have walked off the street of any major
city in the world, and at any other time Jenna would have admired
the striking appeal of power and raw sexuality beneath the
civilized veneer. But the look of cold fury in his eyes wiped out
all other thoughts.
“Braden ...”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing
leaving Caitlin alone so you can go looking for some man to massage
your neck for you!” he exploded.
“Hey, mate, it’s not what you’re thinking,”
Mark protested, his hands dropping to his sides as though they’d
been scalded. And the fury on Braden’s face had turned so blazing
hot it would not have surprised Jenna if they were. If she wasn’t
so weary she would have blazed right back at him. Instead she
turned to Mark.
“Thank you. I’ll return the towel later.” She
glared at Braden and stalked off to the elevator. Footsteps
followed. Braden’s infuriated presence filled the elevator with
angry vibrations as the door closed.
“Now perhaps you’ll tell me what the hell you
were doing?” he growled.
Jenna leaned wearily against the elevator
wall as it surged upwards. The door opened. Braden didn’t move.
Jenna glanced at him with sudden insight. He must have thought she
was behaving exactly like his mother - abandoning her child to find
a man who could give her what her greedy calculating personality
sought. No wonder he was so angry.
And he was right to be angry with her about
leaving Caitlin alone. But he should have asked for an explanation
first. Surely he didn’t think she would do that without a good
reason? Her shoulders drooped. Of course he would. All women were
tainted with his mother’s selfishness in his eyes.
She walked to the penthouse door. Braden
brushed past her and unlocked it. She could feel the waves of anger
pulsing from him and her own exasperation flared. She wasn’t his
mother and she’d be blowed if she was going to be treated with that
sort of contempt. She looked squarely into grey eyes flinted with
icy steel.
“As soon as I have a shower I’ll tell you,”
she said with quiet determination. He stepped back and she walked
into the lounge room. Caitlin was happily watching television. She
looked up as they entered and glanced a question at Jenna.
“Everyone’s fine, Possum. But I need a
shower. Show Uncle Braden the drawings you did this morning.”
Shampoo trickled down her nose and she ducked
her head under the streaming water. Her mind was telling her to
forget about Braden, close off the burgeoning love she was feeling
for him and be as cool and aloof as the situation allowed. But they
were emotions that were foreign to her. Her russet hair was
indicative of the fierceness of her feelings and their closeness to
the surface of her being.
That he was attracted to her was obvious, but
sexual attraction wasn’t enough. He couldn’t give her the love she
wanted and she had been hurt before because the man she loved
hadn’t been able to love her in the same way she had loved him.
She was beginning to feel that the nickname
Jeff had given her was more accurate than he’d imagined. Jinxed by
her lack of confidence in her early years and now jinxed in love.
Loving the wrong man once should have been enough. The sooner her
five weeks were up and she could fly home to Sydney the better.
Living in such close proximity to Braden with the desire smoldering
between them and Braden’s fluctuating temper was proving too
wearing on her nerves. She didn’t want to love him and maybe if she
didn’t see him again she could make herself forget him.
With this last thought in mind she walked out
into the lounge room. Caitlin was sitting on the floor happily
drawing another picture with the crayons Jenna had bought her.
Jenna could hear Braden’s deep murmur as he spoke on the
telephone.
As he walked back into the lounge room she
was relieved to see the anger had left him. To her surprise he
smiled at her. Then the smile turned a little sheepish.
“That was
city in the world, and at any other time Jenna would have admired
the striking appeal of power and raw sexuality beneath the
civilized veneer. But the look of cold fury in his eyes wiped out
all other thoughts.
“Braden ...”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing
leaving Caitlin alone so you can go looking for some man to massage
your neck for you!” he exploded.
“Hey, mate, it’s not what you’re thinking,”
Mark protested, his hands dropping to his sides as though they’d
been scalded. And the fury on Braden’s face had turned so blazing
hot it would not have surprised Jenna if they were. If she wasn’t
so weary she would have blazed right back at him. Instead she
turned to Mark.
“Thank you. I’ll return the towel later.” She
glared at Braden and stalked off to the elevator. Footsteps
followed. Braden’s infuriated presence filled the elevator with
angry vibrations as the door closed.
“Now perhaps you’ll tell me what the hell you
were doing?” he growled.
Jenna leaned wearily against the elevator
wall as it surged upwards. The door opened. Braden didn’t move.
Jenna glanced at him with sudden insight. He must have thought she
was behaving exactly like his mother - abandoning her child to find
a man who could give her what her greedy calculating personality
sought. No wonder he was so angry.
And he was right to be angry with her about
leaving Caitlin alone. But he should have asked for an explanation
first. Surely he didn’t think she would do that without a good
reason? Her shoulders drooped. Of course he would. All women were
tainted with his mother’s selfishness in his eyes.
She walked to the penthouse door. Braden
brushed past her and unlocked it. She could feel the waves of anger
pulsing from him and her own exasperation flared. She wasn’t his
mother and she’d be blowed if she was going to be treated with that
sort of contempt. She looked squarely into grey eyes flinted with
icy steel.
“As soon as I have a shower I’ll tell you,”
she said with quiet determination. He stepped back and she walked
into the lounge room. Caitlin was happily watching television. She
looked up as they entered and glanced a question at Jenna.
“Everyone’s fine, Possum. But I need a
shower. Show Uncle Braden the drawings you did this morning.”
Shampoo trickled down her nose and she ducked
her head under the streaming water. Her mind was telling her to
forget about Braden, close off the burgeoning love she was feeling
for him and be as cool and aloof as the situation allowed. But they
were emotions that were foreign to her. Her russet hair was
indicative of the fierceness of her feelings and their closeness to
the surface of her being.
That he was attracted to her was obvious, but
sexual attraction wasn’t enough. He couldn’t give her the love she
wanted and she had been hurt before because the man she loved
hadn’t been able to love her in the same way she had loved him.
She was beginning to feel that the nickname
Jeff had given her was more accurate than he’d imagined. Jinxed by
her lack of confidence in her early years and now jinxed in love.
Loving the wrong man once should have been enough. The sooner her
five weeks were up and she could fly home to Sydney the better.
Living in such close proximity to Braden with the desire smoldering
between them and Braden’s fluctuating temper was proving too
wearing on her nerves. She didn’t want to love him and maybe if she
didn’t see him again she could make herself forget him.
With this last thought in mind she walked out
into the lounge room. Caitlin was sitting on the floor happily
drawing another picture with the crayons Jenna had bought her.
Jenna could hear Braden’s deep murmur as he spoke on the
telephone.
As he walked back into the lounge room she
was relieved to see the anger had left him. To her surprise he
smiled at her. Then the smile turned a little sheepish.
“That was
Similar Books
