Legally Addicted - By Lena Dowling Page 0,34

as Georgia could keep her mind off Brad and on the job, a tour would give her an opportunity to pitch her ideas for the addiction centre.

She played along, gathering up her papers, stuffing them in her briefcase behind the reception desk.

‘Sure, as long as Caro doesn’t mind,’ she said, knowing full well that Caro would never contradict Brad.

‘Of course, Bradley, but then Georgia could give a far fuller explanation than I ever could. There’s nothing like an insider’s view, is there, Georgia?’ Caro asked, taking a verbal swipe at her.

What was the woman’s problem? Why patronise the shelter in the first place if she had such obvious disdain for the clientele? There must have been plenty of causes someone like Caro could take on. Once Georgia would have reacted, but she had learned years ago that it wasn’t worth it. She had found life’s best comeback was to work hard and succeed.

‘Georgia may have grown up locally, but she could hardly be described as an insider here. She’s successful in her own right and one of Sydney’s best family lawyers, for goodness sake. What exactly are you getting at, Caro?’

Brad had jumped to her defence before she had even had time to construct a reply. Warmth bubbled up in Georgia’s chest but as soon as she became aware of the feeling she squashed it. She didn’t need Brad rushing in all chivalrous. She hadn’t planned on giving Caro the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her, and if it came down to it, she could fight her own battles.

‘It doesn’t matter, Brad. Caro’s just trying to say that my mother and I stayed here when I was a child — several times, isn’t that right, Caro?’

Brad pointed a finger in the air, motioning to a large crack in the plaster above the door.

‘And my father started out as a chippy, but so far Caro hasn’t asked me to advise on any building maintenance that needs doing.’

‘I’m sorry, Brad,’ she said, then turning to Georgia, added, ‘That must have sounded terribly insensitive.’

True to form, Caro had managed to both apologise and get another jibe in at the same time.

‘This way, Georgia.’

Brad grabbed her arm, taking long athletic strides down the corridor so that she struggled to keep up in her high-heels. Drawing up to the meeting room he pulled her so abruptly that she rushed headlong into him, forcing her to take a step back. He let go of her arm to grasp her hand and pulled her inside, locking the door behind them.

‘You don’t have to put up with that. One more snide comment from Caro, and I swear, I’ll have her voted off the board.’

‘That would be pointless. For every Caro there are ten more lining up to have a go to make themselves feel bigger or address whatever insecurities they have that seems to make it necessary.’

‘I don’t understand how you can be so calm.’

He gripped her hand more tightly, and she looked up at him until their gaze met, his eyes full of the questioning concern he was confronting her with.

‘I’ve never gotten used to it, I’m just getting better at sucking it up. But that’s how Caro is. She’s equal parts philanthropist to condescending witch.’

‘Not with anyone I’m seeing, she’s not.’

‘We’re seeing each other? Since when?’

‘Don’t play dumb, Georgia. You might have taken off on me at the beach house but there is something going on between us and we both know it.’

His voice was a low growl, his eyes skirting over her body like it wouldn’t take much for him to devour her.

Brad was her colleague, out of bounds: end of story. The thing at the beach house had just been a mistake.

Another one, but that’s all it had been.

‘Even if there was something between us — you being a partner in the same firm makes things impossible.’

‘If it comes to that, I bought my way in to this practice, and I can buy my way out of it,’ he said, it as if it were a throwaway comment — inconsequential.

She should have known better than to be drawn into thinking there was more to Brad than his wealth. When push came to shove and trouble struck, as a Spencer, Brad could simply buy his way out of it.

‘Money. It’s your answer to everything.’

‘Is that right? Tell me then, how much is that addiction centre of yours going to cost?’

Three million a year.

She couldn’t believe it, but that’s the figure that kept coming