Model Perfect Passion. Melanie Schuster
things got public. That would have been horrible. It was hard enough to keep Nick from giving Ivan a beat-down. He believes in protecting people he cares about, especially when they happen to be women. He wanted a piece of Ivan’s behind, but I talked him out of it.”
Billie laughed. “I’ll bet I know how you did your talking, too. You two really can’t keep your hands off each other, can you?”
“Nope. And when you meet the right man, neither will you. Stir the sauce, would you?”
The delicious fragrance of the sauce assailed her nostrils as Billie wondered for a second what it would feel like if Jason couldn’t keep his hands off her body. Where did that come from? she wondered as she dropped the spoon, splattered the sauce and burned her hand. Serves me right. Let the player play and let me keep my mind on my business.
Jason wasn’t often caught by surprise, because a man in his position couldn’t afford to be blindsided. But on this day, he had two shocks laying in wait for him. His first surprise was the reaction he’d gotten from Billie when he made his thoughtless remark about people who thought they could make big bucks by restoring houses and reselling them. He’d had absolutely no idea that she was trying to get into that line of work but he certainly knew it now. Once he saw the look on her face he knew he’d put his foot in it. He’d issued a glib apology at once, an apology that she brushed off like a pesky gnat. Even now he could hear her slow, measured voice as she’d responded to his words.
“It’s quite all right, you don’t have to apologize for having an opinion,” she’d said coolly.
He had tried again to make amends. “I’ve offended you and that wasn’t my intention at all. I was speaking from experience, Billie. I’ve had numerous friends try to get rich by doing that very thing, and some of them ended up losing everything and having to declare bankruptcy. If you believe what you read and what you see on TV, it seems like the easiest thing in the world to do, but it’s a lot of hard work,” he’d told her.
His carefully chosen words and soothing tone of voice hadn’t done the trick. If anything they seemed to have the same calming effect as pouring gasoline on an open flame. Her eyes had turned icy and her face was distinctly unfriendly. “Well, thank you for your excellent advice. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to my car now. I have some things to attend to this afternoon. Thanks so much for the lunch and the lecture. I really appreciate your time.”
And just like that the date was over. He had to give her props for maintaining her composure and for doing something totally unexpected. He could count on one hand the times he’d been caught off guard by a woman, but Billie was proving to be unique. There was a lot more to her than just a beautiful face and figure; this was a woman with bite and substance. What was really rattling his cage was his reaction to her. Instead of being turned off by her, his internal thermostat was turned way up by her personality and her fire. He was looking forward to getting to know her better. But before he could devote himself to that endeavor, he had a small task to accomplish.
He turned his Hummer in the direction of Patrice’s apartment building. He had a Tiffany necklace to deliver and he didn’t want to draw out the process. Patrice was charming and sweet, but whatever slight intrigue she’d provided him was over. It was time to move on.
He parked the big SUV in the visitors’ section of the parking lot and entered the front door of the building. He waved a greeting to the doorman and went to the elevator. As he rode up to Patrice’s floor, he checked his appearance in the mirrored interior and put his hand in his blazer pocket to feel the sharp corners of the small, pale-blue box.
He hadn’t bothered to call before he came over because it was part of their unspoken agreement. He was welcome at her home anytime. He rang the bell and waited for the door to open and in less than a minute Patrice was there. She was dressed in loungewear, a long, silky, yellow knit dress. She was also wearing her usual pleasant expression, which could mean that she was ecstatic or just sleepy. She always looked the same, regardless of her mood.
“Hello, Jason. Please come in,” she invited. “Can I get you something to drink?”
He returned her greeting with a brief, dry kiss on the cheek and took a seat in the living room. “No thanks, Patrice. I’m not going to be here long,” he said.
Patrice walked to the other end of the long sofa on which he was sitting and sat, giving him an expectant look. “I see,” she said. “Am I getting my pink slip today?”
Jason sat bolt upright and stared at her. “Excuse me?”
“I think I’m being let go,” she said calmly. “It’s time for me to collect my necklace.”
When Jason didn’t reply, she assured him she wasn’t upset. “We knew this wasn’t permanent and I had a really great time with you,” she said politely.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.