by Blake, Nina
“Yes, yes,” he said. “We need to talk about Jennifer and Douglas and that shopping centre they’ve bought.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Daniel added for Kate’s benefit, “Jennifer is my oldest sister. She and her husband are having some business problems.”
“Business problems!” Roger rolled his eyes as though Daniel didn’t understand the meaning of the term. “That’s an understatement. They’ll go bankrupt if we don’t help them. They’ve poured a hell of a lot of money into that investment. Put their hearts and souls into it. Done everything they could.”
Daniel’s gaze didn’t waver from his father’s face. “That’s not quite true. They put a modest amount of money into the business. I told them there were two tacks they could take – leave the business running exactly as it was and accept a modest return, or pump a huge amount of money into it and expect good returns. They did neither of those things. I can assure you they haven’t put much money into it at all.” He looked away. “Or much strategic thought, either.”
“That’s nonsense,” Roger said. “They’ve lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
“No, that’s probably the amount Douglas has gambled away in the time they’ve owned the property.”
Roger shook his head. “Jennifer said he doesn’t go to the casino nearly as often as before. She also says he works so hard he needs some entertainment.”
Daniel raised his eyebrows, appearing more bored more than angry. “Jennifer doesn’t know the meaning of hard work. You made sure of that when you gave her all that money years ago. Anyway, she’s probably spent more than Doug on jewellery and changing her car every six months.”
Kate recalled Daniel telling her that his older sisters all received enormous amounts of money from his father while he got only a token amount. His tone indicated he didn’t bear a grudge. Still, it seemed very unfair to Kate.
Roger Webb stared at his son. “They’ve been working hard at this business. It hasn’t been easy for them learning how to manage a shopping centre but they’re trying to make a go of it. They haven’t been lucky like you.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t know what they’ve been through. They need our help.”
Daniel shrugged. “Some people can’t be helped. Before they bought that damn property, I had my accountants go through the books and I told them from the start it wasn’t going to be a huge cash-cow. They thought they knew better. Thought it’d be easy money. It’s no different from last time when they bought into that factory.”
Roger’s lips formed a thin line. “You can’t stand by and watch them go bankrupt.”
“In fact, I can. I’ve bailed them out before and I’m not doing it again.”
“Then I’ll do it. Jennifer deserves my help.”
Daniel shrugged. “That’s up to you. You’ve already thrown a lot of cash in her direction and all of their schemes have failed.”
His father’s lip curled in disgust. “No thanks to you.”
A knot of anger twisted in Kate’s stomach. The man was infuriating. He wasn’t listening to a word Daniel said.
Did he really think it was Daniel’s job to bail out his sister?
Did he always play his children off against each other this way?
She wanted to grab the man by the shoulders, shake some sense into him and tell him what for.
Yet Daniel didn’t seem riled. Perhaps he was used to it. Still, it made Kate wonder why she should feel insulted when he wasn’t perturbed. Why was she suddenly getting so protective of him when he was more than capable of taking care of himself?
“I’ve made my own way in life,” Daniel said. “I’ve got some new deals I wanted to tell you about. You know the market as well as I do so I think you’ll be able to appreciate this.” Roger didn’t respond so Daniel continued. “I bought the Mills Building in the city.”
His father’s expression was deadpan. “You’re going to knock it down, of course.”
Kate didn’t know the full history and nuances of Daniel’s family so she hadn’t thought it appropriate to interject in the conversation earlier. However if they were discussing the Mills Building, that was a different matter.
As an architect, she specialised in modernist building but she also appreciated the architecture of times past. Buildings like that one should be respected and restored, not knocked down. Once they were gone, that was it. It was too late. And Sydney had already lost enough of its historic buildings as far as she was concerned.
“He can’t knock it down,” she said. “It’s heritage listed.”
“There are ways around that,” Roger replied. “He could fight it. That’s what the courts are for.”
She looked him in the eye. “No, the courts are for people with genuine problems. This is a superb art deco building we’re talking about. It’s the single finest example of the architecture of that era that the city has. No one has the right to knock it down. It should be preserved for future generations.”
Roger leaned back in his chair. “Restoration work is very expensive. It costs a fortune. Do you have any idea how much that would come to on a building that size?”
“I have a pretty good idea. I’m an architect.”
“But obviously not a businessperson. So, tell me, Kate, is that why you’re so interested in my son? Have you got the contract to restore the Mills Building?”
“Father,” Daniel interrupted. “That’s way out of line. You don’t know anything about her.”
Kate placed her hand over Daniel’s to indicate she would speak to Roger herself.
She held the man’s gaze. “I work in a different field of architecture and, believe me, I’m very good at my job. I’ve never slept with anyone just to win a contact.” She raised her eyebrows. “Have you?”
Roger looked confused. “Of course not.”
“Then don’t change the subject,” she said. “We were talking about the value of restoring a classic building like the Mills. There’s a reason it’s protected by heritage laws. Surely you’ve heard of that builder…what was his name? Allessandro. He did just what you’re suggesting and ended up with a fine so hefty it sent him bankrupt.”
