I have, actually,” he said, his voice gone husky. “Much more enjoyable ways, too…”

      Holly looked up at him. His eyes were a lovely velvety brown. He stood inches away, and his gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth. She tilted her head back and parted her lips in anticipation of his kiss…

      When her bloody mobile rang. Sasha.

      “Sorry,” Holly apologized as she held up her mobile, “but I have to take this.”

      “Well, at least you have that option, unlike me.”

      Dismay coloured her voice. “Alex, truly, I’m sorry about your phone—”

      “I’m kidding, Holly. Go on, take your call.” He turned away, whistling for the dogs. They capered eagerly after him as he headed up the hill.

      “You’re in serious trouble, Holly,” Sasha said without preamble. “Valery is furious. You’ve opened BritTEEN up to a potential lawsuit with your interview. Has Henry seen it yet?”

      “Henry?” Holly echoed blankly.

      “Henry Barrington, you idiot!” Sasha snapped.

      “Oh. You mean Alex. No, he…” she paused as he caught her eye from halfway up the hill and waved “…he doesn’t know, yet.”

      “We’ll talk about what’s to be done as far as damage control on Monday. Valery wants to see you, first thing. I shouldn’t be surprised,” Sasha added with satisfaction, “if you don’t get sacked over this.”

      “I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t put those comments in, Sasha,” Holly said desperately. “I swear I didn’t—”

      But Sasha had already rung off. Cow.

      With shaking hands, Holly re-pocketed her phone and hurried off after Alex and the dogs. She had to tell him the truth — which, let’s face it, wouldn’t go over well. How to explain to Alex that, because of a tiny glitch, all of BritTEEN’s readers in England, Scotland, and Wales — and possibly their parents — thought he condoned teen sex on the first date?

      How indeed? She couldn’t tell him. Not yet, anyway.

      “Is everything okay?” Alex called out as she approached.

      “Yes,” she said, slightly breathless after her climb up the last half of the hill. “Work stuff. It’s not much farther to the village, just across the field.”

      “Good, we can burn off some of that breakfast. And the dogs don’t have the slightest inclination to head back yet, anyway.” He draped his arm around her shoulders. “Nor do I.”

      The mastiffs brushed against Holly’s legs, jumping up, leaving muddy paw prints on her capris and yelping with joy as she fell into step alongside Alex. But she scarcely noticed. She was aware of nothing but his arm around her and his hip bumping now and again against hers as they walked.

      Suddenly Caesar spotted a squirrel and went racing after it. Holly, knocked off balance as the other dogs barrelled past her to join Caesar in the chase, lost her footing and fell. An immediate, searing pain shot through her ankle.

      “Holly!” Alex exclaimed. He knelt down beside her, his face creased in concern. “Are you all right?”

      “I think so. But I’ve given my ankle a twist.”

      “Can you stand on it?”

      “Give me a hand up, and I’ll try.”

      Alex took her hands in his and helped her up; she balanced on her good foot. “Good. At least you’re vertical now.”

      “I bet you’ve never said that to a girl before.”

      “No. Never,” he agreed.

      Gingerly Holly lowered her other foot. An instant, shooting pain made her wince and blurt out a rude word. “Sorry,” she apologized through gritted teeth. “Hurts,” she added unnecessarily.

      “Right, then,” Alex decided, “I’ll carry you the rest of the way. How close are we to the village?”

      “Not far, maybe ten minutes. You can’t carry me,” Holly protested. “I won’t let you. I can manage—”

      But it was too late; he was already lifting her up. She linked her arms around his neck and dropped her gaze, embarrassed at his sudden close proximity. After all, she barely knew this man; yet here he was, carrying her across the buttercup-strewn field like a Saxon warrior, taking his bride-prize back home to his castle…

      “Damn it, woman,” Alex said companionably as he navigated the second stile, “did you have to eat quite so much at breakfast this morning?”

      She looked at him, indignant. “Are you saying I’m fat?”

СКАЧАТЬ