Boardrooms of Power. Heidi Betts

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СКАЧАТЬ ‘despite all her other, highly visible assets.’

      Rose was getting tired of being baited. ‘I really must be off, Gabriel.’

      ‘Not so fast.’

      ‘Well, there’s not much left to say on the subject of Ms Forbes. I’m glad we both agree that the person who fills the position will have to have more going for them than long legs, long hair and breasts.’

      ‘I wasn’t about to prolong the conversation about the delectable Ms Forbes. I was going to tell you that there are some emails I need to get out today. The interviewing has thrown everything out of sync. So…you’ll have to stay on an extra hour or so until we get the workload covered.’ He held up his hands as if defending himself from the possibility of a physical attack. ‘And yes, I know it probably crashes through your work to rule barrier but I want to remind you of exactly how generous your pay package is.’

      ‘I don’t have a problem working an extra hour or two, Gabriel.’ And he knew it. ‘You know that! I only have a problem when you ask me to work ridiculous hours and it really only reared its head because, if I’m going to be studying, I’m going to need to prioritise my spare time!’

      Gabriel was beginning to wonder how it was that he had never noticed the feisty, challenging side of his perfect secretary’s personality. How could he ever have found her soothing? She was about as soothing as a shark in search of blood! Fortunately he was man enough to tackle any form of shark. And to enjoy the tussle. Right now he was mightily enjoying the sight of her turning pink as her feathers were well and truly ruffled. He also liked the fact that he got under her skin, that under her carefully cultivated cool exterior, the one that had had him hoodwinked for so long, she responded to him. As a man. He was pretty sure that she hadn’t been able to relegate that kiss to the back of her mind and that pleased him because he sure as hell hadn’t been able to forget it. Just thinking about her cool lips against his, about that instant, that one fleeting moment, when she had opened up and returned the kiss with a fire she was at pains to hide, was enough to make him feel hard. Like an adolescent in the throes of his first crush.

      For Gabriel that was a sensation so novel that it was enough to keep him up at night. He suspected that thoughts of him might well keep her up at night too. With any other woman he would have asked, knowing that it was really a very sexy question, especially if he qualified it by saying that the sleepless nights were mutual, but that was the last thing he would have done with Rose. He had no doubt that she would have flung that damned resignation letter straight at him and this time she would have not been open to persuasion.

      But he wanted her and he was pretty sure that she wanted him and he had time on his side. Well, sufficient time anyway.

      ‘Of course I know that! But we still have some work to put in here and I’m glad you don’t have a problem.’ He stretched and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Now, if you want to come into my office, we can start downloading the files we need to have a look at and you have my word that I won’t keep you past the witching hour.’

      Not so fast, Rose wanted to shout as he disappeared towards his office.

      ‘I’m afraid there’s a bit of a problem with staying on tonight,’ she said awkwardly, following him in but standing in the doorway, hands in her jacket pockets.

      Gabriel, who was leaning over his desk, booting up his computer in preparation, looked up and frowned.

      ‘I thought we’d sorted that one out,’ he said abruptly.

      ‘You don’t understand. I can’t work tonight because I’m busy…’

      ‘You’re busy?’

      He sounded truly shocked and Rose knew why. Because in all the four years that she had worked for him, she had rarely denied his requests that she work beyond the call of duty. She had put her job ahead of everything. It satisfied her and coincidentally fed her hidden addiction to him. Over the years he must have gained the impression that she had no social life, nothing to distract her from her complete slavish dedication to him.

      She felt an illicit thrill of pleasure at bursting the bubble.

      ‘I’m busy,’ she repeated with a slight nod. ‘I could work late on Monday, if it’ll keep till then.’

      ‘It won’t keep till then,’ Gabriel said irritably, giving her his full, undivided attention. ‘Things at this level don’t keep indefinitely, Rose. Business doesn’t take time out so that we can all have a bit of a rest.’

      This was Gabriel at his most coldly sarcastic. It was the voice he saved for when he was well and truly disgusted. He had not scaled the heights by being kind, considerate and retiring. Yes, he was charming and witty and could promote the illusion of being absolutely relaxed, but beneath the velvet glove was the steel hand.

      ‘Well, Gabriel, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. If you like, I can see whether Emily’s free and doesn’t mind working late this evening.’

      ‘I have a better idea. Why don’t you just cancel whatever it is you were doing? If you were going out with your girlfriends, tell them, from me, that I’ll treat them to an evening out next week, wherever they want to go, no expense spared. Call it compensation for putting you out.’

      ‘I’m not going out with my girlfriends,’ Rose said eventually. She could almost see his ears prick up.

      ‘No?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘Then what’s so important that you can’t cancel…?’

      ‘Really, Gabriel, it’s none of your business.’ But he would make it his business. She knew that. And she didn’t know why she was bothering to resist. It wasn’t as though she was hiding some shameful secret.

      ‘I think I deserve a decent excuse…’

      ‘I’m going out on a date, if you must know. To the theatre, actually. To see Les Miserables. I’ve wanted to see that for ages. The tickets are all booked and, really, I have just enough time to make it to the theatre. Then Joe and I are going go have a quick bite afterwards. So you see there’s no chance I can stay late. I’m sorry.’

      ‘The theatre? Joe? Who the hell is Joe? A quick bite?’

      ‘I have to go or I’ll be late.’

      ‘Who is this Joe character?’

      ‘Have a good weekend and I shall see you on Monday, Gabriel!’ With which, Rose fled. Not ostensibly. Not to the extent that she was working up a sweat, but moving quickly enough to put a stop to Gabriel’s barrage of questions.

      She only breathed a sigh of relief when she was in the taxi and speeding to the theatre, and really, really, only relaxed when she was delivered to the theatre and spotted Joe waving at her through the milling crowds.

      This was going to be their first date and Rose teetered between anticipation and apprehension. After all, she didn’t know him that well. They had met only a couple of weeks previously, a case of pure coincidence. Rose had gone to see one of the colleges on her list and, having set off in anxious pursuit of the business studies department, had ended up in completely the wrong area and knocking on completely the wrong door.

      Fortunately for her, Joe had answered it and he had been so nice СКАЧАТЬ