Bride By Blackmail. Кэрол Мортимер

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СКАЧАТЬ drew in a sharp breath, knowing that the two of them weren’t behaving very well. They really were going to arouse suspicion if they didn’t stop this verbal fencing—right now!

      She turned to Andrew, her hand resting lightly on his arm. ‘Shall we go and make our excuses to your parents now, darling?’ she suggested. ‘We’ve both had a busy week, and I’m sure you must be tired after driving down here.’

      Andrew brightened at her obvious concern, making Georgie feel doubly guilty. Firstly, because she knew her desire to escape to the privacy of her bedroom had nothing to do with concern for Andrew, and secondly, because she knew how upset and confused Andrew would feel if he knew it had everything to do with getting away from Jed Lord!

      ‘I hope you’ll excuse us, Jed?’ Andrew said politely. ‘It’s been a great pleasure meeting you,’ he added warmly, shaking the other man’s hand before putting his arm firmly about Georgie’s waist to steer her across the room to where his parents sat, softly conversing together.

      “‘A great pleasure” meeting him?’ she muttered to Andrew sceptically.

      He gave her waist a light squeeze. ‘I’ll explain later,’ he promised.

      Having made her excuses to Andrew’s parents, Georgie could once again feel Jed’s piercing grey gaze burning into her back as she walked to the door, knowing her movements lacked their normal graceful fluidity, but unable to do anything about it. She wouldn’t be able to relax again completely until she was safely away from Jed. Make that until Jed was far, far away from the Lawson home!

      Although she did breathe a little easier once she and Andrew were outside in the hallway.

      She was grateful for the fact that Jed hadn’t given away their previous connection, but at the same time she questioned why he hadn’t. It certainly couldn’t have been to save any embarrassment on her part; Jed just didn’t work that way.

      ‘You didn’t enjoy this evening, did you?’ Andrew enquired ruefully, his head tilted as he looked down at her questioningly.

      Georgie looked up at him quizzically. ‘Whatever makes you think that?’ she delayed.

      Had she and Jed given themselves away after all? It wouldn’t be so surprising if they had; they certainly hadn’t spoken to each other like people who had just been introduced…

      Andrew laughed softly. ‘I know, from personal experience, that my family is enough to cope with without someone like Jed Lord thrown in for good measure!’

      She frowned. ‘I had the impression a few minutes ago that you actually liked the man.’

      Andrew grinned. ‘That was the impression I intended giving.’

      Georgie still frowned, not altogether sure she was happy with this explanation. She hadn’t believed Andrew capable of subterfuge, but his explanation now gave a different impression completely…

      ‘But why?’ Her expression showed complete confusion.

      Andrew elaborated as they continued to make their way up the stairs. ‘My father owns some land that the L & J Group is interested in purchasing for yet another of their luxury hotels. You’ve heard of the L & J Group, haven’t you?’

      Heard of them—she had once been part of them!

      ‘Hasn’t everyone?’ she dismissed dryly.

      ‘Hmm,’ Andrew sighed. ‘Anyway, Dad’s playing hard-to-get with this piece of land,’ he explained.

      ‘Good for him!’ Georgie came back vehemently. A little too vehemently, she realised, as Andrew looked at her in surprise. ‘Sorry.’ She grimaced. ‘But even on such short acquaintance I got the impression that Mr Jeremiah Lord is a little too fond of having his own way.’

      Andrew nodded slowly. ‘He does give that impression, doesn’t he? Makes you almost feel sorry for his ex-wife, doesn’t it?’

      Once again Georgie gave him a frowning look. ‘Only almost…?’

      ‘Well—he isn’t my type, you understand,’ Andrew replied, ‘but I got the distinct impression from Sukie’s behaviour towards him that Jed Lord is rather attractive to women.’

      It would have been impossible to miss Sukie’s interest in Jed! ‘I didn’t find him in the least attractive!’ Georgie exclaimed forcefully.

      ‘I know,’ Andrew agreed. ‘Actually, darling, it might have been a little more politically correct—for the sake of father’s business deal, you understand?—if you hadn’t shown your dislike of the man quite so openly.’

      Her eyes widened at the unexpected rebuke. ‘I can’t be less than I am, Andrew,’ she responded. ‘And being pleasant to a man I dislike is not—’

      ‘Don’t take it all so seriously, Georgie!’ Andrew cut in teasingly, obviously realising he had gone too far. ‘I love you just the way you are.’

      Georgie looked up at him uncertainly in the dimmed lighting of the hallway. ‘I love you too, Andrew,’ she told him uncertainly.

      ‘That’s all that matters, then, isn’t it?’ he murmured, before kissing her.

      For a brief moment Georgie froze, still thrown by Andrew’s sycophantic attitude towards Jed a few minutes ago. Not only that, Andrew had actually criticised her for her behaviour towards the man!

      But as Andrew continued to kiss her the anger she felt towards him began to evaporate, and she kissed him back with a fierceness that bordered on desperation, knowing that the last thing she needed at this moment was to feel less than sure of the feelings she and Andrew had for each other.

      ‘Wow!’ he murmured a few minutes later as they broke their embrace, his forehead resting lightly on hers as he looked at her. ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t wait until next Easter to get married, after all?’ he urged huskily.

      No! Yes! Georgie was no longer sure about anything at this moment… Part of her wanted to marry Andrew tomorrow. But another part of her knew that, no matter how she might try to shut it out, Andrew’s attitude towards Jed, even if it was purely a business manouevre, still bothered her. For a start, it didn’t seem characteristic of the Andrew she’d thought she knew…

      She was also aware that it was seeing Jed Lord again that was making her have doubts about waiting until Easter to marry Andrew…

      ‘If it takes you this long to think about it…’

      Georgie’s frown deepened. Andrew sounded almost sulky…

      ‘I was only joking, Georgie,’ Andrew assured her as he saw the consternation on her face. ‘An Easter wedding is fine with me. Which reminds me. We really should start doing something towards making plans in that direction. My mother tells me that it takes months to arrange a wedding.’

      Maybe it did, to arrange a church wedding, with hundreds of guests invited and a huge reception afterwards at a fashionable venue. But, as a divorced woman, Georgie knew that wasn’t the sort of wedding she and Andrew were likely to have. Something else she really needed to discuss with him…

      But not now. She needed to get СКАЧАТЬ