One Real Man (Entangled Bliss)(24)

Shrugging, she went back to her list, as if he’d merely asked her to pick up an extra bunch of grapes. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

“There’s something else I need to ask you,” he said.

“Yes?” she asked warily.

“There’s a lot riding on this weekend visit. I don’t want anything to go wrong. So I need you to give me some coaching beforehand.”

“Coaching in what?”

Couldn’t she figure that out herself? He waved impatiently. “Etiquette, manners, social conventions, that sort of bullshit.”

Her gray eyes glimmered. “Well, for a start, don’t call it bullshit.”

“It’s bullshit to me, but I have to learn it.” He breathed out deeply. “Come on, Paige. Do I need to spell it out for you? I’m not a blue blood. I don’t move in the circles you do. I’m rough and gruff, and I’m comfortable with that, but just for this one weekend, I need to be someone different. I need to be the kind of guy you’d go out with.”

He stopped short. Shit, where the hell had that come from? He plowed on, “I need to be slick and polished. I need to sell myself to this Gordon Asquith.”

A frown had settled on her forehead. “I don’t know”

Her dubious air had him scratching his chin. “That bad, huh?” When her eyebrows rose in query, he drawled, “You don’t think I could become slick and polished.”

“No—”

“Then what?” He leaned forward. “I know what it is. Deep down, you don’t want me to succeed. You want me to stay where I belong, isn’t it?”

“That’s not true.”

The pencil shook in her hand, and it struck him that she was more upset than she let on. As she glanced away, he caught a glimpse of her troubled expression, and his indignation drained away. He reached for her hand and covered it with his, instinct taking over.

“What is it?”

She looked down at his hand, so large and dark, enveloping hers. He felt her fingers twitch; for a second he thought she was going to twine them through his, but then she slipped her hand away and tucked it under the table.

“I’d be happy to give you some tips.”

The vulnerability was gone, swept under her composed mask. He stared at her, searching for that unexpected chink in her armor, knowing he wouldn’t find it. Paige was an expert at disguising her feelings.

“Thanks.” He nodded, still mystified by her. “I’ll pay you extra for your troubles. What’s the going rate for a PR consultation?”

She dismissed his question with a wave of her hand. “That’s not necessary.”

Great. Another social blunder.

He took a breath. “I thought we could take a trip to Sydney sometime this week and get myself some suitable clothes.”

Her gloom disappeared as her face lit up. “Oh, a makeover!”

“No, just something more spiffy than my usual gear.”

She didn’t appear to be listening to him. “Those nerdy shirts of yours have been driving me crazy. I know just the place to take you. Oh, and shoes! You need proper shoes.”

Proper shoes? His shoes were just fine, thank you very much. But he could see it was no use protesting. Besides, he’d asked for her advice, so he’d best take it. She looked enthused by the idea of buying him new clothes, and the more he thought about it, the more he warmed to the idea. He loathed shopping, but he’d be with Paige for an entire day. That was a bonus.

“Are you free this Thursday?” he asked.

Maybe if they spent time together doing something she enjoyed, it would ease the strain between them. He didn’t know what he wanted them to become; he only knew the current situation was grinding on his nerves. In Sydney, they wouldn’t be housekeeper and employer. They’d be equals. They could have fun. Maybe he’d take her out to lunch at Bondi Icebergs and they could talk.

“Sure.” She paused. “Actually, I was going to Sydney this Thursday anyway. I have a lunch date.”

The muscles in the back of his neck tensed. “Who with?”

“Mike, my former manager at Focus Marketing.”

Now he could barely move his neck. “Didn’t realize you’d started job hunting already.”

“I haven’t started in earnest. I called Mike just for a chat, and he suggested we meet for lunch. Nothing formal, really.”

Why did he feel as though a ten-ton truck had sideswiped him? From the beginning he’d known Paige was only here short-term. There was no earthly reason why she’d want to continue being his housekeeper any longer than necessary.

His neck muscles cracked in protest as he forced himself to nod. “You’ll let me know in advance before you quit? I’ll need to organize a replacement.”

