Read Online Her Secret Thrill by Donna Kauffman - Free Book Online

said, when Sabrina came up for oxygen. Anything to shut her up. “Give Reese and the boys a hug for me,” she added quickly, before her sister could wind up again, and hung up.
    Nancy popped in again. “Harwood on line three. He’s not happy.”
    Natalie nodded, then let her forehead drop to the pile of folders on her desk. If she were a lesser woman, she’d throw a nice little tantrum. She sat up and pushed her hair back from her face. But you’re not a lesser anything, you’re a Holcomb. God help me, she added, then instructed Nancy to get her father’s caddy on the phone before she picked up line three.
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    F IVE HOURS LATER Natalie whimpered into her loft, kicked off her heels and sank her grateful toes into the thick carpet. She set down the cardboard carton of work she’d toted home and ignored the blinking message light on her phone. Probably her brother Chuck or, worse, her other sister Melissa, calling to whine for something else.
    â€œWell, I’m fresh out of tolerance tonight,” she said aloud, and headed directly for the only wine she wasstill in the mood for. A nice, light sauvignon. Preferably chilled.
    She’d barely taken the first sip, when her phone rang. She merely took another sip, deciding to let the machine take it. On her schedule was a long bath, followed by some Chinese takeout and at least three more hours of work. Whoever was on the line could wait their turn.
    â€œHolcomb, this is Harwood. If you’re there, please pick up.”
    Natalie groaned, and as she headed for the phone said several things no upper-crust, born-and-bred New Englander would ever say. Yes, the joys of being the family black sheep were small, but she took them where she could.
    Harwood was her supervisor’s boss, one of the newer partners in the firm. Newer and therefore frantic to do whatever he could to impress his new fellow partners, which was often at his subordinate’s expense. But as a fellow ladder climber, she bowed and did as she was asked, all in the hope that one day she, too, could terrorize minions.
    She snatched up the phone. Harwood talked right over her hello and kept on talking, until he finished and abruptly hung up ten minutes later.
    â€œSo nice talking to you, too, sir, Grand Pooh-Bah, sir,” she said, making a face as she hung up. As the dial tone rang in her ear, right then and there she vowed never to abuse her minions. “If I ever have any.” Which, of course, she would. She was a Holcomb. “And Holcombs always have minions. It’s in section two, paragraph four of our genetic code.”
    But there was a silver lining to Harwood’s latest edict. She swallowed the rest of her wine and picked up thephone again. With the time change, Liza would likely still be in her West Coast office.
    â€œGuess what?” she asked in lieu of hello.
    â€œYou’re coming?” Liza squealed. “Oh, this is great! But I thought you had depositions and briefs and research.” The latter part had been said in her nasal, uptight lawyer voice, which somehow always made Nat laugh.
    â€œRescheduled. The Grand Poo-Bah has spoken. I take the red-eye tomorrow night and have meetings all day Thursday and Friday. I’ll probably look like something the cat dragged in by Friday night, but if you still want me to come, I’ll be there.” Natalie ignored the fact that she’d still have all her own work to do, in addition to what had just been added to her schedule. But if they were going to drown her in legal briefs, then damn if she wasn’t going to have at least an hour or two doing what she wanted.
    Jake.
    No. She resolutely would not go there. So what if he’d be in town at the same time. She’d already decided it had to be a one-time affair. She’d be too busy, anyway.
    â€œI guess staying with me is out of the question.”
    â€œToo far,” Natalie agreed. Harwood specialized in