Tycoon's Terms of Engagement. Natalie Anderson

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      ‘In the middle—in the back.’

      ‘You’re a contortionist?’ He cast a disbelieving gaze at the tiny back seat.

      ‘The size is deceptive,’ she muttered, walking out. She wanted to warn Tara about his attempt to change the plan.

      But Jack spoke the second Tara cut the engine. ‘Steffi’s agreed to let me drive.’

      ‘She has? Okay.’ Tara smiled up from the driver’s seat and then unclipped her seat belt and exited the car. ‘If you like, I’ll stay here and find out what I can about that lotion. It could be a good one to profile, Stef.’

      Stephanie wasn’t near enough to stab her in the ribs with her index finger. Or stomp discreetly on her toes. But she could glare. ‘You don’t mind not coming?’ Stephanie questioned pointedly.

      ‘Not at all.’ Tara didn’t even look at her as she dropped the car key into Jack’s outstretched hand. Instead she smiled at him. ‘I’m sure you’ll be careful with her.’

      Her the car? Or her Steffi?

      Jack looked amused. ‘I’m always careful.’

      Stephanie wanted to kidnap them both and drop them into the Southern Ocean. Instead she acted all Steffi Leigh and stepped in front of Jack to pull Tara into a quick hug.

      ‘Will you check on Dan for me?’ she asked quickly into her friend’s ear.

      She hadn’t left her brother alone for as long as this in months.

      ‘Of course.’

      As Stephanie stepped back Tara looked too happy for comfort.

      ‘It’ll be fine,’ Tara added meaningfully.

      ‘You will check, though? In person?’

      ‘Trust me.’ Tara leaned forward and wrapped Stephanie in another quick hug. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ She stage whispered, ‘It’s only a couple of hours. Go enjoy yourself.’

      How was she supposed to enjoy herself with the wolf?

      And yet there was a tightening in her body, as if her muscles had sharpened and her skin had shrunk. As if she was preparing for something.

       Anticipation.

      She hadn’t felt it in such a long time. Hadn’t looked forward to anything in so long. She was looking forward to negotiating with this man—to taking what she wanted from him. She was going to secure this deal, for all his initial disapproval.

      ‘Bye, Jack. Nice to meet you.’ Tara waved and practically skipped back into the hotel.

      Jack walked around to the driver’s door.

      ‘You know we drive on the left side of the road here?’ Stephanie muttered grimly.

      ‘I’m aware of that.’ He got into the car and slung his briefcase on the back seat.

      By the time she got into the passenger seat he already had his seatbelt fastened and was sliding his hands over the steering wheel, getting the feel of the vintage beauty.

      ‘You’re sure you don’t want me to drive?’ Stephanie wasn’t sure she could cope with sitting so near to him. He seemed bigger, somehow.

      His answering smile was not innocent.

      Stephanie ignored the traitorous warmth invading her body. She could not be attracted to someone so arrogant. ‘You don’t want to have to listen to me issue directions all the time.’

      ‘We’ll get to where we want to be more quickly without directions.’

      Without directions? ‘You don’t know where I’m going to take you.’

      ‘But I know exactly where I want to go.’

      She pressed her lips together, understanding. He’d been to Melbourne before. He had somewhere he wanted to go. So he’d hijacked her abduction plan.

      ‘You don’t like ceding control? Always have to be in charge of the destination? Hence your need to write travel guides telling people the best way to get to the best place to go?’

      She shouldn’t have said that—Steffi Leigh was supposed to be too sweet to get snippy.

      ‘You’re the one dictating what colour gelato people should eat to look “effortlessly cool”,’ he mocked. ‘As if flavour doesn’t matter.’

      ‘You have it wrong. Taste is everything.’

      ‘Is it?’ His lips curved. ‘What do you suggest I taste?’

      She was not responding to the suggestion in that question. She was ignoring it altogether. ‘And there was me thinking that the Wolfe way was to take the route less travelled—to put yourself in the care of the locals…’ Coolly she spouted his own travel tips at him.

      ‘You want to take care of me?’ He laughed.

      That genuine sound surprised her into silence. He was a different man from the one she’d first laid eyes on. Had she dreamt the terse way he’d spoken into the phone and that bleak expression? And then that naked hostility? Because now he was all charm.

      He turned the key and the car purred. Slowly he pulled out into the lane of traffic.

      ‘Who’s Dan?’ he asked.

      She gritted her teeth, holding back the What business is it of yours? bite that had leapt to her throat. ‘My cat.’

      ‘Cat…?’ he echoed. His eyes narrowed on the road ahead. ‘You don’t look like a cat lady. I’d have thought you’d be a handbag dog diva.’

      ‘So last decade,’ she murmured. ‘And you know I live to subvert your stereotypical assumptions about vapid creatures like me.’

      ‘I never said you were vapid.’

      ‘You didn’t have to. It was all in the look.’

      ‘Look?’

      ‘The look you sent me when I first arrived.’

      ‘How did I look at you?’

      ‘Like you couldn’t believe you were going to have to sit through a boring business meeting with a brainless piece of fluff like me.’

      He pulled up at a red light and turned to meet her eyes. ‘How am I looking at you now?’

      Meeting his eyes, she couldn’t think at all. Then she remembered his contortionist comment and his taste comment and saw the unrestrained provocation in his eyes. ‘Like you’re hungrier than you claim to be.’

      An electrical СКАЧАТЬ