Marriage in Name Only? Read Online Free Page B

wafting from the garden met her nose as she walked through an airy glass atrium filled with tropical potted plants.
    Zahira turned from the intimate group of guests as Chloe stepped outside. ‘I’m so glad you could make it, Chloe,’ she said in her lightly accented voice, her dark eyes smiling. ‘Welcome. Here’s our brave little entertainer from last night,’ she announced, and had every head turning their way. ‘Chloe Montgomery, a member of Dana’s capable team.’
    ‘Hi.’ She smiled at the group in general but there was only one pair of eyes she saw. Jordan Blackstone’s. Blue and even more intense in the winter sunshine. Startling against his tanned complexion and spiky dark hair, which riffled around his temples in the breeze.
    No avoiding him, she thought, as he said something to the knot of people he was standing with and began walking towards her. Her pulse thrummed fast and her breathing quickened while she watched him approach.
    Unlike the rest of the guests who wore casual, he was dressed for business. A suit and tie for a Sunday brunch? Still, she couldn’t help but be impressed by the clean-cut corporate image. Hopefully he was on his way to forge some milliondollar deal with some other mining magnate and she could relax and
not
think about sharing Sunday brunch with him in an entirely more intimate way.
    ‘Morning, Chloe.’ His smile was polite, his tone precise, almost professional. Only his eyes betrayed the hint that he hadn’t forgotten last night’s kiss either.
    ‘Jordan. Hello.’ She felt her face warm and prayed herexpression didn’t give away her inner turmoil. Her dreams, her restless night.
    Not to mention the fact that she’d almost blurted out her most private personal problems at the diner.
    Then Zahira smiled enigmatically and made some vague comment about leaving her in Jordan’s capable hands—which had her body tingling anew—and walked away, leaving the two of them standing alone together in the middle of the lawn.
    ‘Would you like a drink?’ he asked, motioning a waiter who was at her side in three seconds flat.
    ‘Soda water, please. I skipped breakfast. Running late,’ she added, though why she felt she had to explain …
    ‘You didn’t sleep well?’
    Was that humour in his voice? ‘Slept like a baby, thanks for asking.’
    ‘The coffee didn’t keep you tossing and turning all night?’
    Not the coffee
. But she
knew
he already knew that and was relieved when the waiter returned with her glass of bubbles. ‘I was tired—that usually does it.’ She took a cooling sip of her water and deflected his attention from her hot cheeks with, ‘Do you always dress so formally for a barbecue?’
    ‘I have a meeting in the city later.’
    ‘Hello.’
    Chloe looked down at the sound of the young voice to see a small girl with dusky skin and long black hair looking up at her. ‘Hello, there.’
    ‘What’s your name?’ she asked, fiddling with a gold brooch pinned to her dress. ‘My name’s Tamara. It means date tree. Mummy’s is Zahira and it means blossoming flower and Daddy’s is Sadiq and it means trooful. Daddy says I should always tell the troof.’
    Chloe glanced at Jordan and they exchanged a smile before she leaned down. ‘Your daddy’s right. And my name’s Chloe.’
    ‘What does Chloe mean?’
    ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to find out, won’t I?’
    Tamara’s inquisitive gaze flicked between them. ‘Is Jordan your boyfriend?’
    ‘No,’ Chloe said, startled. ‘We … don’t know each other very well.’
    ‘Not yet,’ Jordan murmured, sending ripples of awareness down Chloe’s spine. He didn’t look at Chloe as he ruffled the small girl’s hair. ‘How’s it going, Tams?’
    ‘I’m five now,’ she announced proudly, holding up her fingers. ‘And I go to school so I’m allowed to help light the candles on my daddy’s birthday cake later.’
    Chloe nodded. ‘I’ll be sure to be watching.’
    ‘I think your daddy has