Roses For Sophie (3 page)

‘Hi.' Logan stood automatically, but his brain was so busy rejecting what was happening, he didn't even introduce himself.

This couldn't be happening. Surely Sophie Hamilton had been shown to the wrong table?

She extended her hand in a very business-like gesture. All his senses were on high alert and his awareness of her was acute. The second he accepted her hand, a powerful pulse of energy raced up his arm and sent arrows of desire shooting straight to his groin.

No way! That he was growing hard just shaking her hand was a reaction way over the top. Yes, she was beautiful, but hey, all the women he dated were equally as stunning and his body didn't normally behave like that of a hormone-driven adolescent.

Judging from the red flush that stole from under the neckline of her dress all the way up to her cheeks, he wasn't the only one who was affected. The instant they'd touched, her gorgeous green eyes had widened before her gaze flew to where he'd enclosed her soft hand in the strength of his. For a fraction of a second her business-like demeanour had slipped. Oh yeah. She was just as aware of this incredibly strong sexual pull between them. That knowledge made him go a little easier on himself.

Reluctantly, he released her hand.

His eyes were drawn to the slender column of her neck as her throat moved up and down with a nervous swallow.

‘There was an accident in the Harbour Tunnel and the traffic was horrendous. When I went to call the restaurant to explain, I found I couldn't get any reception,' she said while her hands made a few little movements of helplessness. It seemed to Logan as though she were trying to pull herself together. ‘I'm sorry I couldn't let you know I was on my way.'

‘Not at all,' he dismissed easily. Fifteen minutes or so was hardly a long time.

Incredible. This was no mistake. Clearly Sophie
was
here to meet him. Just how had Melissa managed to pull this off and what was he going to do about it?

Sophie sat down with a fluid grace that was beautifully feminine, but her expression was shuttered. The aura of untouchability about her was back firmly in place. There was a hint of the ice that the media had labelled her with.

A combination of anticipation and hesitancy washed through him. What was her connection with Melissa? Why would a woman like Sophie — one of the wealthiest women in Australia — agree to a temporary marriage of convenience, and why did Melissa think she'd be suitable for the role? A dozen questions hammered in his brain and he was impatient to have them answered, but for the moment he sat down as the waiter unfolded their napkins.

‘May I bring you our wine list?' the waiter asked.

‘I've just ordered a bottle of Margaret River Merlot,' Logan replied, wishing the man would disappear rapidly.

The smile Sophie gave the waiter was warmer than the one she'd given Logan, and something about that rankled him. ‘The merlot will be lovely, thank you.'

While the waiter fussed with removing the white wine glasses, Logan took the opportunity to study his surprise date. Every feature, from her slender nose, high cheekbones and generously full mouth, was sheer perfection on her finely boned face. But, her expression was still guarded and strained.

‘I'll see that the wine and your menus are on their way,' the waiter told them as he departed.

Sophie shifted restlessly on her chair. ‘Thank you for waiting for me. I'm generally a stickler for being on time.' The nervous tension in her voice was unmistakable and made Logan grow more intrigued by the second. The woman was no nervous debutante. Her upbringing and social status should make her the epitome of a sophisticated woman, yet she seemed to switch between being self-assured and in control one moment and self-conscious and awkward the next, blushing like a young girl on her first date.

Again he wondered what would make her agree to Melissa's mad proposal. Was her grandfather behind this…? Rigby Carlisle had made overtures years ago for a share in Logan's company. Only a couple of months ago, Carlisle had approached him again to see whether Logan was interested in purchasing a diamond mine in Australia's north. Logan had declined at the time, unwilling to forge any Australian connections. Now he planned to live in Australia, maybe the mine would be worth looking into, if it were still for sale.

The octogenarian was well known for the games he played. Would he use his granddaughter to try to manipulate Logan? It was possible.

Logan sat back, wondering how this evening was going to play out. He hadn't felt so intrigued in ages. Come to think of it, he'd never felt so intrigued.

‘You probably thought I wasn't coming,' she said. ‘I wasn't even sure whether you'd still be here.'

