The Price of Seduction

by Nina Blake

  “Then why are you offering it to me now, after we’ve just had sex?”

  “Because I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Because you mean something to me. It’s a gift from my heart, not from my wallet.”

  Her mouth fell open. “It’s too much. If I accepted it I’d be assuming more between us than was actually there and I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  She’d thought that if she stuck to sex she could keep it simple. If there was no emotional involvement, only base physical pleasure, she assumed she couldn’t get hurt.

  But the feelings surging through her body weren’t simply physical. How could she have been so naïve as to have thought she could keep the emotional side of things separate from the physical?

  Sex wasn’t simply a physical act. Not for her.

  Was that how Conrad saw it? He hadn’t led her on, hadn’t suggested there might be more to this than sex, hadn’t even mentioned if they’d see each other when they returned to Sydney. They had a business relationship to continue in the city but was there anything else?

  “Bree, no other woman should wear that jewellery,” he said. “I couldn’t bear the thought. It’s yours. I want you to have it.”

  She tilted her head forward and closed her eyes, holding back the hot tears that burned at the back of her eyes.

  It was such a beautiful thought that no one else should wear the items he’d chosen for her. It was personal and intimate and honest. It had nothing to do with money and everything to do with her.

  She wouldn’t argue with him now but neither would she keep the jewellery. She could accept it from a man who loved her, who might one day want to spend the rest of his life with her.

  But not from Conrad.

  If she was ever to accept such a generous gift, it wasn’t enough that it came from the surface of his heart. It had to come from deep within and it wasn’t possible that could have happened in a single night.

  If this night was all they had, she would live it like it was all she had.

  The night wasn’t over yet.

  “Bree, there’s something else I need to ask you,” Conrad asked, interrupting her thoughts. “Are you on the pill?”

  Her mouth fell open and she shook her head. She couldn’t believe she’d been this stupid.

  How could she have had sex without protection? She was twenty-eight years old, not some love struck teenager. She’d been with Trevor for two years and she’d never had unprotected sex.

  “I can’t believe I let this happen,” she said. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “Calm down, it doesn’t mean anything will come of it.”

  Bree tried to pull herself together. They’d had unprotected sex but that didn’t mean she was pregnant and either way it was too late to worry about it now. Anyway, her periods were so irregular she’d been told by doctors years ago that conception would not be easy.

  She hoped she sounded convincing. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  Conrad smiled and stroked her hair but still she couldn’t believe she’d let this happen, any of it.

  * * *

  Bree sat up in bed the next morning. She’d woken in a haze but she had to snap herself out of it if only briefly.

  She had no idea what time they’d finally dozed off, whether their bodies had given way or if they’d simply decided to sleep. Recalling the frenzy of their night together, she was unsure how many times they’d made love, for one love making session had melded into the next, continuing deep into the night.

  Only their first time they’d been without protection but for the rest of the evening they used the condoms provided in the bedside drawers. It was ironic that they’d been there all along but initially they’d been so consumed by each other that neither of them thought of it until it was too late.

  Bree slid her legs over the side of the bed and looked down at her naked body. How many times had he taken her last night? She didn’t know.

  Was she pregnant? Was something dividing and growing within her? It was too frightening even to think about it.

  One thing hit her with striking clarity. That wasn’t sex. Sex was what you had when you cared only for yourself and your own gratification, not when you cared for the other person.

  No matter which way she looked at it, they hadn’t spend the night having sex. They’d been making love and that was exactly what she’d been trying to protect herself from.

  How could she have got it so wrong?

  She heard the gush of water from the en suite in her room. Conrad was taking a shower and that only gave her a few minutes. Reaching across to her bedside table, she picked up the burgundy velvet box and flipped the lid.

  It was all there. The earrings and necklace.

  She couldn’t keep them. It was too painful to cling to the hope that he might feel something for her too. A gift like that should be given with love. Nothing less.

  Padding across the floor, she opened the door to Conrad’s room and slipped inside.

  He’d left his suitcase perched on a chair by the dressing table. She guessed he must have hung up some of his clothes while leaving other items in the suitcase. She slid the jewellery box underneath his clothing. He probably wouldn’t notice immediately but he’d find it soon enough.

  As she raced out of his room, she accidentally knocked his wallet from the corner of the dressing table onto the floor.

  Darn it, she hadn’t wanted to spend much time in his room and she certainly didn’t want to pry through his things but as the wallet fell, a pile of credit cards and small papers slipped out.

  She had no idea what order they’d been in so she shoved them back in as neatly as possible, hoping for the best, but one item took her eye.

  Her mouth fell open. What was that doing in his wallet?

  Unable to stop herself, she unfolded a small strip of white paper with three small black and white photos in a row. She recognised it immediately for she’d seen the same pictures before when one of the girls from work was pregnant.

  It was an ultrasound.

  She didn’t know what to think. Why would Conrad have pictures of an ultrasound in his wallet when, as far as she knew he didn’t have any children of his own?

