A Night With Consequences Read Free

colouring and made her look alive and vibrant and very, very pretty—even though she wore no make-up and her hair was tied back in its usual functional style.
    Blake too had foregone the dark suits he wore for the office and was wearing an impeccable ivory linen suit which contrasted against the tanned darkness of his skin, making her feel deathly pale by comparison. His jacket had by now been discarded, and although his dark hair was brushed back in its usual style a few strands had been loosened by the wind, making him look younger and less fearsome—and more frighteningly human!
    ‘Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?’ he suggested softly.
    A frisson of something Kara failed to recognise shivered through her. It felt dangerous. ‘What is there to tell that you don’t already know?’
    ‘I know nothing,’ he said, ‘except that you apparently spend most of your time looking after your motherinstead of getting out and enjoying yourself. It’s very creditable, of course, but I’m sure she would be the first to agree that you need a life of your own.’
    ‘I am not unhappy doing what I do. Since my father died she has no one—why shouldn’t I spend my time with her?’ Her voice rose defensively without her even realising it.
    ‘I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t, but you should try and maintain a balance too. You’re like me, an only child, so at least we have something in common. What was your childhood like? Did you have lots of friends when you were younger or have you always been a stay-at-home girl?’
    ‘Pretty much,’ she admitted.
    ‘Did you have a happy childhood? What was your father like?’
    ‘Why all the questions?’ she asked, her voice unconsciously sharp. He had touched a raw spot. There was no way in this world that she was going to tell him what a rotten father she had had, and that even now he was dead he had left them with a whole host of new problems. ‘I thought we were supposed to be going over the conference notes?’ She inched away from him, curling herself into the corner, unconsciously using the defensive posture she had always adopted when her father threatened her.
    Blake’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘You’re right. It should be business.’ But he could not help wondering why Kara was so averse to talking about herself—or her father. Perhaps she had loved him so much that she found the loss still painful? The way she had turned in on herself when he mentioned him suggested that.
    He had no idea how long it had been since her father’s death, but could not remember her asking for time off to attend his funeral so it must have been before she’d started working for him.
    A pity she did not want to talk. He would have enjoyed finding out more about her. She intrigued him. Overnight she had practically turned from an ugly duckling into a swan, knocking him for six in her tight-fitting jeans and hot pink sweater. He had not wanted to take his eyes off her. Unless the dark suits were her office uniform and outside of work she always dressed like this! It would be interesting to see what she had brought with her for the conference.
    He opened his laptop, staring at the screen without truly seeing it. All he could see was Kara. The intriguingly, surprisingly beautiful Kara. He could not understand why she kept her raw beauty hidden. She had truly fine features—her nose with a delightful little curve at the tip, amazing blue eyes, and a cupid’s bow of infinitely kissable lips. They all begged to be explored.
    Kara was glad that Blake had stopped asking questions. She had begun to feel suffocated—or was the rapid beat of her heart caused by a surprising and unwarranted attraction towards him? Her father had banned her from having boyfriends, and even after his death she had never found the time or the inclination. So this was the first occasion she had ever been close to a man who had shown an interest in her, and she found it a scary