Her Not-So-Secret Diary(8)

Not that he could ever get serious with a happy wanderer who didn't like  kids. He wasn't looking for marriage right now, but when he settled  down he wanted a woman who held the same values he did. A lifetime  commitment to family. Sharing, trust. And children.

But that wasn't now.

A few weeks with no-strings Sophie wouldn't be a hardship. Wouldn't be a  hardship at all …  He just had to seduce Sophie a little, tempt her with a  taste of her own desires, her private fantasies …  He ran a hand around  the back of his neck, shifted on the seat as his blood pumped a little  faster around his body. Then a smile touched his lips. Who knew her  desires better than him? Who better than Jared to make those fantasies a  reality?





CHAPTER FOUR




MEETINGS took up the rest of the morning. In the afternoon Jared  escorted a millionaire businessman from Dubai and his entourage on a  tour of inspection of a dozen complexes and resorts. Negotiations  followed over a late lunch in one of Surfers Paradise's top restaurants.

He'd left Sophie an overflowing outbox and several reports to edit, file, print, mail.

Jared would be the first to acknowledge that Pam was a brilliant PA. She  knew her stuff, was ruthlessly efficient, indispensable, in fact, and  he'd hate to lose her. But he had to admit that behind her desk she  tended to merge into the background.

Not Sophie Buchanan.

On his return at five-thirty, before he reached his office he could  smell that sparkling fresh fragrance that had been spinning inside his  head all day, making him think inappropriate thoughts. Taking his focus  away from work.

Instead of concentrating on ways to convince Najeeb Assad that  transforming an aging condominium building into a slice of paradise was a  sound business decision, Jared had been visualising Sophie astride him  on his office chair, her fragrant skin glowing with a sheen of sweat  while she rode him hard and fast …

To Jared's relief, Mr Assad had concurred with his suggestions for  renovation, but it could easily have gone the other way-and that  concerned him. Jared had never allowed himself or his work to be  sidetracked by a woman before.

It reinforced his belief that it was an idiot boss who got personally  involved with his employees. So he afforded Sophie only a brief  acknowledgement on his way through late in the afternoon, issuing a  practical, 'Can I see you in my office with those reports you worked on  yesterday in thirty minutes, please?'

Blowing out a breath, he dropped into his chair. With Pam due back  tomorrow, he needed to go over yesterday's work with Sophie. But in a  couple of hours he could loosen up and enjoy getting to know her better.  On a more personal level.                       
       
           



       

Meanwhile he pulled out this afternoon's paperwork, skimmed it before  setting it aside and working through the day's emails. From his position  he couldn't see her beyond his door, but he could hear her moving  around, the sounds of her desk drawer opening, closing.

Five minutes before she was due, the quick rat-a-tat had him half rising  as he looked up from his screen. The smile already on his lips stalled …   'Lissa. Hi. I wasn't expecting you.'

Her brows rose. 'Clearly. You look stunned. Rabbit-caught-in-headlights  stunned. So who were you expecting?' Not anticipating an answer, she  crossed the room, set a bag of Chinese takeout in front of him. 'I was  on my way home and remembered you said you were working late. Extra  Special Fried Rice from the Lotus Pearl. See, I do care about you.'

Its spicy aroma steamed through the plastic carry bag. He wondered if he  could extend it to two. 'Thanks, Liss, that's very thoughtful of you  and I appreciate it, but I'm not working alone tonight.'

'Didn't you say Pam was off sick? Ah-h-h … ' He'd never seen that knowing,  womanly expression on his baby sister's face and it threw him for a  loop. 'You mean that attractive long-legged brunette in the staffroom  lounge making café lattes-for two.' Her grin widened-irritatingly so.  'That kind of working late.'

'No, Liss.' Resisting the temptation to rub the back of his neck, he  pushed out of his seat and grabbed a folder on his bookshelf. 'That's  not it.'

'I believe you.' She pressed her lips together but the sparkle of humour  in her eyes betrayed her. Rising up on tiptoe, she pecked his cheek and  murmured, 'Don't work too hard. Or too late.'

