“Monday. Oh. Okay.”
Luke didn’t miss the disappointment in Penny’s voice and it wrenched at his vitals. Did she do it on purpose? Of course she didn’t. Penny had no idea of the strength of the pull she had on him, and at times he had trouble fathoming it too. He didn’t want to wait ’til Monday to see her again, either. In fact, the offer for coffee and cake had him fingering his mobile phone and contemplating calling Cassie to say he’d be running late.
He’d never ditched on his little sister for anyone, for any reason.
“You need to get out of the car now, Penny,” said Luke with a strangled groan. She shot him a look that reeked of rejection. A look that he wanted to quash. “It’s just that if you stay here any longer I’m going to have to kiss you again.”
Rejection gone, annoyance back.
“But last night you said−“
“Just because you don’t want me doesn’t mean I’m going to stop wanting you,” said Luke with a hint of annoyance in his own voice. Penny opened the door and climbed out of the car. She turned and was about to close the door when she bent down and stuck her head back inside. Luke met her proud gaze and pert pout with raised eyebrows.
“For the record, I never said I didn’t want you,” she said, then shut the door, smiling smugly at Luke’s pained expression.
Little tease. He’d make her pay for that.
* * * *
“You’re late! As usual.”
Luke nodded his thanks to the orderly who’d waited with Cassie, then helped her out of the obligatory wheelchair she was occupying and put her in his car.
“You’re looking good, Cas,” he said as he revved the engine and drove out of the hospital grounds.
“So are you, lover boy.” Cassie grinned.
Luke frowned. “I told you last night, I wasn’t on a date. I was with Penny Royale.”
“You mean the same Penny Royale that’s been turning your head for, what is it now, ten years?”
Luke harrumphed.
“The same Penny Royale that you were, and I quote, ‘possessive and enamoured of’? That Penny Royale?”
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?”
Cassie pulled a newspaper page from her handbag and showed Luke. His jaw fell open and he suddenly swerved to the side of the road and stopped the car. He snatched the paper from Cassie’s hand and stared dumbfounded at the full-page article complete with photographs of him and Penny—in his penthouse window.
“Oh no.” Luke groaned. He scanned for the byline. “Chris Marks. I’ve always hated that bastard.”
“So…tell me all the gory details.”
Luke scowled at Cassie’s broad grin. “Yeah, that’ll happen.”
“Then tell me how this Chris Marks got a hold of such juicy gossip and turned it into a page three scandal.”
Luke sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck as if it would ease his agitation. “Penny and I took the ferry to South Bank last night and walked up to my apartment. Chris bumped into me while we were waiting. He tried to make a move on Penny. I told him to leave her alone but he tried anyway.”
“That could have caught his attention.”
“Possibly, but I think it was Penny’s rejection of him that really did it. Well, that and the fact that I bought her ticket, and took her hand to help her on to the ferry, then stood close enough to her to give the impression of my being…”
“Possessive and enamoured?”
“Yes,” he agreed ruefully.
Luke stared at the main photo that filled the top half of the page. It was taken when he had Penny pinned against the wall of glass with her legs wrapped around him, kissing her wildly, groping her luscious ass, and reveling in the feel of her big breasts being smashed against his chest. Thankfully her clothing hid her body, and what Luke was doing to it, from the camera. The other smaller photograph was taken when Luke had scooped Penny up in his arms and convinced her to stay with him for the night.
He ran his thumb over the image. It looked so right to him, to be holding her like that. It had felt right too.
He began skimming the article. There was nothing too scandalous in it. But it would completely blow away their cover story. On the up side, it could get him closer to his new goal of having Penny as his mistress.
“I wonder if Penny’s seen it yet,” Cassie mused.
Luke folded up the page and handed it back to her. “She would have rung me in a panic by now if she had.”
“So what did she say to Marks to reinforce the idea that you two were a couple?”
