Exclusive Love (British Billionaires Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

glorious high ceilings. The artwork decorating the walls would be appreciated by someone knowledgeable in the arts. The shades of rich red and moss green gave a comfortable ambiance. The casual pool table assured her she wasn’t absolutely out of place in the hotel bar.
          Inspecting the menu of cocktails, there wasn’t a drink under $20. Her personal budget was already blown and the night hadn’t begun. In retrospect she should’ve told John what was going on to obtain an expense account to cover the cost of the assignment.
          ‘Sex on the Beach,’ she announced, slapping the menu cover shut.
    ‘Is that an invitation or a drink?’
    Katy directed a frosty stare at him.
    ‘Give me a minute. Then you can tell me about yourself.’
          Heading towards the mahogany bar with its carefully crafted shelves packed with an enormous range of spirits, she knew he’d come straight from work. His navy suit was tailored and well designed. The double breasted jacket restricted her view of the pristine, sky blue shirt underneath and the multicolored blue and gray tie. His trousers were crisp and smooth. Katy had no theory as to how his clothes remained crease-less. His shoes were shiny black leather lace ups, which Katy knew to be Italian. Nothing gave-away that his suit was Armani, but she couldn’t deny he dressed to reflect his finances.
    Consulting the barman, she admired his rangy frame from behind. Tall, broad and toned, he was solid and masculine. Turning with cocktails in hand, she was drawn to his face. Red-headed men weren’t her type, but her stomach flipped with his blue eyes locked directly on hers. Smiling as he sat, his lips curved in the same cheeky way they had on his profile picture. Somehow the clash between his coloring and chiseled features gave him a school boy look, rather than a man with middle-age lurking in the not too distant future.
    ‘You, Katherine, are not at all what I expected,’ he said, ‘Can I expect a lot of people recognizing you or popping over for an autograph?’
    She was flummoxed. What an odd question to ask? If that was his sense of humor, the evening did not bode well.
    ‘Why would you ask that?’ she mustered from her bewildered state.
    ‘Answering a question with a question. Here I was thinking I’d play the mysterious bachelor. Now you’re competing as the even more mysterious bachelorette.’
    From her confused expression, he grasped she was by no means being coy.
    ‘It said on your profile you’re a reporter. I assumed given the,’ he paused finding a tasteful way to present his assumption. ‘I assumed given the website’s requirements you were a TV news reader or of a related position to fit the criteria. Let’s face it, journalists are renowned for being poorly paid, given the hours and conditions of the job.’
    The red velvet drapes and fireplace inferred the premise could be the gateway to hell. In that instant Katy would’ve been happy to face the devil’s wrath to escape the painful conversation. They mightn’t be ‘on the ball’ at Exclusive Love, but Oscar was. She’d come in dressed for Halloween and was visibly unraveling in their initial exchange of words. Overcoming the chasm in social etiquette and carrying out a relationship in a bid to get an insight into his world, was going to require serious effort on Katy’s part.
    ‘Have you seen me on TV?’ she feigned disinterest.
    ‘No, but I haven’t been here very long. I tend to stick with BBC news. It keeps me from feeling homesick. I figured you might report for a cable channel.’
    ‘Report or present the weather?’
    Oscar was taken aback. He wasn’t seeking a clash, nor was he questioning her qualifications or professionalism. Hitting on what he assumed was a touchy subject, he diverted the conversation.
    ‘Either one. You’re sharp. I’d guess you to be a reporter or newsreader, but you’re definitely pretty enough to be the weather presenter worshiped by a