Sophie stopped dead outside Jared's door, a café latte in each hand. The  sight of the petite but gorgeous Titian-haired female kissing his jaw  had her stomach knotting in a strange way. So his almost-flirty  conversation this morning had been her imagination. The imagination  she'd told him she didn't have.

Her imagination was working just fine now.

As she watched the redhead turn towards the door, Sophie's inner turmoil  grew. The girl must be at least a decade younger than him.

And Sophie could cast stones? Hadn't Sophie been years younger than  Glen? So young, too young. Too young to know the dangers of falling for  the wrong type of man. All she'd wanted was an escape, to feel safe, to  belong with someone. To matter. Instead, she'd jumped from one disaster  into another.

Before Sophie could analyse her way out of the instant over-reaction,  the girl caught sight of her and smiled. 'Hi.' Her aquamarine eyes  sparked with feminine curiosity and friendly interest and Sophie  couldn't help but like her even though her stomach was tied in double  knots.

'I'm sorry,' she murmured. 'I'll come back.'

Jared looked up, bright eyes finding hers. 'No, it's okay, come in. Melissa, this is Sophie.'

Sophie propelled herself towards Jared's desk with a breathy kind of, 'Hi.'

He leaned across and rescued the listing lattes from her stiff fingers. 'Liss brought some fried rice by.'

'That was kind.' Ridiculously relieved for the second time today, Sophie  smiled back, her gaze darting between the two but finding no  resemblance. Charm and charisma obviously ran in the family, however.  'Pleased to meet you, Melissa.'

'Likewise.' Her voice practically bounced with enthusiasm as she stepped  back. 'I'll leave you two to get on with whatever … ' With a glance at  her brother, she swung her bag onto her shoulder, then smiled at Sophie  on her way out. 'Get Jared to bring you over some time.'

'Ah … hmm. Bye for now.'

Was there some sort of conspiracy going on? She could have reiterated  that she was temping for the day, that they weren't dating, but she'd  been there, said that, this morning. Now hot, flustered and  empty-handed, she made an abrupt about-turn as Melissa passed,  murmuring, 'I'll just get those reports … '

When she reached her desk, she pressed both palms on its smooth cool  surface and took a deep calming breath. Closed her eyes a moment and  listened to the muted office sounds as the few staff still remaining  closed down computers or chatted outside the elevator bank.

Why was everyone so interested in Jared's social life? More incredible  and disturbing were suggestions that she be involved. The fact that he  shared a place with his sister surprised her. Surely a man like him  would have his own apartment and want to do his own no-doubt-frequent  'entertaining' without a kid sister around, even if said sister was  practically an adult?                       
       
           



       

Sophie didn't care what Pam said, a man with that much sex appeal must  have women falling over themselves to get his attention. Pam had meant  the workplace, where he was by all accounts legendary for his strict  workplace ethics.

And this was the workplace.

Ergo, anything remotely flirty or sexual was off-limits.

Their quick trip to Coolangatta this morning had been a time-out away  from the office, Sophie reasoned, hence a little more relaxed. A teensy  bit flirty even. But since they'd been back around mid-morning he'd  certainly been all business, barely noticing her except to slide some  paperwork across her desk to be mailed just before he disappeared around  lunchtime for the rest of the day.

Satisfied-and relieved-that the next couple of hours would be no  different, she'd lifted the documents and files she'd organised for the  evening's session off her desk and turned … to find Jared watching her  from the doorway.

And looking anything but business.

The sun had set but the high-rise office was still bathed in the sky's  ruddy reflection, painting his skin a swarthy bronze, contrasting with  his shirt, which glowed like a white-hot coal. Against the files, her  fingers twitched with the itch to stroke his skin and discover if it was  as warm and firm as it looked.

As it had felt in her dream.

Sophie inwardly moaned that if she hadn't dreamt about him she wouldn't  be having these totally inappropriate thoughts. She prided herself on  being a professional. She did not gaze at her boss as if she wanted to  lick her way up the side of his throat, over his prominent Adam's apple,  along his firm afternoon-shadowed jaw to that luscious-looking mouth …