regaled him with tales of the run-ins the pair of them had had since she’d begun classes a couple of weeks earlier.
‘Sounds like you’re having a ball, Em.’ Sam laughed. ‘But don’t sweat it, you’ll be fine. I didn’t always get along with my lecturers, either, and now I’ve got a Ph.D!’
They chatted until their meals arrived and ate in contentment until Nicholas stepped into the room. Emily’s heart lurched at the sight of him and suddenly all her clothes felt too tight, and she became aware of an uncontrollable flow of moisture between her thighs. He stood taller than most of the other men in the room, and would have been imposing even if he hadn’t. He was a man who radiated power; his very presence causing people to turn towards him, men and women alike.
‘Emily?’ Sam’s voice gradually penetrated her befuddled consciousness, and she felt her cheeks redden. Had he guessed what had been going through her mind?
‘Guess who just stepped in,’ she said wryly, trying to downplay her emotions.
‘That Nicholas Cavanaugh!’ Sam exclaimed, shaking his head.
‘Yes, that Nicholas Cavanaugh. Do you know him?’
‘Know of him, more like. You do know he’s Managing Director of Rutherford’s?’
‘So I’ve heard. That’s why he’s here in Ballarat. He’s opening up a new division, or something. He’s already bought out a couple of other businesses in town, and is possibly going to be investing in one of Mark’s new projects at Overington Industries.’ Sam nodded.
‘Perhaps you should try to get along with him a little better,’ he suggested. ‘If you want to succeed in the world of business, you won’t get a better mentor than someone who’s already made it. And I’ve heard he’s only thirty-three or -four.’
‘I hope you’re not lecturing me, Sam.’ She frowned. It had been bad enough dealing with Mark, who seemed to think the sun shone out of Nicholas, she didn’t need to hear Sam go on about the man as well.
‘He certainly can choose the ladies, too!’ Emily’s heart thudded in sudden alarm. Could he have guessed?
‘What are you talking about?’
‘That redhead he’s with.’ Sam whistled softly. ‘She’s a knockout!’ Emily turned to look and felt her heart sink into her stomach. For the first time she could see Nicholas’s companion, a woman not much older than herself, who gave new meaning to the word ‘beautiful’. In that instant, something inside her died. She watched as Nicholas leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and abruptly turned away, unable to bear it. Suddenly nauseous, she took a long swallow of water.
‘Are you all right?’ Sam’s voice was filled with genuine concern, but there was nothing she could say.
‘I just swallowed the wrong way. She certainly is attractive,’ Emily said, desperately keeping her tone light and neutral. But the meal had been ruined for her, and when she’d finished the last mouthful, she mumbled a hurried apology for cutting their meeting short and excused herself. Suddenly she wanted to be as far away from the bistro as she could get.
‘Talk to me, Nicholas,’ Wendy demanded. Nicholas raised his eyebrows at her.
‘Get back to work, Wendy. I don’t pay you to make idle conversation!’
‘I know, but this isn’t idle conversation.’
‘Fine. Shoot away. But it better be good.’
‘It’s not me who needs to do the talking,’ she said wryly. ‘But I’ll initiate, shall I? You’ve been grumpy all day. No, make that for the last couple of weeks. I’m a woman and I’m not stupid, I can see the signs. Tell me about her.’
‘Who?’ he said, knowing full well who his dear cousin was referring to. She raised an eyebrow. ‘Look Wendy, there’s nothing to say. I discovered an unwanted attraction to a woman who I’m definitely not interested in. It’s nothing more than a mere annoyance.’
‘Right. How about I tell you what I know?’ She didn’t wait for him to respond. ‘You
‘Sounds like you’re having a ball, Em.’ Sam laughed. ‘But don’t sweat it, you’ll be fine. I didn’t always get along with my lecturers, either, and now I’ve got a Ph.D!’
They chatted until their meals arrived and ate in contentment until Nicholas stepped into the room. Emily’s heart lurched at the sight of him and suddenly all her clothes felt too tight, and she became aware of an uncontrollable flow of moisture between her thighs. He stood taller than most of the other men in the room, and would have been imposing even if he hadn’t. He was a man who radiated power; his very presence causing people to turn towards him, men and women alike.
‘Emily?’ Sam’s voice gradually penetrated her befuddled consciousness, and she felt her cheeks redden. Had he guessed what had been going through her mind?
‘Guess who just stepped in,’ she said wryly, trying to downplay her emotions.
‘That Nicholas Cavanaugh!’ Sam exclaimed, shaking his head.
‘Yes, that Nicholas Cavanaugh. Do you know him?’
‘Know of him, more like. You do know he’s Managing Director of Rutherford’s?’
‘So I’ve heard. That’s why he’s here in Ballarat. He’s opening up a new division, or something. He’s already bought out a couple of other businesses in town, and is possibly going to be investing in one of Mark’s new projects at Overington Industries.’ Sam nodded.
‘Perhaps you should try to get along with him a little better,’ he suggested. ‘If you want to succeed in the world of business, you won’t get a better mentor than someone who’s already made it. And I’ve heard he’s only thirty-three or -four.’
‘I hope you’re not lecturing me, Sam.’ She frowned. It had been bad enough dealing with Mark, who seemed to think the sun shone out of Nicholas, she didn’t need to hear Sam go on about the man as well.
‘He certainly can choose the ladies, too!’ Emily’s heart thudded in sudden alarm. Could he have guessed?
‘What are you talking about?’
‘That redhead he’s with.’ Sam whistled softly. ‘She’s a knockout!’ Emily turned to look and felt her heart sink into her stomach. For the first time she could see Nicholas’s companion, a woman not much older than herself, who gave new meaning to the word ‘beautiful’. In that instant, something inside her died. She watched as Nicholas leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and abruptly turned away, unable to bear it. Suddenly nauseous, she took a long swallow of water.
‘Are you all right?’ Sam’s voice was filled with genuine concern, but there was nothing she could say.
‘I just swallowed the wrong way. She certainly is attractive,’ Emily said, desperately keeping her tone light and neutral. But the meal had been ruined for her, and when she’d finished the last mouthful, she mumbled a hurried apology for cutting their meeting short and excused herself. Suddenly she wanted to be as far away from the bistro as she could get.
‘Talk to me, Nicholas,’ Wendy demanded. Nicholas raised his eyebrows at her.
‘Get back to work, Wendy. I don’t pay you to make idle conversation!’
‘I know, but this isn’t idle conversation.’
‘Fine. Shoot away. But it better be good.’
‘It’s not me who needs to do the talking,’ she said wryly. ‘But I’ll initiate, shall I? You’ve been grumpy all day. No, make that for the last couple of weeks. I’m a woman and I’m not stupid, I can see the signs. Tell me about her.’
‘Who?’ he said, knowing full well who his dear cousin was referring to. She raised an eyebrow. ‘Look Wendy, there’s nothing to say. I discovered an unwanted attraction to a woman who I’m definitely not interested in. It’s nothing more than a mere annoyance.’
‘Right. How about I tell you what I know?’ She didn’t wait for him to respond. ‘You
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