“Of course” Her eyes narrowed. He sensed she wanted to say something more, but she dipped her head and began doodling a flower on her list.

“So you’re over the whole video thing?” he asked abruptly.

Her pencil stilled midway through a petal. Resolute eyes met his. “I don’t know about that, but I do know I can’t hide forever.”

“This Mike guy. Does he know about the incident?”

“I’m sure he does, but he didn’t mention it. Though I’m sure he’ll bring it up at some point.”

She sucked in her cheeks, and for a moment he saw her nagging doubts. In marketing and PR she dealt with a lot of people, and many of them wouldn’t be too polite. Would she be able to handle the gossip, the sly whispers?

“You could always change careers,” he offered.

“No.” She sat straighter. “I like marketing, and believe it or not, I am good at it.” Gathering up her list, handbag, and keys, she got to her feet. “It’ll be difficult at first, but I’ll reestablish myself in Sydney.” She looked pointedly at him. “After all, I can’t stay here forever.”



Paige walked away from Owen, hoping he had no inkling of the disquiet boiling inside her. Disappointment, too. She’d been meaning to tell him about her appointment with Mike, but she hadn’t expected him to react the way he did, which was not to react at all. He hadn’t turned a hair at her imminent departure, just asked for sufficient warning so he could find a replacement housekeeper. After everything that had passed between them—the conflict, the tension, the attraction, the mind-blowing kisses—he was ready to dismiss her in the blink of an eye. She was just a holdover from his past, a minor distraction, a little diversion.

This meeting with her former boss couldn’t have come at a better time. In Heidi she’d seen the type of woman who suited Owen, and she realized how stupid it was to get carried away with him. Yes, that day in the cottage she would have fallen into bed with him, no problem and no regrets. But that day had been an aberration. She hadn’t been herself, but now she knew she had to get away from Burronga and from Owen.

She jumped into her car and drove off quickly. Running errands in town would calm her. But her nerves wouldn’t settle as she mulled over the upcoming weekend helping Owen host Gordon Asquith. Even if Owen didn’t care if she left, she still wanted to help him because, if nothing else, she owed him.

But schmoozing their VIP guest wouldn’t be a walkover. Gordon Asquith was pompous, arrogant, and caustic, and Owen would have to bite his tongue if he wanted to snag the potential investor. Could she help him manage that? He’d asked her to coach him in the social niceties that Asquith expected. He was even prepared for her to choose new clothes for him. But could someone as strong-willed as Owen change even for a couple of days?

Did she even want him to change?





Chapter Eight

The dry-cleaning was dropped off, and she’d just purchased a new paintbrush from the hardware store. Next on her list was the grocery shopping, but Paige needed a quick break. She was in the middle of Burronga, outside the bookstore. As she stood on the sidewalk debating where to go for coffee, a male voice spoke just behind her.

“Hi, Paige.”

She turned to find Nate Hardy behind her, dressed in a smart suit and polished shoes. He seemed almost friendly today.

“Hello.” She paused, aware the dynamics between them had changed now that she was reduced to being Owen’s housekeeper. Still, she appreciated him stopping. “How’s Ally?”

His eyebrows went up in surprise. “She’s fine. As a matter of fact, I’m just about to hit her store for a coffee. Want to join us?”

“Sure,” she said after only a small hesitation. She needed a coffee, and she quite liked Ally, so why not?

They walked into Ally’s store, where Ally beamed a welcome at her husband and he reciprocated with a lingering kiss. The sight of the two lovebirds made Paige’s stomach squirm. It reminded her of what she’d never had with Seth. More disturbing, it reminded her of being up against a wall with Owen’s body plastered all over hers.

Ally made coffee, and they all sat at a table by the window.

“So Owen told me about Gordon Asquith,” Nate said, stirring his coffee. “If he can pull it off, Bandicoot Creek will be a sure thing. Nobody will want to go against the big man.”

Because he was a nasty bully, Paige thought. “Owen’s not that desperate. He can get his project through on his own.”