THE DEAL by Marsh, Nicola (electronic reader txt) 📕

“I’ve always got time for you. Especially in this office...” He patted the desk, reviving memories of their passionate encounter flooding back.

Rather than the heat dissipating, her cheeks flamed further as she cleared her throat. “We need to talk.”

“You may say ‘we need to talk’ but your expression says you mean ‘I’m doing the talking and you sure as hell better listen, mister’. Correct?”

“No, though it wouldn’t do you any harm if you did listen for a change.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Fine. Take a seat and let me have it. I’m listening.”

As she opened her mouth to speak, his phone rang.

“Excuse me.” He reached for the phone, speaking in hushed tones, annoyance evident in his face.

She let out a whoosh of breath, unaware she’d been holding it. Heck, this would be harder than she thought. She’d chosen his office to tell him the truth for a specific reason. They would need to keep their voices lowered, with less chance he could distract her with his physical talents.

Cowardly, but she had no option. If she’d told him anywhere else and he’d tried to change her mind about continuing the deal, she doubted whether she’d be able to resist him. He could be very persuasive when he tried and the way they’d been spending every spare minute in bed together she should know.

He slammed the phone down, making her jump. “Sorry. I need to see someone for a minute. Do you mind waiting?”

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll grab a coffee?”

“Thanks. This shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes. Come straight in when you get back.” He paused for a moment, rifling through a stack of papers on his desk, looking increasingly distracted.

As she opened the door, almost relieved to get a reprieve from telling him the truth, he spoke.

“I’m glad you dropped by today. I agree it’s time we talk.”

She turned and caught him staring at her with such intensity it took her breath away. She nodded and smiled, anxious to leave the stifling atmosphere of his office. What was she thinking? No matter where or when she told him the truth, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Hoping a latte injection of strong caffeine might help calm her nerves, she ignored the doubts whirling through her mind and managed to scan the latest trashy magazine while getting her coffee fix. At least other people had lives as complicated as hers, even if half of it was invented by the paparazzi. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to see that ten minutes had lapsed. Time to face the music.

However, as she knocked lightly on Matt’s door and opened it, she wished she’d had something stronger than coffee to fortify her. He was deep in conversation with Steve and it was obvious what they were discussing as the words ‘thirty thousand dollars’ and ‘she earned it’ reached her ears.

She made a strangled sound and Matt leaped up, his stricken look freezing her heart. “I can explain. The truth is—”

“The truth?” Kara strode into the room and stopped two paces short of his desk. “You wouldn’t know what that was if it leaped up and bit you on the ass. Let me tell you a few truths—”

“Stop right there.” He spoke quietly and she followed his glance, fixed on his father who had just entered the office.

“No.” She folded her arms, wishing she could contain the pain in her heart, the offending organ threatening to burst out of her chest if it kept up its furious pounding. She was past the point of caring, all the uncertainty, the deception and the hurt of the last few months building up to this confrontation.

“You want the truth, Matt? The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Well, here goes.”

Eleven

“Don’t do this, Kara.” Matt spoke softly, his tone devoid of emotion though fear pulsed through him. The irrational fear of having this confrontation in front of his father and the mind-numbing fear of losing the woman who meant everything to him.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she spat out, her angry glare fixed on him.

“It’s not what it looks like. Steve and I were discussing—” he broke off as he caught a glimpse of tears in Kara’s eyes. His heart constricted as he recognised how much she meant to him. At a crazy time like this, he realised he might actually love her.

Kara glared at Steve, who hadn’t said a word since she’d come in. “You two best buddies now? Swapping stories?” Her emotionless tone chilled him to the bone.

Matt shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I—”

“Ridiculous? That’s rich coming from you. There’s nothing more ridiculous than paying someone to pose as your girlfriend to obtain a partnership in daddy’s firm.”

Horrified, his gaze shifted beyond her to his father, who stood in the doorway and hadn’t said a word. Jeff’s face turned puce as he took a step into the room.

“Steve, please leave. My son and I need to sort out some issues.”

As if in slow motion, Matt watched Steve shake his head and leave the room. Kara looked set to follow.

“I want you to stay, Kara. Please.” Though his father spoke with cool precision, Matt knew that tone. It wasn’t a request, it was a command. Surprisingly Kara knew it too, for she stopped in mid-stride.

“There’s nothing left for me to say. This is between you and him.” She pointed towards him with a jerk of her head, not even glancing in his direction.

“I know, but you’re involved too. Please stay.” His dad walked towards her and enveloped her in a hug. It was exactly what he wanted to do at that moment,