“Nothing directly.” Luke grinned. “When he touched her she simply told him that if he didn’t remove his hand from her body that she would do it for him...and then she would shove it so far up his ass the coroner would find fingerprints on his brain.”
Cassie burst out laughing. “I knew I’d like her.”
* * * *
Penny flicked on the shop lights and sighed contentedly. Even with the lack of sleep, she’d never felt so at ease in her life. Last night with Luke had been wonderful. Therapeutic, even.
Shame nothing could ever come of it.
For hours Luke had asked question after question and she answered every one of them. No matter how embarrassing or uncomfortable the answer, she’d told him the truth. She wanted him to know the real Penny. She wanted to show him she wasn’t the corporate wind-up toy he’d met before.
“I thought you had me investigated,” she’d complained when he’d asked her about her first kiss.
“Business background only, nothing personal,” he’d replied before insisting with a grin that she was avoiding the question.
Penny told him everything he wanted to know. Her life with her parents when every day was a struggle to survive. Her life with Selina, cold, structured and lonely, and her new life, the life she was making for herself. Rife with indulgence and truth and happiness.
“Excluding this week, of course,” Luke had said quietly.
He’d stroked her cheek then and pushed a stray lock of hair from her face, and Penny had thought he was going to kiss her again, had wanted him to, but he’d pulled away and looked at his watch and suggested they go to bed. She didn’t wonder at her disappointment when he showed her to Cassie’s room and said goodnight.
Of course that didn’t stop her from behaving like a Puritan twit when she’d knocked on his bedroom door and found herself in his arms once more, being kissed like there was no tomorrow and manoeuvred towards his bed.
She’d only wanted something to wear to bed, shorts and a T-shirt, perhaps, but when he’d answered his door wearing nothing but a pair of black briefs and an expectant grin, she’d panicked. Her survival instinct had kicked in, fight or flight, and she’d chosen flight. She’d chosen dignity. Stupid, good-for-nothing dignity.
“I should go home,” she’d stammered as she’d retreated out his door.
She’d heard Luke swear and follow her down the hall. “Penny, wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Please stay. I have some clothes you can wear. Please,” he’d said as he caught her hand. “I misunderstood, that’s all. I guess…I guess I was hoping you’d changed your mind.”
“I haven’t,” she’d said quietly.
“And that’s okay. I’ll get you some clothes.”
Luke had fetched some shorts and a T-shirt for Penny to wear, then said goodnight again.
Penny touched her lips as she remembered Luke’s kisses. Her mouth—hell, her whole body responded so emphatically to him as soon as those strong masculine lips possessed hers, sucking every last ounce of common sense out of her brain and sending it packing along with her need for independence and what little self-respect she still possessed.
She’d almost caved in to temptation last night. She’d almost surrendered to the pleasure she just knew Luke would give her with those big, strong hands and hot, silky tongue. The strength of will she’d needed to pull away from his long, hard body was staggering. He frightened her, him and
this strange hold he had on her. She still couldn’t understand why he kept trying to seduce her, besides the obvious.
Luke was a virile man, and Penny was convenient.
By half past eight she was ready to open, and ready for some breakfast. She locked the shop door and wandered down to Gerard’s Patisserie to buy some treats for her cake cabinet and for herself.
Gerard greeted her with a broad smile. “Good morning, Penny. How did you sleep?”
Odd question, Penny thought, but she smiled back and returned his greeting.
“Morning, Gerry. Fine, thanks. And you?”
“Fine, fine. Just the sweet rolls today? Are you sure you don’t want something a little more substantial? A busy young woman like yourself needs to keep up her stamina, you know.”
Penny laughed. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”
She stopped by the news agency on the way back to the shop and bought the morning paper, then went upstairs to relax before opening the shop to customers. Just as she reached the top of the stairs the phone rang. Penny heaved a sigh as she dumped the box of sweet rolls on the counter and answered the phone.
