‘Isn't this just lovely, Mummy?' Charlie, tall for only four years of age, looked up and grinned at her mother, the two of them making their way over to the ski-lift at Blackcomb for their first run of the day.
At only just nine o'clock in the morning, the lifts were still quite empty, the majority of skiers usually arriving mid-morning. Which was why Abbie preferred to come up here early, hoping to avoid the crowds of the day, if she could. And she knew that Tony was sitting in the coffee-shop not far away at the bottom of the mountain, ever vigilant, in spite of his supposedly relaxed pose as he warmed his hands about his cup of coffee.
Nevertheless, Abbie still didn't like being in places so full of people. But Charlie loved to ski, as evidenced by the radiant pleasure on her face as the two of them waited their turn to go up on the ski-lift. And, as much as was possible, Abbie wanted Charlie to grow up enjoying the freedom life had to offer her.
'Lovely, darling,' Abbie echoed lightly, as Tony had predicted, none the worse for her late night.
Mother and daughter were dressed in identical white fitted ski-suits and ski-boots, the darkness of their hair hidden beneath white fur hats that framed the delicacy of their features, the clearness of their skin, and the glow in both sets of violet-blue eyes almost giving them the appearance of sisters rather than mother and daughter.
It was almost time for them to sit on the chair-lift now, and they moved their poles and set their skis straight ready to move forward into position, Charlie having been persuaded to attempt one of the lower slopes before venturing further up the mountain.
'Mind if I join you, ladies?' a cheerful voice enquired even as the black-suited figure skied into place beside Charlie.
Abbie hadn't been aware of him anywhere near, but as she looked at the confident grin on Jarrett Hunter's face she knew that he had deliberately timed his moment so that all they could do was move forward as a trio and let the ski-lift scoop them up.
She glanced back at the coffee-shop where Tony sat, just in time to see him come rushing out of the door, a worried frown darkening his handsome face. Abbie gave rely by a perceptible shake of her head, acknowledged by Tony's raised hand, before she turned back to Jarrett Hunter.
what was he doing here? When they had parted last he hadn't given the impression he particularly to see her again; instead it had seemed that, be-ig he had assessed her true profession, and been fed by her, she could go to hell for all he cared— its wasn't there already!
Unless he had discovered, in the last ten hours, exactly what her real identity was; that might be a good enough on for his behaviour this morning! He held out his hand in a friendly gesture to Charlie.
I'm Jarrett.'
Her daughter grinned at him unabashedly, holding out own tiny gloved hand. 'I'm Charlie,' she supplied. 'And this is my mummy.'
That golden gaze mockingly met Abbie's over the top of the child's head. 'Hello, Mummy,' he drawled dryly. She nodded coolly, extremely wary, but not wanting to alarm Charlie.
'Jarrett.'
The rest of the information she had requested on this still hadn't arrived, but she already knew enough about him to realise he usually got where he wanted, and when he wanted—and at the moment he wanted to be on this chair-lift with Charlie and herself!
Charlie giggled. 'Her name isn't really Mummy,' she chided with a smile. 'Only I call her Mummy.'
Jarrett raised dark brows, having shunned wearing a ski-hat, his goggles pushed back into the darkness of his hair. 'Does that mean you don't have any brothers or sisters?' he teased.
Abbie held her breath as she waited for Charlie's answer. God knew Cathy and Danny, Daniel's children from his first marriage, were obnoxious enough whenever they saw Charlie, but that didn't mean her daughter didn't consider them her sister and brother...!
Charlie shook her head, very serious for a four-year-old. 'I'm Mummy's special little girl,' She repeated parrot-fashion what Abbie had been telling her since the day she was born.
Because Charlie was special: bright, as well as beautiful, with a loving nature and lack of guile that boded well for die time she was old enough to pick up the reins of her own inheritance. But until that time Abbie intended protecting her as best she could...
'I can quite understand why,' Jarrett answered Charlie. 'You're gorgeous—like your mummy!'
Abbie frowned across at him as Charlie gave a delighted laugh; did he know yet that she was Sabina Sutherland? His completely innocent gaze as he met hers said he was up to something—but it didn't reveal what it was. Well, if he thought he could get to her by being charming to her daughter, he was going to be out of luck. Until she knew more about him, she had no intention of talking to him as Sabina Sutherland!
'Here we go,' Jarrett warned as they approached the end of the chair-lift. 'Can she manage?' he questioned Abbie softly as Charlie straightened in her seat, poles ready in her hands.
Abbie gave a rueful grimace. 'Better than us probably!'
Which Charlie promptly demonstrated as she glided easily away from the chair-lift, already poised for her run down the mountain.
'I see what you mean!' Jarrett nodded as the two of them made a less elegant exit from the chair-lift, looking on with admiration as the little girl stood a little way.
'Kids know no fear, do they?' He gave a rueful of his head.
A shadow passed over Abbie's face as she too looked at her young daughter. 'At only four years old, shouldn't even be aware what fear is, Mr. Hunter,' she snapped.
