High-Society Seduction Read Online Free Page B

might back off.”
    “And if she doesn’t?” Jenna challenged.
    “Either way, I lose.” And that wasn’t something he was familiar with. “If she continues to make a pest of herself, then Todd is going to realize it sooner or later, and part of him is going to blame me even if he knows I had nothing to do with it. I don’t want it to get to that stage.” Todd was the only one to eventually get through to him after Maddie’s death. “He helped me a great deal when I needed him. I wouldn’t repay him by doing the dirty on him and sleeping with his wife.”
    Their eyes met but Adam didn’t look away. He wasn’t one to talk about it, but he wasn’t ashamed of needing his friend, either. Not after losing a loved one. Two loved ones, he thought, including the loss of his unborn child.
    Jenna picked up her glass, took a sip of wine, then her gaze settled on him. “I’ll ask the question I asked this afternoon at the races. Why me?”
    He’d be disappointed in her if she hadn’t asked the question again. “You’re different. There’s no emotional involvement between us.” She went to speak and he held up his hand. “Except maybe dislike on your part,” he mocked.
    “True.”
    He gave a thin smile. “And at the end of four weeks, we don’t have to worry about seeing each other again.”
    “And you don’t have to worry about running into me,” she mused, half to herself.
    “There is that,” he conceded.
    Her eyes watched him, a hopeful light in them she was trying not to show, unsuccessfully. “So if I agree to this, you’ll do what you promised to do? You’ll investigate my claim?”
    He leaned back in his chair and nodded. “Just as soon as we make an appearance together at the Mayoral Ball next Friday night. The month starts from then.”
    Her eyes went wide. “But today’s only Saturday. That’s a whole week away.”
    “Disappointed?”
    She made a derisive sound. “Only because I want to get started straight away.”
    He shrugged. “Regrettably, you’ll have to wait. I’m flying to Sydney tomorrow for a three-day conference, and I won’t be back until Thursday morning.” This was one conference he had to attend to keep on top of things with their competitors. His father would hold down the fort here, though his parents needed to go to Brisbane Thursday afternoon, leaving him to represent the family at the ball on Friday night.
    “So you won’t start the investigation before then?” she asked matter-of-factly, but he knew otherwise. “Don’t you trust me to keep to my word?”
    “Never trust a woman with a grudge.”
    “I’ve found you should never trust a man. Period.”
    He lifted one brow. “Someone I know?”
    Her eyes took on a wary look. “I doubt it.”
    Was it a trick of the light or did she somehow look vulnerable? It made him wonder what fool had given her up. Then again, some men could only take so much of that deliciously smart mouth.
    And some men liked to live dangerously.



Three
    J enna spent the next few days wondering what she’d gotten herself into by agreeing to be Adam Roth’s pretend mistress. She didn’t know how she was going to do this. It would mean spending a small amount of time in private with him, and a whole lot of time in public. Standing close. Touching him. Smiling. Acting like she was enamored with him.
    Fat chance!
    Dammit, there was already something between them that she didn’t want to recognize. An awareness of each other that greatly disturbed her peace of mind. It distracted her when all she wanted to do was focus on the very reason they were together.
    He’d just better keep to his end of the bargain or he was in for a big shock. He would deserve everything he got after that. She would take this to the media if necessary. She prayed she didn’t have to. She didn’t like being the bad guy in this, not when that title belonged to the late Liam Roth.
    Yet her curiosity was piqued by all this with Chelsea and Todd. Adam had to be