Revenge and Redemption Read online

  “…still, since he has recently broken up with his latest fling, oh, what was her name? Crystal, Christmas...? Oh, I can’t keep track of them all. That’s why I have assistants. Anyway, he’s probably only after a casual rebound romp. Why not let it be with you?”

  Penny stared at her aunt, horrified. “Are you out of your mind? Why on Earth would I do such a thing?”

  “To learn his secrets, of course.”

  “What secrets? Besides, he would never date me.”

  “Who said anything about dating? You’d be surprised what a man will tell a woman in bed. Much more than he would ever tell her over dinner. And you’d also be proving yourself to me, mending some of those bridges you were talking about.”

  “You want me to sleep with him so I can spy on him?” she asked with the appropriate amount of incredulity.

  “Keep your voice down,” demanded Selina in a harsh whisper.

  “But why? You’re not even in the same industry. Luke builds skyscrapers and luxury apartment buildings, and you buy out failing companies and sell them off as scrap. Why do you want me to spy on him?”

  “That, my girl, is none of your concern, and Hardcastle is in the same business as me. The business of making money. Now, I will give you twenty-four hours to decide. Do you wish to be welcomed back into our little family, or would you prefer your recent award to be all for nothing and watch your pathetic little shop go under in less than a month?”

  Penny’s stomach fell to her feet. “What are you talking about?” she asked as calmly as possible.

  “It’s quite simple, really, Penelope. You will spy on Luke Hardcastle and pass along information to me that I might find useful. Financial information, to be exact. In exchange for proving your loyalty to me, I will release your accounts. Your money will be yours to do with as you wish. But if you don’t comply, it’s bye-bye bookshop.”

  Penny thought she going to throw up. This couldn’t be happening, could it? Selina stood up and tossed her napkin on her plate.

  “Twenty-four hours, Penelope. I’ll expect your answer by lunch tomorrow.”

  Penny watched Selina saunter away with a self-satisfied smile on her pinched face. Penny rose to her feet and began to leave too when she was accosted by the sour faced waitress.

  “Your change, miss.”

  Penny looked down at the two dollars and ten cents in the girl’s hand and glared at her. That was a hundred dollars well wasted.

  “Keep it,” she said quietly, then left to seek the solace of a hot cup of tea and the smell of old books.

  * * * *

  Penny twirled the small recording device in her hand and contemplated erasing it. The conversation it held inside its guts was humiliating, but interesting.

  What had Luke done to deserve Selina’s wrath?

  True, he had verbally obliterated her in front of a room full of her lackeys and Selina had destroyed people for less. But surely she would have rained down her vengeance by now? Or maybe she’d been biding her time just like Luke had. Maybe Luke’s plans for revenge against Selina had given her the opportunity she needed against him, too.

  “What’s that?” Karen’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “Oh, nothing,” Penny said as she slipped the device inside her pocket. “Let’s close up, eh?”

  An hour later Penny was in the lobby of Hardcastle Tower and headed for the elevator, head down, thoughts distracted. The doors pinged open and Penny stepped inside and bumped straight into the person that was exiting.

  “Oh, I’m so…oh, it’s you,” Penny said, her apology replaced with contempt as she saw who she’d bumped in to. Luke raised one black eyebrow and smirked at her derisive tone.

  “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten,” he admonished.

  “Oh, you mean like you seem to have forgotten I have a business to run?”

  Luke stepped from the elevator, forcing Penny to follow him.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Home.”

  “But I thought you wanted to−”

  “Not here, Miss Royale,” Luke said as he opened the lobby door and led her outside. Penny walked in silence beside Luke for about a minute and a half before her patience wore thin.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I told you. Home.”

  “Won’t we need your car if you’re taking me home?”

  “My home,” Luke said.

  Penny blanched. “Oh. That would be where, exactly?”

  “My penthouse in South Bank,” Luke said. “Just a short ferry trip to the other side of the river, a quick walk through the parklands, up the street, and we’re home.”

