Web of Deception
Authors: Nina Blake
By Nina Blake
Copyrigh
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©
Nina Blake 2013
All rights reserved
The sight of her sucked the air right out of him.
Daniel Webb stopped in his tracks. The buzz of the party around him disappeared and for a few moments there was nothing else. Only that woman standing in the doorway, looking out onto the balcony where he stood. That face he’d never seen before.
Ash blond hair and pale grey eyes made for an attractive combination but that didn’t begin to describe the way she looked, or the effect she’d had on him. Despite the fact he was still reeling, he felt it deep in his gut – a sense of calm, of sudden certainty.
Daniel
couldn’t take his eyes off her. Meanwhile she wasn’t even looking his way.
“That’s the woman I’m going to marry.”
He couldn’t believe he’d said that out loud. Had those words come out of
his mouth?
S
he turned her head and saw he was looking at her. Though composed, the glint of surprise in her eyes told him she’d heard every syllable. A second later, she moved forward to where he was leaning against the railing.
“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she said.
“There’s no mistake.” Daniel thrust his hand forwards to shake hers. “We haven’t met yet.”
“And I don’t think we’re going to, either.” Her hands remained at her side.
His colleague and old friend, Ray Price, slapped him on the back. “Did you hear what you just said? Get married? You? That’ll be the day.”
This
was all he needed. As if he hadn’t landed himself in enough trouble without Ray’s help.
Daniel felt for the poor woman. She was in a tricky situation, one he’d
put her in, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she thought he was making fun of her. Either that or she must think him a complete lunatic.
She
stared at Ray. “If I’d wanted your opinion, I’d have asked for it.”
Daniel had to act
quickly. “Sorry about that. My friend and I have both made a mistake.”
She raised her finely arched eyebrows. “You’re telling
me
you have. So you’re going to marry me? As if that was going to happen. As if it was even a possibility.”
“You’re right there,
” Ray said, his words slurred.
Glaring at him, she silenced him with a single look.
Strangely, Daniel felt a pang of envy, wishing that scorching look had been directed at him instead. It was passionate, like the woman.
Ray hadn’t meant anything by his comment. It was just that he’d had a bit too much to drink
, though that would hardly seem like a good excuse to her. Clearly, she felt uncomfortable being the object of the conversation, rather than part of it. And Daniel didn’t blame her.
“Please excuse my friend,”
Daniel said. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”
She tilted her head as though considering his statement, her lips curling to a sultry smile. Finally, he had her full attention and he liked it very much.
Her eyes smouldered and he could have sworn she was beckoning him with their smoky grey depths. He felt a stirring deep inside.
Her smile, those lush, parted lips…
It would be so easy to lean forward…
“Your friend is drunk,” she said. “I don’t expect him to speak sensibly. But you don’t seem to be under the influence.” She took a small step closer. “So what’s your excuse?”
He deserved it, he knew. Of course she was embarrassed at his initial comment. Any woman would be.
She
turned to leave and stepped away. Daniel had lost her. For now.
“A hundred bucks says you won’t have her!”
Damn it, he wished Ray would shut up. The young woman flinched, then kept walking as she disappeared through the door and into the crowded room. She’d heard him, for sure.
“A hundred dollars?” Daniel snapped. “Do you have any idea how insulting that is?”
“All right then, what’s it worth to you?” Ray sniggered.
“Why are you acting this way? It’s not like you, Ray.”
“Well, it’s not like you to chase after a woman. It’s usually the other way around.”
Daniel grabbed his friend’s shoulder. “You’ve had too much to drink. Get yourself cleaned up.”
Walking towards the door, Daniel was about to be waylaid by a couple of guests. He didn’t want to be held up so he smiled, lifted his hand for a polite wave and kept walking. He had to find the young woman if only to apologise and clear things up.
Still, it was going to be hard to explain his initial exclamation to her. Especially since he couldn’t explain it to himself.
Marriage? That was the last thing on his mind.
He was thirty-five years old and if he’d wanted to get married, he would have done it by now. Only he hadn’t.
Why complicate your life? Why choose commitment when you could choose fun instead?
He should know. He’d learned the hard way. Ten years ago, he’d made a serious mistake with a woman he’d loved and he wasn’t about to make those same judgement errors again. It didn’t do to fall in love at the expense of all else. It was only setting yourself up for problems.
That still left him with one unanswered question. How had those words passed his lips? It was madness, a moment of madness. It must have been.
