There's Something About a Rebel- by Anne Oliver Read Free Book Online Page B

bubbles of cautious excitement fluttered as she leaned against the sink and studied the black slate floor. It would solve her immediate problems. She’d be able to afford the boat’s repairs, pay off her debts, and maybe, just maybe, she could give herself a real chance at the career she so desperately wanted—
    ‘There’s one condition,’ he said slowly.
    The Catch, she thought, her heart sinking as she looked up and met his gaze. Wasn’t there always a Catch?
    Blake studied the wary eyes, the slight lift of her upper lip, the flared nostrils. Damned if she didn’t expect him to suggest a wild, no-strings affair. And damned if he wasn’t tempted. But this was his money he was putting on the line.
    ‘I want to see how you work, so I’d like you to redecorate the living room here. It’s been more than ten years and it’s looking tired. I’ll pay you, of course.’
    Her posture straightened and a renewed spark lit her eyes. ‘You’d let me have free rein?’
    ‘Absolutely. And if we’re both happy with how things progress—’
    ‘But hang on, you said you’re here temporarily.’
    ‘Not a problem these days with email and the Internet.’
    ‘So apart from the financial end, you’ll keep out of it?’
    ‘Unless you ask for my help, which I’m more than happy to give. Ah. One proviso, party girl. The business comes first. No coming home at dawn.’
Unless I’m coming home with you.
The thought popped into his head and he frowned. Where the hell had that come from?
    She turned, reciprocated his frown with one of her own. ‘Just because I was the Gold Coast’s number one party fan, doesn’t mean the legend continues here. I’m not eighteen any more, I’ve more important things on my mind. So I go to the occasional party—doesn’t everyone?’ Still watching him, she shook her head. ‘No, I guess they don’t.’
    Damn right, they didn’t. ‘Say the word and I can have the money in an account this afternoon.’
    She leaned back against the sink, fingers tense on the edge, and nodded slowly. Cautiously. ‘Okay. But I don’t want Jared to know. Not yet, anyway.’
    ‘So we’ll keep it between the two of us.’ A sudden awareness—or was it wariness?—creptinto her gaze and he knew she was thinking of the way he’d linked the two of them. ‘It’s just a business arrangement, Lissa. A temporary one until you find someone else.’
    She nodded, blew out a breath. ‘Okay, we have a deal.’

CHAPTER FIVE
    ‘O H … WOW !’ Lissa’s whole being seemed to light up.
    ‘We’ll need it in writing,’ Blake said, sharper than he intended, remembering the boat fiasco, which still needed discussing. After his father’s betrayal, never again would he trust another as easily. No matter who it was. No matter how attracted he was.
    ‘Of course.’ Linking her fingers above her head, she laughed with surprising abandon, spinning a circle in the middle of the kitchen. ‘I’ll get right on it.’
    She all but danced across the kitchen, reached up on tiptoe and flung her arms around his neck. ‘Thank you.’ Her breasts, firm and full and not constrained by a bra, grazed his torso, sending a spurt of lust straight to his groin.
    Before he could respond in any way, she came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes widened, her cheeks coloured and she backed away fast. ‘I … I’mgoing to go take a look at the room now and write up some ideas before you change your mind.’ Then she turned and hurried from the room.
    Lissa clutched her neck with both hands and willed the hot rush of heat to subside as she raced upstairs to her room. She’d got carried away and practically climbed up his chest.
Oh, God.
And he’d looked positively shocked. She went straight to the en-suite, splashed herself with cool water. She did
not
look at her reflection.
    Sucking in calming breaths, she sat on her bed and took a few minutes to take stock and absorb the conversation. His generous offer. The offer that was conditional on