Merger By Matrimony by Cathy Williams Read Free Book Online

it’s running along smoothly, and your shares go up. Our Panamanian heiress keeps the company and—’
    â€˜Do you mind not talking as if I wasn’t here?’
    â€˜Have you ever been to London before, Destiny?’ Stephanie linked her arm through her stepcousin’s and ushered her to the front door, pointedly turning her back on her fiancée.
    â€˜No. It’s all new and—’ she glanced over her shoulder and her eyes clashed with Callum’s ‘—a little scary.’
    â€˜It would be. You’re just so brave to come all this way, on your own. I’d never dream of doing it!’
    â€˜No.’ Callum’s voice behind them was silky. ‘It takes a certain type of woman to do that. Some might call it brave, darling; others might just call it—well, let’s just say that it’s a very masculine response.’
    At which Stephanie flew around to face him with her hands on her hips and a simmering look in her baby-blue eyes. ‘Don’t be horrible! ’
    â€˜Me?’ He raised both his hands in innocent denial, but the blue eyes that locked with Destiny’s were unrepentant. ‘Horrible? It was meant to be a compliment! A glorious example of how far the women’s movement has got!’
    â€˜What women’s movement?’ Destiny asked, her body language echoing Stephanie’s. ‘I’ve never been a part of any movement in my life before!’
    â€˜No?’ He tried to stifle a grin and failed miserably. ‘Well, let’s just say that feminism has missed out there.’
    â€˜Meaning what?’
    â€˜Meaning that I’ll give you a lift back to your place.’ He bent over to give Stephanie a gentlemanly peck on the cheek and a pat on the back. ‘That all right with you, darling?’
    â€˜Don’t badger her, Callum.’
    â€˜I wish people wouldn’t constantly stereotype me.’ He pulled open the front door and gave Destiny an exaggeratedly wide berth to exit ahead of him into a clear night that was considerably more bracing than it had been earlier on in the evening.
    â€˜What about tomorrow?’ Stephanie asked him, standing in the doorway to see them off, an angelic, diminutive shape that made Destiny feel like an Amazonian hulk in comparison. ‘The Holts have invited us to supper. Did you remember? Daisy and Clarence are going to be there as well. Oh, and Rupert.’
    Callum paused and frowned, appearing to give the matter weighty thought, then he said with a shrug,
    â€˜Meeting. Sorry, darling. You go, though. Don’t stay in because of me.’
    â€˜You’re always at meetings,’ Stephanie said in a childish, sulky voice. ‘He’s always at meetings,’ she addressed Destiny in an appeal to sisterhood, which Destiny took up with sadistic relish.
    â€˜If he loved you, he’d cancel, I’m sure.’
    â€˜If you loved me, you’d cancel.’
    There was a brief silence. ‘I’ll do my best.’ He sighed and Stephanie’s face radiated at this unexpected victory.
    â€˜Oh, goody!’ She blew them both a delighted kiss and shut the front door on them.

CHAPTER THREE
    â€˜T HANK you. Thank you very much,’ he grated sarcastically, as the engine of his powerful car purred into life. He pulled away from the kerb unnecessarily fast and Destiny clutched the car door handle to steady herself.
    In the shadows of the car, his averted profile was hard and unsmiling and she had to stifle a desire to burst out laughing. Suddenly, sleep was no longer beckoning at her door. In fact, she felt surprisingly revived, and wondered whether her body might not just have been craving some fresh air.
    Not that the London air was particularly fresh. Back in Panama, when she breathed in, she could smell everything. The musky aroma of hot, hard-packed dirt, the rich fullness of the trees and the bushes, the distant freshness of the