Legally Addicted - By Lena Dowling Page 0,37

times, but I was always two steps ahead of him.’

Georgia lent against his shoulder and gripped his arm with both hands. He breathed in her sweet fragrance; fruity and floral, it reminded him of something innocent and precious. Something he had an overpowering need to protect.

‘Good,’ he said, and not just because Georgia was safe. He was pleased not to have to find this Jake and take care of him; conduct that would be considered unbecoming of a solicitor.

Not that censure by the esteemed New South Wales law society would be sufficient deterrent, if it came to that. He might not be ready to divest himself of the Spencer family fortune for Georgia, but at that moment, with the perfumed scent of her hair in his nostrils and her warm body clinging to his, he couldn’t think of anything else he wouldn’t do for her.

Chapter Nine

The second time Georgia woke up in Brad’s ostentatious apartment she wasn’t nearly so daunted by it. She had only chosen to come to his place so she could leave if she needed to, but when they arrived back at his penthouse for round two of what they had started at the shelter, Brad admitted that he actually hated the over the top decoration, and that he kept it to please his butler.

Butler?

How was she supposed to feel about that?

The old guy who had been serving the food at Brad’s beach house, the one she had mistaken for a caterer, had woken them with a cup of coffee on a silver tray. She hadn’t meant to stay so long but she had fallen asleep. The next thing she knew, after only a split second’s worth of surprise at finding two people in the bed, the butler was asking ‘what type of beverage madam would require’.

And this time, when she slipped into the living area to collect up her clothes, she found them in a neatly folded pile on the sofa with her thong sitting on top.

‘OMG!’

Hearing the exclamation Brad came running into the living room, his arms up in fists as if he was ready to defend her. He had been like that ever since she told him about Jake, keeping her close and cradling her in his arms all night. She had never felt so safe as she had with Brad.

‘What’s wrong? Oh, the clothes thing.’

He chuckled, relaxing his arms down by his sides. Yes, he does that sometimes. Don’t worry; he does all my laundry, including my smalls. Nothing shocks him. Jeffrey was responsible for my potty training too as I recall.’

She laughed.

‘Jeffrey, the butler? I thought you would have had a nanny?’

‘Well, the first one was very attractive and after my mother found her in bed with my father that was it — no more nannies. Jeffrey sort of stepped into the breach. He was like a mother, father, and valet all rolled into one.’

‘Poor little rich kid deserted by his parents and left to the servants to raise.’ As soon as the taunt was out of her mouth she regretted it, but he didn’t react and for once, it didn’t annoy her. She expected that from him now. Brad, she realised, was calm under fire. It was only when she was threatened that he seemed to go into red alert mode.

‘Pretty much.’

His tone was not so much annoyed as bitter. She gave him a questioning look, but he ignored her expression, pulling her to him. He kissed her, then pulled away.

‘I’ve got to go. There’s something important I want to sort out at the office, right away. Jeffrey will make you breakfast if you want it. He’s usually in the kitchen at this time of day.’

‘When will we…’

‘See each other again? I think that’s pretty much up to you. Far be it from me to try to distil what this means, but if you turned up again here for dinner this evening I wouldn’t be disappointed.’

Ouch.

She supposed she deserved that. Georgia slumped down on to the couch.

Was she really doing this? Seeing someone? Properly seeing someone, not just casually, and someone who was rich enough to employ a butler into the bargain?

‘Can I bring you some breakfast, madam?’

She turned to the older man who had come into the lounge and commenced dusting ornaments on the marble mantelpiece above a gas fireplace.

‘Jeffrey, can I ask you something? Do you like being a butler? Is it okay for you here?’

‘Oh yes, my life here has been wonderful. After the way I grew up,