  Penny quickly glanced at Luke, then smirked as she looked away again, wondering if he’d noticed his faux pas, too.

  “Ah, when I said we’re home, I didn’t mean to imply, you know, our home,” Luke said awkwardly.

  He’d noticed.

  “Of course you didn’t. No one would ever believe that you and I...I mean, I’m not exactly your type, am I?”

  Luke cleared his throat and avoided answering the question, which in Penny’s mind was a confirmation of her fears. Luke would never choose a woman like Penny, not when every young, beautiful and pencil-thin model out there was throwing herself at his feet.

  Luke paid for Penny’s ferry ticket, then sat down to await the boat. Penny leaned against the North Quay railing and watched the setting sun reflect on the river while she waited. Luke studied her appreciatively. She was wearing a skirt today, a fifties-style flare job with navy and red stripes and practical pockets, and she’d matched it with a simple pale pink blouse that accentuated her large breasts, but hid her other luscious curves.

  He suppressed a groan of disappointment as Penny pulled on her coat and covered up those wonderful breasts, but consoled himself as his eyes travelled lower and settled on her long, shapely legs. Legs that he longed to feel wrapping around him and−

  “Evening, Mr. Hardcastle.” Luke’s attention was pulled from Penny and refocused on the man talking to him.

  “Chris Marks, what are you doing here?” Luke said as he shook the man’s hand. “The City Cats aren’t exactly your style.”

  “Yeah, well, support public transport and all that.”

  “Porsche on the blink again, eh?”

  Chris grimaced ruefully. “I wish, mate. Lost it in the bloody divorce, didn’t I. Still, it could have been worse.”

  “How so?”

  “I could still be married to the witch.”

  Luke laughed.

  “What are you doing tonight?” Chris continued. “Want to join me for a few at the pub?”

  “No, thanks, mate. I’m previously engaged.”

  “Oh well, never mind. Maybe I can get that leggy brunette to join me instead.” Luke followed Chris’s gaze back to Penny. “I like the chubby ones. Lower self-esteem. They offer less resistance.”

  Luke’s jaw clenched painfully as Chris’s insult kicked him in the gut. Or was that possessiveness that had his insides in knots? Luke didn’t like that Chris was even looking at Penny, let alone thinking about getting her drunk and naked.

  She was his woman.

  He owned her.

  He alone was allowed to ogle her and touch her and kiss her.

  “She’s not for you, Chris. Leave her alone,” he gritted out.

  Chris narrowed his gaze on Luke. “Well, she’s not exactly your type, mate.”

  “I don’t like repeating myself.”

  “What do you say we let the lady decide?” said Chris as he started walking over to Penny.

  Luke wasn’t fast enough to stop him. He saw Chris lean on the railing beside Penny, smile, and lean down to whisper in her ear. Then he saw his hand slide into the small of her back. Penny stiffened at the contact of a strange man’s hand but before Luke could step forward to play the hero, Chris’s charming smile disappeared and his hand left Penny’s body.

  “I think I’ll take the bus,” Luke heard him s
ay as he watched Chris retreat.

  “Are you coming?” Luke looked back to find Penny by his side. “The ferry is here.”

  Chapter Eight

  Luke stood close beside Penny on the deck of the ferry, close enough to feel her body heat in the cool evening air. Close enough, he noticed, to raise a few eyebrows from their fellow travellers. Not that he cared. Not when every fibre of his being screamed at him to wrap his arms around her and protect her from all other men. To mark her as his.

  “I’m sorry if that jerk frightened you before,” said Luke as they started up the path from the South Bank Quay to the parklands.

  He loved South Bank at night, especially Friday night. People were constantly coming and going to the restaurants and kiosks, swarming about the canvas tents of the open-air markets that sold everything from children’s toys to fine millinery. There were always people jogging and cycling along the pathways or strolling along under the massive Grand Arbour, the funky steel construction that snaked its way across the parklands for a full kilometre. At this time of year it was covered from top to bottom in hot pink bougainvillea. With the sun setting over the city and casting an orange glow over everything, it was very romantic.

