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PRICELESS PRINCESS
Book 2 Princess-In-Love Series
By
Christina Carlisle
© Copyright June 2007, Christina Carlisle
Cover art by Dan Skinner, © copyright June 2007
ISBN 978-1-60394-039-9
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.
Chapter One
"I've come about the job." Her words tumbled out as the homestead door was at last opened in response to her pounding fists.
"You are pretty quick off the mark."
Jade's jaw dropped as she stared at the tall man who had spoken. Gorgeous. Absolutely gob-smacking, pee-me-pants gawgeous, she decided.
"You'd better come in." He held the door open and she obediently walked past him into the hallway. Stepping ahead of her, he led the way into a side room and indicated that she should sit in the up-right chair facing a large mahogany desk.
He leaned his hips against the desk and folded his arms across his chest as he studied her.
She waited, pulling at her shirt and crossing, then uncrossing, her legs in her comfortable but old jeans. Her nerves stretched like taut piano strings.
"I'm Blake Jordan, the owner of Stony Creek Station," he said at last. "And you are …?" His voice was deep with a rich American drawl as smooth and slick and slurpy as Texas oil. Phew! Jade resisted the urge to fan at the heat rising in her face.
"My name is Jade Oliver. You advertised for an accountant to keep your books in order and I want that job."
"You want?" He raised one quizzical eyebrow.
She flushed even more but refused to back down. That must have sounded rude but she had to get this job.
"What I mean is I would very much like this position, Mr. Jordan. I am well qualified and … and this used to be my home. I know it like the back of my hand."
Jade returned his dark, intent gaze. Wow, was he a looker! This guy was supposed to be a rancher from Texas, but he looked as if he had stepped from the pages of a top fashion magazine. Elegant didn’t begin to describe him as she studied his long, lean body in a tailored-made charcoal colored suit with a lime green shirt and dark grey tie. Didn’t he know that this was a cattle station and you dress down? As in an old shirt, jeans, and comfortable boots, for heaven's sake? Just like she was wearing, for instance?
His jaw flexed with annoyance. "I don't need an accountant."
Hmm, not at all friendly. She didn’t blame him. She would be cranky, too, if some unknown person barged in without as much as an appointment and went straight for the jugular.
"That's what you advertised. It was in the local paper this morning."
"I advertised for a book keeper."
"Well, there then. You've got more than you bargained for," Jade said with what she hoped was her most encouraging smile. "Plus, I know how to run the station and I can cook and I've been on umpteen musters and …."
"And?"
"There's no horse that I can't ride," she finished lamely. And I'm messing this up, as usual. Too much mouth and not clever enough to twist things around in my favor. Jeez! She lowered her eyes aware that she was making a fool of herself.
"Unfortunately, I'm only prepared to pay a book keeper's salary."
Jade's head shot up. "That's fine, Mr. Jordan," she said quickly, her heart racing.
Blake gave her another assessing stare that curled from the tip of her ears to the ends of her toes. He loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt.
"And look at what you'll get," Jade continued. He was interested. "A multi-skilled staff member."
He shrugged off his classy suit jacket. More, more, she fantasized, her hands clutching her file.
"Can I see your resume?"
"Oh yes, of course." Jade pushed the file into his outstretched hand. He walked to the other side of the desk and, sitting down, proceeded to study her application. Jade continued to study him. Thirty-something, dark, thick hair--yum--yum. An angular, tanned face with great bone structure.
"So it was your father who actually owned this property?"
And wonderful dark chocolate eyes with magnificent, super-duper long eyelashes. Double yum--yum.
"Err--yes."
"But it's your mother's signature on all of this paper work."
"My step-mother." Jade swiftly corrected him. "My father died four months ago," she added, silently cursing the familiar tightening of her throat at the thought of her father's death. Don't go there, cry baby.
"I'm sorry to hear that." His voice softened and Jade managed a nod of acknowledgement. Please, please don't be sympathetic. It's bad enough coming here, seeing my dad's armchair by the fireplace, the same worn carpet, even the old reading lamp still resting on that cruddy wooden table next to his chair. It's all the same--the same as when I was here a year ago. Jade looked at the door, half expecting her father to walk in.
