Her Not-So-Secret Diary(6)

The meeting wrapped up at nine-fifteen. He was glad his ten o'clock  appointment didn't require his PA. And his eleven-fifteen would keep him  busy until lunch. Only the afternoon to get through, he thought,  watching the little hollows behind her knees as she bent over to  retrieve her bag from the floor.

Swinging his gaze away, he focused on Sam's conversation while he  stuffed a couple of files into his briefcase. Reminded himself again  that he didn't get involved with employees.

However, a couple of hours of working back this evening would clear  yesterday's clutter and when the work was finished Sophie's two-day  fill-in for Pam would be over. She would no longer be in his employ …





CHAPTER THREE




'YOUR ten o'clock cancelled,' Sophie informed Jared as they walked to the car.

A hunger fist clenched around her stomach. She hadn't had time for  breakfast. And she'd refused Sam's offer for refreshment because she  hadn't been sure she'd keep it down she was so uptight, and had stuck to  her bottled water. 'He'll ring back this afternoon and reschedule.'

Jared aimed the remote at the car and the alarm blipped. 'In that case, I'd like to make another stop before we head back.'

She'd been hoping for some time and space back at the office. Alone at  her desk. She didn't want to be anywhere near him, inhaling his scent,  listening to his voice and wondering …  This on-the-edge-of-the-seat  feeling that Jared might have read her diary was killing her. In a way  it was almost worse than knowing. At least if she knew, she could make  some attempt to deal with it. But she wasn't going to risk asking.

It was a beautiful day with the sky's blue dome reflecting on the sea.  Ridges of surf scrolled along the sand, already dotted with beach-goers.  Right now Sophie wished she were one of them. No boss to stress over,  just a day of relaxation stretched out to enjoy. Or better still, to be  one of the gulls wheeling high and low over the ocean.                       
       
           



       

As she watched Jared open the boot she reminded herself she'd be as free  as those gulls in just under four weeks. He dropped his gear in,  motioned her to do the same with Pam's laptop. He shrugged out of his  jacket once more, then to her surprise he yanked off his tie and tossed  it in the boot with the rest of his stuff, and said, 'What do you say to  fish and chips?'

Now? What was wrong with muesli and fruit and a nice hot coffee? 'It's only nine-twenty-'

'First off, do you like fish and chips? And I'm not talking the  fast-food skinny-mini deals but the old-fashioned crisp on the outside,  soft in the middle and wrapped in butcher paper kind.'

'I do, but-'

'So forget the office-and the boss-for an hour and take a break. I know a  little seafood shop here that's open early. They do take-away  cappuccino too, if you need your caffeine fix.'

Forget the office? Take a break? She'd barely done an hour's work.  Forgetting the boss wasn't going to happen and fish and chips at  nine-thirty on a weekday?

Was this happy-looking, suddenly smiling man the same man Pam said was all work and no play? There had to be a catch.

'O-k-ay.' She smiled back, blinded by that knee-weakening crease. It really should be registered as a deadly weapon.

One block back from the esplanade and a few moments' walk brought them  to a row of shops. They passed a bakery and its rich scent of coffee and  fresh bread. Sophie slowed her steps, all but drooling at the window  selection, but then Jared laid a casual hand on her shoulder.

She jumped at the startling contact as he steered her past the shop with  barely there persuasion. It seemed an easy relaxed gesture, except that  she was super aware of the slight pressure of his fingers on her  collarbone, like a low-grade current tickling her flesh. Aware also of  the sun-warmed fragrances of clean cotton and masculine skin surrounding  her.

As if he knew she'd been about to forgo chips in ten minutes in favour  of a sticky bun right now, he dipped his head and said, 'It'll be worth  the wait.' His voice was lazy and layered with all the richness of the  Black Forest gateau she'd just salivated over.

'Is that a promise?' She heard her own voice echo that same tone and her  suddenly dry tongue cleaved to the roof of her mouth. Her heart rate  accelerated as she turned and looked up at him. They were talking food,  weren't they?

His expression revealed nothing … but had his eyes gone darker? 'You can tell me afterwards.'

