Read Online Once and Again by Elisabeth Barrett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elisabeth Barrett
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Gaffney. She took a deep breath and then nearly choked on it when a deep voice spoke from behind her.
“You have your fingers in everybody’s pies, don’t you, Carolyn?”
She whirled around fast. “Jake. I wasn’t expecting you to be out here.”
He was standing in an opening in the hedgerow that led from the garden out to the great lawn.
“You’re due in my office in ten minutes.”
“I was just heading there,” she said, trying to read him.
He didn’t move. Just crossed his arms over his broad chest and simply waited. Oh,
now
she knew what he wanted. Exactly what she’d want, if she were in his place. Information. But she’d spent months building up relationships. People trusted her. She wouldn’t betray that trust.
“I’m not telling you what’s going on with the staff. It’s not my place to tell. If you want to know something about someone, ask them!”
“You never used to be so protective.”
“I never used to have something worth protecting.” The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I mean…”
“I know what you meant,” he said, his voice clipped. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Here? Now?”
“What?” he said, leaning against the arm of the same bench where Nick and Madison had been sitting a few minutes earlier. “You’re not ready?”
“I
am
ready, it’s just that I made a PowerPoint and I don’t have my notes and…” She shut her mouth at Jake’s hard stare. He was determined not to make this easy for her. But she was just as determined not to make it easy for him.
She raised her eyes to the skies and took a deep breath.
Then she pasted on the most genuine smile she could muster and started into her presentation, just like a pro. Which nowadays, she most definitely was. There was no other choice. She had to be.
—
Jake could barely look at her, could barely even
listen
to her talking. She sounded like he never could—educated, polished, without even trying.
“Do you have any questions to start, Jake?” she said, smoothing out the line of her shirt, even though it didn’t have a crease in it.
“No,” he said gruffly.
He used to love hearing her say his name in that voice. He must be some kind of masochist to insist that she call him Jake instead of Mr. Gaffney, but it was the lesser of two evils. Better to be tormented with images of Carolyn moaning his name than be reminded of his father.
Carolyn had segued from her introduction of the event to the logistics, and he forced himself to concentrate. Not on the long line of her neck and throat. Not on that little skirt she wore, fitted in all the right places. And
definitely
not on the mouth he used to spend hours devouring.
Thinking about her any way but professionally was just trouble.
Thank God she was competent, walking him through her game plan for the event, which she’d suggested take place in just over a month, to give everyone ample time to get ready. This was the first time he’d truly seen her in action, and she really did know her business.
He wouldn’t have put it past her to be a great hostess, but simply showing up on the day of the event and planning it from the ground up were two very different things. She gave him everything he asked for and more. The event would be classy, of course. Modern, yet with a nostalgic feel. Tightly budgeted, which he liked very much. It was perfect.
She
was perfect.
Women like her always were.
He should hate her after what she’d done to him, and for a while, he had. He’d let it seep into his soul. Welcomed it, actually. Right after he’d been arrested, he’d gotten his first tattoo, a string of pearls around his bicep as a reminder of what he should never want—should never touch—again.
The first tour he did with Link saved him. Made him feel worthy of just
being,
like Carolyn had done a long time ago. But with her it had all been a lie, and the sad part was that even then he’d known it. They could never have
“You have your fingers in everybody’s pies, don’t you, Carolyn?”
She whirled around fast. “Jake. I wasn’t expecting you to be out here.”
He was standing in an opening in the hedgerow that led from the garden out to the great lawn.
“You’re due in my office in ten minutes.”
“I was just heading there,” she said, trying to read him.
He didn’t move. Just crossed his arms over his broad chest and simply waited. Oh,
now
she knew what he wanted. Exactly what she’d want, if she were in his place. Information. But she’d spent months building up relationships. People trusted her. She wouldn’t betray that trust.
“I’m not telling you what’s going on with the staff. It’s not my place to tell. If you want to know something about someone, ask them!”
“You never used to be so protective.”
“I never used to have something worth protecting.” The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I mean…”
“I know what you meant,” he said, his voice clipped. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Here? Now?”
“What?” he said, leaning against the arm of the same bench where Nick and Madison had been sitting a few minutes earlier. “You’re not ready?”
“I
am
ready, it’s just that I made a PowerPoint and I don’t have my notes and…” She shut her mouth at Jake’s hard stare. He was determined not to make this easy for her. But she was just as determined not to make it easy for him.
She raised her eyes to the skies and took a deep breath.
Then she pasted on the most genuine smile she could muster and started into her presentation, just like a pro. Which nowadays, she most definitely was. There was no other choice. She had to be.
—
Jake could barely look at her, could barely even
listen
to her talking. She sounded like he never could—educated, polished, without even trying.
“Do you have any questions to start, Jake?” she said, smoothing out the line of her shirt, even though it didn’t have a crease in it.
“No,” he said gruffly.
He used to love hearing her say his name in that voice. He must be some kind of masochist to insist that she call him Jake instead of Mr. Gaffney, but it was the lesser of two evils. Better to be tormented with images of Carolyn moaning his name than be reminded of his father.
Carolyn had segued from her introduction of the event to the logistics, and he forced himself to concentrate. Not on the long line of her neck and throat. Not on that little skirt she wore, fitted in all the right places. And
definitely
not on the mouth he used to spend hours devouring.
Thinking about her any way but professionally was just trouble.
Thank God she was competent, walking him through her game plan for the event, which she’d suggested take place in just over a month, to give everyone ample time to get ready. This was the first time he’d truly seen her in action, and she really did know her business.
He wouldn’t have put it past her to be a great hostess, but simply showing up on the day of the event and planning it from the ground up were two very different things. She gave him everything he asked for and more. The event would be classy, of course. Modern, yet with a nostalgic feel. Tightly budgeted, which he liked very much. It was perfect.
She
was perfect.
Women like her always were.
He should hate her after what she’d done to him, and for a while, he had. He’d let it seep into his soul. Welcomed it, actually. Right after he’d been arrested, he’d gotten his first tattoo, a string of pearls around his bicep as a reminder of what he should never want—should never touch—again.
The first tour he did with Link saved him. Made him feel worthy of just
being,
like Carolyn had done a long time ago. But with her it had all been a lie, and the sad part was that even then he’d known it. They could never have
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