Jennifer Lewis – A Trap So Tender (страница 1)
“Everyone’s captive in one way or another.”
“Are you?” Had he moved closer? His male scent—expensive wool and subtle musk—tickled her senses.
“Absolutely.” His voice was a low growl that took her by surprise, but not as much as the way he stepped in, lifted her chin deftly with his fingers and pressed his lips softly to hers.
His low moan in her ear made her desire surge.
Was there magic in this place? If so, it might be the dark and scary kind. She certainly didn’t feel fully in control of this situation—or even herself—at this moment.
And there was that family curse to contend with …
His kiss was alternately fierce and tender, drawing her in and taking her breath away. She’d never been kissed like this.
Dear Reader,
In this book, I was able to give free rein to my passion for castles by creating one for my characters. In the British Isles most castles have been destroyed in one conflict or another, and their ruins dominate the landscape around them with an air of romance and drama. A few medieval castles have resisted the attacks of successive marauders and stand as mighty as when they were built, including Edinburgh and Stirling castles in Scotland.
For this book I had fun imagining an even more ancient castle, with parts dating back to when the Romans attempted—unsuccessfully—to occupy Scotland. My imaginary castle is the seat of the ancient Drummond family, and their impressive legacy has become something of a burden to the man who inherits it. It takes a woman from far away to shake him out of his ordered existence and make him see his majestic home with fresh eyes. I hope you enjoy James and Fiona’s story.
Best wishes,
About the Author
JENNIFER LEWIS has been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember and is thrilled to be able to share them with readers. She has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and worked in media and the arts before she grew bold enough to put pen to paper. She would love to hear from readers at jen@jenlewis.com. Visit her website at www.jenlewis.com.
A Trap
So Tender
Jennifer Lewis
For Mia
One
Her enemy was handsome. Slate-gray eyes, dark hair and aristocratic features—every inch the Scottish laird.
She shook his offered hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Fiona Lam.”
“James Drummond.”
“Really?” One elegant eyebrow raised.
“I sold my first business and I’m looking around for new opportunities. Do you work here?”
“Sometimes.” He still held her hand. Cheeky devil. No wonder he had a reputation as a ladies’ man. “I have a place in Scotland.”
The grand estate she’d heard about. She didn’t care about that. She did want her hand back, though. It was getting hotter, and an unpleasant tingling sensation had started to trickle up her arm. She gave a firm tug and he released her fingers with the ghost of a smile.
She tried not to shake out her hand. “I’ve heard Scotland’s beautiful.”
“If you like mist and heather.” His steely gaze was totally unblinking. No wonder he intimidated his business rivals.
“You don’t?”
“I inherited them. Don’t really need to have an opinion. Can I get you a drink?”
“Champagne.” She sagged with relief as he turned to find a waiter. This guy was pretty intense. Which was fine. She didn’t have to like him.
She just needed him to like her.
He returned with two bubbling glasses and handed her one. No one had warned her he was so good-looking. It was more than a little disconcerting. In her experience venture capitalists were usually men in their sixties with hair growing out of their ears. She sipped, then tried not to sneeze as the bubbles tickled the back of her throat. She wasn’t a big fan of booze, but she wanted to look as if she fit into James Drummond’s rarefied world.
He raised his sculpted chin. “What brings you to Singapore?”
“I’m looking into a couple of business opportunities.”
Again, his brow lifted. “I’m in business myself. What do you do?”
“I just sold a company that makes decals. Smileworks.” The name usually made people smile. It made her smile and she was still sad to have sold it. But not sad about all the money she’d made on the deal.
“I read about the buyout. Congratulations. That was quite a coup.”
The sparkle of interest in his eyes had intensified. She felt a tiny rush of power—or was it pleasure? “Thanks. It was fun building Smileworks but I’d taken it as far as I could.”
“So what’s next for you?” He leaned forward, clearly intrigued.
She shrugged, annoyed to notice that her nipples had tightened beneath her black cocktail dress and hoping he wouldn’t notice. “Not sure yet. I’ll have to see what sparks my imagination.”
In his dark gray suit and dark gray tie, James Drummond was sparking her imagination in all kinds of undesirable directions. He was so buttoned down that the prospect of tearing off his crisp white shirt or running fevered fingers through his carefully combed hair seemed an intriguing challenge.
Was it wise to bed an enemy? Probably not, but a little flirtation couldn’t hurt. She needed to gain his trust, then figure out how to buy—or steal—her father’s factory back.
She managed another sip of the unfamiliar champagne. She had to stay focused. Her dad needed her and at last she could prove to him she cared. It wasn’t her fault she’d grown up nine thousand miles away, calling another man Daddy. She hadn’t planned the first two decades of her life but she was in charge of the rest and she intended to right some of the wrongs that had been committed against Walter Chen. Starting with the wrongs committed by one James Drummond.
They left the cocktail party together, and James’s driver took them to Rain, the hottest new restaurant, where even he had to pull strings to get a reservation.
“This place is stunning. I had no idea Singapore had so much nightlife.” She stared around at the minimalist decor with its cool green lighting. “Clearly, I need to get out more.”
“Got to keep the worker bees happy or we’d all fly off somewhere else.”
He sat opposite her, pleased by the surprise of having dinner with a beautiful woman who’d been in his life for only one hour. Fiona had his attention. Her company, Smileworks, had created an international splash with its funky graphics and new concepts for things to stick decals to—like walls. That she’d already sold it and banked more money than most people made in a lifetime was impressive.
And she was beautiful as well as smart, with dramatic dark eyes framed by slightly arched brows, and a full mouth that begged to be kissed. Her American accent had surprised him, and added to the layers of intrigue. She was exactly the kind of woman he could see himself marrying.
And he needed to marry.
The waiter gave them shiny black menus. He watched her eyelashes flick lower as she scanned hers. Then she looked up and transfixed him with those bright eyes. “What do you recommend?”
“I’ve heard it’s all good, but I can lend my personal recommendation to the sea urchin.”
Her eyes widened. “I had no idea those were edible.”
The waiter showed him a bottle of his favorite wine and he nodded. When the waiter had filled their glasses and left, he leaned in. “Last time I had the pigeon. That was good, too. All depends on whether you want to eat creatures of land, sea or air.”
She laughed. “How about a pond?”
“The duck is very tender.” He smiled and lifted his glass to her. “And I expect they could even make pond weed taste good if they wanted.”
“A little salt and pepper, sauté it with garlic?” Humor sparkled in her lovely eyes. Then she raised her glass and took a sip. “That’s some good wine.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “At four hundred dollars a bottle it should be. I like it.”
“You spend more time in Singapore than Scotland?” She unfurled her napkin as she asked.
“I do. Scotland’s not exactly an international business hub.” Funny how she hadn’t even asked him what he did yet. That was refreshing. Being new to Singapore, she obviously had no idea of his reputation, which was also a plus. It got tiresome explaining to people that you weren’t a vulture, or—lately—that vultures played an important role in the circle of life. “You can work from anywhere these days. I do most of my work over the internet.”
“I do, too, but nothing beats meeting people face-to-face.” Fiona’s face was lovely. Smooth skin with a radiant glow that contrasted with thick dark hair that swept to her shoulders. He wanted to run his fingers through that hair.
And if all went according to his current plan, he would.