"It was Jarrett last night,' he murmured huskily. ‘During the latter part of the evening, anyway...!' Abbie drew in a sharp breath, quickly dispelling any thoughts she might have just had.
'How's your head is morning?' she derided.
He raised mocking brows. 'Clear as a bell. How's yours?'
The same,' she responded. 'I slept very well,' she added, her expression challenging. A scowl instantly darkened his features.
'You—'
'Mummy, can we go down now?' Charlie cut in eagerly, her body still poised impatiently.
Abbie's mouth twisted wryly as she gave Jarrett an apologetic smile. 'Children have no patience, either!' she told him as she adjusted her poles in her hands and moved her sunglasses down over her eyes to cut out of the glare of the newly fallen snow, ready for own run.
Jarrett was still looking across at Charlie. 'I had no idea you had a child...' he said slowly.
No doubt he must imagine that could make things a little difficult for her at times—in her profession! 'There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Jarrett,' ' ate returned dryly. 'Just as some of the things you think you know aren't true, either.'
Those golden eyes narrowed. 'Such as?' She ignored his question.
'Charlie is waiting,' she prompted.
'I'll see you at the bottom,' he called out as he skied off and left them both, his sure movements telling of years of skiing experience.
'He's good, Mummy,' Charlie said admiringly as she watched him.
Abbie very much doubted the word 'good' was very often applied to Jarrett Hunter—except possibly by the legion of women that seemed to have been briefly in his life over the years. But Abbie certainly wasn't interested in his sexual prowess, good or otherwise!
However, his skiing was excellent, Abbie conceded as she followed him and Charlie at a more sedate pace— she had the rest of the day to get through yet, no point in tiring herself from the onset, just to prove to Jarrett Hunter that she was as good a skier as he was.
She could see the ever watchful figure of Tony standing at the bottom of the slope as he monitored their progress, the bright blue of his jacket easily discernible.
Charlie, with her much lighter build, had easily caught up with Jarrett, the two of them now skiing together, Charlie then completely confident as she easily took the lead. Abbie had a feeling that Jarrett might have let her do that; from the way he had skied away from them a few minutes ago he had reached a professional level.
She
arrived at the base of the mountain seconds behind, snow spraying up as she came to a halt only feet away from the two of them, emotion catching in her throat at the way Charlie grinned up so openly at Jarrett. Whatever the cost to herself the last two years, it had all been worth it to see that completely trusting look on her daughter's face.
Tony walked over to them quickly, his gaze narrowed on Jarrett as the other man pushed his goggles up into the thickness of his hair. Tony was obviously not at all pleased with the way Jarrett had insinuated himself onto she ski-lift with them.
Everything okay, Mrs Sutherland?' Tony enquired obviously having recognised Jarrett now from e evening before.
Abbie didn't need to see the sudden tension in Jarrett Hunter's body—she could feel it! He hadn't known her identity until this moment!
And from the expression in his eyes as he looked at r, and from the tightening of his mouth, he was far pleased at knowing it now!
Considering the things he had said about Sabina Sutherland the evening before, that wasn't surprising!
CHAPTER FOUR
Jarrett stared at the woman he had just been informed was Sabina Sutherland
Sabina—Abbie...
Charlie—Charlotte...
Hell!
How on earth could he possibly have known that Abbie was a diminutive of Sabina?
But Stephen and Alison had certainly known—and instead of putting him straight had let him continue to make a fool of himself! The woman he had told them he had been chasing after for months had actually been sitting right next to him at the time!
How the hell could he have known, have even begun to guess? Cathy spoke of her stepmother in such aggressive terms—but she had never once mentioned that Sabina was younger than she was!
Or that 'the brat' Charlotte was only four years old. And, from the little Jarrett had seen of Charlie this morning, she didn't seem to be a brat at all...
He looked at Abbie—Sabina—once again. She was beautiful, there was no doubting that, and she was only Alison's age, in her late twenties at the most, and yet he knew Daniel Sutherland had been fifty-eight when he died two years ago—more than thirty years older than his wife. What was the saying, 'there's no fool like an old fool'? Daniel Sutherland must have been insane—or just totally besotted—to have married a woman more than thirty years his junior!
Which posed the question, why had Abbie married ? That question was so simple to answer it wasn't worth asking; Daniel Sutherland's fortune had been to be at the fifty-million-pound mark when he died. Abbie, the employee's daughter, had become Sutherland, a very rich and powerful lady. And Bed that last word advisedly. Abbie might not exactly be what he had thought her last night, but she was plainly no lady, either!
He drew in a harshly controlling breath. 'Very amusing’ he rasped contemptuously. 'You must all have had good laugh last night—at my expense!'
Violet-blue eyes met his cooly. 'I can assure you that one was laughing last night—either with you or at you’
‘Why the subterfuge in the first place?' he growled, is that the way you enjoy mixing with the peasants occasionally?' he added scathingly,
The blond Adonis stepped forward threateningly at the aggressive tone, but Abbie stayed him with a raising of her hand. 'It's okay, Tony, I can handle ,' she assured him. 'Perhaps you would like to take Charlie on her next run?' it was made as a suggestion, but nevertheless it was serious that Tony accepted it for the order it undoubtedly was, taking Charlie along with him as he went to his skis, all the time keeping a watchful eye on the man wasn't Abbie's lover, damn it, he was her employee.
