скачать книгу бесплатно
The Tycoon's Dating Deal
Nicola Marsh
Hired…by an Australian tycoon!Kara Roberts has been roped into a speed-dating evening–and is shocked to discover that one of her dates is Matt Byrne, her ex-boyfriend! Matt's now a successful–and very sexy–lawyer, and as he only requires a girlfriend to advance his career, he's decided the best option is to hire one! It's a lucrative dating deal Kara cannot afford to refuse….Turn the pages to find out how Kara plays the dating game–and wins!
“I chose you for a reason, Kara. You’re just the kind of woman I’m after.”
“And what kind of woman is that?”
Matt placed his fingertips together, leaned his elbows on the table and stared directly into her eyes. “Smart, independent, with no romantic illusions. You’re the perfect choice for me.”
Confusion whirled through her mind. “I don’t get it.”
“I’m looking for a business arrangement. Nothing more. You will appear as my steady girlfriend for the next six months, till I secure a partnership in Dad’s firm. That’s it.”
Nicola Marsh says, “As a girl, I dreamed of being a journalist and traveling the world in search of the next big story. Luckily, I have had the opportunity to travel the world, but my dream to write has never been far from my mind. When I met my own tall, dark and handsome hero, and learned that romance is everything it’s cracked up to be, I finally took the plunge and put pen to paper. I live in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne with my husband and a baby. When I’m not writing, I work as a physiotherapist for a vocational rehabilitation company, helping people with disabilities return to the workforce. I also love sharing fine food and wine with friends and family, going to the movies and, my favorite, curling up in front of the fire with a good book.”
This is Nicola’s first book!
The Tycoon’s Dating Deal
Nicola Marsh
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Mum and Dad, for a lifetime of love, and to Martin, for believing in me and our dream
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE (#u26571267-9176-57b1-a5b7-7e392113b680)
CHAPTER TWO (#u85d2465d-0c96-558d-bfa8-728cd4d0e989)
CHAPTER THREE (#u1b98ff51-65c8-5823-9670-ee0de1b50454)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE
‘YOU want me to do what?’
Kara Roberts stared at her best friend in disbelief. As much as she loved Sally, this time she had gone too far.
‘Please, Kara. Pretty please. You know my butt’s on the line, not to mention my business,’ Sally cajoled, a hint of fear in her eyes.
Kara knew she was beaten. She had never seen Sally so desperate. The agency must be in more trouble than the older woman had let on.
Flopping into a nearby chair, Kara folded her arms and leaned back. ‘OK, I’ll do it. Though just this once. You owe me big time, Sal. Real big.’
Sally flew across the room, her greying curls bouncing around her chubby face, and enveloped her in a bear hug.
‘Thanks, sweetie. You’re one in a million.’
Tears glittered in Sally’s brown eyes as she pulled away. Kara’s heart swelled with love for the amazing woman who had taken her in, without question, following her parents’ death. She’d been twelve years old when the two most important people in her life had died in a car accident. Sally, her mum’s best friend, had stepped in and offered her a home. Not just a home. She had supported, encouraged and loved her throughout the difficult teenage years and beyond.
This one favour for Sally, tricky as it may be, would be small repayment for years of love and friendship.
‘OK, now that my neck is on the line, what do I do?’
Sally shuffled through the mountain of paperwork on her desk. ‘Here. Fill these out for a start. This has to be legit, so complete every form and sign on the dotted line.’
Kara took the stack of forms and leafed through them, seeing but not quite believing what she was reading. ‘You’ve got to be kidding, Sal. Eye colour of desired partner? Most romantic dinner? Most erotic place to be kissed? Where do you get this stuff?’
Sally crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks and slowly exhaled. ‘I need that info to process your data into the computer. You know that. You’ve laughed about it for years, not to mention seen how it works. Why the cold feet now?’
Kara chuckled. ‘I’ve laughed about it when these ridiculous questions are applied to other people. Now that I’m under the microscope, it’s not so funny. Besides, can’t I just skip this part and get the dating over and done with?’
