The Billionaire's Bride of Vengeance. Miranda Lee

have no idea what you might do, Ms Power. I don’t know you.’

      Her hands found her hips. ‘Then why do you dislike me so much?’

      ‘I don’t,’ he lied.

      ‘Huh! I can always tell when someone doesn’t like me, and you don’t like me, Mr McClain.’

      ‘You’re imagining things,’ he said.

      ‘If I am, then goodness knows how you got to be such a success at your job. I always thought real-estate salesmen were experts in charm. You seem to have left yours at the front door.’

      Russell’s smile was wry. ‘Aah, but I’m not trying to sell you anything, Ms Power.’

      ‘Oh for pity’s sake, call me Nicole.’

      ‘If you insist.’

      ‘I insist.’ Her hands fell from her hips as an exasperated sigh escaped her lips. ‘Look, I appreciate you must have had a shock, finding someone in your new house, especially not knowing who I was. After all, you didn’t know it was me, did you?’

      ‘No,’ he replied, his mind once again going back to the sight of her in that shower. His body began recalling that sight, too.

      Russell cleared his throat and did up his suit jacket. ‘I thought you were a squatter,’ he admitted.

      ‘And once you found out I wasn’t?’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘You still weren’t happy. When I came downstairs you glared at me like I was some kind of vermin.’

      That’s because I wanted you, naked again, and under me. For hours on end.

      I still do.

      The discomfort of his ongoing arousal made Russell brutally aware that to stay in her provocative company any longer than necessary was masochistic in the extreme. He had to get out of here, and soon.

      ‘Now you really are imagining things,’ he said. ‘But you’re right,’ he added with one of those warm, winning smiles he reserved for his female clients. ‘I am being rather ridiculous about this. So please…take your time packing your things, and stay another night, if you need to. You can drop the keys in at the Bondi branch of McClain Real Estate any time tomorrow.’

      She seemed stunned by his sudden turnaround.

      Russell took her speechless moment as his cue to depart.

      ‘Goodbye, Ms Power,’ he said with a small nod of his head. ‘It’s been a pleasure meeting you.’