“That’s all very interesting but it doesn’t change the fact that dollars are always the bottom line.”
“What about integrity? I wouldn’t be here with Daniel if all he was interested in was money. He owes it to the public to treat that building with respect.”
A pang of guilt struck Kate. She wanted to think Daniel had high moral standards but his past wasn’t exactly spotless. He’d been underhanded in order to buy the building in the first place. Mark had told her all about it.
Roger looked away. “He owes them nothing.”
“Then he should have bought a different building or a different plot of land,” Kate said.
Roger opened his mouth as if to argue, then his expression softened. “I hate to admit it but that’s a very astute observation.”
“Kate knows what she’s talking about,” Daniel said. “You should credit her with a little more intelligence. Don’t forget, I’ve been in business a long time too. I can make money on the project and treat the building with the respect it deserves. That’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” Completely out of the blue and despite his son’s rebuttal, Roger Webb grinned and looked across at Kate. “I like a woman with spunk. Just not too much.”
Kate laughed. What else was she to do? The man had been impossible but he was also so damn charming she couldn’t help herself.
The conversation had been tense so she was relieved when their meals arrived and discussion turned to less antagonistic subjects. Roger was genuinely interested in much that she had to say. More interested than he appeared to be in his own son. There were times when she thought she had his complete attention and, though flattering, she noticed he didn’t afford Daniel the same respect.
The
meal was over much more quickly than she expected.
* * *
His father took to his feet as soon as their plates were cleared away. It was the kind of thing that had bothered Daniel greatly when he’d been younger but he didn’t care about it now. His time with his father was limited, a fact he simply accepted.
As they stood from the table, Roger took Kate’s hand into his own, leaned over and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
Daniel actually believed he meant it. He’d clearly enjoyed talking and sparring with her. Nevertheless the man probably didn’t expect to see her again. Not surprising really. Daniel didn’t keep the same woman for any length of time and he saw his father so rarely. Perhaps every six months.
But there was something his father didn’t know. Kate was different. She wasn’t like the other women in his life. He had plans for her.
“Make sure you think about Jennifer and Douglas,” Roger said, before turning and leaving.
The man simply couldn’t leave it alone. He had to make that one final dig. As though after all Daniel had said, he would now change his mind and throw good money after bad because of his sister’s half-baked plan.
His father spent far too much time worrying about Jennifer and very little on his son. That was abundantly clear.
Daniel had amassed a fortune, and money was the one thing his father respected above all else but even that hadn’t earned him his father’s respect.
Still, he seemed to approve of Kate. That was one thing, at least.
Looking across, Daniel saw her brow was knotted in thought so he reached for her hand. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Kate looked up. “You don’t want to know.”
“Try me.”
“I was just thinking that your father is impossible.” She paused, as if waiting for a reaction, then added, “He didn’t seem slightly interested in you, what you’ve been doing, the business, the deals you’ve made. I got the feeling you could jump off the top of the Empire State Building and he wouldn’t bat an eyelid. He was a lot more interested in your sister. And in me, for that matter.”
Daniel shrugged. “He’s always been like that.”
“That’s hardly an excuse.”
“I didn’t say it was, but he is my father. The only one I’ve got.”
“I’m sorry.” Kate looked down, then back up at him. “It’s just that I know you went to so much trouble to catch him. You came all this way just to see him for an hour or two. And I kept you from him when I went tobogganing.”
Daniel squeezed her hand. “No, you didn’t. I would still only have had an hour or two with him, regardless.”
“That doesn’t stop me from feeling bad about it.”
“Don’t.” He stood, motioned for her to do the same, then slipped his arm around her waist as they walked towards the foyer. “My father wasn’t the only reason I came here, remember? We’ve got two days skiing ahead of us. The whole weekend together. And we can’t let that perfectly good hotel suite go to waste, now can we?”
Kate’s lips curled to a sultry smile. “No, we can’t.”
“There are two queen size beds. We’ll need to test both of them out.”
She nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Not to mention the sofa by the window.”
“Of course.”
“Then there’s the spa,” he added.
“We’ll have to make the most of that too.”
Daniel squeezed her waist as they stepped into the lift. “I’m so glad you agree.”
She looked up at him. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be wasteful.”
“You can make the most of it in more ways than one,” he said in a low voice.
“What do you mean?”
“You can show me exactly how little chemistry there is between us. Show me how little I mean to you, how shallow this relationship is.”
She stepped out of the lift ahead of him and glanced back. “I can be very, very shallow.”
Daniel quickly unlocked the door to their suite, ushering Kate ahead of him. Closing the door behind him, he looked up to see Kate was already sitting on the bed, leaning back on her palms.
Slowly, she crossed her legs, the split in her dress parting as she did so. Lifting one leg, she flicked the silver mules off her feet. First one. Then the other.