‘I'm glad I'm still here, but I'm curious as to why you agreed to this.'

His eyes were drawn to her hands. Her long fingers with their glossy, lacquered nails pinched the white linen tablecloth at the edge of the table in a gesture that was pure stress. As he looked up, he noticed her chest rise and fall quickly with her shallow breaths. The next moment a change seemed to come over her. Her back straightened as she drew herself more upright and her jaw firmed.

‘At this stage I'm going to keep my reasons to myself,' she said in a boardroom voice. ‘The point of tonight is simply to see whether or not this is workable between us, and to talk terms.'

Ah. In that split second she was all Ice Princess and the vibe she was giving off was definitely designed to keep him at a distance. Right. That was never going to happen. There'd be no distance between them unless he chose for there to be, and at the moment, all his base needs urged him to get closer to Sophie Hamilton. Much closer. If there was one thing Logan loved it was a challenge.

‘We both know that this is strictly business,' she stated succinctly, ‘and I need to make sure you understand my terms.'

From what he understood, Sophie Hamilton played a key role in the management of Carlisle Mining and also sat on a number of boards of high-powered Australian corporations. It was hardly surprising, given the corporate power she wielded, that she thought she'd be the powerbroker here, but Logan wasn't used to being dictated to by anyone, and he wasn't about to get used to it any time soon.

For now, he'd go along with Sophie and see how this played out. Melissa had never mentioned the connection between the women. Still, his sister had been right that on paper, Sophie would be an ideal candidate to present to the courts as his wife, because she was known to adore children. He'd read somewhere that Sophie had been declared Australian of the Year last year in recognition of her work for children's charities. That had to be a bonus in the eyes of the court, and surely it indicated there was a heart beating under the icy exterior she was presenting to him.

A temporary marriage deal between them might get Logan what he wanted, but what was in this for Sophie?

Sophie raised one hand and pushed a couple of stray tendrils of stunning red hair back behind her ears. Logan knew an urge to reach over and release the clips that fastened her hair in the confines of the style she wore. He wanted to see her hair cascade loosely around her shoulders. Logan may not decide to go through with a temporary marriage to Sophie, but he would have her as his lover. Hell, he wanted that red hair fanned out about her on his pillow, and caressing his naked flesh as she bent over him to…

The waiter arrived with their menus and wine and hovered while Logan tasted and approved the fine merlot. Sophie gave the menu a cursory glance and ordered. Logan ordered the first thing he saw, wanting to get rid of the waiter and hear more of what Sophie had to say.

‘Tonight we need to lay down the ground rules, agree to the terms and duration of the contract, and negotiate the payment,' she continued in utterly business-like tones as soon as the waiter left.

His features tightened in response to her mention of payment. With all her wealth, why was she so keen to discuss payment? Suddenly the business-like terms regarding marriage seemed completely inappropriate. He almost said,
‘Forget it, sweetheart,
' but he wanted to know just where she was heading with this and why.

Summoning a cool smile to mask his feelings, he said, ‘You don't mince your words.'

‘I don't have time for that.'

That much was true. Charlotte's preliminary custody hearing was set down for a fortnight's time.

‘Why are you doing this?' he pushed.

‘You don't need to know my reasons; we simply need to come to an arrangement tonight.'

Logan's eyes didn't miss the trembling of Sophie's hand as she reached for her glass. That she was nervous about this and not as callous as her words and manner indicated made him wonder whether the Ice Princess persona was an act she adopted for her own self-protection in the cut-throat world of corporate business, and as a defence against the relentless media pack.

He relaxed a little. In his mind's eye he remembered the genuine warmth of her smile when she'd thanked the waiter, and the heated blush at his touch. There was definitely a human female under the cool executive exterior. Now, he just needed to get her to relax so he could get to know that woman.

‘I think we should have dinner, get to know each other a little and see if this is going to work before we get down to terms,' he suggested.

‘Okay.' She threw a brisk business-like nod in his direction, but didn't look at him. ‘We'll make sure we can be comfortable enough with each other or nobody is ever going to believe we're in a relationship, and there won't be any need for a contract.'

