Lost In France (Firebird Trilogy) by Jani Kay

attached’ affair. It riled me. Just because I was single didn’t mean I was available as a plaything. And I certainly wasn’t going to be Mr. Grant’s new toy. I was not for sale.
    Maybe I was just oversensitive and imagining things. Maybe it was because I’d been in this situation before that I was so easily worked up about it. I was prejudiced. But it was the very reason I had to escape my world, and escape Julian. Somewhere deep down, it was against everything I believed in, to be lovers with a married man.
    Although our situation was completely different to this, the fact remained that Julian was married and therefore out of bounds.
    Julian.
    A pang went through my heart as I thought of him, wondering how he was coping without me. I had run. I had deserted him. But, I did it for me. And even though he wouldn’t understand now, I ultimately did it for him, too. At this moment he probably thought I’d abandoned him when he needed me most. But, one day, he would realize that it was best for us all. And he may just begin to understand how much of my strength it took to walk away from him and our fucked-up situation.
    “Rebecca.” Maxwell nudged me gently, bringing me back abruptly to the present. “You are so far away. Anything wrong?”
    Startled, I gazed into sapphire-blue eyes, his concern reflected back at me.
    “You look so sad,” he said, and tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear. I was shocked by his gentleness; it was as if he could see right through me.
    “No, of course not,” I said a little too brightly. He cocked his head, not taking his eyes from my face, as if deciding if he were going to believe me or not. He let it go, and drew my attention back to the contract.
    “So, as I was saying. You’ll do one seminar and related workshops every six weeks, in each European country we have branches in. Five in total.” I nodded to show I was listening. He continued, “The last two months you’ll spend in New York, at head office. There you’ll brief the board and set new training  in motion. We’ll renegotiate your contract at that point. Let’s first see if there is mutual benefit in extending the contract.”
    He watched my face closely, ensuring I was following him. “I will be in touch, regularly, checking your progress. Of course, if necessary, you may be summoned to head office at any time.”
    Wow. Summoned.
    Just like that.
    His eyes bored into mine, his jaw locked. A shiver ran up my spine. “And I expect you to be there within twenty-four hours. This is not negotiable.”
    I raised a brow and scrutinized his face. Was he serious? His reputation as a ruthless businessman was known far and wide. I’d known he was a tough player before I agreed to take the position. There was no way that he could maintain his position at the helm of a global company thirty-three, without being smart and tough—brutal even. But to be on twenty-four-hour standby for whenever he summoned me?
    Beyond fucking ridiculous.
    The less I saw and heard from him, the better.
    “And in return, I’ll look after you well. Your flight and hotel room are to your liking, I hope?” he said with a sneer.
    My cheeks burned as I realized I hadn’t thanked him for the extravagance already bestowed on me: first class flight, exceptionally luxurious hotel room with a view to die for, and those gifts on my pillow…
    “Er, thanks so much for… ” I began. Truthfully, I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “The pen was a bit much,” I blurted, without thinking.
    His eyes widened for an instant and a vein ticked in his jaw. I guessed his other employees didn’t question his behavior much.
    “I appreciate your honesty,” he said coldly.
    Had I managed to upset my new boss already? I wasn’t doing too well and the eight-month contract had only just begun today. I didn’t want to give my boss the impression that I was ungrateful, but then again, I was certainly not going to be a pushover.
    He had the