Forbidden or For Bedding?

Forbidden or For Bedding? Read Free Page A

Book: Forbidden or For Bedding? Read Free
Author: Julia James
Ads: Link
history?’
    â€˜That’s them!’ Imogen trilled. ‘One of the über -dynasties across the Channel. Utterly rolling in it. Made pots of money in every country in Europe for the last two hundred years,’ she reeled off. ‘Just about financed the Industrial Revolution and bankrolled merchant fleets to every far-flung colony. They’re so seriously into money and survival they even made it pretty much intact through the last century—both the World Wars, not to mention the Cold War—probably because they had family on every side going. And now they are riding higher than ever, despite the recession. And a lot of that is due to Guy de Rochement. He’s the whiz-kid that’s propelled the bank into the twenty-first century, and the whole vast clan just slobbers all over him because he’s raking in the loot for them.
    Her voice changed, adopting that husky tone again. ‘Mind you, I’d take a punt it’s the females in the family that do the most slobbering. Just like the females outside the family! I was practically salivating down the phone, and I was only speaking to his PA.’
    Alexa cut to the chase again. Imogen was clearly bowled over by this Guy guy, whoever he was, and Alexa had certainly never heard of him.
    â€˜So what’s the deal, Immie?’ she asked.
    â€˜The deal , darling, is that he’s interested in being painted by you!’ cooed Imogen dramatically. ‘And if he goes for it you’ll be made , my sweet. No more dull old suits and cigars. You’ll be able to take your pick of the A-listers—the really fab ones, up in the stratosphere. They’re all as vain as peacocks, and they’ll just snap you up. You’ll be rolling in it!’
    Alexa made a wry little face to herself. The whole portraiture kick had been Imogen’s idea. When they’d both emerged from art college several years ago, her fellow student and friend had announced straight away that she was never going to be good enough to make anything out of art, and she was going to go into commercial management.
    â€˜And you’ll be first on my books!’ she’d informed Alexa gaily. ‘I’ll make you pots of money, see if I don’t. No starving in garrets eating the acrylics for you, I promise!’
    â€˜I’m not really very interested in making money out of art,’ Alexa had temporised.
    â€˜Yes, well,’ Imogen had retorted, and Alexa knew there had been a touch of condemnation in her voice, ‘not all of us can afford to be so high-minded.’
    Then, immediately seeing the flash of pain in Alexa’s eyes, she’d backtracked, hugging her friend.
    â€˜I’m sorry. My mouth sometimes… Forgive me?’
    She’d been contrite, honestly so, and Alexa had nodded, hugging her back.
    Imogen’s family—large and rambling and open-hearted—had taken Alexa in, literally, during that first terrible term at art school, when Alexa’s parents had been killed in a plane crash while coming back from holiday. Imogen and her family had got her through that nightmare time, giving her a refuge in her stricken grief, as well as helping her with all the practical fall-out from their deaths, whichhad included sorting out the best thing to do with what she had inherited. It was not vast riches by any means, but prudently invested it had provided Alexa with enough to buy a flat, pay her student fees and living expenses, and yield a small but sufficient income that meant she would have the luxury of not having to rely exclusively on her artistic career to live.
    Even so, Imogen was dead set on turning her friend into a high-flyer in the art world.
    â€˜With your fantastic looks it’s a dead cert!’ she’d enthused.
    â€˜I thought it was whether I was any good or not,’ Alexa had replied dryly.
    â€˜Yeah, right. That as well, OK. But come on—we know what makes the world go round,

Similar Books

The Good Student

Stacey Espino

Fallen Angel

Melissa Jones

Detection Unlimited

Georgette Heyer

In This Rain

S. J. Rozan

Meeting Mr. Wright

Cassie Cross