“Royale Teas, this is Penny, how may I help you?”
“Penelope, my girl,” Selina said. “When I suggested that you sleep with Hardcastle I didn’t think you’d jump straight into bed with him. Bravo. Well done.”
Penny frowned. “Aunt Selina, I−“
“No, no need to explain. A picture really is worth a thousand words. And two pictures is twice as good. I have to admit I didn’t think you had it in you, not after the stories I’d heard from some of your co-workers at Royale Industries, but then he is absolutely gorgeous.” Selina growled in her smoky way, “That man is built to pleasure women. So, how was it?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Selina,” said Penny now that she was finally able to get a word in.
“Oh come now, don’t be shy. We’re both grown women. I’m talking about you and Luke Hardcastle. Last night? At his penthouse?”
Penny was stunned into silence. When she found her voice it was angry.
“How do you know I was with Luke last night?” she asked. “Did you have me followed?”
“Oh darling, please. Half of Brisbane knows what you were doing with Luke Hardcastle last night,” Selina drawled in a bored tone.
“What are you talking about?”
“Am I to guess that you haven’t seen the morning paper yet?”
“I was just about to read it now before…why?”
“I suggest you start with page three,” Selina said with a snigger. “Call me when you have something useful to report.”
The phone clicked in Penny’s ear and she put it down as she stared at the newspaper she’d tossed on one of the tables. She moved towards the newspaper hesitantly, as though it were a bomb set to go off at any moment. She took a deep breath and opened it to page three, then stared in disbelief at the images of her and Luke in his penthouse window, and the large black letters beneath.
Raunchy River City Romance.
Her legs felt weak and her chest felt tight, her cheeks bloomed scarlet in silent rage and the prickle of angry tears stung her eyes as she read on.
Millionaire playboy Luke Hardcastle, CEO of Hardcastle Construction, appears to be recovering well from his recent break-up with up-and-coming Aussie couture model, Charlie York. Last night, the man responsible for three-quarters of the construction cranes that dot the River City’s skyline, was seen with a new woman on his arm, and according to eyewitness reports, Mr. Hardcastle appeared to be possessive and enamoured of the lady.
But many eyebrows were lifted in curiosity when it was discovered that Brisbane’s favourite son’s new bed bunny was none other than Penny Royale, estranged niece of rival company Royale Industries CEO Selina Royale.
It has been discovered that the pair have spent most of this past week together, even enjoying a casual night of dining with friends. But it was last night’s steamy interlude that caught the attention of passersby as the couple seemed blissfully unaware of their very public display…
Penny’s knees buckled and she sat heavily on the nearest chair.
He’d betrayed her.
Luke had said they could be friends, he’d—wait a second. Chris Marks was the reporter. The bloke who tried to feel her up last night was named Chris. She narrowed her eyes on the grainy black and white picture of the article’s author, then reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile phone.
“I’m guessing you’ve seen the morning paper,” said Luke when he answered her call.
“You said he wasn’t your friend, Luke. You said he was a jerk, Luke. You forgot to mention the bastard was a reporter, Luke!”
“Penny, calm down. It isn’t as bad−“
“Isn’t as bad as it looks?” she raged, springing to her feet once more and slapping her hand on the table. “Well, it looks pretty bad from where I’m standing. Did the two of you set this up? Set me up? Is this your revenge for my part in the Cassidy Holdings deal?”
“No!”
“I told you, didn’t I? I told you I didn’t want to be your mistress because of stuff like this. I can’t deal with the media circus again. I’ve worked too hard to lose everything now through idle gossip and innuendo.”
“I’m coming over.”
“Oh no, you’re not!” Penny stormed.
“Penny–“
“You’re going to stay the hell away from me. Our deal is off. I don’t care what you do but you will never touch me again!”
