The Trouble with Valentine’s Read Online Free PDF Page A

carelessly cut hair, an exotic face, a tough lean bod, and was no slouch in the ammunition departmenteither. ‘Is that a gun in his pocket or is he just glad to see me?’
    Now it was Nick’s turn to sigh. ‘You’re not taking this seriously.’
    ‘It’s a game, Nick. I’m not meant to.’
    ‘You’re right, you’re not. My mistake.
I’m
the one who has to take it seriously. My people have spent three years developing this platform, Hallie, and now it’s up to me to market it. I can’t afford to make mistakes. Not with John Tey, not with his daughter. That’s where you come in.’
    ‘Call me naive when it comes to big business but I think lying to a potential business partner about your marital status is a mistake,’ Hallie felt obliged to point out.
    ‘You sound like my conscience,’ he muttered. ‘If you have a plan C let’s hear it.’
    ‘Ah, well, I don’t currently have a plan C.’
    ‘Pity.’
    He looked tired, sounded wistful. As if having to deceive John Tey really didn’t sit well with him. Sympathy washed over her and all of a sudden she wanted to slide on over to his recliner and comfort him. Weave her hands through that dark, tousled hair, touch her mouth to his and feel the passion slide through her and the heat start to build as she feasted on that clever, knowingmouth and – Whoa! Stop right there. Because that wasn’t sympathy.
    That was lust.
    ‘What?’ He was looking at her strangely.
    ‘Indigestion,’ she said. ‘I think it was something I ate. Probably the clams.’
    ‘Probably the situation,’ he said. ‘What’s it to be Hallie? Are you in or out?’
    Hallie hesitated, tempted to say yes. Not for the adventure, the excitement, or the money but so that she could spend more time with Nick. The same Nick who was prepared to pay her ten thousand pounds so that at the end of the charade she’d
leave
.
    A sensible woman would refuse him now and save herself the heartbreak, the
genuine
heartbreak, that was bound to come if a woman was careless enough to fall for him. A smart woman would sigh over that Hermès handbag, maybe even spend a minute or two imagining what it would look like on her arm, but in the end she’d turn away. That was what she
should
do.
    What she said was, ‘Do you believe in destiny, Nick? Do you believe in fate?’
    ‘Only as a last resort. Why?’
    ‘I think we should let the game decide. Xia and Shang against the Martians. If we win we go toHong Kong as man and wife. If we lose, you throw yourself on the tender mercies of Mr Tey and spill your guts.’
    ‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’
    She was.
    ‘Deal,’ he said, and the fighting began.
    Two murderous hours later it was decided. They were going to Hong Kong.

CHAPTER THREE
    J ASMINE TEY HAD ALMOST conquered her habit of stiffening with apprehension every time someone mentioned Nicholas Cooper’s name. It had taken a while. Two weeks, to be exact, and it had been a month since she’d last seen him. So much could happen in a month. New memories could replace excruciatingly embarrassing ones. Selective amnesia could happen, not that it
had
…
    Not that it
could
with Kai standing in the kitchen telling her that Nick was coming back next week to finish his business dealings with her father.
    And bringing his wife.
    Jasmine would
never
have done what she did had she known about his wife.
    ‘So, are they staying here or downtown?’ she asked in what she hoped was a disinterested voice.
    ‘Here.’
    ‘Oh.’
    ‘You enjoyed Nick’s visit last time,’ said Kai mildly.
    Yes, she had. Nicholas Cooper had been fun to have around. His eyes had so often been crinkled and smiling. He’d been careful to include Jasmine in his conversations and he’d paid attention to her opinions whenever she’d voiced them. She’d taken it as encouragement.
    So heady, Nick’s attention.
    So stupid, what she’d done next.
    She’d gone to Nick’s room one night and waited for him. Not naked, nothing so