Blake continued to read her resume. It won't take you long, she almost blurted out. I haven’t done much with my life--yet.
"How long did you work for this company after leaving the university?" He jabbed a long finger at a point on her resume.
Here we go--picky, picky. Jade summonsed her most positive demeanor as she faced Blake's speculative eyes. "After leaving the uni with a first class honors degree, I worked in Adelaide for a couple of months with Thistle and Partners, a major international accountancy firm. My dad was taken ill and had to go in to the hospital and a lot of my time was taken up with his care. Mr. Thistle became a trifle prickly about the amount of time I was spending away from work and he let me go." Jade couldn’t resist a smirk at her own witticism but Blake's expression remained polite but bland. Gaw'd! No sense of humor.
"Anyhow, after dad died I tried to get another position in the city," she continued, deciding this bloke might look like a Greek God dressed by Armani but underneath that fancy stuff, he was a dried up ol' sour puss. "Then I heard about this job so, here I am."
"I thought you said you had seen an advertisement in the paper this morning."
Help! Suspicious mind. Crikey, gimme a break, it's only a bloody book keeping job. "A friend of mine in Coober Pedy got wind of it and gave me a ring. Then I doubly checked in the paper."
"You've come a long way for a job you might not get."
Jade folded her arms across her chest, mirroring his previous action and stuck her feet out in front of her admiring the tips of her faithful R.M. Williams riding boots. She could feel her temper simmering. "Mr. Jordan. Why wouldn’t you give me this job, I ask you? Who else with my qualifications would want to come to one of the most isolated places on earth to work? Where it's as hot as Hades in the summer and can freeze your balls off in the winter--that’s if one has any balls …." Jade skidded to a screaming halt as she tried to control her runaway mouth.
By not as much as a raised eyebrow or a twitch of that sensual mouth did Blake show any reaction to this outburst. Instead he said in his deep drawl, "If it's so bad here, why do you want the job?"
"Because I need the money and …and because … because I feel an affinity to this place. I was born here." Don’t you dare tear up, you stupid woman.
There was a palpable silence as Jade returned his stare, defiance shining from her glittering eyes.
"Excuse me, Ms. Oliver. I should have arranged some refreshments after your long trip. I'll only be a few moments."
Suddenly Jade was alone as Blake disappeared to somewhere in the house. The kitchen, she guessed. "You’ve blown it now, you twit," she chastised herself. "A big mistake trying to bully that robot into hiring me. Hope he brings me a double whisky to make up for all my trouble."
She stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the grotty, unkempt garden. She could see that so much of her beloved home had deteriorated since her father had become ill. The place had a despairing feel of neglect about it and even though there had been good rains at last, it didn’t seem to have made much difference to the appearance of the garden and surrounds. For a few moments she could picture the garden as it used to be, a lush, green oasis carefully nurtured by her father for the pleasure of his family. As a young child she would dance along those paths and across the lawns, laughing with delight at the antics of her pet dog Charlie. Of course, that was when her mother had been alive and long before the problems with Ray. So many good memories. How had everything managed to go so very wrong?
Jade glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed. Where was he? How long did it take to boil a kettle, for God's sake? She felt edgy and disappointed in her behavior. This man was nobody's fool and she had raved on like a pork chop. No wonder he wanted to escape from her. There were questions she would have liked to have asked him like why would a Texas rancher buy a run down cattle station in Australia? Was it just an investment or was he going to live here and work the property? How much had he paid her rotten, cheating step-mother Elizabeth, for the place? Blake Jordan. Hmm, I’ll have to Google him, she decided.
She turned as the door opened and an elderly woman came in followed closely by Blake carrying a tray of refreshments.
"Princess? Princess, it really is you! Mr. Jordan told me a Ms. Oliver was here," the woman cried, holding out her plump arms. Jade flew across the room into the woman's welcoming embrace.
