Page 54 of Lovers' Dance

“Ten minutes, depending on traffic. Have you finished the statement? I want to read it. Bollocks.” Matt slammed his hand against the steering wheel in frustration as the lights changed against them. “I hope the press isn’t there.”

Nathan snorted and Matt punched the steering wheel. The whole situation was a mess and all he could think about was how she would react to being thrust unceremoniously into the public limelight.

“How incriminating are the photos? They didn’t get any of us at my house in Venice, did they?” Matt asked, fingers tightening in fury. The first night in Venice, he had made love to her on the balcony of his room. God. He would kill someone if images like that appeared in the gossip sheets.

“Not of the house,” Nathan replied in a distracted voice, the briefcase open on his lap as he scanned the hastily written paper inside it. “Some of you two acting amorous on your boat. A few when you were shopping in Milan. The captions for those images were not flattering to Madison. They implied she was a gold-digger.” Nathan’s head snapped up and he glanced at Matt’s frowning countenance. “Matt, they got some old footage. I don’t know how, but there’s footage of the car crash she was in. And, of course, you know about her mother’s—ahem—youthful carefreeness. It was in that file I gave you.”

“Did they get the same photos you had?” Matt asked.

“Yes, and I’m honestly surprised they got their hands on them so fast. Don’t worry, Matt,” Nathan added in a show of support. “I’ll find out which bastard is behind this. I popped around to my parents’ house last night. Dad’s more than willing to use his media clout to find out who broke the story and where their sources are.”

“Can your father not apply pressure to stop—”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is freedom of the bloody press and only the high court can issue a gag order. Wait, aren’t your parents close friends with that judge? Damn it, I can never remember his name.”

“Michaels.” Matt supplied the answer. Mention of his parents added another worry to the plate. “How did my parents react to the latest gossip on the good old Bradley name? I haven’t listened to the voicemails on my mobile, and there were many.”

Nathan cleared his throat, then closed his briefcase sharply. “Not well, but you’re a grown man. What the fuck can they do? Disown you? Split your inheritance between your elder siblings? Sack you from the boards you preside over? Openly ostracize you amongst our circle of friends?”

Matt frowned at his friend before giving the road his sole attention. “Cheers, mate.” His fake camaraderie made Nathan chuckle. “Nothing like having my oldest friend list the manner in which my family will unjustly penalize me simply for being with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

Nathan’s chuckle broke off with a harsh cough. “If I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you were smitten with this girl.”

“She’s a woman, not a girl.” Matt’s tartness wasn’t unnoticed by his friend, who made no effort to hide the growing alarm on his face. Matt smiled to himself as he muttered, “My woman.”

“Beg pardon?” Nathan asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“Nothing.” Matt turned down the road and the sight that met his eyes caused a sound of extreme irritation to fall from his lips. “The wankers are there.”

He could see people with cameras milling about and, like bloodhounds on the scent of prospective kill, they immediately noticed his car driving up towards the gates. Matt ignored the bursts of camera lights as he drove by. He ignored the shouted questions outside the vehicle. Spotting her car, he pulled up next to it and parked. The building was immense. It looked like an old theatre which had been converted for other uses. Matt felt the stirrings of pride inside him. This was hers.

“Ready?” Nathan asked as he peered at the small crowd converging on the car.

“Yes.”

They exited Matt’s car and were met with a surge of voices and flashes of cameras.

“Mr Bradley, how long have you been in a relationship with Ms DuMont?”

“No comment,” he muttered, head bent low as he muscled his way through the reporters.

“Mr Bradley, is it true you are behind a planned takeover of Hydroworld? Isn’t that a conflict of interest? Or are you intending to suppress their discoveries in order to maintain the grip your father’s company has on manipulating petrol prices?”

Matt’s lips compressed into an angry line as Nathan pushed past a couple of men and said, “No comment.”

“Is she good in bed, Matt?” someone had the cheek to yell, and the sound of masculine chuckles followed.

Matt stopped, hands curling into fists. Nathan grabbed his arm and propelled him forward. The door was a few yards away. Matt was seething. They were using the revelation of his relationship with Madi as an excuse to question him about his family’s business. More questions were lobbed at him as they neared the door that suddenly swung open. A casually dressed, red-haired woman strode out, gesticulating widely.

“If you people don’t leave these premises, the police will be called. That’s your final warning.”

Matt and Nathan moved towards her. She spun sideways, ready to verbally attack them, then paused. Her eyes widened as she stared at Matt.

“You’re Matthew Bradley,” she whispered.

“Yes, I am,” he replied, taking her arm and heading for the door with her in tow. “I need to see Madi.”

She kept staring at him, seemingly dazed, while Nathan yanked the door open and ushered them through.

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