Her Not-So-Secret Diary(13)

Perfect. Well, almost.

So they were going to clear this up. Now. As he descended she glanced up  and caught sight of him. He watched the dismay cross her gaze. Watched  her stop and try to compose herself.

'Sophie.'

'Jared.' She jiggled the folders she held tighter against her bosom. 'Do  you want to go over these figures from George before I file them?'

'No. That's what I pay you for.' He stopped two steps above her, then  sat down on the concrete so that they were eye to eye. 'Last night you  said you were a professional.'

Her eyes widened. 'And I am.'

'You're avoiding me.'

'No. I'm busy.' Then her gaze turned worried. 'Oh. Since you were on your way out I figured I'd-'

'I don't have time for this, Sophie, and nor do you. We need to do  something about it.' He wanted to touch her so badly he had to fist his  hands at his sides. 'Whatever you're doing tonight, cancel it.'

'I can't. Not tonight.'

He narrowed his eyes while trying to read hers. 'Can't or won't?'

'I'm spending the night with Pam.' Her lips firmed and her eyes flashed a  defiant topaz. 'She's family to me and she's ill and on her own. So  call me unprofessional or sack me on the spot but an understanding boss  knows which comes first.'

Yes, he knew. He had to admire her for standing up for herself. 'Okay.'  Rising and stepping down to her level, he breathed out his frustration.  Slowly. 'Tomorrow night, then.'

She took her time responding, as if trying to come up with another  excuse. He decided to let her off the hook for now and said, 'Listen,  why don't you finish here early today since you worked back last night?  Buy some flowers from the staff at the florist around the corner on your  way. You'd know what Pam likes. Put it on my business account.'

Her tensed shoulders softened. 'Okay. Thanks. Pam'll love that.' A smile  lit up her whole face and reflected in her gold-flecked eyes. It  brought a glow to the moment. It made him think of the sun dancing on a  sapphire sea. It made him forget he was her boss and this was his place  of work.

'Summer,' he murmured. Heat. Bared, bronzed bodies. Playtime and passion. He wanted it all with Sophie Buchanan.

The images his mind seemed determined to conjure up both startled and  aroused. He breathed in sharply and his nostrils filled with her  familiar fresh scent. Her smile faded as they continued to stare at each  other. His heart pounded like a fist on a drum. Her shoulders tensed up  again and she gripped the metal banister with her free hand, the other  clutching at the files.

'Hey … ' Seriously aiming for detached, he grinned, then … somehow … his thumb  was sliding along her lower lip. 'Relax, I'm not going to ravish you on  the stairwell no matter how hard you beg.'

She didn't smile or move a muscle, didn't react in any way. A block of  wood. His inappropriate touch and humour drained away, leaving him  feeling confused, unsteady and … damn exposed …  What the hell was wrong  with him? With his body already rock hard, he shifted closer, desperate  for one taste of that generous mouth, just one …                        
       
           



       

She didn't move away. She didn't resist as he leaned in and the instant  their lips met her whole being seemed to sigh with satisfaction. He knew  because he felt the same way. Her mouth, so warm, so soft, so rich. So  right. His body tightened further.

The sound of the upstairs door opening echoed in the stairwell. He  reacted instantly. What in hell was he doing? This wasn't so right, this  was all wrong. His hands instinctively rose to Sophie's shoulders-to  steady her, that was all-but she shot backwards, still grasping the  files, wide eyes flashing with accusation.

'Jared?' an impatient voice called. 'Are you down there? Some of us haven't got all day … '

'Be there in a jiff, Liss.' His voice reverberated off the walls.

He heard a strangled sound coming from Sophie, who was shooting upwards  like a rocket and already a few stairs above him. She turned, looked  down on him and whispered fiercely, 'That's what happens when you don't  stick to the rules.'

He was uncomfortably aware of the tent in his trousers. Sophie would be  too. And Melissa, if she noticed. And Melissa would be bound to notice.  He ground his teeth. Sisters. He threw out a hand, snapped his fingers.  'Give me the files, Sophie.'

She passed them down to him with … was that a hint of smoky humour mingled  with the agitation in her eyes? 'I'll let Melissa know you'll be right  along,' she said, and resumed her ascent.