"Oh, Maggie. I had no idea you would still be here," Jade exclaimed, hugging her closely, her eyes shimmering with tears.
"Elizabeth let me go a few months back but Mr. Jordan very kindly gave me my old job back. I've only been here since this morning which is why the place is looking a bit untidy." Maggie's chin shook with emotion as she turned towards Blake.
"I used to keep this place like a palace when Mr. Oliver and the Princess lived here," she said, pride coloring her voice as she clung to Jade's hand.
"I'm sure you did, Maggie," he replied. Jade stared as he gave Maggie a warm smile which lit up his austere features. Whoa! Down, girl.
"Coffee, Ms. Oliver?" he continued.
"Oh, yes please."
"Perhaps the two of you would like to catch up when we finish this--err--interview?'
His sarcasm didn’t go unnoticed by Jade. He was treating this as a joke? She squeezed Maggie's hand. "Sure. I'll see you shortly," Jade reassured the older woman.
"Make sure you do, Princess. I'll be in the kitchen."
Blake waited until the door had closed behind Maggie and then, when they were both seated, handed Jade a strong cup of coffee. He watched as if fascinated as Jade poured a good measure of milk and three teaspoons of sugar into her cup.
"Why the name Princess?" he asked, raising one gorgeous eyebrow.
Jade took a gulp of the coffee. Yep, she needed this. Wish it had been a tot of Johnnie Walker's best, though. "It’s a nick-name that my dad used to call me. It caught on with the station staff."
"Well, do you mind if I call you Jade?"
"I prefer Your Highness."
"What?"
"Only joking, Mr. Jordan." Jade laughed and was rewarded with a slow, lazy grin. He's got a dimple there in his left cheek. Owwwh, triple yum--yum!
"Yeah, okay." Blake looked down at her resume still lying on the desk before him. Taking a sip of coffee he said, "I have a proposition to put to you."
Yes--Yes! I'll be your wanton sex goddess. Tie me to your bed and do what you want to me. I'll even have your babies so you can continue your Texas dynasty and I won't grizzle when you don’t talk to me as long as you keep … doing it.
Jade tried to appear calm and serene as her vivid imagination ran riot. What was the matter with her? She was over loading with lust hormones just because she was sitting across from Mr. Absolutely Fabulous, who was probably a nasty piece of work under all that bronzed skin anyway. She tried to remember the details of her affair with Paul and came up with a complete zero. Zilch. She couldn’t even remember what he looked like.
"Yes, Mr. Jordan," she replied politely as she replaced her cup in its saucer, pressed her thighs tightly together and held her hands demurely in her lap.
Blake leaned back in his chair and swung it around so he was looking out of the side windows, his face in profile. Perfect. Magnificently perfect!
"The settlement of the property was a month ago and I've been in Australia only a few days, which is why things are still pretty chaotic."
"Are you going to live here permanently, Mr. Jordan?" Jade interrupted. If he didn’t hurry up and get to the point, and she didn't get the job, she would never make it to Coober Pedy by nightfall.
He swung to face her. "Yes, I am. As you know and can see, the place has been let go, which is unfortunate. I am sure that when you lived here it was a thriving ranch."
"Station."
"What?"
"Station--it’s a ranch in Texas but in Australia we call it a station, Mr. Jordan."
He stared at her for a full half a minute and then said "Do you want to hear this proposition or not?"
Owwh, wanton sex goddess proposal coming up. "Of course. Sorry."
"I have two brothers and between us we own six ranches, seven now including this one. My brothers will continue to operate the ranches in Texas and it's my job to bring this one up to scratch and make it a viable financial concern."
"It will be a big job. I hear that my step-mother sold off nearly all the cattle and sacked most of the staff."
"You heard right and I'm about to build it up again. I've already re-employed five of the stockmen and the previous manager."
"That’s great! And I'm so glad you’ve asked Maggie to come back. She is wonderful. She was my dad's housekeeper for twenty years, you know …."