Penny hurled her phone at the wall and it fell to the floor with a crash and a scatter of plastic. She swiped angrily at the tears that had escaped her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. She removed the offending page from the paper and tucked it away in her skirt pocket, then left the rest of the paper for her patrons to read. She put the sweet rolls in the cake cabinet, had a quick cup of coffee, swept up the remnants of her phone, and opened the shop for business with a firm, false smile set in place.
Chapter Ten
By lunchtime Penny wanted to run and hide in her office, or better yet, go home and crawl under her bed never to be seen again. Royale Teas had been flat-out all morning, busier than usual, and the constant curious stares from men and derisive glances from women gave her a good clue as to why.
People were coming out to gawk at “Brisbane’s favourite son’s new bed bunny.” Add to that the irritation of fielding phone calls from pesky reporters all morning, and the last thing Penny needed was to see Luke and Cassie walk into her shop.
The crowd seemed to step aside for him as he moved toward her, his golden eyes warm, his smile sensual. She tried to ignore him as she helped a customer, but as soon as she was done he lifted her face in his strong lean hands and kissed her. Penny’s toes curled defiantly in her shoes as Luke’s lips and teeth and tongue stole her breath right out of her lungs with a spine-tingling and very public kiss.
“My office. Now,” she hissed against his soft lips. She took his hand and dragged him away to her office, closing the door behind them. “I told you to stay away from me. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, keeping her voice soft so she wouldn’t add to the spectacle that was becoming her life.
Luke leaned back against the door and smiled lazily. “Plan B,” he said simply.
His eyes drifted over her, revisiting every detail of her appearance. The way her ponytail flicked up in the end and bobbed when she moved, the outline of her sumptuous figure, no longer hidden under a loose blouse but accentuated by the too-tight T-shirt she’d borrowed. His hands itched for a chance to explore those big breasts again. Then he noticed the way she was glaring at him, her hands balled into fists.
He could tell it was taking all her restraint not to slap him.
“And what is Plan B? Ritual humiliation? You set me up! Oh, you’re good, Luke. You had me completely fooled last night. Why else would you have kissed me the way you did, where you did?”
Luke straightened, Penny’s accusations cutting right to his heart. “The only thought going through my head last night was how much I wanted you.”
She barked out a disdainful laugh. “You didn’t want me. You wanted revenge. You played me and I fell for it. So congratulations, Luke. One Royale down, one to go.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed as he listened to Penny’s hushed tirade. She really believed what she was saying. She really thought Luke was that despicable. His stomach clenched in self-reproach. He had no one to blame but himself. Wasn’t that the image he’d been trying to portray? And apparently, with the unintentional help of Chris Marks, he’d finally succeeded.
Only last night he’d decided he didn’t want to be that person. He wanted to be himself, the good man that Penny had said she knew he was.
“I didn’t know about the article, Penny.”
“Yeah, right!”
“I didn’t! If I had to guess I’d say it was Chris’s way of getting back at you for rejecting him last night at the quay.”
“So this is all my fault?”
“Of course it isn’t your fault,” Luke said, losing his patience with her. “I told you last night the guy was a jerk and now you know why.” He raked his hands through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh. “Anyway, if you hadn’t been with me, he wouldn’t have had a story at all.”
Penny looked like a caged animal as she paced back and forth across the narrow office space, still glaring at him, her steel coloured eyes hard and cold. He got the distinct impression she didn’t believe him.
“Selina rang me this morning,” she said suddenly.
Luke’s jaw clenched.“What did she want? Did you record the call?”
Penny shook her head. “No. She only called to congratulate me on my initiative,” she said. “Apparently she didn’t think I had it in me to seduce you.”
“Did she say anything else,” Luke demanded as he ignored the condemnation in her eyes.
“She told me to call her as soon as I discovered anything of use to her. But I won’t. I’m not playing these games anymore. If you and Selina want to hurt each other, go for it, but I won’t be caught in the middle. Now get out of my office,” she said, “and get out of my life.”
Revenge and Redemption Page 9