  Penny looked even more beautiful in this light, like she was glowing.

  Luke clenched his jaw. He wasn’t supposed to be having these kind of thoughts about Penny Royale. He was supposed to hate her. He was supposed to want her to suffer for helping Selina Royale hurt his little sister. But all he’d been able to think about for the whole week was holding Penny in his arms, kissing her full lips, savouring each and every luscious curve of her body as he made love to her over and over again.

  “He’s not the first bloke to feel me up, Luke,” Penny said as she shot him an accusing glare, “I wasn’t frightened so much as I was annoyed.”

  “Right,” Luke said. “Well, what did you say to him to make him back off so fast? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Chris give up that quickly.”

  Penny stopped walking. “You know that idiot? What did you do, Luke, send your friend over to give me a scare so you’d look like a gentleman by comparison?”

  Luke stopped too. “I didn’t need to send him over,” he shot back. “Chris zeroed in on you as soon as he saw you. And he’s not my friend. I went to university with him. He’s always been a jerk where women are concerned. My only worry was that you’d slap him into next week and get charged with assault.”

  Penny smiled tightly. “Thanks for the concern, but I only slap men who are blackmailing me.”

  Luke clenched his jaw again and picked up his pace, making Penny almost have to run to keep up with his very long strides.

  He opened the door to his apartment and ushered Penny inside and smiled to see she was suitably impressed. He watched her as she stood in the middle of the apartment looking lost in the huge open space and then followed her to the large floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the city.

  “What do you think?” he asked as he stood behind her.

  “Did you build it?”

  “Well, my company did.” He chuckled. “It’s been a while since I’ve built anything.”

  “It’s an impressive piece of architecture, Luke,” she said. “But why don’t we get down to why I’m here? I thought you wanted to listen to this.”

  Penny pulled the recording device out of her pocket. Luke took it from her and turned it over in his hand as he eyed Penny curiously.

  “So, you actually went through with it. I’m impressed. But then, you are a Royale.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Penny snapped.

  Luke watched her cheeks bloom with colour as her anger manifested. He enjoyed antagonising her and for all the wrong reasons.

  “Just that it didn’t take much to get you to turn on your own family.”

  “I’ve already told you, Selina isn’t family. And it’s not like you gave me much of a choice, is it?”

  “Then I’ll give you one now,” Luke said as he picked up the phone. Penny looked cautious. “Thai or pizza?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you ever cook?”

  “Not lately,” he admitted. “I’m in the mood for pizza. What toppings do you like?”

  “You decide. I’m not very hungry,” she said as she turned away again to stare at the view.

  Luke watched Penny as he ordered the pizza. She kept her back to him the whole time. She was trying to keep distance between them. Not a bad idea, but it was almost like she was afraid of him. Luke frowned at that thought as he hung up the phone.

  “The pizza will be here in about half an hour. I’m going to take a quick shower and get changed. Help yourself to the fridge, have a drink, whatever you like. Just don’t leave, okay?”

  Penny nodded without turning around.

  Luke let the hot water glide over him and tried to wash away his regret and disgust. This wasn’t him. Blackmail was so far beneath him he couldn’t believe he’d even thought of it, but then, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Cassie.

  If only Penny wasn’t so—distracting. If only she still dressed the way she did at Royale Industries. How those dull grey suits and high-necked blouses, severe makeup and school ma’am bun had made him shudder, had made him wonder where that pretty girl had gone. But then he’d see her again, a glimpse of her sunny smile, or a flash of a shapely leg, or he’d see her hair flow down her back when she freed it from captivity, or he’d see her bite her lip.

  He loved watching her bite her lip.

  Without warning Luke’s imagination overflowed with lustful yearning. His cock hardened so fast it made his head spin. He wanted Penny in his bed and it was becoming harder to convince himself she was his enemy. He turned off the hot water and gritted his teeth against the cold.