'Tell her I'll meet her in the car park. And check the agenda for next  Wednesday and familiarise yourself with the details,' he informed her  retreating back, trying to get some sort of business rapport going  between them again.

'Next Wednesday?'

'I've left you an email.'

'I'll get right on it.'

The door above swung shut. He drew in a ragged breath and tried to bring  his wayward body under some sort of control. He couldn't believe what  he'd just done. During office hours. With his PA, for pity's sake. What  an ass.

His professional self had never done anything remotely like it. Never been tempted. Sophie Buchanan was the first. The one-off.

When he'd kissed her last night he'd not anticipated she'd still be his  PA today. He reassured himself that in less than a month everything  would be back to normal.

Who was he kidding? He shook his head as he made his way upstairs. Somehow he doubted anything would be the same, ever again.



Noosa? They were going to Noosa. Sophie stared at the email Jared had  forwarded moments ago while she'd been downstairs. Her and him, together  for the three-hour journey past Brisbane and on to the northern  Sunshine Coast. And staying at some fancy address on the Noosa River.  Alone.

No way.

She reached for the office phone, but before she could make a connection  it buzzed. To curb her impatience she fixed a smile in place.  'Sanderson Property Investments, Sophie Buchanan speaking, how may I  help you?'

'Miz Buchanan.' Jared's voice. With not a hint of the husky heat it had  exuded moments ago. Just deep and calm like a high mountain lake.

Unlike her. Her pulse, which had barely settled, raced again. He'd  kissed her senseless and just like that, now he was being all business?  She heard a car's horn in the background. Right, of course he was all  business because he was in the car with Melissa, who was no doubt  listening in on every word. Now who's playing games?

'Mr Sanderson.' She leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingernails on  the desk and studying the photo of Noosa's riverside luxury home on her  computer screen. 'What can I do for you?'

Should have rephrased that. A shiver shimmied down her spine and she  swore that amazing sexual tension they seemed to have between them spun  through the air, as if he were standing right behind her. Leaning down,  his breath hot against her ear-

'You've read the email, I presume?'

She jolted upright. 'Yes.' Brief hiatus where neither spoke. Did he  expect her to back out now? Moreover, did she want to back out now? The  refusal on the tip of her tongue melted away. 'I'll be ready,' she said.

'Excellent.'

No way could she interpret the nuance of that single word.

'We've a busy schedule ahead of us,' he continued, 'and I want to  familiarise you with a few details before we leave on Wednesday. I'll be  in Brisbane on Monday and Tuesday, so we'll discuss it over dinner  tomorrow evening.'

She opened her mouth to argue, closed it. So it was a business dinner  now. How cunning. And when he put it that way how could she refuse?  'Very well. Restaurants … ' She flipped through Pam's list on the desk.  'Do you have a preference?'                       
       
           



       

'I'll make the reservations this time. We'll make it seven, I'll pick you up on the way.'

Nuh-uh, that sounded too much like a date and the panicky feeling fluttered back. 'I-'

'Until tomorrow, then. Bye for now.'

The line went dead.



'Fill me in on the latest lunchroom gossip,' Pam said while they ate the  home-made chicken soup and hot crusty bread Sophie had brought  upstairs.

Pam was a brunette with short bouncy hair, abundant curves and dark  expressive eyes. Right now those eyes begged for news from the outside.

'I'm just the temp, remember. I'm not privy to gossip.'

'But you must have heard something-any sordid little tidbit that'll  brighten up my miserable, itchy and scratch-filled day will do.'

'Oh, you poor thing.' Sophie looked at her blister-covered friend across  the table and almost felt itchy herself. 'Are you sure there's not  anything I can get you?'

'Thanks, but I'm fully medicated for the moment. Especially with the  gorgeous flowers you brought. Jared really is a darling.' She smiled at  the bunch of yellow roses on the coffee table. 'Come on, Sophie.'

She wanted to get this thing with Jared out in the open with someone and  Pam was the only person she was close enough and trusted enough to  confide in. 'Are you sure you're up to hearing it? You don't need to go  and relieve that itching some more in a cool cornflower bath?'