Chapter One
Jax Maroney had traded clear outback skies forthis.
The exclusive enclave of Armidale in Melbourne, home of Australia's premier jewellers hosting A-listers tonight, and he'd crashed the party.
Damn usurpers. They were more than rivals, they were the enemy. The enemy who deliberately ignored him tonight; who whispered and pointed and glared.
The enemy he'd have to court to achieve his goal.
That irked. He didn't give a damn what they thought of him personally, but needing these people onside in the business arena pissed him off.
Regret pinched his gut, tempered by an ever-present slow-burning anger against the one person who'd landed him in this predicament.
"Careful. Next time the door opens and the wind blows in, your frown will stick."
Surprised anyone had approached him considering his determined distance from the rent-a-crowd at this shindig, he glared at the smart-mouthed blonde, dripping with enough diamonds to keep his Western Australian mine in business for the next decade.
"What's it to you?"
Undeterred by his surliness, her ruby-slicked lips curved into a teasing smile. "The launch of a Seaborn spring collection deserves champagne and caviar and exuberance."
She pointed at his forehead. "That frown you've got going on? Doesn't fit."
"Because most of the snobs here can't move their Botox injected brows?"
His derisive stare swept the designer clad, immaculately coiffed, moneyed crowd who shunned him for the sins of his father.
To his surprise, her smile widened. "You're probably right but you should play nice."
"Why?"
"Because the undercover security doesn't take kindly to boorish types standing back and surveying. They'll think you're a thief."
Her brash glance swept him from head to foot and his gut inexplicably tightened.
When her defiant gaze met his, he swore he glimpsed heat. "On second thoughts, maybe not."
Against his better judgement, he wanted to match wits with the intriguing blonde. People never challenged him; in business or elsewhere.
He liked his women transparent and uncomplicated. The bold blonde? Anything but.
He waved her away. "Shouldn't you be mingling?"
"Shouldn't you be smiling?"
His mouth twitched and she raised a fist in victory. "There. I knew you could do it. Not so hard once you try."
Nonplussed, he shook his head. "Whoareyou?"
She poked out her tongue. "Your worst nightmare, Happy Face."
The laughter spilled from his lips, an oddly alien sound. When was the last time he'd laughed?
"A mouth like that can get you into trouble." His gaze focused on her lips, the glossy sheen highlighting their fullness, and that surprising twinge in his gut moved lower.
She cocked a pretend gun with her thumb and forefinger and pulled the trigger. "I'm all for trouble."
Impressed by her audacity, he decided to call her bluff.
