Read Online Under the Boss's Mistletoe by Jessica Hart - Free Book Online

the Portrevick estate stayed intact. You know how much he loved the Hall.’
    Cassie nodded. ‘Yes, he did.’
    ‘I can’t say I liked the idea of taking on a complicated trust, and I knew how much Rupert would resent me, but I owed Sir Ian too much to refuse. So,’ said Jake, ‘that’s why we’re driving down this motorway. That’s why I want to get the Hall established as a venue. Once it’s up and running, and self-supporting, I’ll feel as if I’ve paid my debt to him at last. I’ll have done what Sir Ian asked me to do, and then I really can put Portrevick and the past behind me once and for all.’
    He drained his coffee and shoved the sandwich wrappers inside the empty cup. ‘Have you finished? We’ve still got a long way to go, so let’s hit the road again.’
     
    Cassie studied Portrevick Hall with affection as she cut across the grounds to the sweep of gravel at its imposing entrance. A rambling manor-house dating back to the middle ages, it had grown organically as succeeding generations had added a wing here, a turret there. The result was a muddle of architectural styles that time had blended into a harmonious if faintly dilapidated whole, with crumbling terraces looking out over what had once been landscaped gardens.
    It was charming from any angle, Cassie decided, and would make a wonderful backdrop for wedding photos.
    Her feet crunched on the gravel as she walked up to the front door and pulled the ancient bell, deliberately avoiding looking at where Jake had sat astride his motorbike that day. She wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see the outline of her feet still scorched into the stones.
    Don’t think about it, she told herself sternly. She was supposed to be impressing Jake with her professionalism, and she was going to have to try a lot harder today after babbling on in the car yesterday. Jake had dropped her at Tina’s and driven off with barely a goodbye, and Cassie didn’tblame him. He must have been sick of listening to her inane chatter for seven hours.
    So today she was going to concentrate on being cool, calm and competent.
    Which was easily said but harder to remember, when Jake opened the door and her heart gave a sickening lurch. He was wearing jeans and a blue Guernsey with the sleeves pushed above his wrists; without the business suit he looked younger and more approachable.
    And very attractive.
    ‘Come in,’ he said. ‘I was just making coffee. Do you want some?’
    ‘Thanks.’ Cassie followed him down a long, stone-flagged corridor to the Hall’s vast kitchen. Without those unsettling blue eyes on her face, she could admire his lean figure and easy stride.
    ‘Quite a looker now, isn’t he?’ Tina had said when they were catching up over a bottle of wine the night before. ‘And rich too, I hear. You should go for it, Cassie. You always did have a bit of a thing for him.’
    ‘No, I didn’t!’ said Cassie, ruffled. A thing for Jake Trevelyan? The very idea!
    ‘Remember that Allantide Ball…?’ Tina winked. ‘I’m sure Jake does. Do you think you could be in with a chance?’
    ‘No,’ said Cassie, and then was horrified to hear how glum she sounded about it. ‘I mean, no,’ she tried again brightly. ‘He’s already got a perfect girlfriend.’
    ‘Shame,’ said Tina.
    And the worst thing was that a tiny bit of Cassie was thinking the same thing as she watched Jake making the coffee.
    Which was very unprofessional of her.
    Giving herself a mental slap, Cassie pulled out her Netbook and made a show of looking around the kitchen. They might as well get down to business straight away.
    ‘The kitchen will need replacing as a priority,’ she said.‘You couldn’t do professional catering in here. There’s plenty of space, which is good, but it needs gutting and proper catering equipment installed.’
    Jake could see that made sense. ‘Get some quotes.’ He nodded.
    Cassie tapped in ‘kitchen—get quotes’ and felt efficient.
    ‘We should