The Passion Price by Miranda Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

did he think he was? It would serve him right if she upped and told him right now the result of his last encounter with her. Finding out he had a fifteen-year-old son was sure to wipe that satisfied look off his far too handsome face.
    But she didn’t tell him. She couldn’t be sure of his reaction, and there was no way she was going to upset Alex this year. Angelina aimed to delay Jake finding out about his son as long as possible.
    â€˜So!’ Jake exclaimed, dabbing at his mouth with a serviette after polishing off his slice of cake andmost of his coffee. ‘Is there a current man in your life, Angelina? Or are you footloose and fancy-free?’
    Here comes the pass, she thought irritably. Well, he was in for a surprise because she intended to head him off at the pass. As much as Jake still had the power to turn her head—and turn her on—Angelina wasn’t about to fall for his smooth but empty line of patter twice in one lifetime.
    â€˜Yes, of course there’s a man in my life,’ came her blithe reply. Alex was almost a man after all.
    Jake muttered something under his breath before searching her face again with those hard, sexy blue eyes of his. ‘So what’s the score? Is it serious? Are you living with him?’
    â€˜Sometimes.’
    â€˜Sometimes.’ Jake looked puzzled. ‘What does that mean?’
    â€˜He lives in Sydney most of the time. Comes up here for holidays and the occasional weekend. And I go down there to see him every once in a while.’
    â€˜What about next weekend? Will you be seeing him next weekend?’
    â€˜Nope. I’ll be attending the food and wine expo at Darling Harbour.’
    â€˜You mean you’ll be in Sydney and you’re not going to see each other, not even at night ?’
    Angelina couldn’t decide if she found Jake’s shock amusing or annoying. Clearly, his priority in a relationship was still sex.
    â€˜Alex will be away next weekend,’ she said coolly. Actually, Alex was going to a special swimmingtraining camp in preparation for the big interschool swimming carnival the following weekend. He was the captain of the team. ‘I’ll be seeing him the following weekend.’ At the swimming carnival.
    â€˜Where are you staying this weekend in Sydney?’
    Angelina almost laughed. Obviously, Jake didn’t aim to go quietly off into the sunset. She should have known.
    â€˜I’ve booked a room at the Star City Casino for Saturday night,’ came her composed reply. ‘It’s the closest hotel to the expo.’ In truth, she wasn’t strictly needed at the expo. The marketing agency who now handled the Ambrosia Estate account had hired professional sales people for the weekend. But she thought it wise to check personally on how her money was being spent. This venture hadn’t been cheap.
    But Angelina knew you had to invest money to make money these days. It had been her idea for the winery to get a web site two years ago. Her father had argued against the idea, but she’d had her way and it had brought them in a lot of business.
    â€˜Are you planning to marry this Alex one day?’ Jake asked abruptly.
    â€˜No.’
    Jake shook his head, his expression bewildered. ‘That’s what I don’t get with you, Angelina. Why haven’t you got married? I thought marriage and children were a must with Italian girls.’
    â€˜Not with me. I have other priorities.’ Like our son. ‘Now that Papa’s gone, I’m solely responsiblefor the running of this place. That’s a lot of work. But enough about me. What about you, Jake?’ she asked, swiftly deflecting the conversation away from her own personal life and on to his. ‘Are you married?’
    The corner of his mouth tipped up in a wry smile. ‘Come, now, Angelina. I told you way back when I was seventeen that I would never get married. I’ve had no reason to change my