The Passion Price by Miranda Lee Page B

Alex?’ Arnold said when she cornered him in the barrel room of the winery five minutes later.
    â€˜The man with the woman who’s buying your place is Alex’s father,’ Angelina explained reluctantly. ‘All right?’
    Arnold’s eyes rounded. ‘Heaven be praised! Just as well Antonio isn’t here, or there’d be hell to pay. But he’s not here, Angelina, so why keep the boy a secret?’
    â€˜Only for a little while, Arnold. I will tell Jake. But in my own good time. OK?’
    â€˜Has this Jake turned into a decent kind of chap?’
    Decent. Now, decent was a subjective word.
    â€˜He’s a lawyer,’ she said.
    â€˜Nothing wrong with lawyers. At least he’s got a job. Things could be worse.’
    Angelina nodded. ‘You’re so right. Things could be worse.’
    But not much.

CHAPTER FIVE
    â€˜Y OU don’t look too pleased,’ Dorothy said within seconds of leaving the Ambrosia Estate. ‘Did the lovely Angelina surprise you this time by saying no?’
    Jake’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. ‘Things didn’t go exactly according to plan. But I haven’t given up yet.’
    â€˜Good.’
    Jake’s eyes slanted over towards Dorothy. ‘You mean my old flame has your tick of approval?’
    â€˜She’s a big improvement on your last few girlfriends,’ Dorothy said in her usual droll fashion. ‘And she’d be very convenient, considering where I’ll be living soon. I’ll have no worries about seeing you regularly if you start going out with a local girl.’
    â€˜I have to get her to drop some guy named Alex first.’
    â€˜You’ve never had any trouble getting your girlfriends to drop their old boyfriends before.’
    â€˜This one sounds formidable. A poor little rich boy. Very good-looking. Lives in Sydney. Too bad I didn’t find out his last name. I could have had him investigated. From the sound of things, they don’t get together all that often. He’s probably two-timing her with some city chick. Guys like that are never faithful.’
    â€˜You’d know.’
    â€˜Dorothy Landsdale, I’ll have you know I’ve always been faithful to my girlfriends!’
    â€˜Oh, I don’t doubt it. They don’t last long enough for you to do the dirty on them. Every few weeks it’s out with the old and in with the new.’
    Jake didn’t like the flavour of this conversation. Dorothy was making him sound as if he was some kind of serial sleazebag where women were concerned. Angelina had inferred the same thing.
    â€˜I can well understand Angelina not jumping at the chance of being next in line,’ Dorothy went on before Jake could defend himself. ‘She might like a bit more security in her relationships. And a possible future.’
    â€˜I’ll have you know she’s no more interested in marriage and having a family than I am. She told me so. She’s a career girl.’
    â€˜What? Oh, I find that hard to believe. That girl has marriage and motherhood written all over her.’
    â€˜You’re just saying that because she’s Italian.’
    â€˜Not at all. I’ve known enough career women in my life to recognise one when I meet her. If Angelina Mastroianni is a career woman, then I’m…I’m Marilyn Monroe!’
    Jake laughed. ‘In that case, perhaps I should be relieved that she said no to me.’
    â€˜Perhaps you should.’
    But he wasn’t relieved. He was annoyed. And frustrated. And jealous as hell of this Alex bloke.
    Angelina belonged to him . She’d always belonged to him.
    The sudden primitiveness—and possessiveness —of his thoughts stunned Jake. This wasn’t him. This was some other man, some caveman who believed that his taking a female’s virginity gave him the rights to her body forever.
    Logic told Jake this was crazy thinking. But logic