Sally shook her head. ‘If I’m to win the award for Sydney’s Dating Agency of the Year, I need you to complete everything. Your application will be processed with the rest of the applicants. Kara, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I weren’t desperate. When Maggie pulled out this morning, I was floundering. All you need to do is attend the speed-dating dinner tonight.’
‘Hah! Easy for you to say. What if someone I know sees me? They’ll think I’m some kind of desperado.’
Hurt flickered in Sally’s eyes. Matchmaker meant the world to her. Her own business was precious, so why should Sally’s be any different?
‘Like the rest of my clients, you mean?’ Sally asked.
‘Sorry, Sal. I’m just not used to all this. I prefer to get my dates the usual way.’
Sally’s eyebrows shot heavenward. ‘Which way is that? You haven’t had a date in over a year!’
How the truth hurt. She’d steered clear of men over the last twelve months, tired of their game-playing. Most of her dates were only after one thing and she was sick of the whole scene.
‘That’s a bit harsh. I’ve had plenty of dates in the last few years.’ She ignored the empty feeling that arose whenever the subject of men entered a conversation. Only one man had ever made her feel special and he was gone. Long gone.
‘Sure you have, sweetie, which is why you spend most of your free time with an old chook like me.’
‘You, old? Sure, there may be a few greys sprinkled in your hair and a couple of laughter-lines around your eyes, but old? Is that why you prefer to screen the male candidates personally? You forget, I’ve seen the way you glow after a session with some of your hunky applicants.’
Her teasing fell on deaf ears as Sally rustled the papers in front of her, suddenly businesslike.
‘Thanks for the confidence boost. You forgot to mention the extra forty pounds I’m carrying at the moment. Anyway, enough small talk. Complete these forms, missy, as I need to process them immediately. Then I think you’d better head home and get ready. I’ve got one last male to meet today and then tonight is all set. Once I’ve matched my thousandth couple, the DATY award has to be mine.’
Kara barely glanced at the forms, her stomach churning at the worried look on Sally’s face.
‘Is the agency in that much trouble, Sal?’
Though her own funds were limited since Inner Sanctum, her interior-design business, had drained most of her money, she would take a loan if needed to help Sally.
‘If I don’t win the DATY, Matchmaker will have to shut up shop. The prize money would go a long way to updating the computer system and the prestige will put this agency on the map.’ Sally sighed. ‘So yeah, you could say I’m in trouble.’
‘But how?’ Kara probed, knowing she wouldn’t like the answer. Guilt consumed her, increasing the tumultuous turning of her gut. In fact, she had a fair idea of what Sally was about to say.
‘I’ve never been a rich woman, darling, you know that. I put everything into making a home for us, with my investments providing the money to start up this.’ She threw her arms wide, indicating the office that served as Matchmaker’s headquarters. ‘I guess I didn’t do my sums right.’
Kara knew there was more to it than that. What Sally hadn’t mentioned was the amount of money she had loaned her to start Inner Sanctum.
Unable to ignore the overwhelming guilt any longer, she picked up the pen lying on Sally’s desk and started filling out forms.
‘If I can do anything else apart from this, Sal, you let me know.’
‘Just keep writing, love, and I’ll take care of the rest.’
Within minutes, Kara had completed the forms. In several hours she would be having drinks with a bunch of strangers with the aim of finding a ‘suitable’ partner. If it weren’t for the fact that Sally was desperate, she would tear up her application on the spot.
She’d been looking forward to going home, slipping into a hot bath and listening to the soothing sounds of her favourite soul singer. Today hadn’t been one of her better days. The Smithsons, who owned half of exclusive Double Bay, had been pestering her to redesign their conservatory. Unfortunately, she’d had to endure the wailing violin practice from their prodigy granddaughter for the entire two hours that it took to discuss the plans.
Sally’s call on her mobile phone had been welcome. Momentarily. In fact, in choosing between an evening of speed dating and spending another few hours with the screeching violin, Kara was wavering towards the violin.
