Read Online The Virgin Bride (The Australians) by Miranda Lee - Free Book Online Page A

third ring.
    â€˜Jase?’
    He ignored the jolt the sound of her voice made, not to mention the way she shortened his name. She was the only person who’d ever called him that, and he’d liked it straight away. Perhaps she knew the effect it had on him, for she’d always used it a lot, especially in bed. It had been Yes, Jase; please, Jase, and Oh, God, Jase , all the time, in low, husky whispers. It sent shivers down his spine just thinking about it.
    â€˜What do you want, Adele?’ he said, quite coldly, determined not to let her see she affected him in any way. But the length of his celibate state didn’t help. Only by reminding himself that he was just two weeksfrom marrying Emma could he keep the image of a nude Adele gyrating on top of him from exploding to the forefront of his mind.
    But then she spoke again, and he was in imminent danger of being mentally unfaithful.
    â€˜It’s great to hear your voice, Jase. I’ve missed you, darling. Have you missed me?’
    Jason cursed her to hell in his mind.
    â€˜My secretary said you had an emergency,’ he ground out in what he hoped was his best no-I-haven’t-missed-you voice.
    â€˜It’s your brother, Jase. Jerry.’
    Jason snapped to attention. He’d sent Jerry the watch and ring, as planned, as well as a wedding invitation, and had received a small thank-you note, but a regret about the wedding. Jerry was chronically shy and didn’t like formal dos.
    â€˜What about Jerry?’
    â€˜He came into the surgery last night with severe abdominal pains. Just by chance, I was the doctor allotted to him. I didn’t want to take any chances so I had him admitted to hospital. Thank God I did, because he had a pretty bad night. They’ve done tests and he has some form of obscure food-poisoning. He’s not critical, but he’s a very sick man. The specialist said he won’t be in the clear for a couple of days. I thought you might want to be with him.’
    â€˜What hospital?’
    â€˜Royal North Shore.’
    â€˜I’ll come straight away.’ Doc wouldn’t mind taking over for the weekend in this situation. Jason haddone the same for him when he’d had to go to a funeral in Brisbane a couple of weeks back.
    A funeral…
    Dear God, he hoped Jerry didn’t die. ‘How did you find my number, Adele?’ he demanded to know.
    â€˜Oh, Jase,’ she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice, that slow, sexy smile she used to give him as she undulated towards him across the bedroom, peeling off her clothes as she went. ‘I’ve always known where you were. I was just waiting a while till you came to your senses. Six months I was going to give you, remember? It’s been more than that now.’
    Bulldust, he thought. She hadn’t been going to contact him at all, not till this business with Jerry had made it necessary. She just couldn’t resist playing femme fatale .
    â€˜I’ll bet you’re bored to tears down there in Hicksville,’ she went on a droll tone. ‘Country towns and country girls just don’t have what it takes to keep a city boy happy. And you’re a city boy, Jase,’ she said, with a low, wicked little laugh. ‘Through and through.’
    He knew that. It had been a battle to adjust. But he had adjusted, and he liked his new life. Okay, so it wasn’t wildly exciting. There were no first nights at the opera; no dinner parties in penthouses overlooking the harbour; no all-night sex sessions to drive him out of his mind.
    But such things were just passing moments of pleasure. They weren’t life , not the kind of life he wanted.
    â€˜Actually, I’m not bored at all,’ he counteredcoolly. ‘I love it here. Fact is, I’m going to be married a fortnight tomorrow.’
    She hardly missed a beat. ‘No kidding? What happened, Jase? Get some poor little country girl in trouble, did