For a woman who was so beautifully feminine she acted in a commanding way that rankled. Damn that! He'd rankle her. He'd had enough of the boardroom demeanour. He was only interested in her bedroom demeanour. The Ice Princess needed to be melted, and he was just the man to do it.

Determined to succeed, he reached across the table and covered her hands with one of his. There was surprise in her eyes as the current instantly arced between them again. Her outward show of confidence evaporated like early morning mist and she became flustered. The Ice Princess mask slipped again for a few seconds as she reacted to his touch.

‘Mutual attraction is a great start,' he acknowledged. ‘I don't think we'll have any problems convincing anyone that we're in a relationship — particularly if we make the relationship real.'

She pulled her hands away abruptly. ‘Now, hang on a minute. Let's get one thing absolutely crystal clear. This is a business arrangement, pure and simple. There's no chance of a personal relationship developing between us.'

He raised an eyebrow in deliberate challenge. ‘There's a strong physical awareness between us. We're both adults. Is there any reason to deny what we both want?'

‘I do not want a relationship with you.' She rubbed one hand over the other as though she were still aware of his touch. ‘I don't even know you.'

‘A situation we're about to remedy.'

‘No. Don't think for a moment that this will be anything more than an act.' She shifted on her seat. ‘Is that perfectly clear?'

The very tone she adopted, addressing him as though he were a child who'd been called in to the principal's office, was one calculated to maintain control. That tone might work on other men, but Logan would never be controlled by any woman.

‘We'll get to know each other on a surface level only,' she underlined.

Deciding to see if he could ruffle her a little more and get her to drop the mask entirely, he sent her a lazy smile and leant back casually in his chair. ‘I don't do surface knowledge, Sophie. Any woman I'm involved with I know thoroughly.' His gaze drifted to trace over the swell of her breasts. ‘Deeply.' He let his eyes zone in on her lips. ‘Inside and out.'

Her lips parted and her eyes widened. Her surprise quickly turned to an expression of outrage. ‘You've clearly misunderstood. That isn't part of the deal. I'm going to have to find another solution. I can't go through with this. Sue was wrong to suggest it.'

‘Sue? Who the hell is Sue?'

‘My friend.'

Logan frowned. If Sue had suggested this, how did Melissa fit into the picture?

‘The one who booked you,' she whispered fiercely, as she must have finally registered the lack of comprehension in his expression.

Booked him?
The words demanded clarification. ‘Melissa didn't arrange for you to be here tonight?'

Now Sophie frowned at him and looked totally confused. ‘Melissa? No. Who's she? Does she run the agency you work for?'

Logan tensed. For a few seconds, he sat utterly still, assessing her words. The whole time they'd been talking at cross-purposes. By some weird twist of fate, the woman who was supposed to have dined with him hadn't turned up and Sophie had been shown to the wrong table. ‘Sophie —'

‘Look,' she declared, ‘I'm not staying, but you'll still be paid for tonight and I'll leave my credit card details with the waiter to cover your dinner.'

Logan fought to keep a straight face as her mention of payment confirmed what he suspected. ‘You booked an escort tonight.'

‘Ssh,' she hissed through her teeth as her gaze darted around frantically to make sure nobody had overheard. ‘Yes. Well, my friend did. But I should never have gone along with it. This was a very bad idea.'

She had that right! For starters, such a beautiful woman should never need to hire an escort, and he wanted to know why she'd felt compelled to do it. Secondly, she hadn't bothered to confirm his identity when she'd first sat down. With no inkling of who Logan was — probably due to his recently altered appearance — she could've just divulged her plan to anyone and left herself very vulnerable.

Logan wanted answers, and he needed to set her straight about who he was. He also wanted Sophie. There was no mistake about that. Fate had definitely sent her his way. Maybe she wasn't the candidate he required to act as his temporary wife, but he sure wanted her as his temporary lover and he wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Once she knew the truth of his identity and they cleared up this misunderstanding, they could start again.