Hired: The Boss's Bride. Элли Блейк

humour behind it. And in the very same instant he realised that the change in her reeked of vulnerability, he felt an undeniable instability behind his ribs. He thumped a mental fist thereupon.

      ‘I was born here,’ she said.

      ‘So Kristin told me. And?’

      ‘And…I love nothing more than trying something new. Expanding my horizons. Kristin mentioned this job, it sounded perfect, so I came.’

      ‘The Gold Coast job market saturated, is it?’

      She opened her mouth, no doubt to make another smart comment, then snapped her lips tight together. In the end she went with, ‘You’re the one who looked so pained at offering me even a six-month contract. The fact that I’m not the kind of person looking to stick to one job, or one place, for the rest of my natural life should please you no end.’

      His brow furrowed. ‘So are you saying at the end of this six months you’ll be gone?’

      He looked from her right eye to her left, but for the first time since he’d met her she had managed to go into complete lockdown. The one time he really wanted to know what was going on behind those big brown eyes, her thoughts were her own.

      ‘I’m no fortune-teller, so I have no idea what the future brings,’ she said, ‘but what I can promise is that while I’m here, I’m going to be the best thing that ever happened to you. In six months, well, perhaps you’ll be ready to let me go, or perhaps I’ll be ready to move on myself. Or maybe we’ll still have some use for one another and I’ll stay on. And I have the feeling that I’m not the only one here who’s pretty happy with that arrangement.’

      Smart, smart cookie. She’s pinned you like a butterfly to a piece of foam, he thought. And right on top of that his brain went straight to, And in six months she could well be gone. He allowed himself to wonder just how significantly that changed the no-fly zone he’d built up around her.

      Before his wondering brought about any solid conclusions Kristin came bounding up to the table. ‘We’re all heading to the Goo-Goo Bar,’ she said. ‘You guys in?’

      Mitch raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re wondering if I might like to join you and the gang at a nightclub?’

      She nodded, then stopped nodding and smiled sheepishly. ‘Okay, so I said you’d laugh at me, but the others were hoping the bar tab might extend a little longer.’

      ‘Tell the gang thanks, but no, thanks. To both the outing and the offer to pay their way.’

      ‘Right. Veronica?’ Kristin asked. ‘You up for some boogying on down?’

      Mitch glanced at Veronica, who was stifling a yawn. She came out of it laughing. ‘I think I might call it a night, as well.’

      ‘You?’ Kristin said, eyebrows disappearing somewhere deep into her hairline. ‘The biggest party girl I’ve ever had the privilege to watch in action?’

      ‘Says the girl who gave up her nose ring and dreadlocks for a beige suit and a twin set.’

      Mitch’s gaze spun to his assistant, who was blushing and glaring and mouthing who knew what to Veronica, who only grinned back.

      ‘Either way,’ Veronica said, ‘Boris and I are meeting a carpenter at the gallery bright and early tomorrow.’

      ‘A carpenter?’ Mitch asked, dragging himself back to reality from the thought of Veronica dancing alone in the middle of a dimly lit dance floor with her eyes closed. ‘On a Saturday?’

      ‘Don’t panic. We have superficial changes in mind. Truly. You’ll hardly notice the difference.’

      ‘Then why am I paying for it?’

      ‘Because you told me you would.’

      ‘Mmm.’

      Kristin leant over and gave Veronica a kiss on the cheek. ‘I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’ She then leant over as if to give Mitch a kiss too, suddenly remembered who he was, then reached out and shook his hand instead. Night, boss.’

      ‘Goodnight, Kristin. See you Monday.’

      She winked at Veronica, then skipped off to join the others.

      Mitch uncurled himself and stood. Veronica grabbed her clutch purse from the table and did the same. Their eyes met and the smile she shot him was tired, tremulous and once again tinged with the tiniest hint of vulnerability. His solar plexus clenched, and his he-man instincts kicked into gear as though this woman had discovered the way to command them by remote control.

      In an effort at self-preservation he looked dead ahead as he escorted her outside to the footpath, where she stopped. Assuming it was the dark keeping her at bay, he said, ‘Allow me to walk you to your car.’

      ‘No car. I caught a cab. Figured there’d be cocktails. And you’d be paying. Thought I’d make the most of it.’ She grinned, wide and bright, but he knew she’d only had about a drink and a half all night.

      ‘You go,’ she said as though she’d sensed his hesitation. ‘I’ll be fine here. It’s bright. People everywhere. A cab’ll come along soon. This dress never fails.’

      She grinned as if she was about to share some kind of in-joke, then, before his very eyes, she shook out her shoulders, dislodging the neckline of her dress which slithered sideways until his gaze became locked on the bare, tanned shoulder that had been exposed.

      He swallowed hard, his eyes slowly moving up her neck, not at all sure he wanted to know what she was thinking by acting this way, but she wasn’t paying him a lick of heed. Her back was to him as she looked up the street in search of a cab.

      He looked to the dark heavens for support, but they just twinkled back at him benignly. And with the quiet of the night air giving him far too much space in his head, her words rang in his head. In six months she would be ready to move on. Until then she would be the best thing that had ever happened to him.

      He snuck a glance sideways. Her dark curls were fluttering against her tanned cheek. Her bare shoulder lay within touching distance. She was temptation personified. Yet he was shrewd enough to know the built-in end-point to their affiliation made the idea of her even more appealing.