  Or did he?

  Chapter seven

  Bree expected Conrad to be there when she came out of the shower but he wasn’t. She pushed open the French doors leading out onto the balcony overhanging the river. The sun illuminated the gorge so the sandstone cliffs were a glorious red in contrast to the tropical greenery on the other side.

  Though it was early, the air was warm and humid, filled with the heady promise of a hot day. The warmth of a new clear morning lifted her spirits, countering some of the thoughts consuming her.

  Why did Conrad have a print-out of an ultrasound in his wallet? If he had a child surely she’d have read about it in the papers or, more likely, he’d have mentioned it. It’s not as though that was something to be ashamed of. Children were to be celebrated, not hidden, and in this day and age even an illegitimate child wasn’t a great controversy. She wondered if there might be some other reason for hiding the fact but couldn’t imagine what that might be.

  It was so odd. If he had a child, surely the child’s photograph would be in his wallet rather than ultrasound pictures. She couldn’t make sense of it.

  Hearing the door slam, Bree turned around to see Conrad carrying a breakfast tray across the room.

  “Stay there,” he called out. “You’ve got personalised room service. We’re having breakfast on the deck.”

  Bree held the French doors open for him and as he neared her, she saw a look of consternation in his face.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “We won’t be able to leave right away.” He placed the tray on the cafe table outside, before sitting on a whicker chair.

  “Why is that?”

  “I’ve told the locals they can use the helicopter and it’ll be a few hours until it’s free.”


  Breakfast of croissants, toast, fresh tropical fruit looked delicious but Bree stuck to coffee for the time being.

  “Has something happened?” she asked.

  “You know Il Bosco is scattered with traditional Aboriginal rock art paintings?”

  Bree nodded. “Yes.”

  “I’ve lent the chopper to local officials so they can send in some Aboriginal elders to one of the sites. The police are already out there. You won’t believe what’s happened. It sounds like experts have come in, blown up some of the surrounding rock and removed the artwork.”

  “But they’re set in rock. How can anyone do that?”

  “It’s been done before. In Broome, someone stole dinosaur footprints and they were set in rock.”

  “Yes but I didn’t know anyone could do the same with Aboriginal rock art. It’s painted on vertical walls.”

  “Not just anyone. These people were experts. Probably engineers or someone with explosives experience. They came in at night and did the blasting. It’s a remote location and it would have been extremely dangerous if anything had gone wrong. How they lifted off a huge hunk of rock and where they took it is anyone’s guess.”

  “Who would want to do something like that?”

  He shrugged. “An art collector of some sort or perhaps someone interested in Aboriginal history. Whoever it was they must have a bit of money behind them. It would have cost a bit to mount an operation like that, not to mention which it would have taken a lot of gall.”

  “I can’t believe someone would do that.”

  Conrad nodded. “It’s stealing, not from one person but from the whole Aboriginal community.”

  “And we can’t leave until the chopper comes back?”

  “We can always go back to town by road but I prefer to wait until the chopper comes back if that’s okay by you.”

  Bree agreed. Although anxious about travelling by helicopter again, Conrad had assured her the aircraft would have the doors secured this time. Anyway, if she’d done it once, she could do it again.

  Knowing her mobile phone was useless out here, she made a mental note to call Stephanie as soon as they were back in Sydney. She was working on a story about the Il Bosco deal for the Sydney Chronicle and this would be a fresh lead for her.

  “I’d also like to hear the latest news on the rock art theft before we go,” he said

  “Of course, you have a vested interest here.”

  “I just hope they catch whoever did this. In the meantime you should eat.” Conrad nodded towards the breakfast foods.

  “I will.” She reached for a croissant. “I just wanted to hear what you had to say. This isn’t quite the start I expected to the day, not after last night.”

  Conrad smiled. “I haven’t forgotten about last night either.”

  Perhaps he hadn’t forgotten how they’d indulged themselves but he wasn’t promising anything for the future either. At least he was honest.

  “We got a little carried away at first, didn’t we?” She still found it hard to believe she hadn’t used protection.

  “Bree, there is one thing I’d like to be sure of.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If anything develops, I want you to tell me about it right away.”

  It struck her that he couldn’t bring himself to use the word ‘pregnant’ as though a child might be just a development.

  “What makes you think I wouldn’t?” she asked.

  “I’m just saying that whatever happens, if something goes wrong, I want you to be honest with me. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

  “Not at all.”

  Bree felt her brow knotting into a furrow as she ripped off a hunk of croissant and thrust it into her mouth.

  How wrong would it be if she were pregnant and what exactly would Conrad do about it? It may merely have been just a poor choice of words on his part but Bree didn’t like it. He’d never mentioned children and she had no idea how he’d react.

  She leaned back in her chair, feigning a relaxed air, trying to convince herself there was nothing to worry about.

  “Is something wrong?” Conrad asked.

  “It’s just I don’t really know much about you. I know you took over Eden Enterprises when you were young but I have no idea what you want out of life. You must have plans.”

