Read Online The Trouble with Valentine’s by Kelly Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly Hunter
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and she put on her best social smile for Nick andHallie Bennett-Cooper both. Nick’s eyes were still smiley; he was still very handsome.
Best of all, he didn’t look angry or wary and when he opened his mouth the words that came out were, ‘Lovely to see you again, Jasmine’ and not ‘don’t enter my room uninvited this time.’
Not that he would have said that. Not in front of people, surely. Nicholas Cooper was an English gentleman. Wasn’t he?
‘Welcome,’ she offered, and dragged her gaze away from Nick and turned her attention to his wife – hoping upon hope that Hallie Bennett-Cooper would attribute Jasmine’s lack of speech to English-as-a-second-language problem rather than an acute attack of embarrassment and guilt.
Hallie’s gaze met hers and Jasmine coloured, because awareness was there in the other woman’s eyes. Nicholas’s wife
knew
. He’d told her, and any minute now Hallie was going to make mention of it.
Sickness rose up in Jasmine like the tide.
Don’t, she wanted to beg. Please don’t say anything. Can’t we just pretend it never happened? I didn’t know. I
didn’t
know he already had a wife.
Hallie Bennett-Cooper’s smile was surprisingly gentle. ‘Nick neglected to mention how beautiful you were,’ she murmured, and leaned forward tobrush her cheek gently against Jasmine’s before pulling back and narrowing her eyes. ‘Or how young. Men. Show me one who can give you all the necessary details.’
‘Kai can,’ said Jasmine, before her brain could catch up with her mouth.
‘Okay, I’ll give you that one,’ murmured Hallie. ‘But I stand by the statement that my husband’s powers of observation need work. I swear; he and I are going to have words.’
‘I’m quaking,’ said Nick dryly.
Jasmine had no idea what they were talking about, not that it mattered. First and foremost, it beat talking about that night. ‘Please,’ she said, remembering her role and trying not to let anxiety render her useless. ‘Would you care to come inside?’
Jasmine Tey was
nothing
like the brazen teenage seductress Hallie had imagined. Never mind the exquisite jewel-coloured sundress she wore. Never mind the waist-length black hair held away from her face with a bamboo clasp in a style both youthful and inspired because it drew attention to both face and hair and both were stunning. Hallie didn’t even mind the wide, shy eyes Jasmine turned on Nick – Hallie was fast coming to the conclusionthat most women
did
have big eyes for Nick … No, what bothered Hallie most was that Jasmine Tey seemed to have not one scrap of confidence in her own appeal and no idea whatsoever of the guilt and mortification that was currently stamped on her face for anyone with eyes to see.
Whatever Jasmine had done the last time Nick was here, boy did she regret it.
‘I—I trust your flight went well?’ asked Jasmine as Hallie tucked her hand through the crook of Jasmine’s elbow and turned the younger girl towards the villa and away from driver Kai’s all-seeing eyes.
‘It was good,’ said Hallie. ‘Well, apart from this one woman who fell into Nick’s lap on purpose. And it wasn’t me.’ Hallie rolled her eyes. ‘She simpered. She swooned. You can imagine.’
A tiny smile tilted Jasmine’s lips. It seemed she could.
‘I don’t blame him,’ Hallie continued, warming to her theme. ‘He can’t help the effect he has on us. Of course, he doesn’t have to enjoy it quite as much as he does.’
‘But darling—’
‘Don’t you darling me, Nicholas Cooper!’ He’d wanted possessive, requested jealousy. Hallie stopped and turned around to see if he was following.He was, and so was John Tey. Driver Kai stood by the car, watching impassively. She contemplated a head toss and decided against it. Too dramatic – this was a
very
restrained household, no need to overplay it. Jealous words would more than suffice. ‘I’ve had quite enough of women falling over you for one
Best of all, he didn’t look angry or wary and when he opened his mouth the words that came out were, ‘Lovely to see you again, Jasmine’ and not ‘don’t enter my room uninvited this time.’
Not that he would have said that. Not in front of people, surely. Nicholas Cooper was an English gentleman. Wasn’t he?
‘Welcome,’ she offered, and dragged her gaze away from Nick and turned her attention to his wife – hoping upon hope that Hallie Bennett-Cooper would attribute Jasmine’s lack of speech to English-as-a-second-language problem rather than an acute attack of embarrassment and guilt.
Hallie’s gaze met hers and Jasmine coloured, because awareness was there in the other woman’s eyes. Nicholas’s wife
knew
. He’d told her, and any minute now Hallie was going to make mention of it.
Sickness rose up in Jasmine like the tide.
Don’t, she wanted to beg. Please don’t say anything. Can’t we just pretend it never happened? I didn’t know. I
didn’t
know he already had a wife.
Hallie Bennett-Cooper’s smile was surprisingly gentle. ‘Nick neglected to mention how beautiful you were,’ she murmured, and leaned forward tobrush her cheek gently against Jasmine’s before pulling back and narrowing her eyes. ‘Or how young. Men. Show me one who can give you all the necessary details.’
‘Kai can,’ said Jasmine, before her brain could catch up with her mouth.
‘Okay, I’ll give you that one,’ murmured Hallie. ‘But I stand by the statement that my husband’s powers of observation need work. I swear; he and I are going to have words.’
‘I’m quaking,’ said Nick dryly.
Jasmine had no idea what they were talking about, not that it mattered. First and foremost, it beat talking about that night. ‘Please,’ she said, remembering her role and trying not to let anxiety render her useless. ‘Would you care to come inside?’
Jasmine Tey was
nothing
like the brazen teenage seductress Hallie had imagined. Never mind the exquisite jewel-coloured sundress she wore. Never mind the waist-length black hair held away from her face with a bamboo clasp in a style both youthful and inspired because it drew attention to both face and hair and both were stunning. Hallie didn’t even mind the wide, shy eyes Jasmine turned on Nick – Hallie was fast coming to the conclusionthat most women
did
have big eyes for Nick … No, what bothered Hallie most was that Jasmine Tey seemed to have not one scrap of confidence in her own appeal and no idea whatsoever of the guilt and mortification that was currently stamped on her face for anyone with eyes to see.
Whatever Jasmine had done the last time Nick was here, boy did she regret it.
‘I—I trust your flight went well?’ asked Jasmine as Hallie tucked her hand through the crook of Jasmine’s elbow and turned the younger girl towards the villa and away from driver Kai’s all-seeing eyes.
‘It was good,’ said Hallie. ‘Well, apart from this one woman who fell into Nick’s lap on purpose. And it wasn’t me.’ Hallie rolled her eyes. ‘She simpered. She swooned. You can imagine.’
A tiny smile tilted Jasmine’s lips. It seemed she could.
‘I don’t blame him,’ Hallie continued, warming to her theme. ‘He can’t help the effect he has on us. Of course, he doesn’t have to enjoy it quite as much as he does.’
‘But darling—’
‘Don’t you darling me, Nicholas Cooper!’ He’d wanted possessive, requested jealousy. Hallie stopped and turned around to see if he was following.He was, and so was John Tey. Driver Kai stood by the car, watching impassively. She contemplated a head toss and decided against it. Too dramatic – this was a
very
restrained household, no need to overplay it. Jealous words would more than suffice. ‘I’ve had quite enough of women falling over you for one
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