Bedded At His Convenience

Hunter gave her a devilish smile. ‘My PA is about to go on maternity leave. I’ve not yet found a replacement. You’ll do very nicely.’

Keisha was horrified. She couldn’t! She wouldn’t! She wanted distance between them, not togetherness.

‘You look shocked!’

‘I am. I can’t work that closely with you.’

‘Why ever not?’ he asked pleasantly, though she feared his pleasantness was that of a wolf about to pounce.

‘Because—because…’ Her voice tailed off miserably. She could come up with no convincing justification.

‘There, you see—you have no excuse.’ Hunter’s lips curled upwards in a gleeful smile. ‘The matter’s settled.’

‘No, it isn’t,’ declared Keisha bravely. ‘I need time to think about it. I hadn’t envisaged working so closely with you. I’ll think about it overnight and give you my decision in the morning.’

Hunter’s smile was slow and confident. ‘And we both know what it will be.’

Keisha shook her head. ‘No, we don’t. Maybe I do need a job, but I’m not that desperate.’

Mocking brows lifted. ‘Brave words, my beautiful Keisha! If what you’ve told me is true, then you’d be a fool to turn me down.’

She didn’t think so. She would be a fool to line herself up for more heartache—because surely that was what would happen? Spending time together would be disastrous.

‘You think what you like,’ she tossed irritably. ‘I’d like to go home now.’

‘But you’ve only just got here,’ he declared with a fierce frown.

‘I made a mistake. And if you don’t want to take me I’ll ring for a taxi.’

‘And spend money you can ill afford?’ he queried irritably. ‘If you’re that determined I’ll take you.’

But he wasn’t pleased, and he drove her home in grim-faced silence.

Keisha was relieved that he wasn’t speaking, because she had nothing to say to him. Her thoughts were too full. His job offer was more than generous, given their circumstances, and the practical half of her knew that she ought to jump at it. But the sane half, the half that was afraid of what might happen between them, told her she would be a fool to even think of accepting.

He drew up outside her house and finally spoke. ‘I can’t keep my offer open. I need someone straight away.’ He was in business mode now, serious and brusque. ‘Ring me first thing tomorrow or forget it.’

Keisha shot out of the car. ‘I’ll forget it.’ And she slammed the door.

So that was that, she thought as she let herself in. She’d turned down the only decent job offer she was likely to get. Was she stupid or what?