Read Online Blame It on the Champagne by Nina Harrington - Free Book Online

a husband and as a
property developer he was a disaster. Dropping the Mortimer name made sense for
a teenage girl who was the daughter of a man whose embezzlement scandal hit the
headlines around the world. Worse, it was an investment scam that had finally
taken him to the law courts and a long prison sentence in an American jail.
    Saskia Elwood had every reason to be cautious around men with
big ideas and bigger promises.
    He got that. Better than she might imagine. He was not Tom. But
he shared Tom’s drive and determination to do what he had to in order to achieve
his goals. He always had.
    It was time to get creative and do something nobody expected
him to do.
    He had spent most of his life pushing the boundaries and asking
forgiveness later; much to his parents’ despair.
    Life was not for hanging around waiting for other people to
give him permission.
    And he had absolutely no intention of changing that philosophy
any time soon, even if that meant cutting corners a little when it came to
making his store a triumph of innovation and excitement.
    Direct action. No more talking and a lot more walking.
    He was going to show Saskia Elwood that he meant business and
she could trust him to deliver on his promises in the only way he knew how, up
front and personal.
    All he had to do was find some way of persuading her to leave
her cosy little nest and jump on the morning flight back to France.
    Persuading women to agree to his every whim was usually not a
problem for him. Shame that Saskia was not the type of woman he normally met. He
liked girls who could stand up for themselves and make their own way. Running a
private meeting venue on your own was not a trivial thing. He admired her for
that.
    But, from what he had seen today, there was something she
wanted. Something that he could give her. Something she might find too
irresistible to turn down.
    â€˜It’s good to see a girl enjoying her food,’ he quipped as
Saskia liberally tossed cheese and black pepper over the generous portion of
pasta that she had piled into her bowl.
    Her hand froze, then relaxed as he chuckled quietly under his
breath and loaded his bowl with twice her portion.
    â€˜Guilty as charged. I love my food and drink. Always have.’
    â€˜Well, here is a thought. How you would like to travel to
France with me tomorrow? It shouldn’t take more than three or four days to visit
each of the vineyards, but I guarantee that you will be back here for Monday
morning.’
    â€˜France? Why would I want to go to France with you?’
    Rick waggled his eyebrows a couple of times up and down and
then grinned when she groaned and turned back to her food with a shake of her
head.
    â€˜I fell into that one.’ She waved. ‘Please. Carry on.’
    â€˜Apart from the pleasure of your delightful company, I thought
that you might be persuaded to buy wine from me if you met some of the producers
in person.’
    â€˜Ah. Emotional blackmail. Once I meet the growers you know that
I will not be able to say no to them. Now that is a low trick.’
    He paused and took a sip of wine before looking up at Saskia.
He knew all about emotional blackmail. His parents were experts.
    â€˜Not at all. Creating my own business means that I have the
freedom to create my own list of premium customers. Customers like you.’
    Her head came slowly up and she continued chewing for a moment
before replying, ‘Me? I don’t think so.’
    â€˜But I do. I want you to be part of that first wave of special
buyers in London, Saskia. No. More than that. I need you to support my launch.
In return, I am offering you an amazing discount on the wine and I will promote
Elwood House along the way. That is special.’
    â€˜Why do you want to sell to a one-woman operation like me?’ she
replied with a short cough of disbelief. ‘Why not focus on the big five-star
hotels where you can be guaranteed large orders?’
    Rick swallowed