One Week in Your Arms by Patricia Preston Read Free Book Online Page B

smile that put a crease in his right cheek. Sophie had his smile. Marla looked away as the burden she carried in her heart almost overwhelmed her.
    â€œMarla.” He closed the space between them and towered over her. She stared down at her hands and at his hands. A Rolex watch gleamed beneath the cuff of his white shirt, and he wore a beautiful platinum ring featuring black diamonds.
    â€œWhat if I throw in an extra hundred thousand?”
    Her eyes widened. An extra hundred thousand just like that .
    â€œWhen we get back from Hawaii, I’ll write you a check. This time next week you’ll be on your way home with the grant, an extra hundred thousand, and maybe even a tan.”
    Money fixes everything .
    He adjusted his silk tie, and she looked away, wondering if she had totally blinded herself at Royal Oaks. At least, she now knew she had made the right decision regarding Sophie. He had no qualms about using his fortune to get what he wanted, especially from those in need.
    He’d have no qualms about Sophie either. He could merely buy the right attorneys and judges to gain custody of Sophie if he so desired. Marla knew she wouldn’t have a chance. Her life would become a series of court appearances and appeals.
    He wouldn’t think about what was best for Sophie. It wouldn’t matter that she was a happy child with friends and family who loved her dearly. It would be all about him and what he wanted. Marla smiled as righteousness bloomed inside her.
    Sophie would never be a part of Carson Blackwell’s life.
    â€œHave we got a deal?” he asked.
    She couldn’t afford to say no, and he was well aware of that.
    â€œI’ll have to make some calls. I’m sure Doctor Hughes will cover for me.” That wouldn’t be a problem. And, her parents would be delighted to keep Sophie for a few days. They doted on their only granddaughter.
    He tapped his phone. “I’ll see if Jack can have the jet ready by nine in the morning.”
    Suddenly, the trip was becoming a reality.
    â€œI need to go to a department store and pick up a few things,” she said. Her plan had been for an overnight stay, not a trip to purgatory. “I only brought an overnight bag.”
    â€œThere’s a retail galleria at Kingsford,” he said, referring to the resort where they would be staying. “And we can stop by a few stores this afternoon. Rodeo Drive is only a couple of blocks away.”
    â€œRodeo Drive?” She repeated the name of a place synonymous for luxury shopping and designer clothes that were way beyond her budget.
    â€œYeah.” He sent a text message to his pilot. “That’s where everyone shops.”
    Everyone . She sighed.
    She and Carson didn’t even live on the same planet.

Chapter 5
    â€œI f you can get an additional hundred thousand, we’ve got it made!” Nolana cried, practically beside herself. “We won’t have to worry about money for a long time.”
    Marla stood in the opulent guest room in the Blackwell mansion where she was staying the night. She feigned happiness as she spoke to Nolana on the phone. “Mr. Blackwell thinks some of his friends might be willing to donate to the clinic. We’ll see.”
    She looked in the mirror over the dresser. Was her nose growing?
    She had told so many lies she fully expected to look like Pinocchio at any given moment. Unfortunately, she hadn’t known how to explain her sudden trip to Hawaii with Carson except to say it was a business trip where she would have the opportunity to raise funds for the clinic.
    What she didn’t want to say was that the money was part of a deal she’d made with an ex-lover who needed a female companion for the trip.
    â€œLet the girls know that Doctor Hughes is covering for me for sick patients only. Schedule all the rechecks and physicals for when I get back.” At eighty, Dr. Hughes still practiced but only on a limited