Harlequin KISS August 2014 Bundle (75 page)
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Authors: Avril Tremayne and Nina Milne Aimee Carson Amy Andrews
Claudia gasped at his insult. The uniform had been around since the beginning—it was
iconic
, damn
it! But it gave her something else to focus on other than the prickle inside her nose caused by building emotion. ‘I’m on duty,’ she snapped.
It was Luke’s turn to snort. ‘For what? There’s nobody here, Claude.’
Claudia held herself erect. ‘I’m never off duty.’
And that, as far as Luke was concerned, was one of her problems. She was twenty-seven years old and, apart from her brief
sojourns overseas with Avery every couple of years, the resort had been her entire focus.
‘You really need a life,’ he muttered, still smarting from her stinging judgment of him.
‘
I
need a life?’ She laughed again, all high and shaky. ‘This from a man who wears a freaking suit to the beach.’
‘I got the first flight I could,’ he said. ‘I went straight from work to Heathrow. I know
it’s hard for you to believe but there are other people in this world just as dedicated to their jobs as you are to yours. Although I think manic obsession probably fits better in your case.’
‘The Tropicana isn’t a
job
. It’s our legacy,’ Claudia snapped.
Luke shook his head as a storm of frustration and disbelief raged in his gut. God, her doggedness was infuriating.
‘It’s not
our legacy
. It’s just an old-fashioned relic from a different time and
everybody’
s moved on but you. You’re not in
Dirty Dancing
, Claude, and this—’ he threw his arms wide at the destruction before him ‘—isn’t freaking Kellerman’s. Johnny Castle isn’t going to drop by and demand that nobody puts you in a corner.’
Claude blinked. A pain flared in the vicinity of her heart as he took everything
she believed in and crushed it into the hot, white sand. Yes, she was sentimental and a romantic and she not only believed
but had proved
that there was a market for the style of resort he was so disparaging of. She just hadn’t realised he’d thought so little of the things that were important to her.
It made her feel small. Insignificant. Unvalued.
And so very sad. For her and for him.
His divorce sure had made him cynical.
And it was her undoing. Her vision blurred, the emotion she’d been holding back for days coming now whether she liked it or not. A solitary tear spilled down her cheek.
Luke saw the tear threaten, then fall and wished he could cut his tongue out. He’d been angry and frustrated and his words had been harsh and ill considered. Strands of her blonde
hair had loosened and blew across her face, sticking to the wet tear track and her mouth.
‘Claudia.’ He took a step towards her.
Claudia shook her head and held up a hand to ward him off, swiping at the tear with the other, angry that he was a witness to it, that she was being weak and
sentimental
in front of him. ‘Just go back to London, Luke.’ She turned away, marching off, needing
to get away from his toxic disregard as more tears ran down her face.
Luke watched as she turned away, marching back up the beach, her spine straight, her ponytail barely bouncing as she held her head high. He cursed his insensitivity.
That went well.
Not.
Copyright © 2014 by Amy Andrews
ISBN-13: 9781460337066
HOW TO BAG A BILLIONAIRE
Copyright © 2014 by Nina Milne
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You think of flirting as an art form! Harlequin KISS stories are all about the delirium of a potential new romance â where fun-loving heroines and irresistible heroes just can't get enough of each other.
Four new titles available every month.
ISBN-13: 9781460339763
Copyright © 2014 Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
The Heat of the Night
Copyright © 2014 by Amy Andrews
Dare She Kiss & Tell?
Copyright © 2014 by Aimee Carson
Here Comes the Bridesmaid
Copyright © 2014 by Belinda de Rome
How to Bag a Billionaire
Copyright © 2014 by Nina Milne
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Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ⢠are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.