Kate was smiling, breathing through parted lips. She had him in the palm of her hand. At that moment, he couldn’t have moved even if he’d wanted to.
Sitting up, she reached behind her head and pulled the tie from her ponytail so her pale hair cascaded down against her shoulders. She shook her head and swept the tresses back.
“What are you doing all the way over there?” she asked through lowered lashes.
The keys fell out of Daniel’s hands, the jangle as they hit the ground startling him. He ripped off his jacket and shirt and threw them on the floor. He took a step forward, then shucked off his shoes and socks.
Dropping to his knees in front of her, he parted Kate’s legs and slid his hands along the length of her silky thighs, his thumbs slipping low between her legs. A small cry escaped her lips.
His hands slipped over the soft flesh of her hips, her waist and higher until he cupped both breasts in his hands. No bra. He’d suspected as much. And no resistance.
As he massaged the firm flesh, she tilted her head back and pressed her chest towards him, letting out a low moan. If she thought this was good, he’d barely got started.
And he wasn’t going to waste any time.
Wrapping one arm around her, he covered her mouth with his, holding back nothing. Her lips already parted, he swept his tongue inside easily and rolled it against the softness of hers.
He slid the strap of her dress down her shoulder and slipped his hand under the fine fabric to caress the bare flesh of her breast. She fit into the palm of his hand perfectly and felt so good. Warm and soft and rounded. Just like a woman should.
He tweaked her nipple and felt her shudder beneath his touch, felt her pull away slightly as though she needed air. He wasn’t going to give her any.
She leaned back but he pressed himself closer to her, crushed his mouth against hers, refused to let her go. Then he reclined her down onto the bed.
He ravished her neck, peppering little kisses on the pale skin. His mouth travelled lower, along her collarbones, until he felt the swell of her breast beneath his lips.
Hooking his fingers over the fine fabric of her dress, he pulled it lower to fully reveal the curve of her breast, pressed down by its own weight. Such beautiful breasts. So lush. So shapely.
And all his to do with as he wished.
He flicked his tongue across her nipple. She gasped. He took the succulent bud into his mouth and sucked gently on it, felt her heart beating faster, felt her writhing beneath his touch.
He wanted to pleasure her. In every way he knew.
His mouth still on her nipple, he pulled the skirt of her dress up higher. Over her thighs. Over her hips. One hand slipped lower so his fingers skimmed her bare stomach. She quivered beneath his touch.
He traced a line along the top of her panties, his touch feather-light as he brushed his fingertips over the silky fabric. Was it sheer? Had she been thinking of him when she got dressed that evening?
He kept caressing and stroking, taking pleasure at her quickening breath. Then he slid his hand under the fabric of her underwear and teased her with his gentle touch. She was ready.
Daniel kneeled on the floor between her parted legs. Her panties slid off with ease as Kate lifted her bottom to oblige.
He slid his tongue along her most intimate parts. Her breath quickened. He kept going. She gasped, then cried out. A long painful groan. She arched her back, then fell back onto the bed, her body twitching momentarily.
Eventually, she said, “That was so quick, so intense…so good.”
“That was the idea,” Daniel replied.
Kate sat up, her
hair disheveled. Although her underwear had disappeared, she was still wearing that damn dress. She slipped her hands behind her. Daniel heard the rasp of the zipper as it slid down so the bodice hung loose against her chest. She slipped out of the dress and slid herself higher up the bed, curling one finger to indicate for him to join her.
He didn’t need to be asked twice.
Daniel ripped off his trousers and boxers, his eyes glued to Kate’s wonderfully naked figure. He kneeled to the bed and made his way slowly along the length of her body.
Taking his time, he enjoyed every moment, every new body part he discovered. Pretty knees that he kissed, long thighs that he trailed his hands along. The curve of her hip, the dip of her waist and those lush rounded breasts. They were all there for his pleasure.
She cupped his chin in one hand, brushed her mouth gently against his, and reclined back onto the bed. Taking his weight onto his hands, Daniel covered her body with his.
Bare skin on bare skin. It felt so good. His erection throbbed between them. He wouldn’t be able to wait any longer.
Suddenly Kate pushed him off, rolling him over so she was on top. He didn’t have a problem with that. The only problem was that he felt like he was going to explode.
She straddled him, brushing her breasts against his bare chest. It sent a signal straight to his groin. He couldn’t take much more of this.
He lifted his head and said, “I want to be inside you.”
Kate looked up, her lips curling to a sultry smile. She pressed his shoulders back down. She was ignoring him, continuing with what she was doing.
She trailed a line with her tongue towards his belly button. She peppered his abdomen with little kisses, her breasts brushing against his groin, driving him crazy. This was no accident. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Eventually, she slid her tongue along the length of him. Deep sexual pleasure radiated from his groin throughout his body.
Her fingers were wrapped around him. She covered him with her mouth. Her hand felt so small but the power she had over him was enormous. His groin felt like it was ablaze.
He knew he wouldn’t last. Knew it was only a few moments until…