‘So I’ll see you tonight?’
Kara sighed. ‘Yeah, I suppose.’
Sally laughed. ‘You’ve got that look. You know, the one you always had when I dragged you off to the dentist.’
‘You’re not far off the mark, Sal. The way I’m feeling at the moment, I think I’d rather have a tooth pulled.’
Sally patted her cheek, love radiating from her brown eyes. ‘Why don’t you head home and relax? The evening will be over before you know it.’
‘Mmm,’ she mumbled, already preoccupied with thoughts of making idle chit-chat with a bunch of strange men.
Shutting the door to Sally’s inner office, she glanced around the reception area with pride. Not bad for a novice, she thought, considering the office had been one of her early projects. She loved her job, particularly the artistic licence of combining colours, shapes and dimensions in an imaginative free-for-all. A pity her customers didn’t think the same; after a busy few months when she first opened, business had slowed to a crawl. Sal wasn’t the only one who desperately needed money. Kara needed a cash injection—and fast.
As she reached for the outer door, it was flung open, almost knocking her sideways.
‘Sorry. Are you OK?’
No, I’m not. She stared into the face of the last man she’d expected to see. Entering a dating agency, no less!
‘Kara? What a surprise.’
Matthew Byrne’s strong arms enveloped her in a vice-like hug. All the old feelings rushed back: longing and desire for the man, inadequacy at being the woman he didn’t want. She hadn’t mastered her emotions one iota. He still had the power to reduce her to a blathering idiot. Not that she would let him know.
‘Hi, Matt. Good to see you.’ She almost choked on the words as she eased from his embrace. Her head was spinning, her pulse racing. He’d probably restricted her oxygen supply, he’d hugged her so tight.
‘Look at you, all grown up.’
As his gaze raked over her body, goosebumps peppered her skin. His stare lingered on her breasts a second too long before returning to her face.
She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look casual yet knowing she failed miserably.
To her chagrin, he grinned, the same devilish smile that had haunted her dreams for years. He had seen her reaction and was probably loving every minute of it.
Lifting her chin, she glared at him.
‘Yeah, that tends to happen to little girls.’
She wondered if he remembered those painful words he’d uttered on the night of her eighteenth birthday. The night he’d broken her heart.
A flicker of awareness leaped in the azure depths of his eyes before he masked it.
‘Well, you’re far from little any more. You look gorgeous. It’s a shame we haven’t stayed in touch over the years.’
Kara could drown in the endless blue of his eyes. She’d never seen a colour like them, that potent mix of violet and sapphire, with the barest hint of emerald. A corny way to describe them, yet nothing but flowery language could come close to describing their brilliance. Purple, blue and green would be far too ordinary for the likes of Matt Byrne’s eyes.
Her skin warmed as a slow blush crept into her cheeks. She could guess what it would have been like to ‘keep in touch’, Matt-style. His hands lightly caressing every inch of her skin, his lips trailing over her body, exploring her most intimate secrets.
As if sensing her thoughts, he reached towards her and cupped her cheek.
‘You look adorable, blushing like that. Still the same old Kara, huh?’
His low, husky voice rasped across her nerve endings. She yearned to lean into his hand, to feel the comfort that only he could give.
Instead, she remembered the crushing kiss, frantic hands and then the powerful rejection that had lasted a lifetime. Matt Byrne had pushed her away in the cruellest way possible, belittling her to the point where she couldn’t speak to him again.
Now here he was, sauntering into her life like a superhero and acting the part: flexed muscles, broad chest, chiselled face, killer smile. All he needed was the cape and his underwear on the outside of his designer suit and the picture would be complete.
She laughed. The underwear image did it. Once lodged in her brain, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
‘What’s so funny?’ Matt’s hundred-watt smile faltered.
‘Sorry. Just old memories. You know how it is.’ She wiped the tears from her eyes, hoping that her mascara hadn’t smudged.
