THE DEAL by Marsh, Nicola (electronic reader txt) 📕

especially with Kara. He had no intention of falling for a woman who viewed money as a prerequisite to spending time with him, not that he’d thought much about the cash the last few times they’d been together. He’d been too caught up in her spell to think straight let alone ponder her motivations for asking such a steep price.

So she’d put paid to his bachelor ways temporarily? Thank goodness he was nothing like his father. Even though Jeff Byrne said admiring women was like appreciating fine art, Matt knew it must’ve caused his mother grief. Why else would she have abandoned him when he was only six years old, leaving him with a workaholic father who had remarried his secretary in just over a year?

Matt wasn’t stupid. He’d put two and two together at an early age, throwing tantrums when his father used to bring home ‘Aunty Denise’ only a few months after his mum had left. When she’d moved in, he’d been devastated and refused to acknowledge her as his stepmother. Surprisingly, Denise had stayed married to his dad for twenty years and he’d grown to like her. It had come as a shock when she’d left his father, though yet again his dad had remarried as soon as the divorce came through. Enter Lorna, wife number three and the biggest gold-digger of them all. How could his father be so gullible?

Then again, how could he accuse his dad of being foolish with Lorna when look at the deal he’d made with Kara? Sure, she found him attractive but the money was an integral part of that attraction. She’d said as much. No money, no deal.

He shook his head as he parked the car and entered the apartment. No way, no how, would any woman sink her greedy claws into him. Even if she was the woman who could fulfil every one of his fantasies and leave him hankering for more.

* * *

Kara zipped her overnight bag, wishing she could shut down the rampaging butterflies in her stomach as easily. She glanced around the bedroom, checking that she hadn’t left any last minute items lying around. Not that she could tell. There was a multitude of outfits strewn on the bed in higgledy-piggledy disarray, with underwear thrown in for good measure. She’d been through her wardrobe a hundred times, selecting and disregarding clothes at random.

She needed to present a confident front this weekend. Matt’s invitation had intrigued her and his mysterious key had been burning a hole in her purse for the last two weeks. He certainly knew how to push her buttons. She’d always loved a good mystery, spending countless hours with her nose buried in suspense novels. He used to tease her about it, to the extent he’d made a treasure hunt for each birthday, laying clues if she wanted to find her present.

He’d been a pain growing up yet she’d loved him regardless, first as a big brother and later, as so much more. Even though their last few months had been fraught with unresolved sexual tension, she’d enjoyed getting reacquainted with him. Life was never dull with Matt around; he was vibrant, fun-loving, addictive.

A knock interrupted her thoughts, her pulse beating a staccato rhythm in anticipation as she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

Tamping down on her excitement, she took a deep breath and opened the door, to find Matt grinning, a reassuring warmth radiating from his blue eyes.

“Hey, Kara. Ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

She smiled and tried not to stare. He looked incredible in snug jeans, a white T-shirt that hugged his muscular torso and a black leather jacket.

“Let’s hit the road then. It’s a two-hour drive to King River and we don’t want to miss dinner tonight. I hear the food at this place is gourmet all the way.”

She nodded, distracted by the sight of his denim-clad butt bending over to pick up her overnight bag. When she didn’t answer, he looked up.

“Should I be worried? Looks like you’re craving buns again.”

Heat swept into her cheeks and as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she fumbled for an excuse. “I was checking out the label. Looks like a pair I once owned.”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Really?” He hoisted her bag over his shoulder with apparent ease and offered her his hand. “If you’re lucky, you can take a closer look later.”

She ignored his hand, locked the door and strode towards the car. His laughter taunted her, doing little to still her galloping heart. If he only knew how good his offer sounded.

They chatted for the entire journey, small talk mostly. However, she was dying to ask him one vital question that had been bugging her since she’d accepted his invitation. She waited until the homestead came into view, knowing she couldn’t avoid it any longer.

“What a beautiful place. How did you find it?”

He shrugged. “Dad stayed here once. It has great conference facilities, not to mention the usual recreation stuff like a heated indoor pool, tennis, billiards. Though I think it was the food that sucked him in. He raved about it for a month afterwards.”

“Sounds great.” She scanned the landscape, noting the towering eucalypts, the gently undulating hills and the lush paddocks that stretched for miles. “How many does it sleep?”

“Ten couples. I think that’s how many Dad’s booked for.”

She fidgeted with her sleeve, plucking nervously at an imaginary thread. “About the sleeping arrangements—”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll have to share a room and a bed for appearance sake but I think I can control myself. What about you?”

A picture of the two of them entwined in bed rose