The Playboy's Ruthless Pursuit. Miranda Lee
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Her startled gasp sent wine splashing over the rim of her glass.
With the speed of a quarter horse jumping out of the stalls, Jeremy whipped the snow-white handkerchief out of his breast pocket and dabbed at where the wine had run down her chin and throat, heading for her cleavage.
‘Don’t do that,’ she snapped, even as her arms broke out into goosebumps.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he countered as he continued to mop up the wine.
Both George and Mandy said something but she wasn’t listening, her focus solely on where that infernal handkerchief was straying, down towards her bullet-like nipples.
Just before he reached them, his hand stopped and he put the handkerchief away. Alice was not sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
‘So what’s your real reason for refusing to go out with me?’ he asked her quietly as she snatched up her fork and attempted to finish her starter. ‘And I’d like the truth, please.’
She swallowed one meagre mouthful before putting the fork down. ‘If you must know, it’s because of your reputation.’
He looked bemused. ‘And what reputation is that?’
‘Come now, Jeremy, you must know what people say about you. You’re a playboy.’
‘Oh, is that all?’ he said, and laughed. ‘And that’s your only reason?’
She blinked at him. ‘You don’t think that’s a good enough reason?’
‘I’ve never come across it before.’
She just stared at him, thinking that she had never come across someone quite like him before, either. He was arrogant, yes, but with a wonderfully easy-going manner, which was both disarming and seriously seductive.
‘I would imagine that not many women would say no to you, Jeremy,’ she said truthfully. ‘But I am. Please don’t make a big deal about it. I’m not interested in wasting time on a man who thinks dating is a game and women are interchangeable.’
‘I couldn’t imagine ever thinking you were interchangeable, Alice. I can see that you are absolutely unique.’
‘Why? Because I’m saying no to you?’
When he smiled she wanted to slap him. And kiss him. And say yes to him.
Her shoulders straightened as they did whenever life put her back against the wall.
‘It’s time for us to go auction off a few things,’ she said coolly, and stood up.
BY THE END of the evening, Jeremy concluded that if he ever lost all his money and didn’t want to return to banking he could become an auctioneer. Whipping up enthusiasm for the items on offer came naturally to him. But then, he’d always had the gift of the gab. He especially loved the thrill of the bidding wars, plus the moment when he brought the gavel down and said, ‘Sold!’ The whole process had been exciting. And profitable for the women’s refuges. Alice seemed very pleased with the results. They had raised over four hundred thousand pounds from the auction alone, with the profit from the dinner lifting the total to half a million. Dear old George had contributed more than his fair share, bidding determinedly against a few other bidders for the privilege of having his name—plus his darling wife’s—in Kenneth’s next thriller. Mandy had been over the moon.
‘I can hardly believe it,’ Alice said afterwards. ‘I never dreamt we’d raise so much. Of course, I have you to thank, Jeremy,’ she added. ‘You were brilliant.’
Jeremy didn’t get too carried away with her compliment. There was still a wariness in her eyes during her dealings with him. Logic told him he was probably wasting his time pursuing Alice. But logic could not compete with the desire for her that had grown with each moment he spent in her company. She possessed a heady combination of mystery and allure, of unconscious warmth one moment and frosty reserve the next. It did irk Jeremy that, for the first time in his life, his reputation as a playboy wasn’t working for him. It usually whetted female interest, most women wanting to see if he could live up to his reputation as a lover. Others obviously imagined that they would be the one to ensnare his heart and make him settle down. They didn’t know they were fighting a lost cause. A few went out with him just for fun. They were the ones he liked best.
Alice obviously wasn’t any of those. She was a serious girl, with a serious outlook on life. He wondered if her slightly anti-men attitude came from something that had happened to her in the past, or maybe from where she worked. It could hardly endear the opposite sex to Alice if she was constantly dealing with women who’d suffered from domestic or sexual abuse from their boyfriends or husbands. He would never hurt her. He just wanted the opportunity to get to know her, and, yes, to get to know her. Was that so wrong?
Yes, Jeremy, came a voice he wasn’t used to hearing. Possibly his conscience? Alice is not the sort of girl who could handle a fling with a man like you. You would probably end up hurting her, whether you meant to or not.
Rubbish, another voice argued back immediately. His male ego perhaps? You’re exactly what Alice needs. Dating you will make her lighten up a bit. You can give her a fun time, and pleasure. Lots and lots of pleasure!
His loins prickled anew at this last thought.
Naturally, this second voice won the day, Jeremy refusing to be deterred despite Alice’s earlier half-hearted rejection. She was attracted to him. He was sure of it. She just had to get to know him better...
‘I have some wealthy friends who would be only too glad to make a substantial donation to your cause,’ he said as he accompanied her back to the foyer of the hotel. He was thinking of Sergio and Alex, who were both generous givers to charity, Alex especially. ‘I’ll give them a call tomorrow and get back to you. And then there’s the matter of my own personal donation.’
A startled Alice ground to a halt, throwing him what could only be described as a panicky look. ‘But I don’t expect you to donate a thing,’ she said hurriedly. ‘You’ve already been more than generous with your time tonight.’
‘It was no hardship. I enjoyed every moment. But I didn’t pay for my dinner. Neither did I buy anything at the auction. I can well afford to make a donation, Alice. I thought I might match what you raised tonight pound for pound. Now don’t go thinking there any strings attached to this offer, because there aren’t,’ he continued before she could protest. ‘So who will I send the money to?’
‘What?’ She seemed totally flustered.
‘You have registered a proper charity, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, of course I have. It’s called Save Our Refuges.’
‘Right. I’ll tell my friends.’
‘The Bank of England is handling the donations for us. You can just transfer the money straight into the account. The details were on the email I sent to all the guests. But of course you weren’t a guest, were you?’ she added, frowning. ‘I’ll email Madge in the morning with all the information. But honestly, Jeremy, you don’t have to donate that much money.’
‘Why not? I can afford it. Besides, money doesn’t go all that far these days. If you want to open more refuges you’re going to need a lot more than a million pounds.’
‘I suppose so...’
‘Your charity will also need a few well-heeled patrons, like moi. You will need help, Alice, if you want to achieve the goals you set out in your speech. I’ll tell you what, since you won’t go out to dinner with me, why don’t you drop by my office one day this week and we’ll have a think tank on what other fund-raising activities you can employ? I’ll see if Madge can join us. She’s a smart lady and