CourtesanTales Masterfile by Unknown Page B

waited—hoping she’d
rush back into my arms.
    “Why weren’t you at
the airport to meet me?” she demanded in a voice husky with passion.
    I raked a hand through
my hair. “I wasn’t there because I’m not—”
    “Lucky for you I still
had that sheet of paper with your brother’s work address on it or I’d still be
sitting at the airport waiting in vain for you to show up!”
    Watching the play of
emotions chase each other around on her pretty face, I wondered what in the
hell had possessed Jason to strand her anywhere. She was the kind of woman most
men would gladly walk over hot coals for a chance to bed.
    I suppressed my
natural instincts. If I held off admitting I wasn’t Jason, I might be lucky
enough to get another taste of her lips.
    When I remained
silent, she stepped closer so she could poke at my chest. “Jason!”
    I had a sensation of
falling as I looked down into her beautiful eyes. Noting no guile, I decided
pretending to be Jason would make me no better than he was. I put my hands on
her arms and pushed her gently away from me. “I’m guessing Jason didn’t mention
that the brother in question was his identical twin.”
    “Identical twin?”
    I reluctantly nodded.
    She shook her head in
disbelief.
    “His identical twin,”
I said.
    I watched her long,
dark hair cascade around her face before settling against her neck and
shoulders. “Tell me another one, Jason.”
    “It’s James. Not
Jason.”
    She compressed her
lips. “Okay, Jason, you know I’m usually up for a joke, but I have just spent
over six hours on a plane and another two waiting for you at the airport. That
should alert you to the fact that I am not in the mood for any jokes.”
    The sparkle had
disappeared from her eyes and she looked annoyed.
    “I can see that, but—”
I began.
    “You can explain
yourself later.” She turned to point at her bags. “Just get my bags and take me
someplace where I can sleep.”
    The corridor outside my
office wasn’t an appropriate location for the discussion we needed to have. The
elevator doors slid open and several women who worked in the office next to
mine stepped off.
    Each looked surprised
before winking at me with smiles curving their lips.
    Great. Jason never
seemed to tire of enjoying a joke at my expense. He would pay for this latest
annoyance, I thought as I took my office keys from my pocket, and stepping over
her bags, opened the door.
    As I reached inside to
turn on the reception area lights, she walked inside, leaving all her bags in
the corridor.
    Clearly, she wasn’t
one of those progressive women who considered herself as capable of carrying
her own bags as a man was of carrying his. Her assumption that I would carry
her bags inside amused rather than annoyed me.
    Knowing my
receptionist would arrive soon, I carried her bags into my private office.
    She sank onto the sofa
along the wall and watched me in silence.
    After placing her last
bag on the carpet, I gave her a quick glance. Although the cross-country flight
in no way negatively impacted on her looks, I knew she must be tired. I crossed
the room to the small refrigerator in one corner. “Would you like a—”
    Her lips compressed
and her dark eyes flashed with annoyance. “Okay, mister. Forget waiting for
later for an explanation. I want one right now and it had better be a good
one.”
    Anger only heightened
her beauty. Still, women. Couldn’t they ever make up their minds? “Do you want
the long or the short version?” I asked.
    “I have just given up
a very profitable job to come across the country to be with you.”
    Lucky Jason. Not so
intelligent her.
    “Why weren’t you at
the airport to meet me? And why are you wearing that monkey suit?”
    The “monkey suit” was
one of my best business suits. It was certainly more suitable than the faded
jeans and sweater she wore that had seen better days. But  she clearly
preferred Jason’s much more casual dress to my business attire. Okay so