her dad.
“Stay the night, “ Bente was saying. “You’ll get lost trying to find your way back into town tonight. We’ve loads of room. That is, if you don’t mind sleeping on a futon.”
“I’d be happy to,” Brad was saying. “If that’s OK with you,” he said to Elena.
“Of course. If Bente’s happy with it why wouldn’t I be?” Elena found herself stammering. Oh great. Now she was going to be sleeping ten feet away from him. It’s just business she told herself firmly.
Just business she told herself as she lay staring up at the ceiling in the small guestroom. It wasn’t personal at all. And once she talked to him tomorrow, set him straight, that would be the end of it. He’d be back to Vancouver and she’d, she’d, Oh God. This was no good. What was he doing here?
She spent a restless night tossing and turning only to get up at the crack of dawn. She tiptoed quickly through the living room trying not to notice Brad in the process. Easier said than done. She shot him a quick look and felt her heart stop.
Sprawled out on the futon, limbs akimbo, tousled brown hair framed a face vulnerable and innocent in sleep. He stirred and she felt her heart begin to race as she tiptoed past him into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. It wouldn’t be long before Jim was up along with Bente and the kids. She looked out at the yard.
The first rays of sunlight made diamonds in the dew that clung to the bird houses and fairies interspersed through the grass and trees making it a magical sight. She wished she had brought a camera. Everything was working the way it was meant to.
Except for Brad. She couldn’t believe he was here. But it didn’t matter if he was still working for her dad. Oh, she loved her dad. She just didn’t want her life controlled by him. Or anyone, she thought defiantly. She wanted to be her own woman.
She poured herself a fresh cup of coffee and looked up to see Brad in the doorway wearing jeans and not much else.
She’d never seen him shirtless before. His shoulders were broad and he was nicely muscled with a six-pack that was drool worthy. Whatever else he did he definitely found time to work out in the gym.
“Any chance I could get a cup of that coffee?”
“Sure,” she said, pouring him a cup of coffee and feeling her hand tremble. She hoped he wouldn’t notice as she handed it to him. What was he doing here? Why wasn’t he back in Vancouver.
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t see what there is to talk about,” she said stiffly.
“Mm. How about that temper tantrum the other day.”
“Temper tantrum. I was just telling you how I felt.”
“By throwing my cell phone in the water,” he said incredulously.
“Ok, maybe that was unnecessary,” she said. “But I don’t want you working for my dad.”
“Why not? I was when I started. What’s changed?”
“You promised not to report back to him. And you lied.”
“Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”
“Why else would he be calling to find out what you were doing?” she said bitterly.
“Because I work with him. You’re not the only client I have.”
“I never said I was.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I, just – I don’t want everything reported back to him.”
“I told him that after our first meeting,” he said calmly.
She looked up at him, looking into his eyes, trying to read him. “Are you sure?”
“More than sure. Believe it or not you’re not the only client who demands confidentiality,” he said dryly.
“I know that,” she said flushing. “It’s just …”
“What?” he said.
“I’m not every client,” she said and
“Stay the night, “ Bente was saying. “You’ll get lost trying to find your way back into town tonight. We’ve loads of room. That is, if you don’t mind sleeping on a futon.”
“I’d be happy to,” Brad was saying. “If that’s OK with you,” he said to Elena.
“Of course. If Bente’s happy with it why wouldn’t I be?” Elena found herself stammering. Oh great. Now she was going to be sleeping ten feet away from him. It’s just business she told herself firmly.
Just business she told herself as she lay staring up at the ceiling in the small guestroom. It wasn’t personal at all. And once she talked to him tomorrow, set him straight, that would be the end of it. He’d be back to Vancouver and she’d, she’d, Oh God. This was no good. What was he doing here?
She spent a restless night tossing and turning only to get up at the crack of dawn. She tiptoed quickly through the living room trying not to notice Brad in the process. Easier said than done. She shot him a quick look and felt her heart stop.
Sprawled out on the futon, limbs akimbo, tousled brown hair framed a face vulnerable and innocent in sleep. He stirred and she felt her heart begin to race as she tiptoed past him into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. It wouldn’t be long before Jim was up along with Bente and the kids. She looked out at the yard.
The first rays of sunlight made diamonds in the dew that clung to the bird houses and fairies interspersed through the grass and trees making it a magical sight. She wished she had brought a camera. Everything was working the way it was meant to.
Except for Brad. She couldn’t believe he was here. But it didn’t matter if he was still working for her dad. Oh, she loved her dad. She just didn’t want her life controlled by him. Or anyone, she thought defiantly. She wanted to be her own woman.
She poured herself a fresh cup of coffee and looked up to see Brad in the doorway wearing jeans and not much else.
She’d never seen him shirtless before. His shoulders were broad and he was nicely muscled with a six-pack that was drool worthy. Whatever else he did he definitely found time to work out in the gym.
“Any chance I could get a cup of that coffee?”
“Sure,” she said, pouring him a cup of coffee and feeling her hand tremble. She hoped he wouldn’t notice as she handed it to him. What was he doing here? Why wasn’t he back in Vancouver.
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t see what there is to talk about,” she said stiffly.
“Mm. How about that temper tantrum the other day.”
“Temper tantrum. I was just telling you how I felt.”
“By throwing my cell phone in the water,” he said incredulously.
“Ok, maybe that was unnecessary,” she said. “But I don’t want you working for my dad.”
“Why not? I was when I started. What’s changed?”
“You promised not to report back to him. And you lied.”
“Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”
“Why else would he be calling to find out what you were doing?” she said bitterly.
“Because I work with him. You’re not the only client I have.”
“I never said I was.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I, just – I don’t want everything reported back to him.”
“I told him that after our first meeting,” he said calmly.
She looked up at him, looking into his eyes, trying to read him. “Are you sure?”
“More than sure. Believe it or not you’re not the only client who demands confidentiality,” he said dryly.
“I know that,” she said flushing. “It’s just …”
“What?” he said.
“I’m not every client,” she said and
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