Embrace Me by Jo Matthews, Rebecca Turley, Sally Goodwin, Elizabeth Simonton

Something is wrong. Tell me,” I pleaded
    “ Leave it, Shannon!” my mother glared. It was the first time I had ever been scared of her. I instantly dropped it.
    “ Don’t worry. She has mood swings like this from time to time,” Rachel muttered as we entered the boardroom. I stared back at her, feeling completely numb. Why did it seem like my mother was angry with Charlie?
    My mind was racing, trying to work out what was going on. It took me a few minutes when we entered the boardroom to realise that I had already met Harry before, but he went by the name of Mac.
    “ Lovely to see you again, Shannon,” Mac smiled, holding his hand out towards me.
    “ You have met Shannon before?” my mother asked, shocked by the news.
    “ Yes. I had the pleasure of bumping into her at the airport while I was with Tim Scott a month or so ago.” Mac smiled at me.
    “ I had no idea you were Harry Mac. I should have introduced myself properly,” I replied, embarrassed. I had been off with Tim and Mac that day at the airport.
    “ No, it was fine, Shannon. Tim has that effect on women,” Mac laughed. I smiled and nodded.
    “ Well, shall we get to business?” Rachel suddenly questioned in an annoyed tone.
    “ Yes, let’s,” Mac replied, pulling a chair out for me. “Shall we sit?”
    The meeting went well and the net profit was looking very healthy. My mother was going into so much detail that I wasn’t sure how Harry Mac could keep up with her, but he did.
    “ I guess that wraps everything up,” my mother replied, smiling and clapping her hands. “I am so glad you decided to join us Harry, and I am going to tell you something that will make you realise just how much I trust you. I know you were very good friends with the Field family.”  
    “ This is business, Miss Downing. I can’t be ruled by friendship. You simply gave me a better deal,” Mac smiled.
    “ Shannon is not just my youngest Marketing Director at Headcom…she is also my daughter.” I turned to look at my mother. I knew Rachel was doing the same. Why was she telling Harry Mac this now? “Now can you see how much I trust you? This news will not be going public for another six months. I want to ease her into this way of life, which I know you’ll understand.”
    “ I don’t know what to say, Miss Downing, but I can assure you that your secret is safe with me.” Mac smiled then turned to me. “If you ever need my advice or help, Shannon, I would be happy to assist. I didn’t realise we had so much in common.” Why did I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable with the way he was looking at me?
    “ Thanks, Mr. Mac,” I smiled, turning to look at Rachel, who was glaring daggers at my mother.
    “ Call me Mac,” he smiled.
    “ Okay, Mac.”
    I could feel him watching me as I walked out of the room and I understood why Rachel had been wary. Harry Mac was a lady killer, and if I hadn’t been totally besotted with Charlie, I would have seen the draw.
    Mac wasn’t too different from Charlie in looks. You would have put them in the same category in many ways. Mac’s hair was perhaps slightly darker, and he was maybe a little taller. His eyes were a warm dark brown—nowhere near as hypnotizing as Charlie’s dreamy blue-green. The one big difference between them was that Mac was arrogant about his looks, whereas Charlie had no idea just how stunning he was. I suspected it was because of who Mac was. He could be egotistical. He had the money to back it up, and I expected women fell at his feet on a daily basis.
    “ Harry is a lovely young man,” my mother commented as we walked towards the private jet. We had been in total silence for the last hour while I watched Rachel and my mother glare at each other.
    “ Are you saying my son suddenly isn’t good enough for Shannon?” Rachel asked in annoyance.
    “ Of course not,” my mother chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Isn’t Charlie up for a little rivalry?”
    “ There is no competition. I love