It Started With... Collection. Miranda Lee

heard a whisper that Carl Toombs is thinking of going into the property market up that way.’

      Justin struggled to keep his face unreadable. No one at AWI knew the circumstances behind his divorce. No one knew that his ex-wife was Carl Toombs’ secret mistress. No one except him and Mandy and his mother.

      Justin’s own ego had kept their secret for them.

      So of course he could not be seen to react to Carl Toombs’ name in any way other than a professional one.

      ‘The man certainly fits the description the agent gave of him,’ he said coolly. ‘She said her client always gets what he wants, money no object.’

      And wasn’t that the truth? He’d set his sights on a married woman who’d been deeply in love with her husband at the time—Justin still believed that—and totally corrupted her, with his money, his charisma and his supposed sexual prowess.

      Justin hated the man with a passion. As did quite a lot of other people in Australia, people who’d invested in some of his previous entrepreneurial get-rich-quick schemes. Some had succeeded, but a good few had failed. Yet somehow Toombs always managed to extricate himself with his own fortune intact. He had brilliant lawyers and accountants, and the best of contacts, both in the political and social scene. Married twice, with an adult daughter from his first marriage and two teenage sons from his present wife, Carl Toombs was in his early fifties, but looked a lot younger, courtesy of his personal dietician, trainer and cosmetic surgeon.

      When Mandy had first gone to work for Carl Toombs she’d made jokes about his vanity and massive ego. Justin had joined in. But the joke had been on Justin in the end. Carl Toombs had come out on top. Literally.

      Thinking about that swine and Mandy inevitably put Justin in a foul mood. ‘I hope Toombs buys the place,’ he went on testily. ‘And I hope he loses a packet. Of his own money for a change.’

      Guy looked taken aback. ‘Sounds as if you lost some of your money in one of his famous ventures.’

      Justin gritted his teeth. He’d lost something he valued much more than money. ‘Let’s just say he wouldn’t want to meet me in a dark alley on a dark night.’

      Guy laughed. ‘And there I’ve been, thinking you’d never put a foot wrong financially.’

      ‘We all make mistakes, Guy. That’s how we learn.’

      ‘And what did tangling with Toombs teach you?’

      ‘Never to underestimate a man who has more money than I have.’

      ‘True,’ Guy said, nodding sagely. ‘OK, so you don’t suggest that I recommend Sunshine Gardens to the CEO.’

      ‘Not if you value your job.’

      Guy laughed, then stood up. ‘See you tomorrow morning at the gym?’

      ‘Absolutely.’

      ‘Don’t work too hard.’

      ‘You don’t really mean that.’

      Guy smiled. ‘Nope. I hope you work your butt off. Profits have been up since you came here. I even sleep at night sometimes.’

      ‘Get out of here. And tell Rachel to bring me another coffee when you go past, will you? This one’s gone cold.’

      ‘Will do. I might stay and watch her do it, too. That girl has an incredible walk. And a derrière to die for. But I suspect you already know that, McCarthy,’ he threw over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. ‘No wonder you work out every morning till you’re ready to drop. Can’t be easy keeping your hands off that nice piece of skirt out here.’

      Justin groaned. ‘For pity’s sake, Guy, keep your voice down. She might hear you. Haven’t you heard of sexual harassment in the workplace?’

      Guy shrugged and put his hand on the door knob, but he didn’t turn it. ‘I could be mistaken, mate, but I caught a glimpse of something in your PA’s very lovely eyes a few minutes ago which indicated she might not be averse to a little sexual harassment from you.’

      ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’

      ‘I’m not being ridiculous. I studied body language when I did a sales and marketing course recently, and she fancies you, mate. I guarantee it. But I guess if you’re not interested, then you’re not interested. Poor girl. I guess she’ll just have to go find herself some other tall, dark, handsome jerk to give her a bit. Pity I don’t fit the bill. I’d give her one, I can tell you. OK, OK, you don’t have to say it. Get lost. And I won’t forget the coffee on my way out.’

      He didn’t. Unfortunately. Soon, Rachel was undulating towards his desk with the coffee and Justin found himself mentally stripping her again. Oh, God. This was how it all began back there in that bar, with him watching her walk in front of him and imagining her without any clothes on. The trouble was, this time he knew what she looked like without any clothes on. And the reality far surpassed the fantasy his imagination had conjured up. She was all woman. And she could be all his, according to Guy.

      Was he right? Did she really fancy him, not as some rebound substitute for Eric the Mongrel, but as a man in his own right? Was she secretly hoping he’d keep their affair going?

      The thought both excited and worried him. He didn’t love her. He’d never love her. He wasn’t capable of that kind of love any more. He wasn’t capable of any relationship of any depth. All he would want—or need—from any woman for a long time was what she’d given him the other night. Sex without strings.

      He watched her put the coffee down then glance up at him, her face expectant. ‘Is that all for now?’

      Was it? What would she do, he wondered, if he told her to go close the door, then lock it?

      A shudder of self-loathing—or was it arousal?—ricocheted through him. He could not do it. Would not.

      ‘Rachel…’

      ‘Yes?’

      ‘Nothing,’ he bit out. ‘That’s all. You can get back to your work. Oh, and you can take the whole afternoon off for your shopping, if you like.’

      ‘The whole afternoon?’ she echoed in surprise.

      ‘Yes, why not? You deserve it after the weekend.’

      He’d meant she deserved some time off because, technically, she’d been working overtime. But when her face darkened he immediately saw how his words could be interpreted.

      ‘You mean in exchange for services rendered?’ she threw at him.

      ‘No, of course not. Look, if you’re going to bring that up all the time, I’m not sure we can go on working together.’

      Justin didn’t need to have studied body language to gauge her reaction to that charming little announcement. Her whole body stiffened, and her eyes…her eyes stabbed him right in the heart.

      ‘I see,’ she said frostily. ‘It’s nice to know where things stand. You’ll have my resignation on your desk before I leave at lunch time. And yes, I will have the whole afternoon off, thank you very much.’ Spinning on her heels, she stalked from the room, banging the door behind her.

      Justin slumped back into his chair with a groan. He’d done it now. And he’d never felt lower in all his life. He dropped his head into his hands and called himself every name under the sun.

      Rachel could not sit down at her desk and go calmly back to work. She paced the outer office for a couple of angry minutes, then marched into the tea room and poured herself a fresh coffee, more for something to do than because she wanted it. In fact, the steaming mug remained untouched on the counter whilst she just stood there, tapping her foot and trying to gather herself.

      Isabel had been so right about office affairs. Not that she needed her best friend to tell her that. Hadn’t it always been the case in the workplace? The male