Outback Sunset by Lynne Wilding Read Free Book Online Page A

introduction.
    ‘Australia.’ Kerri’s dark eyebrows winged upwards. ‘So, do I presume that you two have met before …?’
    ‘Fleetingly,’ Vanessa supplied the answer. ‘On my last night in Darwin.’
    ‘And now you’re in England, Bren.’ The question was more in Kerri’s eyes than her tone of voice as she submitted him to a thorough inspection.
    ‘Yeah. A combined business trip and holiday. I read the promo about the play in the paper and recognised Vanessa’s name. Thought I’d look her up and say hello.’
    ‘Really, on a first night too! How interesting,’ Kerri said with a cool smile.
    On the surface Kerri Spanos’s expression gave nothing away but Bren could tell that Vanessa’s agent’s mind was ticking overtime. Bullshit, she was probably thinking. He might fool Vanessa with hiscasual approach but he could tell from the agent’s sharp look that she
knew
he was smitten.
    ‘How long will you be in town, Bren?’ Kerri wanted to know.
    ‘I’m not sure. A month at least, maybe longer.’
    ‘Your property can do without you for that long?’ Vanessa queried.
    ‘My brother runs the place as well as I do, perhaps even better,’ Bren admitted with a chuckle. ‘I won’t be missed, too much, not until the spring muster.’ Though he knew Curtis would kill him if he stayed away that long!
    ‘Oh, Vanny,’ Kerri was the only person who dared to use that nickname for Vanessa, ‘Mike Harley from
The Times
wants an interview. He’d like to do it now so it can make tomorrow afternoon’s paper.’
    ‘No problem.’ Vanessa gave Bren a regretful smile. ‘That’s the problem with being
known
, not enough time to oneself.’
    ‘Perhaps I could give you a call? Take you to lunch or something?’ Bren offered, striving to keep the eagerness out of his voice.
    ‘Of course, I’d like that,’ Vanessa said with a smile. ‘Kerri will give you my number.’
    ‘No worries. I got your number from Fay Whitcombe. Fay was kind enough to give it to me before I left Darwin,’ he said with a self-satisfied smile.
    ‘Oh,’ Vanessa looked impressed. ‘How clever of you to do that. The Whitcombes are coming here in June, you know.’
    ‘You’d better go and find Mike, Vanny,’ Kerri reminded Vanessa, encouraging her client to move on.
    Bren watched Vanessa melt into the crowd, but with her height and fair hair, she still stood out. Pleased that he’d accomplished what he had, he was about to turn away to go and find the Montgomerys when Kerri put a detaining hand on his sleeve.
    ‘Bren Selby,’ she said coolly, her coal black eyes probing his. ‘I think we both know what you’re after, with regard to Vanny. She …’ Kerri paused, pursed her lips for a second or two then decided to go on and say what she wanted to. ‘The last six months have been rough for Vanny … I don’t want her to be hurt again.’
    Bren nodded that he understood the gist of her words. ‘I know about David Benedict.’
    ‘You do?’ Kerri didn’t disguise her surprise. She gave the man from the Australian outback another longer, appraising look, and there was a glimmer of interest in her black depths.
    ‘Yes. Believe me, Ms Spanos, the last thing I’d want to do is hurt Vanessa. She’s become … quite special to me.’
    Kerri took his words in with a nod of her head. Her set features would have been the envy of a poker player for they betrayed nothing of her inner thoughts. ‘I accept that. But be warned, Bren, if you hurt her, I’ll do my utmost to make your life hell. And …’ she added with steely purpose, ‘with my contacts I have a reputation for being able to do that, no matter where you might be in the world.’
    Bren took Kerri’s threat in his stride. He was astute enough to see that Vanessa’s agent could be a formidable enemy or she could be a valuable asset and that it would be smarter to have her on his sidethan otherwise. ‘I promise you won’t have to, Ms Spanos.’
    ‘Good, and you can call me