Glass Ceilings (54 page)
Authors: Alicia Hope
T
hey hardly looked at the dishes before them
,
having
eyes only for each other, until the hovering Maitre d’ cleared his throat nervously and whispered, ‘Is there something wro
ng with the food
?’ They both hurriedly
pick
ed
up their cutlery, vigorously assuring
him all
was fine,
and
casting amused glances
at each other
.
The meal over, Royce
called for the bill. The
Maitre d’
himself
delivered the receipt to
their table
.
T
hey
beamed their thanks at him as they
rose to leave,
and h
e
patted
Roy
ce on the back, whispering
, ‘
I hope all was to your liking, my friend.
’
Royce gave him
a
conspiratorial grin
and
took Verity’s hand
.
They made their way into the cool night air
,
and hardly spoke on the journey home, sitting close beside each other in the car. Somehow,
words weren’t necessary.
Once at Ocean Mews, he walked Verity to her gate. When they got there, she turned to look up at him with shining eyes and said warmly, ‘Thank you, Royce, for a wonderful evening.’
‘It was my pleasure.’
When she opened the gat
e and went
in
to her courtyard, he remained standing on the pathway
.
She took a few steps before pausing
to rummage around in her handbag. Then she
turned
to look at him
with a mischievous smile
.
‘W
ell, aren’t you coming in for
a coffee?’
He
gave a swift bark of laughter
and strode to join her on
the landing.
When
Verity unlocked the door
to her villa
, Jack was waiting inside to welcome her. He sauntered over just as Ro
yce stepped into the room. T
o Verity’s surprise,
man-hating
Jack
walked
up
and wound himself around
Royce’s
legs, purring loudly.
Royce loo
ked over at Verity with a
comical
expression, and she laughed, covering her
mouth with her
hand. T
o his
immense delight
, Royce’s
eyes caught the glint of diamonds on her ring f
inger
—
diamonds in the shape of a
jasmine
flower
.
His mouth split in
to
a wide grin
,
and he almost tripped over Jack in his rush to take Verity in his arms.
‘Well,
’ she said softly,
as
s
he
lifted her head for his kiss
,
‘
I guess it’s unanimous.’
# # # #
Alicia Hope lives in Queensland, Australia, and writes contemporary women’s fiction, romances, and ‘soft’ paranormals. She draws upon her extensive corporate experience to create sto
r
ies with credible characters,
realistic situations and settings.
Hers are feel-good books, which readers of any age can curl up with on a rainy afternoon (or any time!) and enjoy.
So happy reading :-)
Disco
ver other titles by Alicia Hope
Available
from
Amazon,
Smashwords
, the Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble, and
many other ebook distributors.
The Long Road to Loving Grayson
A
contemporary romance
set in the
remote Queensland outback.
What happens when two hearts,
on
e badly bruised and the other
trapped in
an unhappy marriage
,
meet
at the junction of
long
outback
road
s
?
Well, buckle up,
’cos
there are plenty of roadblocks and obstacles
ahead
!
Maggie
A short story with real heart, set in a small farming community in Western Australia.
The garnet is a symbol of love and compassion, but will the stone’s power be enough to save her?
Her Fortescue Diamond
A
short story about a modern-day take on an age-old dilemma.
Just how perfect must the right man be?
*** AND COMING SOON ***
The Brande Legacy
Book one in the Brande series of ‘soft’ paranormals,
where
more than just mysteries
lurk in the shadows....
A legacy can be a gift ... or a curse.
Claire-Rose Brande has no inkling of her ancestral links with the castle she visits on holiday,
and it never occurs to her that while there, she might become embroiled in a mystery involving a long dead ancestor.
Byron MacAlister, joint owner of the castle, is caught unawares when a holiday flirtation turns into something more serious—that is, until he disc
overs the object of his desire is
about to become one of the new owners of his financially unsustainable but beloved castle!
W
ill Claire-Rose be able to solve all the mysteries swirling wraith
-like within the castle’s walls
and tugging at her heart?
at
http://www.aliciahopeauthor
.
blogspo
t
.com.au