Sweet Seduction Surrender by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online Page B

thoughts of whispered words of nothing in my ear vanish.
    What the hell did that mean? Was he just admitting outright that he was attracted to me?
    I think my mouth might have been hanging open slightly as I watched him walk toward the doorway into the lounge. He turned and looked over his shoulder at me, lips twitching at my shocked stance.
    "Just one more thing, Kate," he said, breaking into my mental stall. "By the time this lock-down is lifted, I will have earned one of your kisses."
    Oh, good Lord. I sucked in a breath of air, realised it was the first I'd inhaled for several seconds and forced myself to say, "In your dreams, Cain." The only thing that came to mind.
    His smirk spread into a full blown smile.
    "Oh, don't worry about my dreams, Kate. Worry more about yours ."
    My heart fell, but thankfully he was no longer looking at me to see my reaction, having turned already to walk out of the room.
    Did he know what it was I dreamt about? Could he tell from just looking at me? Jason Cain had a front row seat to my dreams, but only in my mind, because I placed him there. There was no way in hell the real Jason could be aware I dreamt of him. Even observant, calculating, intelligent ex-soldiers, who were two steps ahead of me, couldn't read minds.
    Could they?

Chapter 5
Stay With Me
    My turn to deal with the dishes, while Jason touched base with Eric at ASI. The lock-down was still in effect, with no end in sight as yet. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Having Jason in my home, in my presence, for more than just a few minutes was taxing. Exhilarating, but exhausting at the same time. I felt like I had to maintain my mental and emotional guard. Which was ironic, considering he was my physical guard right now.
    I had no idea how to fill in the hours that stretched out before us today. The only answer was to throw myself into work. I switched my laptop on and checked my emails first. There'd been a read-receipt from Mr and Mrs Montgomery-Smith, but no return email. I stared at the receipt message on the screen for several moments, then plucked up the courage to do what needed to be done to close the sale. Determinedly ignoring thoughts of Jason's lesson about cut-throat worlds and closing deals.
    I dialled Mrs Montgomery-Smith's cellphone. She was definitely the one who wore the pants in the relationship, my being hired to redecorate their house would be on her say-so and no one else's.
    "Katie," she purred down the line when the call connected. "I am so pleased you called."
    Well, that was a turn up for the books. The last time I spoke to her over the phone she told me in no uncertain terms that her time was precious and not to waste it.
    "Good morning, Mrs Montgomery-Smith," I chirped, Anscombe Interiors persona in full swing. "I trust you are having a pleasant start to your day?" I said with bubbly enthusiasm. For some reason my clients responded to that.
    "Fantastic!" she exclaimed, sounding more like a fervent teenager than a thirty something year old woman. "I love your design. Did you have help with it?"
    I gritted my teeth. Jason Cain muse-type help or not, I did not appreciate my work being questioned.
    "No, Mrs Montgomery-Smith, the design is 100% Anscombe Interiors."
    "Yes, yes. But have you hired someone new? This is so different from your website portfolio."
    Ah. I guess she had a point. I cursed my initial reaction, knowing my imbalanced response to anything Jason Cain related could very well lose me this sale.
    "You know fashion, Mrs Montgomery-Smith," I said in an appeasing tone. "One must stay abreast of it, or fall behind the crowd. You led me to believe you were a trendsetter, I took that on board and created something that would surely impress the most discerning of your peers."
    Never count yourself among their kind, even if you had been since birth. To Morgan Montgomery-Smith I was a designer first, and a socialite second - if at all. Just because my name was well known in the circles she ran in,