Page 37 of Betrayal

“When my last book made theNew York TimesBestsellers list.”

“And you kept his grovel a secret until now?

“You’ve been busy, I’ve been busy.”Kate waved a hand in the air.“To be honest, I forgot until now.”

“I love Liam.”

“He’s already taken.”

“I love him because until you met him, you never fully believed in yourself as a writer.You never stopped writing, but you’re freer now, bolder.”Anna wanted that for herself.

Her sister’s smile was that of a woman deeply, happily in love.“Tell me more about Hunter.”

“H.S.Thompson.So much about him doesn’t make sense.For a start, he lives above his current headquarters.He’s designed the place to suit his every need, but the story is he needs a new headquarters, only now he’s devoting a floor to a childcare centre.”

“Does he have a plausible explanation?”

“He’s expanding.But he was doing that before this latest purchase and kept his HQ in the same place.”

“Are you sure you’re not overthinking this?”Kate paused long enough to select a ripe tomato.“He’s bought a medium rise in a prime location.If his business is growing, it makes sense to join the monied class closer to the heart of the city.”

“There’s something wrong.”Anna frowned.“I haven’t worked it out yet.”

“Will you ever be able to take a man at face value?”Kate asked gently.

“Maybelline, can you hear the rubbish coming out of your mouth?”Anna jumped to her feet and circled the room before her pacing brought her to a halt in front of her sister.“Caution is our middle name.”

“My next female lead will be called Prudence, and she’ll be anything but.”Kate bit into her tomato, her teeth snapping shut on the hapless fruit.

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”Anna plopped back into the opposite armchair, letting out a long sigh.“I fancied him on sight.Then I discovered he was the enemy and wanted to despise him.Except, everything I’ve learned about him makes me like him.He doesn’t have a fake lifestyle.He doesn’t have fake friends ...”

“I trust your judgement.”

“You have to.You love me.But I need these little signposts.Dad is so plausible.He was plausible even at his philandering worst.”

“So, what happens next?”Kate eyed her plate before selecting a toast triangle and smearing it with avocado.

“I’ve accepted an invitation to a party on Saturday night at Rose Bay.An old friend of his mother’s.”

“And?”

“It’s our first real date, and he sounded weird about it.”Weird in that he’d implied he’d only attend if Anna went with him.Not a date then.An ambush for one of them?

“Wasn’t tonight a date?”

“I made it a date.We had a business meeting, and I asked him to show me his place.”

Her sister stayed silent.

“Okay, then I suggested we have something to eat and a drink.”

“I imagine there was no—” Kate circled a hand in the air.

“I kissed him goodbye.”Anna crossed her arms, then uncrossed them.“Okay, he kissed me goodbye too.It was only then he asked me to go to this party.”

“Rose Bay’s the top end of town.Maybe he wants to show you off.”

“I’m not a trophy.”But he has a reputation as a womaniser as well as a corporate raider, yet he doesn’t act like either.