Read Online An Act of Love by Brooke Hastings - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brooke Hastings
Ads: Link
that
she asked him if he were sure they'd never met. "I know I've seen you
somewhere," she added.
"I doubt it," he answered, "although I do happen to work
for your father."
Randy almost choked on her coffee. "You mean he
knows
about this?" she sputtered.
"You don't suppose I'd go around snatching up my boss'
daughter without his permission!" he said. "I'm not crazy."
Randy's head was spinning. She'd just placed the wavy
brown hair and masculine stride. The last time she'd seen him he'd been
storming out of her father's office. And the last time she'd heard his
voice he'd been smoothly and odiously charming to her. If the phone
connection when she'd called her father from Cambridge hadn't been so
poor she would have placed the drawl immediately.
"You're Luke Griffin," she stated. "I don't believe this."
His action had a certain logic considering the hotness of his temper,
but Randy was amazed that her father had gone along with it. It wasn't
like Bill Dunne at all.
"I'm also Anne Havemeyer's brother-in-law," Luke reminded'
her. "You do remember Tom? The guy you've played house with for two
weekends? Better to stick with me, Linda. At least I'm single."
Now that Randy was recovering from the initial shock of
discovering the man's identity, her annoyance was beginning to get the
better of her. So this was the man her father was so eager to marry her
off to! What had he said? That once she'd met Luke she wouldn't stand a
chance? Then she remembered Luke Griffin's comments on the phone and
rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Linda," she informed him in her most withering tone, "was
with a man named Roger Bennett for most of last weekend. And she never
'played house' with your brother-in-law. Mostly she just listened to
his problems."
"Roger Bennett, the New York producer?" Luke asked.
"You know him?"
"Sure I know him. I took his girlfriend away from him, for
a month or so anyway. Or didn't Roger tell you that he lives with
someone?"
Having met Roger Bennett and liked him very much, Randy
didn't want to believe that he was involved with anyone else. "He must
have broken up with her," she said. "He wouldn't do something like
that."
"You seem to know a lot about him," Luke replied,
"considering that you're not Linda."
"I told you, I've spent the last ten days with my sister,"
Randy said clearly and slowly, as if talking to a mental incompetent.
"I met Roger in Cambridge."
"Your sister's been in New Hampshire for the last week,"
Luke contradicted. "Cut the song and dance about Miranda. I was in your
father's office when she called. I even spoke to her."
"And do you want me to recite the conversation?" Randy
asked impatiently. She mimicked Luke's final comment to her with
devastating accuracy. " 'You can count on it, sweetheart.' Honestly,
Luke! If your ego gets any bigger it'll outgrow Manhattan Island! I
made that call from Cambridge. I didn't want Dad to worry…"
"You mean Miranda called you up and told you about it," he
interrupted. "We've been through your list of explanations too many
times already." He smiled engagingly. "When your sister gets back from
New Hampshire she's coming to work for me. Your father has the idea
that I would make a perfect husband for her. But I think I'll pass."
"Really!" Randy decided that Luke Griffin was conceited
enough to give even Sean Raley a run for his money. "May I ask what's
wrong with her?"
"Sure. She's too young for me, unlike you. And rumor has
it that she's one of the few actresses in Hollywood who could give an
authentic portrayal of a vestal virgin—assuming she lost a
few pounds. I'm not in the market for a chubby child bride."
Randy was so aggravated with the man that she felt like
throwing her coffee at him. "So who are
you
?" she
asked. "God's gift to the female sex?"
"A few women have thought so," Luke laughed. "I kind of
thought you agreed. You have a lot to look forward to if you behave
yourself and do as you're told."
"In that case I'll be sure not to,"
she asked him if he were sure they'd never met. "I know I've seen you
somewhere," she added.
"I doubt it," he answered, "although I do happen to work
for your father."
Randy almost choked on her coffee. "You mean he
knows
about this?" she sputtered.
"You don't suppose I'd go around snatching up my boss'
daughter without his permission!" he said. "I'm not crazy."
Randy's head was spinning. She'd just placed the wavy
brown hair and masculine stride. The last time she'd seen him he'd been
storming out of her father's office. And the last time she'd heard his
voice he'd been smoothly and odiously charming to her. If the phone
connection when she'd called her father from Cambridge hadn't been so
poor she would have placed the drawl immediately.
"You're Luke Griffin," she stated. "I don't believe this."
His action had a certain logic considering the hotness of his temper,
but Randy was amazed that her father had gone along with it. It wasn't
like Bill Dunne at all.
"I'm also Anne Havemeyer's brother-in-law," Luke reminded'
her. "You do remember Tom? The guy you've played house with for two
weekends? Better to stick with me, Linda. At least I'm single."
Now that Randy was recovering from the initial shock of
discovering the man's identity, her annoyance was beginning to get the
better of her. So this was the man her father was so eager to marry her
off to! What had he said? That once she'd met Luke she wouldn't stand a
chance? Then she remembered Luke Griffin's comments on the phone and
rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Linda," she informed him in her most withering tone, "was
with a man named Roger Bennett for most of last weekend. And she never
'played house' with your brother-in-law. Mostly she just listened to
his problems."
"Roger Bennett, the New York producer?" Luke asked.
"You know him?"
"Sure I know him. I took his girlfriend away from him, for
a month or so anyway. Or didn't Roger tell you that he lives with
someone?"
Having met Roger Bennett and liked him very much, Randy
didn't want to believe that he was involved with anyone else. "He must
have broken up with her," she said. "He wouldn't do something like
that."
"You seem to know a lot about him," Luke replied,
"considering that you're not Linda."
"I told you, I've spent the last ten days with my sister,"
Randy said clearly and slowly, as if talking to a mental incompetent.
"I met Roger in Cambridge."
"Your sister's been in New Hampshire for the last week,"
Luke contradicted. "Cut the song and dance about Miranda. I was in your
father's office when she called. I even spoke to her."
"And do you want me to recite the conversation?" Randy
asked impatiently. She mimicked Luke's final comment to her with
devastating accuracy. " 'You can count on it, sweetheart.' Honestly,
Luke! If your ego gets any bigger it'll outgrow Manhattan Island! I
made that call from Cambridge. I didn't want Dad to worry…"
"You mean Miranda called you up and told you about it," he
interrupted. "We've been through your list of explanations too many
times already." He smiled engagingly. "When your sister gets back from
New Hampshire she's coming to work for me. Your father has the idea
that I would make a perfect husband for her. But I think I'll pass."
"Really!" Randy decided that Luke Griffin was conceited
enough to give even Sean Raley a run for his money. "May I ask what's
wrong with her?"
"Sure. She's too young for me, unlike you. And rumor has
it that she's one of the few actresses in Hollywood who could give an
authentic portrayal of a vestal virgin—assuming she lost a
few pounds. I'm not in the market for a chubby child bride."
Randy was so aggravated with the man that she felt like
throwing her coffee at him. "So who are
you
?" she
asked. "God's gift to the female sex?"
"A few women have thought so," Luke laughed. "I kind of
thought you agreed. You have a lot to look forward to if you behave
yourself and do as you're told."
"In that case I'll be sure not to,"
Similar Books
