Read Online Lady's Choice by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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can rent a car from your front desk."
"We don't have any car rental service."
"An airport van service?" Travis tried, feeling desperate.
"The kid who drives the airport run has gone home for the night." David grinned. "Afraid you're stuck with me."
Travis flipped another puddle of guacamole off his sleeve and said very carefully, "I think I'd better tell you who I am."
"Why don't you do that?" David said quietly. "I've been wondering just who you are since you walked onto the terrace and caused my wife to nearly faint. And Roy and Tony have been looking as if they'd seen a ghost."
Travis looked at him with a tinge of reluctant respect as it sank in that there was more to David Kirkwood than appeared on the surface. He should have been prepared to find the man had hidden depths, Travis reminded himself. After all, Juliana had once thought herself in love with him.
"I'm the head of East Forward Properties, Inc.," Travis said.
David exhaled slowly. "So my time has run out, has it?"
"That's about it. I'm running a business, Kirkwood, not a charitable foundation."
David ran his fingers through his hair. "No, you don't look like the charitable type. But that doesn't answer my question. What else are you besides the big, bad wolf come to blow the house down!"
Travis sighed, not particularly enthusiastic about telling him the rest but knowing it would all be coming out eventually. "I'm the guy who saved this place five years ago when Tony and Roy Grant were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy."
David's gaze sharpened. "The consultant they stiffed? The one who thought he was going to get a third of the resort as his fee for services rendered?"
"You know about that deal?"
"Not all of it. No one talks about that incident. No one talks about you or what happened five years ago.
But there were some papers and records left in the office when I took over after my marriage. I think I pieced most of the story together. Including the fact that you were once engaged to my wife."
"Yeah, well, if it's any consolation, I'm not here to claim her. All I want is Flame Valley."
"You don't just want your fee. You're here to get revenge, aren't you?"
Travis shrugged. "I just want what's due me."
"Juliana wasn't a part of what happened five years ago, was she?"
"No." Travis stared out into the darkness. "I shouldn't have involved her."
"No way you could avoid it." David fished a set of keys out of his pocket. "Come on, Sawyer.
I'll drive you back to Jewel Harbor."
"Why would you want to do me any favors?"
"I don't see it as a favor," David said as he led the way toward a white Mercedes. "I see it as a final, desperate struggle of a drowning man. I intend to use the time between here and Jewel Harbor to get you to listen to my side of this thing."
"You might as well save your breath, Kirkwood. I've already told you, I'm not running a charity." But Travis reluctantly walked toward the Mercedes. He wasn't going to argue with a free ride at this time of night.
"And you've already told me you wished you hadn't involved Juliana." David opened the door of his car.
"That's right. As far as I'm concerned, she's out of it now. Financially, at least."
David smiled coolly. "I've got news for you, wolf. Juliana is in this up to her big, beautiful eyes."
Travis looked at him sharply over the roof of the car. "How?"
"A year ago she loaned Flame Valley Inn a sizable sum of money."
"She did what!" Travis felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach.
"You heard me. It was a very large loan. I was planning to repay her at the end of this year. That won't be possible if you foreclose, of course. If the inn goes under, all Juliana's big plans for Charisma Espresso will probably go with it."
4
Juliana was in bed, but she was far from being asleep when someone began leaning on her doorbell and did not let up. The famous notes of the opening passage of the William Tell Overture clamored throughout the condo, over and over, endlessly repeating
"We don't have any car rental service."
"An airport van service?" Travis tried, feeling desperate.
"The kid who drives the airport run has gone home for the night." David grinned. "Afraid you're stuck with me."
Travis flipped another puddle of guacamole off his sleeve and said very carefully, "I think I'd better tell you who I am."
"Why don't you do that?" David said quietly. "I've been wondering just who you are since you walked onto the terrace and caused my wife to nearly faint. And Roy and Tony have been looking as if they'd seen a ghost."
Travis looked at him with a tinge of reluctant respect as it sank in that there was more to David Kirkwood than appeared on the surface. He should have been prepared to find the man had hidden depths, Travis reminded himself. After all, Juliana had once thought herself in love with him.
"I'm the head of East Forward Properties, Inc.," Travis said.
David exhaled slowly. "So my time has run out, has it?"
"That's about it. I'm running a business, Kirkwood, not a charitable foundation."
David ran his fingers through his hair. "No, you don't look like the charitable type. But that doesn't answer my question. What else are you besides the big, bad wolf come to blow the house down!"
Travis sighed, not particularly enthusiastic about telling him the rest but knowing it would all be coming out eventually. "I'm the guy who saved this place five years ago when Tony and Roy Grant were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy."
David's gaze sharpened. "The consultant they stiffed? The one who thought he was going to get a third of the resort as his fee for services rendered?"
"You know about that deal?"
"Not all of it. No one talks about that incident. No one talks about you or what happened five years ago.
But there were some papers and records left in the office when I took over after my marriage. I think I pieced most of the story together. Including the fact that you were once engaged to my wife."
"Yeah, well, if it's any consolation, I'm not here to claim her. All I want is Flame Valley."
"You don't just want your fee. You're here to get revenge, aren't you?"
Travis shrugged. "I just want what's due me."
"Juliana wasn't a part of what happened five years ago, was she?"
"No." Travis stared out into the darkness. "I shouldn't have involved her."
"No way you could avoid it." David fished a set of keys out of his pocket. "Come on, Sawyer.
I'll drive you back to Jewel Harbor."
"Why would you want to do me any favors?"
"I don't see it as a favor," David said as he led the way toward a white Mercedes. "I see it as a final, desperate struggle of a drowning man. I intend to use the time between here and Jewel Harbor to get you to listen to my side of this thing."
"You might as well save your breath, Kirkwood. I've already told you, I'm not running a charity." But Travis reluctantly walked toward the Mercedes. He wasn't going to argue with a free ride at this time of night.
"And you've already told me you wished you hadn't involved Juliana." David opened the door of his car.
"That's right. As far as I'm concerned, she's out of it now. Financially, at least."
David smiled coolly. "I've got news for you, wolf. Juliana is in this up to her big, beautiful eyes."
Travis looked at him sharply over the roof of the car. "How?"
"A year ago she loaned Flame Valley Inn a sizable sum of money."
"She did what!" Travis felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach.
"You heard me. It was a very large loan. I was planning to repay her at the end of this year. That won't be possible if you foreclose, of course. If the inn goes under, all Juliana's big plans for Charisma Espresso will probably go with it."
4
Juliana was in bed, but she was far from being asleep when someone began leaning on her doorbell and did not let up. The famous notes of the opening passage of the William Tell Overture clamored throughout the condo, over and over, endlessly repeating
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