What The Millionaire Wants...: What the Millionaire Wants... / Spencer's Forbidden Passion. Brenda Jackson

said as she placed the Scotch in front of him.

      “Thanks.” Jack started to take a sip, then decided against it. Instead, he picked up the knife on the place setting before him. Made of quality stainless steel, he noted as he traced the blade with his fingertip. It was also sharp enough to cut his finger if he wasn’t careful. A lot like Laura, he thought—attractive, of excellent quality and dangerous if a man wasn’t careful.

      He was always careful, Jack reminded himself. Putting aside the knife, he checked his watch. Thirty minutes late. Evidently, punctuality wasn’t one of Chloe Baxter’s virtues, he decided. He was just beginning to wonder if the woman would be a no-show when he spied the striking blonde in the doorway. At first, he wouldn’t have pegged her for Laura’s sister. On second glance though, he noted the shape of her eyes and the long legs were very much like Laura’s. She was a real head-turner, Jack thought as the hostess led her toward his table. Judging by the number of appreciative male looks cast her way, he wasn’t the only one who thought so. He stood as she approached. “Ms. Baxter,” he said and extended his hand. “I’m Jackson Hawke.”

      She shook his hand firmly. “Mr. Hawke,” she said in a voice that had a smoky tone to it.

      Once she was seated, he asked, “Would you care for something to drink?”

      She looked up at the waitress, smiled. “I’d love a glass of merlot.”

      Jack ordered a bottle from a select vintage and once the waitress was gone, he said, “I appreciate your agreeing to meet with me.”

      Amusement lit her hazel eyes. “We both know that I came here in exchange for your promise that you’d schedule a meeting with Meredith Grant to discuss her company, Connections.”

      “Yes. And I have to say, your request surprised me. As an actress, I would have thought you would have traded for an introduction for yourself to a producer or casting director. After all, I do know several. But instead, you asked for something for a former stepsister. Why is that?”

      “Meredith’s my sister. Just because our parents divorced doesn’t mean she and I stop being sisters. And contrary to what most people think, not all actresses are self-centered divas. Meredith has been trying for months to get an appointment with you and your office keeps turning her down.” She sat back in her seat, crossed her legs and met his gaze. “When you called and asked me to meet with you, I saw an opportunity to get her that appointment and took it.”

      Jack nodded. “I appreciate your candor, Ms. Baxter.”

      “Then I hope you’ll appreciate that I intend to have you book that meeting with Meredith before I leave here today.”

      “I’ll book the meeting—just as long as both you and Ms. Grant understand that I’m not interested in a matchmaking service.”

      “Connections does more than matchmaking,” she told him. “It connects people for business reasons, too. That’s what Meredith wants to meet with you about.”

      “Very well, Ms. Baxter. I’ll keep my promise and book the meeting with Ms. Grant,” he assured her. “In exchange, you promised to listen to my offer and hear about my plans for the hotel with an open mind. Agreed?”

      “Agreed,” she replied. “And the name’s Chloe.”

      “Very well, Chloe. And my name’s Jack.”

      “All right, Jack. I’m listening.”

      She listened while he told her about his reasons for wanting to buy the hotel. She listened as he explained the difficulties of competing in the hotel market in the post-Katrina city. She listened as he told her about his plans to restore the Contessa and make it a viable, revenue-producing property.

      “If you’re able to do what you say, it seems the smart thing for me to do would be to hold on to my stock because it’ll be worth a lot more down the road.”

      “That’s true. But that’s at least a year or two away,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. “Accepting my two million dollars now would mean you wouldn’t have to take another waitress job and you could study full-time at the L.A. Theater Institute.”

      She lifted her eyebrow. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you did your homework on me. Laura said you were smart.”

      “Did she now? What else did your sister say about me?”

      She smiled. “I think she mentioned something about your being an arrogant Neanderthal who—”

      Laughing, he held up his hand. “I think I get the picture.”

      “I thought you would,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Although I’m not sure the Neanderthal fits. I expected you to be bigger…and ugly.”

      He laughed.

      So did she.

      And they were both laughing when an unsmiling Laura walked into the dining room. Damn, but she looked good, Jack thought. No suit today, he noted. She was dressed in an ivory sweater with a red ribbon bow shooting across the shoulder and a skinny-fitting skirt of lipstick-red that gave him an enticing view of those killer legs. Her mouth was painted that same shade of red and Jack found himself itching to taste it.

      “See something you like, Jack?”

      Jack shot a look over at Chloe and, given the amused expression on her face and tone in her voice, his appraisal of her sister hadn’t gone unnoticed. As Laura approached their table, Jack stood. “How was your…vacation? It was a vacation, wasn’t it? Your assistant said you were off on personal business.”

      “My trip was fine,” Laura said drily, her attention focused on her younger sister. “Hello, Chloe.”

      “Hi, sis. You’re back early. I thought your flight wasn’t due in until after nine tonight,” Chloe said.

      “I was able to get an earlier flight. I thought you had a date tonight,” Laura said, accusation in her voice.

      “I do—but not until later. So I decided to take Jack up on his dinner offer.”

      He knew very little about siblings, particularly siblings who loved one another. His only experience had been the hurtful experiences and bitterness that permeated his relationship with Matt Peterson. Whatever was going on between Laura and Chloe was different—and whatever it was, it was generating a lot of tension. In an effort to diffuse some of that tension, he said, “We were just about to order coffee and dessert. Would you like to join us?”

      “No, thanks. I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on. Besides, I wouldn’t want to interrupt you while you’re trying to charm my sister into selling you her stock.”

      Chloe waved her hand in dismissal. “Lighten up, Laura. As charming as he is, Jack already knows that I have no intention of selling him my stock. Don’t you, Jack?”

      He did know it. But judging by the look of relief on Laura’s face, she hadn’t been quite so sure. “Yes, I know you’re not going to sell,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed our time together or that I’ll stop trying to convince you.” He looked over at Laura. “Either of you.”

      “And as I’ve already told you, you’re wasting your time,” Laura said.

      Annoyed by her dismissal and wondering whether or not a rendezvous with his stepbrother, Matt, was the reason, Jack said, “Speaking of wasting time, before you take off on another trip, you might want to remember that there are only twenty days left before one of us has to pay up on that bet. I’m counting on that someone being you.”

      Back in her office, Laura tried to focus on the letters awaiting her signature and block out all thoughts of Jackson Hawke. The man was infuriating. She’d wanted to wipe that cocky smile off his face. And at the same time, she’d wanted to jump his bones. Just remembering the way he had looked at her—as if he’d wanted to swallow her whole—made her pulse stutter, her body hot.

      “All