Page 8 of Return of the Outback Billionaire

‘I’ll pay triple whatever you paid for my land in the first place.’

‘Really not motivated by money...’

What was she motivated by? Had she mentioned anything he could use? Anything at all? ‘Ah, but think of the privacy you can buy with it. I hear the Conrad place might be coming on the market soon.’ The Conrads were their current neighbours to her north.

She eyed him sharply. ‘Who told you that?’

‘The Conrads. Look, the only reason I went with the marriage plan in the first place was because I never dreamed you’d be so stup—'

‘Do keep going,’ she murmured dulcetly. ‘Dig that hole deep.’

‘I never dreamed you’d be so generous as to give the land back.’ Where was the grift in that? The jockeying for every tiny advantage? ‘You realise all this could have been avoided if you’d taken my calls?’ Ouch. Ow! So much for fancy butter-soft-leather dress shoes. ‘Do you know how sharp your shoes are?’

Although not as sharp as her tongue.

In prison, he’d been Mr No Feelings at All.

Ten minutes after clapping eyes on Bridie and a tsunami of emotions was threatening to overwhelm him. Anger, desire, yearning, embarrassment, frustration and more desire—all of it itching to escape him no matter how many other people here tonight would see and use his weakness against him.

For years and years and far too many years he’d been waiting for the day when he could come home to Jeddah Creek and put his life back together and build on the legacy his family had left him. He’d make his parents and his brother proud. He’d restore the family name he’d dragged through the dust. He’d become a philanthropic force to be reckoned with.

Instead, here he was, ten days out and about and making an utter fool of himself.

‘Don’t do anything rash. Avoid split-second decisions.’

Too late for that.

‘Give others the benefit of the doubt.’

Missed that one too, even with Tom Starr’s blatant plea to do just that.

All he’d sensed was her resistance to selling the land that should have been his and he’d been back in the prison yard, fighting to win.

How could he be so stupid as to let her get under his skin?

It was too hot in this ballroom full of expensively dressed predators.

And what was this wave of cold sweeping over him like nothing he’d felt before? Not when he’d stood before the court, waiting for his sentence to be handed down. Not when he’d tried to stem a dead man’s wounds and bathed his hands in blood.

He didn’t realise he’d stopped moving until Bridie stepped from his arm and tugged at his hand.

‘Come on,’ she muttered. ‘We’ve danced enough.’

And then they were leaving the dance floor and heading for the nearest exit, and he did not have control—couldn’t even breathe for the iron band around his chest. All he could do was hold on and hope she knew where she was going.

‘Blake.’

Devlin Conrad stood in their way, his wife Judith at his side, and both of them were beaming.

‘Please, may we be the first to congratulate you on your engagement?’ said Judith. ‘What a wonderful union. It makes so much sense. And your land-care initiative is music to our ears.’ She glanced towards her husband. ‘If you added our property into that mix, just imagine what you could do.’

Devlin Conrad nodded. ‘We should talk about that.’

He could only nod.

‘Are you looking to sell?’ asked Bridie.

‘Yes, but not to just anyone. To you both. To make our run part of your vision.’

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