long-distance relationship. ”
Guilt fleetingly crossed
his face. “ I ’ m
sorry, Jemma. I should have replied to your emails and phone
messages. But my new job required ninety-nine percent of my focus
and I didn ’ t know how to tell you
that I couldn ’ t be in a relationship
any more. I didn ’ t want to hurt your
feelings. ”
“ So
instead you just pretended that I - we - never existed. ” She stirred her latte, not wanting to look at him.
“ I admit I was an
ass back then . I didn‘t deserve you. But--” he
winked, “we did have some good times together.”
Smirking, he continued, “Let me make it up to you. How about
you come and work for me as my executive
assistant? ”
Jemma tightened her grip
on her mug. “ I ’ ve
got a job. ”
“ I ’ ll
pay you more. ”
“ I ’ m
quite happy with my position, thank you. ” Jemma wondered what was going on. Matt didn ’ t
even know how much she made or that she was dating Adam - not that it
was any of his business.
“ Jemma,
I ’ m striking out on my own now. I
put in five years with that big firm up north and I know I ’ ve
got what it takes to be a success with my own consultancy firm. We ’ d
make a great team. ” He tried to
grasp her hand again but she inched it out of his reach.
“ I ’ m
not interested, Matt. ” She took a
sip of her coffee and then picked up her purse. “ I ’ ve
got to go.”
“ You
know how good we were together. I want you back, Jemma. ”
Five years ago, Jemma had
dreamed of this moment. She ’ d been
heart-broken when Matt had moved one hundred miles away to start his
new job and she ’ d never heard from
him again, fantasizing night after night that he would re-appear in
her life and beg her to take him back. But now the moment had
arrived, she realized she wasn ’ t
tempted at all.
She was completely in
love with Adam Sinclair, and although they had only been together for
just over two weeks, it was the best relationship she had ever been
in.
“ I ’ m
seeing someone, ” she replied softly.
“ Is
it serious? ”
“ Yes. ” It was for her. She just wished she had the courage to tell Adam
how she really felt about him.
“ Lucky
guy. ” Matt smiled wryly. “ Jemma
- I don ’ t suppose you could give me
any information on the Walker account. ”
“ What? ” Jemma sat down again.
“ The
Walker account. The Walker Group ’ s looking for a new business consultancy
firm. ”
“ I
know. We ’ ve started preparing our
pitch. ”
“ So …” Matt grinned. “ I wondered if you
had any useful info you could give me, since I don't have any local
knowledge yet. ”
Jemma stared at him. “ You want me to share Adam ’ s
information with you? ”
“ For
old times’ sake. ” He brushed
his hand against hers. “ You don ’ t
want to renew our relationship and you won ’ t
work for me. Help me out here - please, JJ. ”
She removed her hand from
the table. “ No. I can ’ t
believe you just asked me that, Matt. ”
He shrugged. “ What ’ s
the harm? You ’ d hardly be passing on
state secrets. Just about everyone else who pitches for it will know
what I need to know. We ’ d just be
leveling the playing field. ”
“ There ’ s
no ‘ we ’ ,
Matt. ” Jemma gave him a withering
look. “ And there ’ s
no way I ’ d steal information from
Adam. He and I are a team. ”
“ What
kind of team? ” His emerald eyes
gleamed with curiosity and he leaned across the table towards her.
Jemma hastily stood. “ None of your business. ” She didn ’ t feel comfortable giving
Matt details of her relationship with Adam. Although it wasn ’ t
a secret she was dating her boss, that didn ’ t
mean she felt like giving Matt the specifics.
He chuckled. “ It ’ s
okay, Jemma. I get the picture. ” Matt put a hand on her arm to detain her. “ But
I want you to know that I ’ ll do
whatever it takes to win the Walker account, with or without your
help. ”
####
Jemma fumed
Guilt fleetingly crossed
his face. “ I ’ m
sorry, Jemma. I should have replied to your emails and phone
messages. But my new job required ninety-nine percent of my focus
and I didn ’ t know how to tell you
that I couldn ’ t be in a relationship
any more. I didn ’ t want to hurt your
feelings. ”
“ So
instead you just pretended that I - we - never existed. ” She stirred her latte, not wanting to look at him.
“ I admit I was an
ass back then . I didn‘t deserve you. But--” he
winked, “we did have some good times together.”
Smirking, he continued, “Let me make it up to you. How about
you come and work for me as my executive
assistant? ”
Jemma tightened her grip
on her mug. “ I ’ ve
got a job. ”
“ I ’ ll
pay you more. ”
“ I ’ m
quite happy with my position, thank you. ” Jemma wondered what was going on. Matt didn ’ t
even know how much she made or that she was dating Adam - not that it
was any of his business.
“ Jemma,
I ’ m striking out on my own now. I
put in five years with that big firm up north and I know I ’ ve
got what it takes to be a success with my own consultancy firm. We ’ d
make a great team. ” He tried to
grasp her hand again but she inched it out of his reach.
“ I ’ m
not interested, Matt. ” She took a
sip of her coffee and then picked up her purse. “ I ’ ve
got to go.”
“ You
know how good we were together. I want you back, Jemma. ”
Five years ago, Jemma had
dreamed of this moment. She ’ d been
heart-broken when Matt had moved one hundred miles away to start his
new job and she ’ d never heard from
him again, fantasizing night after night that he would re-appear in
her life and beg her to take him back. But now the moment had
arrived, she realized she wasn ’ t
tempted at all.
She was completely in
love with Adam Sinclair, and although they had only been together for
just over two weeks, it was the best relationship she had ever been
in.
“ I ’ m
seeing someone, ” she replied softly.
“ Is
it serious? ”
“ Yes. ” It was for her. She just wished she had the courage to tell Adam
how she really felt about him.
“ Lucky
guy. ” Matt smiled wryly. “ Jemma
- I don ’ t suppose you could give me
any information on the Walker account. ”
“ What? ” Jemma sat down again.
“ The
Walker account. The Walker Group ’ s looking for a new business consultancy
firm. ”
“ I
know. We ’ ve started preparing our
pitch. ”
“ So …” Matt grinned. “ I wondered if you
had any useful info you could give me, since I don't have any local
knowledge yet. ”
Jemma stared at him. “ You want me to share Adam ’ s
information with you? ”
“ For
old times’ sake. ” He brushed
his hand against hers. “ You don ’ t
want to renew our relationship and you won ’ t
work for me. Help me out here - please, JJ. ”
She removed her hand from
the table. “ No. I can ’ t
believe you just asked me that, Matt. ”
He shrugged. “ What ’ s
the harm? You ’ d hardly be passing on
state secrets. Just about everyone else who pitches for it will know
what I need to know. We ’ d just be
leveling the playing field. ”
“ There ’ s
no ‘ we ’ ,
Matt. ” Jemma gave him a withering
look. “ And there ’ s
no way I ’ d steal information from
Adam. He and I are a team. ”
“ What
kind of team? ” His emerald eyes
gleamed with curiosity and he leaned across the table towards her.
Jemma hastily stood. “ None of your business. ” She didn ’ t feel comfortable giving
Matt details of her relationship with Adam. Although it wasn ’ t
a secret she was dating her boss, that didn ’ t
mean she felt like giving Matt the specifics.
He chuckled. “ It ’ s
okay, Jemma. I get the picture. ” Matt put a hand on her arm to detain her. “ But
I want you to know that I ’ ll do
whatever it takes to win the Walker account, with or without your
help. ”
####
Jemma fumed
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