Page 43 of Booked for Summer

‘Perhaps we should have a male point of view.’ Dread settled in his stomach as Claire’s eyes found his, humour dancing across her face. ‘Have you read much erotica, Liam?’

Erotica?

Jade let out a noise that sounded like someone strangling a cat.

‘I don’t read books.’

Claire continued to look highly amused. ‘Interesting. I suppose I assumed, as you’ve come to the Steamy Saturday book presentation, that you had an interest in the subject.’

Now Jade’s email about whips and handcuffs made sense. ‘My interest was in a presentation from one of Nantucket’s highly acclaimed authors.’

Claire laughed. ‘Smooth catch. We were just discussing the importance of an emotional connection between our characters during sex scenes as well as a physical one. Do you have a view on that?’

Three rows from the front, a woman he recognised as Mary from the library, gave a dismissive grunt. ‘I doubt Mr Haven understands the term.’

‘Which term?’ Claire asked, though he could have saved her the bother. He knew exactly where this was going.

‘Oh, I’m sure he knows all about sex. But he didn’t show much emotion when he forced Ashley back to Australia with his unborn child,’ Mary added.

Yep, right on queue.

‘With respect Mary, that’s a load of bollocks.’ Jade’s bold statement was met with a few gasps, and just as many sniggers. ‘Um, what I meant was, you’re repeating gossip as fact, and that’s not cool.’

‘Careful,’ he murmured. ‘You’re in danger of ruining my hard-earned reputation.’

‘You deserve it for what you’re doing to the bookstore,’ she hissed back. ‘But not for stuff that’s just rumour.’

‘Nobody forced Ashley home.’ Claire’s quiet voice cut through the murmurings. ‘And Liam is most definitely not the father of her unborn child. She would be appalled to hear the rumours circulating.’

Mary sniffed. ‘Well, you can’t blame us for believing the gossip. What has Haven ever done for this island? It doesn’t need more of his flashy accommodation for rich tourists. It needs houses for people who live and work here.’

The animosity was nothing he hadn’t come across before, yet as a ripple ofhear, hearran through the group, his insides scrunched inwards, as if absorbing the blow. Had it hurt more tonight because his guard had come down, thanks to Jade and Claire’s surprise defence of him?

Exactly why he needed to keep his fucking distance.

Yet when Jade’s eyes met his, sympathy swirling in their depths, he couldn’t resist tilting his head so his mouth brushed her ear. ‘Thank you.’

A shiver ran through her, enough to cause an answering tingle down his spine. He wanted to haul her back against him, to settle his mouth on the soft skin of her neck. To lift her into his arms and carry her up the narrow staircase behind them to the bed he knew was up there. But she was no longer the sexy stranger he’d found himself unbelievably drawn to.

She was a woman actively stirring up antagonism against him and his plans for expansion. A woman who’d defended him because she was fair, not because she liked him.

Ignoring the mutinous/curious glances of those sitting, he walked towards the door, pausing when he got there to catch Claire’s eye. ‘I apologise for interrupting your talk.’ With a curt nod at the rest of the room, he made a swift exit.

Flashy accommodation. The words jarred, rubbing against wounds that should have healed yet still felt raw. He had money now, but he still wasn’t accepted because it was nasty new money, not sophisticated old money. It shouldn’t bother him. He didn’t want it to bother him.

With a frustrated sigh he wrenched his phone out of his pocket and stabbed out a message to Jeremy.

Erotica? You didn’t think to tell me??

Within seconds a message pinged back.

Thought it would be a nice surprise.

With a grunt of annoyance, he messaged back.

Next time you think of surprising me, think again.

ChapterSixteen

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