Read Online The Marriage Merger by Sandy Curtis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sandy Curtis
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Braden’s wealth was concerned with the environment and lifestyle
of ordinary people was a refreshing discovery.
“I think that’s wonderful,” she agreed.
Although he turned his head away quickly, she
caught the pleased look which crossed his face. He was a complex
man - cold and hard, warm and loving - a combination of opposites.
An intriguing, exciting combination. A combination she longed to
know more about. But the Caution sign flashed through her mind once
more.
As Braden drove slowly down Hastings Street,
the main street of Noosa Heads, he watched Jenna gaze at the chic
sidewalk cafes, restaurants and designer boutiques nestled between
low-rise luxury resorts, motels and apartment buildings.
"Aren't the colours fascinating? Peach,
green, apricot, lilac, blue, cream - it's like watching a concrete
fruit salad," she laughed.
Braden smiled at her enthusiasm. He tried to
analyze why he was so inordinately pleased that Jenna approved of
him, or at least his stance on development. It had never occurred
to him before that a woman’s approval could cause this swelling in
his chest, this grin that kept appearing on his face for no
apparent reason.
Alicia had always approved of him, no matter
what he did, a fact that sometimes annoyed him. Occasionally he
wished she would develop some backbone and stand up for herself.
She was so compliant all the time. Even with her husband. Luckily
David, a quiet, gentle man, had doted on her. Braden had never
heard a cross word pass between them. He sighed. Perhaps if Alicia
had a bit more backbone she would have been able to cope with
David’s death and Caitlin’s injuries.
He glanced again at Jenna. Her face was
animated, green eyes sparkling in delight as she gazed at the
sights before her. The swelling in his chest lowered to his groin
as his eyes caressed the fullness of her lips, the curve of her
breasts against the soft fabric of her blouse.
For some reason he thought of Veronica and
for the first time the thought irritated him. When Veronica looked
at him he always felt like the dollop of cream that had been added
to the caviar on the cat’s dish. It had never worried him before;
he knew Veronica saw him as the perfect addition to her already
perfect, wealthy lifestyle. And because one of his companies often
worked in tandem with one of hers and she was a useful business
contact, he rarely refused any social invitations she offered.
He had no illusions as to her interest in
him. She was a woman with a voracious sexual appetite, but a shrewd
business brain, honed by a father whose early death left her in
charge of his multi-million dollar empire, dictated that her sexual
encounters never interfered with her acquisitive goals.
Her immediate goal was to merge one of her
companies with one of Braden’s in equal partnership. There was a
lot to be gained by the merger, but Braden knew the gain would be
more his than hers and it was this knowledge that bothered him. She
had invited him to stay behind after the dinner party last night to
discuss the merger. He'd considered her proposals without comment,
cautious not to let her see he was in any way concerned about her
more than generous offer.
In the intimacy of her study she had made it
obvious that she would have welcomed him if he had indicated he
wanted to stay the night. There was an ache in his groin that
needed assuaging but he knew instinctively if he took what Veronica
was offering the ache would still be there in the morning. So he
had kissed her politely and left.
Since the first moment he had seen Jenna a
heat had invaded his body. An itchy, unscratchable heat that had
given him more cold showers than he’d ever had in his life before.
When he’d kissed her the blood had roared in his head, spinning him
crazily into an arousal of unprecedented proportions.
And she’d smelled of lavender. He couldn’t
believe it. No woman he knew smelled of lavender. He had become so
used to the heavy, exotic perfumes
of ordinary people was a refreshing discovery.
“I think that’s wonderful,” she agreed.
Although he turned his head away quickly, she
caught the pleased look which crossed his face. He was a complex
man - cold and hard, warm and loving - a combination of opposites.
An intriguing, exciting combination. A combination she longed to
know more about. But the Caution sign flashed through her mind once
more.
As Braden drove slowly down Hastings Street,
the main street of Noosa Heads, he watched Jenna gaze at the chic
sidewalk cafes, restaurants and designer boutiques nestled between
low-rise luxury resorts, motels and apartment buildings.
"Aren't the colours fascinating? Peach,
green, apricot, lilac, blue, cream - it's like watching a concrete
fruit salad," she laughed.
Braden smiled at her enthusiasm. He tried to
analyze why he was so inordinately pleased that Jenna approved of
him, or at least his stance on development. It had never occurred
to him before that a woman’s approval could cause this swelling in
his chest, this grin that kept appearing on his face for no
apparent reason.
Alicia had always approved of him, no matter
what he did, a fact that sometimes annoyed him. Occasionally he
wished she would develop some backbone and stand up for herself.
She was so compliant all the time. Even with her husband. Luckily
David, a quiet, gentle man, had doted on her. Braden had never
heard a cross word pass between them. He sighed. Perhaps if Alicia
had a bit more backbone she would have been able to cope with
David’s death and Caitlin’s injuries.
He glanced again at Jenna. Her face was
animated, green eyes sparkling in delight as she gazed at the
sights before her. The swelling in his chest lowered to his groin
as his eyes caressed the fullness of her lips, the curve of her
breasts against the soft fabric of her blouse.
For some reason he thought of Veronica and
for the first time the thought irritated him. When Veronica looked
at him he always felt like the dollop of cream that had been added
to the caviar on the cat’s dish. It had never worried him before;
he knew Veronica saw him as the perfect addition to her already
perfect, wealthy lifestyle. And because one of his companies often
worked in tandem with one of hers and she was a useful business
contact, he rarely refused any social invitations she offered.
He had no illusions as to her interest in
him. She was a woman with a voracious sexual appetite, but a shrewd
business brain, honed by a father whose early death left her in
charge of his multi-million dollar empire, dictated that her sexual
encounters never interfered with her acquisitive goals.
Her immediate goal was to merge one of her
companies with one of Braden’s in equal partnership. There was a
lot to be gained by the merger, but Braden knew the gain would be
more his than hers and it was this knowledge that bothered him. She
had invited him to stay behind after the dinner party last night to
discuss the merger. He'd considered her proposals without comment,
cautious not to let her see he was in any way concerned about her
more than generous offer.
In the intimacy of her study she had made it
obvious that she would have welcomed him if he had indicated he
wanted to stay the night. There was an ache in his groin that
needed assuaging but he knew instinctively if he took what Veronica
was offering the ache would still be there in the morning. So he
had kissed her politely and left.
Since the first moment he had seen Jenna a
heat had invaded his body. An itchy, unscratchable heat that had
given him more cold showers than he’d ever had in his life before.
When he’d kissed her the blood had roared in his head, spinning him
crazily into an arousal of unprecedented proportions.
And she’d smelled of lavender. He couldn’t
believe it. No woman he knew smelled of lavender. He had become so
used to the heavy, exotic perfumes
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