That was the reason he had been watching her so avidly in the restaurant the evening before, why Abbie had him out in the lobby and dismissed him for the evening when Jarrett had picked up on his interest. Why he was here watching Abbie and Charlie this morning.
Jarrett had seen Tony arrive on the ski slope with Abbie and the little girl, watched as Tony went off the coffee-shop, biding his own time so that he could join the two females at a point when Tony couldn't intervene.
The question was, why did Abbie need a minder in the first place?
As far as Jarrett had been able to make out Cathy's resentful mutterings, Daniel Sutherland hadn't been a complete fool where his second wife was concerned and had left his considerable fortune to be between his three children; forty-nine per cent of his business interests had been divided equally between Cathy and Danny, the lion's share of fifty-one per cent going to his youngest child, Charlotte, to be administered by her mother, Sabina, until she was twenty-one, at which time Charlotte would take over her own inheritance.
But Jarrett hadn't realised Charlotte was so young I when her father died, only two years old, and a lot could happen to her fortune and shares in nineteen years...
But in the meantime Sabina Sutherland was the one who wielded the power. Perhaps she did need a minder, after all...!
'There was no subterfuge, Mr Hunter.' Sabina Sutherland now answered his question. 'I am an old friend of Alison's, since our modelling days together. And most people call me Abbie,' she added.
Cathy certainly didn't. The Black Widow was how she referred to her stepmother. And Danny, at only twenty-six, weak and a wastrel, referred to her as 'dear Stepmama'. And, in view of the fact that Jarrett now can see the two were of a similar age, it was far from a respectful way of addressing her. Was it any wonder, these descriptions of the woman, that Jarrett had keen expecting Sabina Sutherland to be a combination of Lucretia Borgia and Mata Hari?
Instead he was faced with the most beautiful woman ad ever seen in his life, a woman he still wanted, knowing exactly who she was...!
‘I believe there is something you wish to discuss with me’ She spoke softly now, as if half guessing what was in his mind.
Only half guessing, because if she had known all the thoughts that were going through his head she wouldn't look quite so calm!
He wanted this woman. He had known that only too forcibly this morning when he'd woken up at six o'clock, after a fitful night's sleep, his dreams full of a naked Abbie in the arms of the blond Adonis, and realised he still desired her, even if he thought she had just spent the night with another man. Although after the way they had parted the evening before he didn't think she particularly wanted to see him again!
He hadn't been able to believe his luck when he'd spotted her standing near the coffee-shop earlier, although he had been a little surprised at the presence of a little girl, and incensed at the blond Adonis being there too. Although he had taken his chance to approach her when the other man went off to have coffee...
He still couldn't believe it! Sabina Sutherland. She was more beautiful than any woman had a right to be. Perhaps Daniel Sutherland hadn't been insane, after all. Or, if he had, Jarrett had a feeling he was heading the same way!
'Jarrett...?' she prompted as he made no response to her earlier comment.
He blinked, clearing his head of the desire that was threatening to blind him to who and what this woman was. 'I do,' he confirmed harshly. 'But it's a business meeting.' His mouth twisted. 'And it can hardly be discussed here.' He looked about them; the slopes and ski-lifts were rapidly filling up now with chattering, happy skiers.
'Perhaps I could meet you at the hotel later today?' But she looked doubtful even as she said it.
'I'm supposed to be meeting Alison and Stephen this afternoon—although it should be a very short meeting! Just long enough for me to punch him on the nose for not telling me last night who you are!' His eyes glittered angrily just at the thought of the conversations he had so innocently been a part of the previous evening. 'Some friend he is!'
Abbie gave a smile. 'It seems a pity to do anything so drastic on his honeymoon. Besides,' she added, 'they were only protecting my privacy.'
He accepted that, realised she was a very private person, but even so Stephen could have warned him of the tangle he was getting himself into, had had plenty of opportunity to do
exactly that when the two ladies had disappeared to the powder-room. Immediately after Abbie had almost choked because he had told them it was Sabina Sutherland whom he was here to meet...
He hated feeling at a disadvantage like this! And those interminable dinners with Cathy Sutherland had been a complete waste of time too, in view of the way he had finally met his quarry. Hell, he remembered that somewhere in the conversation last night he had implied this woman had all the substance of a chocolate eclair!
Where had that conversation come from? There was something about Abbie that openly challenged him, he admitted. He couldn't remember reacting this strongly to a woman for a long time—if ever!
‘Well, they succeeded,' he rasped harshly. 'But now I havee been left with egg on my face!'
Abbie seemed surprised. 'It doesn't show.'
"Well, believe me, I can feel it,' he bit out hardly, ‘But despite all that I do have some business I would be to talk to you about. Perhaps we could have dinner together this evening? Just the two of us this time,' he aided. 'With everyone knowing exactly who they are!'
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