Title Betrayal—Choosing Family Book 3
Author Jennifer Raines
Genre Contemporary Romance
Publisher Inkspell Publishing
Book Blurb
They are wary of trusting, but … passion has its own rules.
Marketing manager, ANNA TURNER promised reliable, affordable childcare to co-workers under pressure. Proud of negotiating the perfect lease for her employer, a hostile takeover of the building steals her ideal premises.
Architect and property-developer, HUNTER THOMPSON, smells betrayal on his father’s breath. An old pattern, but this time his old man plans a hostile takeover of a building owned by the family who raised Hunter as a second son. Hunter out-manoeuvres his father, buying the building himself.
Attending an industry cocktail party, Anna hears Hunter say her magic word, “architect”. Revealing her ideal childcare centre plan to him, Anna discovers Hunter tore up her precious lease. Anna is breathtaking in her rage. Intrigued, Hunter offers a new lease, with the opportunity to work together.
Hunter can’t risk long term. Anna doesn’t do hook-ups—ever. Hidden within their whirlwind romance and growing trust, secrets resurface with devastating consequences. Anna’s mantra—‘I share myself, you share yourself, if you want to get into my bed’—may not survive.
Excerpt
“This is more important than money.” Anna curled her lip.
“Your childcare centre.” Bea leaned closer and dropped her voice. “I forgot. You were signing the lease for the premises today. Let me get you out of this crowd.” With a few words and a smile, Bea navigated a path through the mass of people away from the packed bar. She made a beeline for the windows overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, then tucked the two of them into a corner. “This is quieter. Tell me.”
“I was meant to sign the lease before the entire building was subject to a hostile takeover. Some infantile troglodyte in a feud with his equally infantile father.”
I worked out too late that competition with some fathers is the first step on the highway to hell.
“Who won?
“The son. And he cancelled all pending leases. From the few business blogs I checked, if one of them sniffs out a distressed estate, the other tries to beat him to the purchase. About as logical as teenage boys in a pissing contest.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” Bea commiserated. “A new owner usually wants to negotiate their own leases. And if the original owner’s in trouble, your lease might have gone pear-shaped in a few months anyway.”
“That’s what Antonio said.”
Anna had been with her boss, Antonio Perez, CEO of Changing Minds, long enough that when she’d approached him about the need for better childcare options for company staff, he’d given her the lead on finding a solution.
“What else did Antonio say?” With four younger sisters, Bea listened to every version of a story before making judgement.
“Sleep on it. We’ll regroup in the morning.” A perfectly rational assessment. Antonio was better at rolling with the punches than Anna was. “Normally I love his positivity, but I’ve promised, Bea.”
Although Anna’s original promise to help hadn’t been to the young mother currently on her team but to three other women two years ago, one of whom was now dead. Tonight’s dress was her roar of frustration at her failure.
“It’s unlike you to promise before you have everything stitched up and in triplicate.”
“A matter of hours before I signed the lease. Due diligence complete. I was as sure as I could be, and Nadia is holding on by the skin of her teeth. Even with Antonio providing financial help, Nadia’s childcare is at one end of town, her crisis accommodation the other, and commuting to the office is an isosceles triangle on steroids. The distances are killing her.” Anna was hoping for a miracle before she had to tell the newly single mother the bad news.
“You can’t save every woman trapped in an abusive relationship.” Bea’s pragmatism was as hard-won as Anna’s determination to make small differences.
“I’m not trying to save every woman. Or even most women. One childcare centre is not a solution to domestic or partner violence, it’s an option for a few women under pressure. Apart from Nadia”—whom Anna would lose if she didn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat—"we have two other employees looking for work closer to their childcare. We don’t want to lose them.”
“What else did Antonio say?”
“The new owner might be financially stretched enough to welcome the offer of a long-term lease on one floor.”
“He’s got a point.”
“You’re right, and the property’s perfect.” Anna sighed. “So I’ll be charm personified when I try to reopen negotiations, even if the owner has an electronic calculator in place of a heart and a father fetish.”
“Who bought it?” Bea prepared for her meetings with meticulous care.
“H. S. Thompson was all the managing agent would give me. Who names their child after a famous dead journalist, for Pete’s sake?”
Bea held up a hand. “So, why didn’t you send an apology for this shindig?”
“Antonio wanted a presence and reminded me it was my turn to come. ‘Cocktail parties loosen tongues and increase personal contacts,’” Anna repeated Antonio’s encouragement.
“Networking—naughty and nice?” Bea grinned. “Bet you didn’t tell him you were gonna wear your Killing Eve dress. He’s an understanding boss, but Antonio was present when you took that last dude down, and it probably wasn’t what he had in mind tonight.”
“I’m wearing it tonight to exorcise my rage, so I can renegotiate from a place of calm.” Anna waved her hand from her head to her belly in a gesture of serenity. “But, you’re right, I should go.”
“On the basis that researching the buyer trumps glad-handing strangers?”
“On the basis I might bite someone’s head off when I’m meant to charm. Like the guy looking this way.” Anna had been aware of the guy for a while. Now, she put her hand on Bea’s arm and adjusted their positions. “Make it casual. Over my shoulder, about two o’clock. The guy with the lean and hungry look.” Anna’s pulse raced, a lick of interest curling through her body.
“He’s just looking at this stage.” Bea’s husky contralto oozed intrigue.
“Who is he?”
“I don’t recognise him, but he wouldn’t have got past security without an invite.” Bea took a sip of her drink. “Mid-thirties, tall, dark, broody rather than handsome, and on his own. He’s perfected the stiff-backed, imperious, don’t-mess-with-me look. Out of place in a crowd like this. Do you want me to find out?”
“Yes.” Anna sipped her icy mineral water and waited a heartbeat. “No.”
“Well, that’s clear.” Bea flashed her dimples.
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Author Biography
Australian Jennifer Raines writes sensuous contemporary romances set mainly, but not exclusively, in Australia—think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ? A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of passion, mutual respect and loyalty because she still believes in happily-ever-afters.
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