Read Online Your Room or Mine? by Charlotte Phillips - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Charlotte Phillips
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face.
âSo network,â he called after her. âCome and work for me.â
The terrace came back into view as they walked through the greenery at the bottom of the garden. Hurricane lamps flickered on tables and people mingled in the soft light of the fire pit. The smell of woodsmoke clung to the air.
She turned back to look at him, a light frown touching her eyebrows.
âSeriously? You mean you actually want me to redesign your garden.â
âAmong other things,â he said, catching her up in a couple of easy strides.
He leaned in and spoke softly in her ear.
âOn these terms there doesnât need to be an end to it. No ties, no strings. Just fun. Donât you think you deserve some of that?â
âEverything has to end at some point,â she countered.
He inclined his head.
âOf course it does. So we enjoy it while it lasts, and when one or both of us are done with it we walk away. No comeback, no painful break-up, no strings. Or maybe you think you wonât be able to distance yourself like that now?â
The arrogance of him! She was mesmerised by the sex, definitely. But that hunger didnât extend to wanting to get to know him or share time with him, why would it?
The flash of danger was somehow intoxicating, she felt like she was playing a role, one much more exciting than her own sensible life. But with Joeâs behaviour ever on the fringe of her consciousness, she knew that a role was all it really was.
Feelings
didnât come into it.
âI need to rejoin the party now,â she said, then raised her voice as Arabella approached them. âBut Iâll arrange a time for us to talk about the specifications of your garden design. âShall we take things from there?â
She held his gaze and she could see from the slight nod and the flash of a smile that he understood completely.
She wasnât saying no.
CHAPTER FIVE
âHeâs offered you a job? So what was an unemotional mutual benefit one night stand is now going to amount to you mixing business with pleasure. Since when was that ever a good idea?â
Izzy took a sip of her latte, leaned in towards Shauna across the coffee shop table and lowered her voice.
âI donât see it that way. Itâs a one-off job, four or five weeks at the most. Iâm charging him full-whack, not mates-rates. And thereâs no tacit agreement that we sleep together. There was just this undertone in the conversation that made it clear: if it happens, it happens. What might go on between the two of us has nothing to do with work.â
âYouâre deluded,â Shauna said. âThe job is his way of keeping you exactly where he wants you.â
âFor the hundredth time, this is about what
I
want, not what
he
wants. I get an easy gig one-off job thatâs well-paid and a no-strings fling until I get bored with it. Whatâs not to like?â
âWatch my lips,â Shauna pointed to her own peach-glossed pout and spoke slowly and clearly. âHe no longer qualifies for the no-strings-successful-fling rule.â She held up her hands and shook her head as if she was disengaging from the whole thing. âIt will all end in tears. Almost certainly yours.â
Izzy tried and failed to stop the automatic here-we-go roll of her eyes.
âWhat an absolute load of crap!â she said. âThe no-strings-brilliant-fling or whatever-you-bloody-call-it rule is just some womensâ magazine nonsense. I am in total control of my own life, my own decisions and my own emotions. If I want to extend the fun a bit, where the hell is the harm? Now that I know heâs single and neither of us wants anything serious, who the hell is going to get hurt in a scenario like that?â
âBut heâs offered you a job, right?â
âYes, but I donât see what that has to do with anything.â
Shauna threw exasperated hands up.
âYouâve changed the
âSo network,â he called after her. âCome and work for me.â
The terrace came back into view as they walked through the greenery at the bottom of the garden. Hurricane lamps flickered on tables and people mingled in the soft light of the fire pit. The smell of woodsmoke clung to the air.
She turned back to look at him, a light frown touching her eyebrows.
âSeriously? You mean you actually want me to redesign your garden.â
âAmong other things,â he said, catching her up in a couple of easy strides.
He leaned in and spoke softly in her ear.
âOn these terms there doesnât need to be an end to it. No ties, no strings. Just fun. Donât you think you deserve some of that?â
âEverything has to end at some point,â she countered.
He inclined his head.
âOf course it does. So we enjoy it while it lasts, and when one or both of us are done with it we walk away. No comeback, no painful break-up, no strings. Or maybe you think you wonât be able to distance yourself like that now?â
The arrogance of him! She was mesmerised by the sex, definitely. But that hunger didnât extend to wanting to get to know him or share time with him, why would it?
The flash of danger was somehow intoxicating, she felt like she was playing a role, one much more exciting than her own sensible life. But with Joeâs behaviour ever on the fringe of her consciousness, she knew that a role was all it really was.
Feelings
didnât come into it.
âI need to rejoin the party now,â she said, then raised her voice as Arabella approached them. âBut Iâll arrange a time for us to talk about the specifications of your garden design. âShall we take things from there?â
She held his gaze and she could see from the slight nod and the flash of a smile that he understood completely.
She wasnât saying no.
CHAPTER FIVE
âHeâs offered you a job? So what was an unemotional mutual benefit one night stand is now going to amount to you mixing business with pleasure. Since when was that ever a good idea?â
Izzy took a sip of her latte, leaned in towards Shauna across the coffee shop table and lowered her voice.
âI donât see it that way. Itâs a one-off job, four or five weeks at the most. Iâm charging him full-whack, not mates-rates. And thereâs no tacit agreement that we sleep together. There was just this undertone in the conversation that made it clear: if it happens, it happens. What might go on between the two of us has nothing to do with work.â
âYouâre deluded,â Shauna said. âThe job is his way of keeping you exactly where he wants you.â
âFor the hundredth time, this is about what
I
want, not what
he
wants. I get an easy gig one-off job thatâs well-paid and a no-strings fling until I get bored with it. Whatâs not to like?â
âWatch my lips,â Shauna pointed to her own peach-glossed pout and spoke slowly and clearly. âHe no longer qualifies for the no-strings-successful-fling rule.â She held up her hands and shook her head as if she was disengaging from the whole thing. âIt will all end in tears. Almost certainly yours.â
Izzy tried and failed to stop the automatic here-we-go roll of her eyes.
âWhat an absolute load of crap!â she said. âThe no-strings-brilliant-fling or whatever-you-bloody-call-it rule is just some womensâ magazine nonsense. I am in total control of my own life, my own decisions and my own emotions. If I want to extend the fun a bit, where the hell is the harm? Now that I know heâs single and neither of us wants anything serious, who the hell is going to get hurt in a scenario like that?â
âBut heâs offered you a job, right?â
âYes, but I donât see what that has to do with anything.â
Shauna threw exasperated hands up.
âYouâve changed the