Heart & Soul: The Surprise (Heartland Series) by Nicola C. Priest

Friday
night."

 
    Sam saw the flush that crept onto Rachael's
cheeks at her confession.   David was a
good looking guy; most of the women in the office had imagined getting all hot
and sweaty with him before now, including her when she ’ d first joined the company.   She wasn ’ t surprised that Rachael had those fantasies too, but she
was surprised that she was the one who had turned them into a reality.

 
    She ’ d
always found Rachael to be a sweet girl.   She was pretty with shoulder length blond hair and a curvy figure that
most guys loved.   She wasn ’ t short of admirers, knowing for a fact that at least two of
the guys in the office had tried to get into her panties before now, but
Rachael had always politely declined.   From what Sam could remember of the conversations they ’ d had, Rachael had been burnt badly a few years ago by a guy
at her old job. She avoided office romances like the plague, which is why this
latest revelation was such a surprise.

 
    “ What happened? ” Sam asked, not wanting to pry but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

 
    Sam watched as Rachel folded her arms
on her desk and lowered her head, groaning as she stretched her arms out in
front of her and raised her eyes to look at her.  

 
    "I don ’ t know. It kind of just happened.   I wasn't well on Friday, that was
genuine.   David came round to drop off a
file I needed that I'd forgotten the night before.   We started talking about work and it moved
onto his family and mine.   Before I knew
it he was on top of me and I was screaming his name as he fucked me on my
couch.   I still can't quite believe it happened. ”

 
    Sam bit her lip as Rachael talked,
trying not to ask the obvious question.   The one all women wanted to know the answer to when a friend got with a
new guy.   As if sensing what she wanted
to ask, Rachael smiled and fanned her face dramatically.

 
    “ It was the best sex I ’ ve
ever had.   Let me tell you, that guy
knows how to please a woman.   The things
he did with his tongue.... ”

 
    Sam held up her hand to halt Rachael ’ s words.   She had to
work with the guy and she didn ’ t want those images in her mind when
she did.   She was having enough trouble
trying not to think about her and Alistair, adding images of Rachael and David
wasn ’ t something she wanted to have to deal with.

 
    “ Anyway, he text me all over the weekend asking how I was but
I didn't reply.   I didn't know what to
say to him, I still don't.   I couldn't
face coming in yesterday but I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid him
forever.   He hasn't mentioned anything to
me since I walked in and he has been acting like nothing happened."

 
    Sam listened to Rachael's words,
understanding the blond woman more than she realised.

 
    "Well how does that make you
feel?" Sam asked her.
    "Honestly. It pisses me off.   I know I ignored his messages over the
weekend and effectively ran and hid yesterday, but I expected...hell I don't
know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this.   Sam, what if he thinks I just slept with him
for my career? I don't sleep with my boss for that. I'm not that kind of girl.   It just happened.   For some reason I just looked at him Friday
night and saw this guy who I suddenly found I wanted.   He's already given you the Lockwood job, I
guess that's his way of telling me what he thinks of me."

 
    Sam watched as Rachael dropped her
head into her hands as her shoulders slumped.

 
    "Rachael, David didn't give me
this job, Alistair Lockwood requested me.   David tried to keep you but Alistair insisted."
    "So he hasn't given you the job
over me?" She asked, Sam detecting the hint of hope in her voice.
    "No. The only way you're gonna
find out what he's thinking is if you talk to him. He's a guy.   You need to talk straight to them or they
have no clue.   Dropping subtle hints
rarely works."

 
    Sam grinned as Rachael smiled for the
first time