'Right.' His eyes were darker. And up close she noticed the distinctive  olive green was ringed with a fine rim of navy. She also noticed they'd  stopped walking. He was still touching her and her flesh was still  tingling.

She hitched her bag higher so that his hand slid away, and resumed  walking, but he was close enough so that their arms bumped, a  too-delicious friction of firm flesh, crisp shirt and masculine hair.

A moment later he slowed again, this time outside a bright shop called  The Baby Tree with teddies spilling out of prams and the cutest little  baby outfits suspended from colourful chains. 'Come on. Help me choose  something for my new niece. Thirty seconds. What do you think-a teddy or  that fluffy red kangaroo?'

For one trembly moment of indecision Sophie stared at the pretty window  and the pair of tiny overalls covered in roses with a matching sunhat.  The rainbow selection of lace booties. And yearned.

Then the familiar chill that accompanied such visions swirled through  her heart and she shivered in the balmy air. She hadn't set foot in a  baby shop since- In a long time.

'I'm not really a baby person.' She spun away from the window and gazed  at the shop across the street, but didn't see it. 'Don't let me stop  you, though.' Without looking at him, she dredged up a smile from  somewhere and pasted it on her lips, while groping in her bag for her  sunglasses. Hoping she looked more careless and indifferent than she  felt, she waved in the direction they'd been heading. 'I'll go ahead and  order.'

She slid on the glasses, turned and walked. One foot in front of the  other. Her smile dropped from her lips and she was conscious of the  residual sweaty palms and heavy heartbeat. Of all the shops he could  have chosen, he'd stopped at The Baby Tree.

It had caught her off guard. With most of her friends down the coast in  Newcastle, over the past four years it had been easy to avoid the baby  trap. Pam was seriously single and Sophie's focus was her upcoming  overseas trip. Not making babies and playing happy families.

Those things hadn't worked for her.                       
       
           



       

She'd be ready next time he pulled that trick. Next time? She coughed  out a half-laugh. Hardly. After today she wouldn't have to see Jared  Sanderson again. She kept her eyes peeled for the fish shop, but she  hadn't gone farther than a couple of metres along the footpath when he  caught up.

He fell into step beside her. 'Hey.'

His tone was bland and she couldn't decide if he was annoyed or  concerned. Please, God, anything but concern. She could deal with  annoyance, indifference, even anger, but concern …  Concern could weaken  her resistance, leaving her vulnerable. Again. She refused to allow  anyone too close. Giving your love, your trust, yourself to someone else  only brought heartbreak. She'd learned that lesson too.

Jared must have caught the vibes; he'd put at least an arm span between  them and guilt pierced the self-preservation she normally surrounded  herself with. 'I really don't mind. She's your sister …  If you want to-'

'No big deal, I'll do it later. We're here.' He stopped at the next wide  glass door and pushed it open, the air-conditioned swirl mingling with  the aroma of hot fat. 'Rico. Buongiorno.'

'Buongiorno.' The rotund swarthy man beaming at Jared as if he was some  long-lost friend looked to be in his late forties. He also looked as if  he'd been dining on his own menu for a good many of those years. 'Didn't  expect to see you down this way today.'

'Had a spare hour.'

'And you haven't come alone.' He shone his beam on Sophie.

'Rico, meet Sophie. Sophie, Rico. A serve of your best chips to go,  please, my friend. And a cappuccino for my hard-working colleague here.'

'Very happy to make your acquaintance, Sophie.' Rico winked at her as he  scooped chips into a wire basket, lowered it into the fryer. 'If this  man doesn't treat you right, I have a brother. Has his own seafood  restaurant in Broadbeach. He's single and better looking.'

Sophie shoved her sunglasses on top of her head. She glanced at Jared,  caught him looking at her and didn't quite smother her grin. 'I'll keep  it in mind.'

'Get Jared to take you there for dinner one night.'

She jerked her gaze back to Rico. 'Oh … no. I'm … we're not … dating.'

His thick black brows rose, then a look of pure devilment danced in his dark eyes. 'Why not?'