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Authors: Sharon Kendrick
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she reached into the cupboard for some eggs. ‘Not when hesuddenly announces he’s bringing people with him—and barely giving me enough time to do the catering.’
Ashley stilled as an unknown foreboding began to creep over her skin. ‘People?’ she echoed quietly. ‘W-what people?’
‘Oh, some of his fancy friends, I expect.’ The housekeeper gave a shrug. ‘Those glamorous types who are a
nightmare
to cook for—won’t eat dairy, won’t eat wheat—never heard anything like it! That Nicole will probably be among them. She usually is.’
Ashley’s heartbeat now became dizzyingly erratic. He was bringing people here? Well, of course he was. What had she expected—that he might run it past
her
first? ‘Really?’ she questioned, in a voice she didn’t quite recognise as her own.
‘You would think,’ continued Christine darkly, ‘that he would deal with his
other
commitments and priorities at home, before he goes gallivanting off to London with all those other women.’
But Ashley scarcely heard her. Vaguely, she wondered what the housekeeper meant by
commitments
and
priorities
—but there were much more pressing issues on her mind.
Those other women,
Christine had said.
What women?
And who was ‘Nicole’?
Bile rose in her throat. There she’d been—
like a fool
—reading everything into that passionate kiss she’d shared with Jack on the moor. Reading everything into it when it had meant nothing to him. A sensual diversion which must have given him a disappointing outcome. Why, he hadn’t been in touch with her since—notonce—and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her he was coming back.
And that he wouldn’t be alone.
CHAPTER SIX
A CAR door slammed and Ashley’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. She glanced up at the clock, surprised to see that it was after six. So Jack was home at last—bringing all his friends with him.
Outside, she heard doors slam, closely followed by footsteps, laughter—and throaty feminine giggles. So Christine had been right. A feeling of nausea rose in her throat but she sat as silently as a statue, praying she could stay undiscovered before slipping quietly upstairs when the coast was clear.
She stayed perfectly quiet until she heard the clip-clopping of high heels mounting the stairs. They were probably going to change for dinner, she thought—the elaborate dinner which Christine had been preparing for most of the afternoon.
And then the door opened and she felt her heart crashing against her ribs as Jack walked in. It was barely a week since she’d seen him and yet it felt as if a slow year might have passed. Dressed completely in black—close-fitting black jeans and a black cashmere sweater—histall figure looked dark and imposing. His face was dark too and his expression unfathomable as he shut the door softly behind him.
Absence made him look startlingly unfamiliar and she tried to study his face objectively—as if it were the first time she’d ever seen it. There were shadows beneath his eyes, which made his expression look brittle, and she found herself thinking how tired he looked. She wanted to turn round and to slide her arms around his neck. She wanted him to kiss her.
‘Hello, Ashley,’ he said softly.
Ashley drew a deep breath. What would a secretary say to her boss if he
hadn’t
kissed her? ‘Jack! Hello. Nice to see you!’
There was a pause and, briefly, his eyes narrowed. ‘You’re working very late tonight.’
‘Oh, it’s only just gone six and I thought I’d crack on with it,’ she said cheerfully. ‘There’s a lot which needs to be done—you made masses of changes in the middle section, the bit where they ambush the enemy camp.’
‘How very diligent you are,’ he observed drily.
‘That’s what you pay me for, remember?’
‘Yes. Of course.’ Another pause. ‘I’d quite forgotten.’
Ashley hid her hurt behind an impassive smile even though she could feel the tell-tale steal of colour into her
Ashley stilled as an unknown foreboding began to creep over her skin. ‘People?’ she echoed quietly. ‘W-what people?’
‘Oh, some of his fancy friends, I expect.’ The housekeeper gave a shrug. ‘Those glamorous types who are a
nightmare
to cook for—won’t eat dairy, won’t eat wheat—never heard anything like it! That Nicole will probably be among them. She usually is.’
Ashley’s heartbeat now became dizzyingly erratic. He was bringing people here? Well, of course he was. What had she expected—that he might run it past
her
first? ‘Really?’ she questioned, in a voice she didn’t quite recognise as her own.
‘You would think,’ continued Christine darkly, ‘that he would deal with his
other
commitments and priorities at home, before he goes gallivanting off to London with all those other women.’
But Ashley scarcely heard her. Vaguely, she wondered what the housekeeper meant by
commitments
and
priorities
—but there were much more pressing issues on her mind.
Those other women,
Christine had said.
What women?
And who was ‘Nicole’?
Bile rose in her throat. There she’d been—
like a fool
—reading everything into that passionate kiss she’d shared with Jack on the moor. Reading everything into it when it had meant nothing to him. A sensual diversion which must have given him a disappointing outcome. Why, he hadn’t been in touch with her since—notonce—and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her he was coming back.
And that he wouldn’t be alone.
CHAPTER SIX
A CAR door slammed and Ashley’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. She glanced up at the clock, surprised to see that it was after six. So Jack was home at last—bringing all his friends with him.
Outside, she heard doors slam, closely followed by footsteps, laughter—and throaty feminine giggles. So Christine had been right. A feeling of nausea rose in her throat but she sat as silently as a statue, praying she could stay undiscovered before slipping quietly upstairs when the coast was clear.
She stayed perfectly quiet until she heard the clip-clopping of high heels mounting the stairs. They were probably going to change for dinner, she thought—the elaborate dinner which Christine had been preparing for most of the afternoon.
And then the door opened and she felt her heart crashing against her ribs as Jack walked in. It was barely a week since she’d seen him and yet it felt as if a slow year might have passed. Dressed completely in black—close-fitting black jeans and a black cashmere sweater—histall figure looked dark and imposing. His face was dark too and his expression unfathomable as he shut the door softly behind him.
Absence made him look startlingly unfamiliar and she tried to study his face objectively—as if it were the first time she’d ever seen it. There were shadows beneath his eyes, which made his expression look brittle, and she found herself thinking how tired he looked. She wanted to turn round and to slide her arms around his neck. She wanted him to kiss her.
‘Hello, Ashley,’ he said softly.
Ashley drew a deep breath. What would a secretary say to her boss if he
hadn’t
kissed her? ‘Jack! Hello. Nice to see you!’
There was a pause and, briefly, his eyes narrowed. ‘You’re working very late tonight.’
‘Oh, it’s only just gone six and I thought I’d crack on with it,’ she said cheerfully. ‘There’s a lot which needs to be done—you made masses of changes in the middle section, the bit where they ambush the enemy camp.’
‘How very diligent you are,’ he observed drily.
‘That’s what you pay me for, remember?’
‘Yes. Of course.’ Another pause. ‘I’d quite forgotten.’
Ashley hid her hurt behind an impassive smile even though she could feel the tell-tale steal of colour into her
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