Blake held up a hand, stopping Jade in mid-sentence. "Are you normally this talkative?"
"Sorry. I get a bit carried away sometimes," Jade admitted, having the grace to look embarrassed. "I'll keep quiet, I promise. Look, all zipped up." She motioned with two fingers across her lips.
"Hmm." Blake appeared to have lost track of what he was going to say and there was silence as his eyes, dark and unfathomable, rested on her mouth. She pursed her lips so she wouldn’t be tempted to speak. This was harder than she thought.
He coughed and then took another swallow of coffee. "Right. As you would have seen from the advertisement in the paper, I need a book keeper with some station experience such as ordering, payrolls, taxation requirements and so on. The advertisement stipulated written applications only so I was a bit taken back when you turned up on my doorstep."
Jade opened her mouth to speak and closed it again at the warning in his eyes.
"Before you arrived I had just got in from Adelaide where, as well as finalizing arrangements to buy five thousand head of shorthorns, I found a rental place for my mother to stay."
"Your mother?"
Blake wagged a long finger at her causing Jade to clamp a hand over her mouth.
"Yes, I do have a mother, you know," he continued. "In fact, she's Australian, born in Adelaide actually, and she has a lot of friends there with which she's kept in contact."
He waited for this gem of information to sink in and then said, "In a few weeks time she will be coming here to stay, but I have explained to her that I want to get the homestead re-decorated, buy new furniture and some modern appliances--in fact, make it a lovely home. Again," he added as if reading her mind.
"You have the advantage of living here previously and you know the people and you seem to know the industry. So, my proposition is to offer you not only the book keeper's job but also as my assistant to help me bring Stony Creek back to its former glory. I'm prepared to pay you extra for this additional work. Now you can speak."
Play this smart, girl and don’t blurt, her sensible voice warned. "Mr. Jordan, that sounds very acceptable. However, I would like to ask a few questions and add some requests." Yeah--that sounds business like.
He waited. He certainly didn’t have a problem with a runaway mouth.
"Obviously, I will need to live in. Is there room for me?"
"It’s a reasonably sized house, as you know. There's plenty of room."
"What I mean is I'm not sure about your wife and kids. Will they mind me living here?"
Blake gave a faint smile. "I'm divorced and I don’t have any kids."
Oh, goodie. Better and better.
"If you're worried about being alone with me, you needn’t be. Maggie will live in and will take over the annex at the side of the house and as I said, my mother will be here in a few weeks."
"Oh, right. My salary will include all meals and lodging requirements?"
"Yep."
"I need two days off a week."
"That goes without saying."
"I would also like to go horse-riding each morning--early, before we start work."
Blake shrugged his acceptance.
"Finally, I need to visit Adelaide every other week-end on private business. Is that okay with you?"
"What you do in your time off is up to you. I guess you intend to fly from Cooper Pedy?"
"Coober Pedy, Mr. Jordan. It's Coober not Cooper."
Blake stood up and her eyes followed up his thighs and lean hips, over his lime green shirt covering his powerful chest and broad shoulders. Oh, be still, my beating heart. "But, I'm sure the locals will understand if you say Cooper by mistake," she added hastily as she met his irritated expression.
Placing his hands on the desk, he leaned towards her. "Frankly, I don’t give a rat's ass whether it's Coober, Cooper, or Timbuktu but, Ms. Oliver, you have a very sassy mouth and I advise you to keep control of it when you're around me. Also, I should have mentioned that you are on three months trial and at the end of that time, we will review your progress." He stood straight and held out his hand.
"Yes, Sir. Thank you." Jade nodded as she placed her hand in his in a formal handshake. "I can start tomorrow, if you like. Even though it’s a Sunday we may as well get the show on the road."
Blake frowned. "What about your luggage?"
"I have everything with me in my car. If you tell me which bedroom I'm in, I'll unpack and then help Maggie with the dinner."
She sensed that Blake was flummoxed and probably felt she was steam-rolling him. You ain't seen nothin' yet, my Texan tycoon, she thought. The Princess is home.
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