The Passion Price by Miranda Lee Page A

have to weigh up the pros and cons of lunching with Jake before his call. If she thought there was any danger of making a fool of herself, she would not go.
    â€˜I’ll look forward to ringing you,’ Jake said, and slipped his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. ‘Meanwhile, surely you have some questions for yours truly? Don’t you want to know how come I’m a lawyer and not in jail?’
    Angelina shook her head at him in frustration. He was like a rolling bulldozer, difficult to stop.
    â€˜I’m sure you’re going to tell me, whether I want to hear or not.’
    â€˜You want to hear,’ he said cheekily. ‘You know you do.’
    So Angelina listened—yes, in rapt silence—whilst he told her everything that had happened to him since that fateful night. She marvelled at his good fortune, and couldn’t help feeling a bit proud of him. Both Dorothy and her husband had clearly been wonderful, but Jake must have worked very hard to accomplish what he had.
    Not that she intended telling him that. He was smug enough as it was.
    â€˜And to think I worried myself sick that I’d been responsible for your going to jail,’ she said when he finished his tale of miracles.
    â€˜Did you really? Oh, that’s sweet. But you were sweet back then. Very sweet.’
    â€˜Don’t count on my being so sweet now, lover-boy. I’ve grown up. I might not live in the big bad city but a number of Sydney’s more successful swinging singles have stayed at the Ambrosia Estate over the years. I know all about men like you.’
    He laughed. ‘Tell me about men like me.’
    â€˜You work hard and you play hard.’
    â€˜True.’ He picked up his coffee-cup again.
    â€˜You like your own way and you don’t always stick to the rules.’
    â€˜Mmm. True, I guess.’ And smiled at her over the rim of the cup.
    â€˜You’re all commitment-phobic sex addicts who change girlfriends as often as you do your cars.’
    Jake almost choked on the last of his coffee. ‘Now, wait here,’ he spluttered. ‘That’s not quite true.’
    â€˜Which part is not quite true?’ she asked tartly.
    â€˜I’ve only had two cars in the last few years. A navy Mazda and the yellow Ferrari I’m driving today.’
    â€˜Surprising. OK, so what’s the girlfriend count during that time?’
    He looked a bit sheepish. ‘I don’t have that many fingers and toes. But what about you, Miss Tough Cookie? Or shouldn’t I ask?’
    No way could she let him find out there hadn’t been anyone since him. His ego would probably explode. And his predatory nature would go into full pursuit mode.
    â€˜You can ask, but I’m not into the kiss-and-tell scene,’ she tossed off. ‘Let’s just say I’m a big girl now and I run my own race.’
    â€˜Even when your father was alive?’
    â€˜After my not-so-successful rendezvous with you, I learned to be more sneaky.’
    â€˜You’d have to be with a father like yours around,’ came his rueful remark. ‘So! Did your dad like this Alex of yours? Or didn’t he know about him?’
    â€˜He adored Alex.’ Too late, Angelina wished she hadn’t started that silly subterfuge.
    â€˜An Italian, is he?’ Jake said drily.
    â€˜Half. Now, no more questions about Alex, please. Aah, Dorothy’s back,’ she said, spying the lady herself walking along the path towards them, accompanied by a portly, grey-haired man in his fifties. ‘She seems to have brought the real-estate agent with her.’ Fortunately, not one Angelina knew personally.
    But when Dorothy swept in with the news she had secured the property and that she was here to get the owner’s signature on some papers, a panic-stricken Angelina jumped to her feet and offered to find Arnold for them.
    â€˜But why don’t you want them to know about