Free The Pleasure King's Bride by Emma Darcy Page B

see, but the minutes kept ticking past as Jared waited and waited for her to arrive, his inner tension rising with the return of his earlier thoughts.
    He remembered his toast to being free.
    This one night, she’d answered.
    One night.
    He’d been so sure he could make it more.
    Somehow he had to make it more.
    A knock on his office door brought a leap of hope. She’d come. A bit late but...
    His mother entered.
    Jared slumped back in his chair, disappointment knifing through him.
    “How was the trip?” she asked.
    He summoned the energy to announce an enthusiastic, “Great!” then recollected she had spent the weekend with the Connelly family, planning the wedding between Samantha Connelly and his brother Tommy—true love having finally won out for those two. A stab of envy hit him as he asked, “Got the wedding on track?”
    “They’ve settled on having it at Kununurra.” She walked over to his desk. “Photographs of Christabel’s designs?”
    “Yes. They were a big hit with the Hong Kong traders.”
    She perused the shots he’d taken of the display. “They do look splendid. You were right about her talent, Jared.” Her gaze swept up, the sharp intelligence in her dark eyes nailing him. “Will she do more for us?’’
    He smiled with ironic whimsy. “Who can tell with Christabel?”
    “She’s your enterprise, Jared.”
    He shrugged. “I had intended negotiating a new deal with her this morning. She hasn’t shown...yet.”
    “And if she doesn’t?”
    “I don’t have the right to order her time. You know that. The choice is hers.”
    “Nothing has changed?”
    He knew it was an oblique reference to last night. She would have been to the house after the flight back to Broome, probably changed clothes before coming on here. Vikki would not have held anything back from his mother.
    “Not in that respect, no,” he answered, denying her any more personal insight.
    Her gaze wavered. The corner of her mouth almost turned down into a grimace but she checked it. Jared sensed her vexation. She didn’t like the situation with Christabel Valdez. There were too many unknowns for her to feel comfortable with it. Jared well understood her feeling, but it wasn’t going to stop him. Some things couldn’t be stopped.
    She affected a dismissive little smile. “Well, I just dropped in to say hello. I must go and check my mail. We’ll discuss the Hong Kong business after lunch.”
    “Fine,” Jared agreed.
    A tactful retreat...in case Christabel did come this morning... although it was now eleven-forty and looking highly unlikely.
    He watched his mother leave. She always moved with dignity and grace. Everyone in the Kimberly referred to her as a great lady—Elizabeth Picard King of Broome and King’s Eden. She was sixty-two but the only giveaway to that age was her white hair, which looked quite stunning framing a relatively unlined face—still a very striking face, dominated by her eyes and the strength of character that always shone through.
    He loved and admired his mother. His father may have been the major influence in his two older brothers’ lives, certainly Nathan’s—the oldest son—and perhaps Tommy’s, as well. Lachlan King had been a legend in his time, as had the King men before him, running the great cattle station of King’s Eden.
    Jared had loved and respected his father but he’d never wanted to walk in his shoes or take on his territory. Whether it was because he was the youngest son of three, or because he’d been more drawn to the Picard family’s pearl industry, he’d always felt closer to his mother than he had to his father. His mother was a very special person, the most special in his life before Christabel.
    Now...he had to find the answers that would make sense of Christabel’s decisions. He couldn’t force them from her. What he needed was more time together. She had denied him that this morning. Perhaps the strength of feeling between them last night had frightened