  Focus, Luke. Stay on course.

  * * * *

  Penny wandered around the apartment while she waited, sticking her head in and out of doorways. She discovered bedrooms, Luke’s office, and even a home theatre, where an extensive collection of Jessica Rabbit posters held centre stage.

  Penny frowned. The curvaceous pouting cartoon character was the complete opposite of the skinny flat-chested models whom Luke dated in real life.

  She strolled back to the main area of the apartment and sat down on the large black leather couch, breathing deeply as she tried to settle her stomach, sick with the knowledge of what was coming.

  She was chewing on her bottom lip, lost in thought, when Luke waltzed into the room with his T-shirt slung over his shoulder and his hair damp and messy from the shower. Penny’s mouth fell open, her eyes widened and all thought flew out the window. Luke was still fastening the front of his jeans as he walked into the room, his bare feet shuffling across the polished wooden floorboards.

  The entirety of Luke’s chest was impressive, broad and bronzed and subtly defined, his pecs covered in a fine mat of black hairs that trailed down the middle of his stomach and vanished beneath the waistband of his jeans. His arms were strong, the muscles lean and sculptured, and when not hidden by a shirt and tie, his neck was long and powerful and purely male.

  Luke walked to the fridge and again she was riveted by his gait. With long, powerful strides he crossed the room, denim pulling taut around his muscular thighs and perfect ass with every single step.

  He fetched a beer and offered one to Penny. She nodded dumbly, his body commandeering her brain—until she glimpsed his grin. Penny blushed and snapped her attention back to the window. Luke put the beers on the coffee table just as the intercom buzzed.

  “That’ll be the pizza,” he said, and Penny swallowed down a whimper of disappointment and gnawed at her lip again as Luke pulled his T-shirt over his head and hid his beautiful body from view.

  Luke set the pizza box down on the coffee table and quickly opened it. He devoured two slices before Penny had even eaten half of one. She watched him with repulsed fascination. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took a swig of beer.


  “Sorry my for manners, but I skipped lunch. I’m famished.”

  “Oh,” Penny said weakly. She quickly glanced at the recording device sitting beside the pizza box. Luke noticed.

  “You really don’t want to be here, do you?” he said, his wide mouth turning up in a wicked grin. “I wonder what’s on that unit that you don’t want to hear twice?”

  Penny could feel her eyes filling with tears but she fought to keep them in check. “Can we please just get this over with so I can go home?”

  Luke’s grin died as he noticed the look of fear in her eyes. He nodded his head and wiped his hands on his jeans. “All right, if that’s what you want.”

  He picked up the recording device and set it to play back Penny’s lunchtime conversation with Selina. He could hardly believe what he was hearing—was appalled, in fact, that Selina would speak to Penny that way. He’d known the older woman looked down on her niece but he never imagined she’d suffered any real abuse. Obviously he was wrong. Very wrong.

  By the end of the recording Penny was standing by the window again with her back to Luke, discreetly wiping away her tears. He rose and stared at her back. He wanted to go to her, to hold her, comfort her, and tell her he was sorry for making her go through that horrid experience. Twice.

  Damn her vulnerability. Damn his protective instincts that made him feel like the lowest of the low for doing this to her.

  But the fact of the matter was he needed her to do it again, and again, and again until Selina gave up her secrets and told the truth about the Cassidy Holdings deal. He couldn’t afford to back down. He couldn’t afford compassion. He tried a different tack.

  “It’s not a bad idea, you know,” he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “Do you mean the part where Selina is blackmailing me to spy on you or the part where she tells me to sleep with you? Because I thought they were both really bad ideas.”

  “We could make this work to our advantage, Penny.”

  “Our advantage? Since when did we become partners in crime?”

  “Since I found out she’s withholding all your money,” said Luke calmly. “Not that I’m really sure what that means,” he added, his brow scrunched.