  “I’ve got most of the things I want. There’s not a lot money can’t buy, no matter what people may say.”

  “You’ve got material belongings but you don’t have a special woman in your life.”

  He shrugged, confirming she wasn’t going to stand out in his life. “There have been lots of women but not many of them have been special. There was Sophie. We went out with for a couple of years. Even got engaged. But we both knew it wouldn’t work and eventually we drifted apart.”

  “You were going to marry her?”

  He nodded. “It would’ve been stupid to get married just because it was convenient. It made me realise that when I do get married it’ll only happen once and it will be to the right woman.”

  So Conrad was waiting for a mysterious ‘right woman’. Although he’d been frank about this one relationship, there was more to his life than that. There was a lot more he wasn’t telling her.

  “You don’t have children.” She threw up her hands so he’d take her comment lightly. “Surely you want heirs for the family fortune.”

  “I want children one day when the time is right. Just not yet.”

  She was very clear about what that meant. Not yet. Not with her.

  He wasn’t as ruthlessly blunt as Trevor who’d listed her faults and the flaws in her upbringing and position in life but it came down to the same thing. She was good enough to sleep with and that was where it ended.

  If she thought she’d found something more than an affair to remember, she was mistaken.

  Bree ate her breakfast quickly and swallowed back the coffee. Exhilarated by the caffeine hit, she leapt to her feet.

  “We’ve got a couple of hours to kill. I’m going for a swim.”

  She headed into the bathroom to change into her swimsuit. He may have devoured every inch of her body last night but right now she wasn’t ready to expose her naked body to him.

  * * *

  Bree watched the blades of the helicopter slowing as it landed on the helipad to collect them to take them to the airport and then back to Sydney. Conrad had instructed her to wait while he ran over to talk to the pilot and check they were ready to go.

  They’d already waited two hours for the helicopter and another hour while Conrad talked to some officials. Something about the helicopter or the rock art. She’d tried to pry it from him but couldn’t get the full story.

  “Such a shame you have to go so soon.”

  Bree immediately recognised the smug voice sailing over her shoulder as the din of the helicopter receded. It was Trevor.

  “He’s in a hurry to leave,” Trevor said.

  She looked across at him, now standing by her side as though he belonged there.

  Bree refused to budge. “We’ve already stayed longer than we planned.”

  “Of course, Conrad so kindly lent the helicopter for the investigation.”

  She didn’t appreciate his sarcastic tone.

  “You know the police came to see him earlier on,” he said.

  “And?”

  “Do you really think he was just helping them with their investigation? Do you think he lent them the helicopter out of the goodness of his heart?”

  “You wouldn’t know anything about acts of kindness.”

  “It’s quite a coincidence that the Aboriginal rock art just happened to be stolen while Conrad was here.”

  She stared straight ahead. “What’s that supposed to mean? If you’re going to accuse him of something, at least have the decency to come out with it instead of making snide remarks.”

  “I’m not accusing him of anything, Bree. I’m just saying it’s a coincidence this happened while he was
here.”

  She looked him in the eye. “Do you really think Conrad would steal rock art which is thousands of years old from a property he’s in the middle of buying?”

  “The ‘deal’ is conditional on allowing Aboriginal people access to their sites. Even if he owns Il Bosco, he’ll never own the rock art. That will always belong to the Aboriginal people. Anyway, the deal’s not his yet. Perhaps he wanted to make sure he’s got something in case it falls through.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re here too and you’re trying to win this property on behalf of your client. Isn’t that a coincidence? Does that mean you tried to steal the rock art too?”

  “Of course I didn’t.”

  “Then keep your nasty thoughts to yourself.”

  Trevor’s eyes narrowed. “But I’m not interested in art, am I? You’ve known me a long time and we’ve never been to an art gallery together. I’ve never shown any interest in art and painting. I’m not that cultured, as you once put it.”

  “So what?”

  “Whereas Conrad’s quite a connoisseur.”

  A shard of malcontent cut through her. That was quite an observation, a correct one at that.

  “Conrad’s very interested in Aboriginal art.” Trevor walked around in front of her. “Isn’t he?”

  Chapter eight

  In the three days she’d been back in Sydney all she’d had from Conrad was one quick phone call and word from her boss, Olivia, that they were having an emergency meeting at Eden Enterprises.

  Because of the rock art theft, Il Bosco was getting some bad publicity so Kelly Communications had to pull together a communications strategy to manage this.

  The meeting was over and Bree still wasn’t sure where she stood with Conrad. She’d never had a fling like this one before and wasn’t sure of the protocols but she assumed when it was over, their relationship would be purely a professional one.

  There was also something about Trevor’s allegations against Conrad which disturbed her. She knew Conrad hadn’t physically left The Residence and blasted the rock himself but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been involved in some way.

  Trevor was not a man to be trusted and if he was warning her away from Conrad, it wasn’t from the goodness of his heart but because he wanted to show her what a bad choice she’d made.