Billionaire’s Bounty(8)

Ordeal...well, that was what she’d like to tell herself this was going to be. Spending a whole week with the billionaire hunk Jude Stone – a man she was supposed to hate with all her mind and body – was going to be a chore, certainly. A man who treated everything, even people, like commodities to be priced and tagged. How on earth could she stand to be so objectified, agreeing to play the part of his paramour for seven whole days?

Miranda thought of the letter she’d left, on her brother’s desk. It had been vague somewhat, but she’d tried as best as she could to explain her decision. “Jude Stone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” she’d written. “I’m off to London with him for a week. I’m trying to do what’s best for the family, and not just me, this time. I sure hope it will be good enough.”

She wondered what he would make of it – but then she didn’t really care. She was showing him in her own way that she was far from the selfish brat he thought she was.

Here she was, willing to take the bullet for the team. That had to count for something.

She sighed deeply, turning to look out of the window, her heart torn between heaviness and a strange, twisting excitement at what was to come. And then she felt it.

It was a warm, tingling sensation, and it grew stronger by the second. She turned her gaze instinctively in Jude’s direction, and had to suck in a breath.

He was looking at her. It was just a brief glance, lasting no more than five seconds at most. But in that one look, she’d felt transported right into his mind, saw the blazing gleam that darkened his aqua-blue eyes almost to navy. It was a look so bad, so ferociously filthy, that she had no doubts of exactly the thoughts going through his head in those moments.

And for the first time in her life, Miranda now could understand the feeling like her clothes were being stripped off her, in a trice. Knew what it meant to be desired so deeply that she could taste his want on the tip of her tongue; could almost catch a heady whiff of it in the air as their eyes held for those brief, searing seconds.

In that one, long, lasing look at her, she had a glimpse of the hot, blinding flash of lust that reminded her exactly why she was here – and left her in no more doubt as to whether he’d cooled off interest. Now she knew that was far, far from the truth. The spell was broken when he turned once more to Carly, who had been busy reading out a paragraph from the papers in her hand and had been blissfully unaware of the very heated exchange that had just been made between Jude and Miranda. He was back to being business-like Jude, his tone crisp as he pointed out a line to Carly on the document.

It took a while for Miranda to remember that she’d stopped breathing, as she forced air back into her lungs, willing her heart to beat less thunderously as she grabbed the glass of champagne at her elbow and took a long, grateful gulp.

How the week ahead was going to go, had now been officially verified, Miranda realized. And it was going to be one hell of a long, stomach-squelching ride...



****





Keeping his hands off her had been a proper task in the past few hours. What with Carly’s constant, chaperoning presence, and then with his own sense of propriety – slim though it was because he was the least proper person he knew – it had truly been difficult.

Having her sat there across from him, her beautiful features creased slightly with a troubled expression that made him want to kiss the little frown away...Knowing she was right there, within reach – and soon to be in his passionate clutches, had been enough to keep him hard as a plank all through the long trip. Even in her stern-looking suit, her body was just as gorgeously inviting as ever, her delightful curves encased lovingly by the outfit’s well-fitted lines. Her legs were creamy, smooth, and she unconsciously gave him a decidedly enchanting glimpse of inner thigh whenever she crossed and uncrossed them.#p#分页标题#e#

It was hard enough keeping his mind on Carly’s words all this while. He wished now that he had found a way to cancel this trip, or at least postpone it – and make this all about pleasure. His and Miranda’s. But no, he had very vital contacts to make in London that whole week, which had taken almost a year to arrange. And he had been unable to wait till he got back from London to get his chance with Miranda.

No, it had been a now-or-never move, and he’d taken it. And now, he knew that it was only a matter of hours, give or take – and then the sexy, voluptuous Miranda would be his. He would focus on work when he needed to, but he’d make sure that when the time came, he’d make every moment with her count. He only hoped he’d have the inclination to let her go once their deal came to an end in seven days...