Callum put his arm around his sister’s shoulders as Tasha and Riley walked across the lawn in the direction of the cottage.
‘You OK, sis?’ he asked, concerned for her.
She didn’t respond immediately, but just when he was getting worried, Erin looked up and beamed at him. ‘Can you imagine, I’m going to be in all the papers kissing gorgeous Riley Sharp. Isn’t that amazing?’
He wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but not wishing to ruin her excitement Callum sighed. ‘I’ve no idea why you find that thought appealing.’
She glowered at him. ‘Why shouldn’t I?’
Was she serious? Callum decided not to get into an argument with his sister when their grandfather’s party was still going strong.
18
TASHA
‘And you didn’t know anything about Dale’s plans?’
‘What do you take me for?’
Tasha thought it best not to answer that question. She studied Riley’s earnest expression, searching for clues that he was lying. She reminded herself he was an actor and that pretending was what he did best, so she gave up.
‘Fine. But I think you should get Dale on the phone and have a word with him.’
He shrugged and shook his head as he poured himself a beer. ‘Why? There’s no point now, is there? You said yourself that the photos would already be out there.’
Did he really think that, or was it just that Riley didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings but his own? ‘What about Erin?’
‘What about her?’ He took a sip and seemed genuinely confused.
‘How do you think she’s going to look to her clients when they see her kissing you in the garden?’
He considered her question for a moment and his cocky attitude petered off slightly. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’
Of course he hadn’t. How typical. ‘And what about Brooke?’ she asked, picturing Riley’s tall, glamorous girlfriend, a spoilt woman used to getting her own way. Not that Tasha was surprised about how Brooke behaved; she’d grown up as the only child of a wealthy hotelier father and model mother, and was one of the main characters in the top reality TV series currently on television. ‘How do you think she’ll react when she sees the photos?’
Riley leant against the granite worktop in the kitchen and closed his eyes, groaning. ‘She’ll go ballistic.’
She will, Tasha thought, not looking forward to the fallout when the pair next saw each other. ‘And knowing Brooke, she’ll have words to say to poor Erin too.’
He winced. ‘She will, won’t she?’
‘Yes.’ When would he ever learn? Tasha wondered. ‘You’re going to have to get to Brooke first before she tracks Erin down. Somehow smooth the waters or at least warn Erin about her. As far as you know, Erin might not even know you have a girlfriend.’
‘Brooke isn’t my girlfriend. We broke up.’ He gave a triumphant shrug.
Tasha had worked for the man long enough to suspect he wasn’t being completely truthful. ‘You mean you had another argument after you made up the other day?’
‘We did, as a matter of fact.’
Was the man determined to annoy her? ‘Well, did you just have an argument or did you actually break up? Because if you didn’t finish things with Brooke she probably just thinks you’re sulking and has no clue the relationship has ended.’
‘You can be really annoying sometimes, Tasha. Has anyone ever told you that?’
How typical of Riley to turn the focus onto her. ‘I’d place money on the fact that you didn’t tell Brooke things were over between you. And that’s just not fair. I know it might be news to you, Riley, but most men don’t go around kissing other women when they already have a girlfriend.’
‘Are you sure about that?’ he asked, seeming genuinely perplexed by the notion.
Riley’s phone rang, saving her from arguing her point any longer. When he didn’t bother picking up his phone, Tasha did. She looked at the screen.
