possessions weren’t waiting in a cardboard box for her in the foyer.
I can do this. I’m strong enough to stand up to him, she told herself as she stepped into the lift to make her way up to her office. He had to respect what she’d done for his business, surely? Not even Jack Finnegan could get away with sacking her just because she refused to have sex with him…could he? She hoped he’d be thinking more clearly this morning.
By the time she got up to the third floor Kara was feeling more confident about her day. When push came to shove they were on the same side.
‘ Julie, pull the file on job applicants, please.’ She left her empty coffee mug with her secretary to wash and headed for her office. They were a man down, and such was their reputation, people were queuing up for jobs here.
She picked three from the weighty file Julie had given her and got her to arrange interviews before calling the meeting that she’d been forced to cancel yesterday.
Word had got around that Granger had cleared his desk and if anything, his leaving had sharpened the wits of her remaining team. They were polite and attentive and ultra-keen this morning – and they also wanted to know what had happened to their colleague. Kara said nothing.
‘ And finally...I want to see results that justify your huge salaries.’ She ended the meeting with her usual war cry and headed back to her office, happy to be back on form and firing on all cylinders again... Who the hell was she kidding? It was all Kara could do to keep up the pretence that she was functioning normally. Is this what a broken heart feels like? She wondered miserably. Or maybe this was just the pain of self-pity.
Once she’d cleared her in-tray of the day’s urgent matters Kara’s attention wandered towards the phone. He deserved to get a piece of her mind at the very least – and she deserved an explanation – an apology, even. She wanted him to know what a low life shit he was…and she wanted to hear his voice just one more time. Perhaps there’d be a logical explanation for all this – that’s what she really hoped to hear.
‘William Baron.’ He answered almost immediately and Kara was suddenly struck dumb with nerves. ‘Can I help you?’ he said. His voice was warm and rich and still had the power to obliterate her reasoning.
‘This is Kara Kavanagh.’ Her stomach was turning summersaults. Her voice was small and shaky.
The phone went dead. He’d hung up on her! Tears stung her eyes. The bastard had hung up on her! He didn’t even have the courage to face me. Fucking coward! She cursed.
She dialled the number again – she wasn’t going to be fobbed off quite so easily – but this time she got the engaged tone. He’d obviously left it off the hook. Kara was fuming. She went to dial a third time but her phone rang. She picked it up eagerly.
‘Hello.’
‘Be upstairs in five minutes.’ The line went dead again. It was Jack – his manner was abrupt. Kara tidied her desk and headed up to the penthouse suite. It wasn’t the first time she’d been summoned to the top floor but he normally gave her more notice. She hoped this wasn’t the last time she was going to be making this journey. No matter how put out he was at her turning him down, she hoped he had more integrity than to let it cloud his judgment.
The lift doors swished open at the penthouse. Jack was standing with his back to her, looking out at the London skyline. He was wearing a robe.
‘Morning, Jack.’
When he turned around Kara noticed that his robe was open and that he was naked underneath. She was tempted to hit the lift button and return to the third floor but she didn’t.
Kara stepped hesitantly out of the lift but found herself unable to venture any further into the room. Her feet seemed to have put down roots.
Jack closed the gap between them instead.
‘Take your clothes off, then, Kara.’
‘What?’ Kara gave a nervous laugh. He was joking. It was the kind
I can do this. I’m strong enough to stand up to him, she told herself as she stepped into the lift to make her way up to her office. He had to respect what she’d done for his business, surely? Not even Jack Finnegan could get away with sacking her just because she refused to have sex with him…could he? She hoped he’d be thinking more clearly this morning.
By the time she got up to the third floor Kara was feeling more confident about her day. When push came to shove they were on the same side.
‘ Julie, pull the file on job applicants, please.’ She left her empty coffee mug with her secretary to wash and headed for her office. They were a man down, and such was their reputation, people were queuing up for jobs here.
She picked three from the weighty file Julie had given her and got her to arrange interviews before calling the meeting that she’d been forced to cancel yesterday.
Word had got around that Granger had cleared his desk and if anything, his leaving had sharpened the wits of her remaining team. They were polite and attentive and ultra-keen this morning – and they also wanted to know what had happened to their colleague. Kara said nothing.
‘ And finally...I want to see results that justify your huge salaries.’ She ended the meeting with her usual war cry and headed back to her office, happy to be back on form and firing on all cylinders again... Who the hell was she kidding? It was all Kara could do to keep up the pretence that she was functioning normally. Is this what a broken heart feels like? She wondered miserably. Or maybe this was just the pain of self-pity.
Once she’d cleared her in-tray of the day’s urgent matters Kara’s attention wandered towards the phone. He deserved to get a piece of her mind at the very least – and she deserved an explanation – an apology, even. She wanted him to know what a low life shit he was…and she wanted to hear his voice just one more time. Perhaps there’d be a logical explanation for all this – that’s what she really hoped to hear.
‘William Baron.’ He answered almost immediately and Kara was suddenly struck dumb with nerves. ‘Can I help you?’ he said. His voice was warm and rich and still had the power to obliterate her reasoning.
‘This is Kara Kavanagh.’ Her stomach was turning summersaults. Her voice was small and shaky.
The phone went dead. He’d hung up on her! Tears stung her eyes. The bastard had hung up on her! He didn’t even have the courage to face me. Fucking coward! She cursed.
She dialled the number again – she wasn’t going to be fobbed off quite so easily – but this time she got the engaged tone. He’d obviously left it off the hook. Kara was fuming. She went to dial a third time but her phone rang. She picked it up eagerly.
‘Hello.’
‘Be upstairs in five minutes.’ The line went dead again. It was Jack – his manner was abrupt. Kara tidied her desk and headed up to the penthouse suite. It wasn’t the first time she’d been summoned to the top floor but he normally gave her more notice. She hoped this wasn’t the last time she was going to be making this journey. No matter how put out he was at her turning him down, she hoped he had more integrity than to let it cloud his judgment.
The lift doors swished open at the penthouse. Jack was standing with his back to her, looking out at the London skyline. He was wearing a robe.
‘Morning, Jack.’
When he turned around Kara noticed that his robe was open and that he was naked underneath. She was tempted to hit the lift button and return to the third floor but she didn’t.
Kara stepped hesitantly out of the lift but found herself unable to venture any further into the room. Her feet seemed to have put down roots.
Jack closed the gap between them instead.
‘Take your clothes off, then, Kara.’
‘What?’ Kara gave a nervous laugh. He was joking. It was the kind
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