And
now he’d come back to his senses, he knew exactly what he wanted.
Daniel looked around the crowded room. It was his party so he should have known all the guests but his personal assistant had taken care of the details.
Although Webb Corporation had several other major portfolios, he’d always wanted to be the biggest, most successful property developer in Australia. It was more than just a goal. It was his passion. It was why he’d invited all the big players to celebrate the company’s ten year anniversary and his own success.
Everyone had come. Except his father. The one person who mattered. Still, there was no point agonising over that.
Daniel had to find this woman. She wasn’t one of his staff. He’d definitely have remembered her. He didn’t think she was with one of the many firms his company dealt with. It was possible she was new to the business. Perhaps she’d only recently started working with one of the firms on tonight’s guest list.
Then again, she might be someone’s partner. That could make things a bit more complicated.
Daniel stepped inside the door and scanned the large, open-plan living space filled with people. It was much noisier in here than out on the balcony, voices and chatter reverberating against the room’s hard surfaces but, then, this was a party. One of the reasons he’d bought this huge apartment was because the living area and balcony were made for entertaining.
Spotting the woman’s
blond hair at the far end of the room near the buffet table, he strode towards her. Though he’d let her get away before, he wasn’t a man who made the same mistake twice, particularly not when he knew what he wanted.
“Can we start
all over again?” he asked. She didn’t answer so he added, “We haven’t been properly introduced.”
“Y
ou’re going to marry me but you don’t even know my name?”
“It’d be much easier if you just told me but I could always find something else to call you. Darling, perhaps…”
He was teasing, trying to get a rise out of her.
“I
am not your darling,” she said, indignant.
It
only made him want to play with her more.
“No, but this is my apartment, my party, and you are my guest. I deserve to know your name, at least. It’d be rude not to tell me.”
Her lips curled to an amused smile. “I didn’t think I was such a badly behaved guest.”
“I don’t know how bad you ar
e. Perhaps you should show me.”
He couldn’t help baiting her. His hand brushed across hers but she pulled it away all too quickly.
“I am not your…” Holding her head high, she composed herself. “I’m Kate Henry. And there’s no need to introduce yourself. I know who you are Mr Webb.”
“Pleased to meet you, Kate Henry.” Her name rolled off his tongue. “You might know who I am but if you knew me at all, you’d know everyone calls me Daniel.”
She looked him in the eye. “Well, Daniel, I might be a bad guest but you’re letting me down as a host too.”
“Am I? I’ve opened up my
home, hired the best caterers in Sydney, and you can drink all the Moet and Veuve you like. Have I missed something?”
“Absolutely. It’s a dreadful crime and you’re personally responsible. The worst thing a host could do.”
He had no idea what she was talking about. “What’s that?”
She smiled suddenly and that knocked him for six even more. “You’re standing between a woman and her food.”
Her fingers on his chest, she pushed him aside and stepped toward the buffet table.
And he liked it, liked the feel of her little hand on him, liked the way she took control. This was a woman he could have some fun with.
He watched as she scanned the buffet, plate in hand, a small furrow forming on her brow in concentration. Her fingers hovered over the tempura prawns and spring rolls as though the future of the world depended on the decision. Her expression then relaxed as she placed one of each on her plate.
T
he world was safe after all.
She wasn’t trying to look cute. There was nothing self-conscious or contrived about her movements. She
was simply choosing what to eat and had no idea how alluring she looked. There was a naturalness about her which made her all the more attractive.
Daniel was
pleased with what he saw. Her arms were slim and toned as she reached across for another morsel. The movement caused her sleeveless top to ride up, exposing the pale flesh of her hip above her low-waisted evening pants. He saw the dip of her waist and the curve of her hip, then too quickly it was once again covered as she straightened.
If s
he were any other woman, he’d have reached out and taken what he wanted but she’d made it clear they were playing by her rules. For now, anyway.
Holding the prawn by its tail, she took a large bite and turned around, seemingly surprised to see him still standing there.
“Did I really commit such a terrible crime?” he asked.
She chewed thoughtfully, forcing him to wait for his answer. “Absolutely.”
“Are you going to punish me?”
His eyes narrowed as he thought how much fun it
would be to let her punish him. It could bring him hours of amusement and pleasure.
Her lips curled to a mi
schievous smile. “Twenty lashes. Or perhaps you should be exiled to your penthouse.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Alone?”
“Naturally. What kind of punishment would it be if you were allowed to have friends?”