Free The Price of Seduction by Nina Blake Page A

think you need expensive jewellery to outshine them?”
    “No, I thought that’s what you would think.”
    “You weren’t happy to see Daniels either. Is there something you want to tell me?”
    He thought he saw her flinch but she responded quickly. “No, there’s nothing I want to talk about.”
    “Then let’s go out onto the terrace for dinner.”
    Conrad took Bree’s arm as they made their way towards the deck at the far end of the building. Cantilevered over the Chelsea River, the terrace provided relaxing views across the lush gardens of The Residence in one direction and a spectacular vista across the river to the cliffs on the other side. The gum trees, ferns and other greenery on the far side were lit from below, illuminated for the benefit of the guests.
    Aside from Trevor and Shannon, there were two other couples, both of them wealthy retirees staying at The Residence that evening. They’d all taken their seats, leaving Bree and Conrad to sit opposite the two people whom they least wanted to see.
    Still, he could be civil. It wouldn’t be hard to show Daniels up under these circumstances or any other.
    “Bree,” Daniels said, “I see you’ve managed to clean yourself up for tonight.” She shot him a disdainful look but it didn’t stop him from continuing. “The two of you were such a sight when you came in this afternoon that I was wondering what you’d got up to.”
    “Are you trying to imply something?” Bree said. “Because we were out hiking and swimming. In case you hadn’t noticed Il Bosco has some amazing countryside.”
    “Yes, I can see it from where I’m comfortably seated at the moment. You know I don’t like to get my hands too dirty.”
    Bree smiled wanly. “Of course not.”
    “Very kind of you to treat us all to dinner tonight,” Daniels said to Conrad.
    “I wanted to sample the best of what the area has to offer,” he replied. “It’s really not that complicated.”
    Through the corner of his eye, he could see Bree and Daniels continuing their terse conversation . Meanwhile Daniels’ fiancée kept making inane comments to him.
    Shannon Graham was a replica of hundreds of women he’d met before. Slim and reasonably attractive, there was little behind the flashy exterior. In a tight black dress which looked cheap against her tanned skin and pale hair, she was revealing as much cleavage and leg as possible. Tonight, her appearance and styling was the polar opposite of Bree who looked effortlessly elegant.
    “Conrad, I know you’re a Sydney-sider,” Shannon said. “I’ve seen your picture in the paper. So why have you come up to this place?”
    He wondered if she could be as clueless as she sounded.
    “Hasn’t Daniels mentioned it to you?” he asked.
    “No. I know why we’ve come to this remote, barren place. For Trevor’s work. But I don’t know why you’re here.”
    It was true that Il Bosco was remote. That was part of its appeal but if this young woman thought it barren she clearly hadn’t been paying much attention.
    “You could s ay I’ve come here for work too,” he said.
    “And what kind of work dragged you up here?”
    “I’m tendering for this remote, barren place.”
    Shannon’s mouth turned into a perfectly shape d O. “But so is Trevor’s client. You’re business rivals. Enemies.”
    Clueless just took on new dimensions.
    “You could say that,” Conrad replied.
    “I sn’t this place a million acres?’”
    “Yes.”
    “And aren’t you talking about millions of dollars?”
    “Yes.”
    Shannon reached across the table, placed her hand on his and looked up at him through mascara-clogged lashes. “You must tell me all about it.”
    He could read her like a book. It wasn’t difficult.
    She may have heard of him but clearly she hadn’t cottoned on to how much he was worth until just then. He knew well the feigned interest and inelegant flirting of gold diggers much more experienced than her and was hardly going to be taken in by