Raff walked away, for good this time, and I came back.’
She looked at Gabe, a gleam of speculation in her eyes. ‘I have to admit I was thrown when I got back to find you already in place. At first I thought Grandfather was trying to replace Raff, but now?’ She shook her head, once more dislodging the precarious knot of hair. ‘I wonder what kind of game he’s playing.’
‘Maybe, he just knows I’m good at my job.’
‘Oh, that will be part of it,’ she agreed. ‘But with Raff engaged I’ll bet there’s something else. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s played matchmaker. You’ve got to admit it’s convenient, working together, living together.’ Her voice trailed off.
‘And I thought it was an over-ambitious developer tunnelling under my building. Your grandfather must have some extraordinary powers.’
‘You have no idea,’ Polly said darkly. ‘He’s pretty unscrupulous.’ She shook her head. ‘He just can’t stop interfering.’
‘You are just speculating. Besides, what does it matter? He can play all he wants.’ Gabe made an effort to speak calmly but his heart was thudding so loudly he was surprised the kitchen wasn’t shaking. Marriage? Children? If Charles Rafferty was looking at Gabe to fulfil his dynastic dreams he had a long, long wait ahead. ‘We don’t have to join in. Not on his terms.’
Light, fun and short-lived. That was all he wanted, all he could cope with. Polly Rafferty was many impressive things but were light and fun part of her enticing package? She hid it well if so.
But getting under her skin
was
fun. He was pretty sure, by the way her gaze lingered on his mouth, by the sudden flush that highlighted her cheeks occasionally, that she hadn’t forgotten about that kiss.
And he certainly hadn’t—not for want of trying.
‘Of course we don’t.’ She sounded more like her usual self. ‘I’ve never allowed myself to follow the path Grandfather thinks suitable. I’m not going to start now he has finally retired. I’m still so tired, I’m probably imagining things. You’re not my type at all. Even Grandfather must see that.’
This was where a wise man would stay silent. ‘I’m not?’
The soft words caught her, echoing round and around her head.
‘Of course not, you’re an exercise-mad smoothie drinker who flirts inappropriately with half my staff.’ Polly tried to keep her voice light but she could feel inappropriate heat rushing to her cheeks, a sweet insistent ache pulsing in her chest, reverberating all the way down to the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to look at him yet somehow she had turned, caught in his dark gaze. ‘Not to mention that we work together.’
Had he leaned in closer? The dark eyes were even more intent than usual, black pools she was drawn to, the kind of bottomless depths girls could drown in. ‘I won’t tell if you don’t.’
‘Tell what?’ But her tone lacked conviction even to herself. ‘Gabe, I...’ Polly wasn’t entirely sure what she had been planning to say, whether she was going to lean in, close the distance between them and pull him in close—or turn away and tell him to grow up and stop with the innuendoes. She knew the sensible choice, the logical choice and yet she hesitated.
But the kitchen seemed to have shrunk, the space suddenly, suffocatingly small, the air so stuffy she could hardly breathe, the tumult in her stomach churning. She gasped for a breath, realising her mistake too late, pushing her stool back and running for the downstairs cloakroom horrifyingly aware that she wasn’t going to make it.
* * *
‘I am so humiliated.’ Polly leant forward until her forehead touched the kitchen counter, grateful for the coolness of the granite. ‘Thank you for taking care of me.’
That wasn’t quite enough but she didn’t want to articulate all the reasons for her gratitude. The gentle way he had rubbed her back, held her hair back from her face, waited with her until the last
She looked at Gabe, a gleam of speculation in her eyes. ‘I have to admit I was thrown when I got back to find you already in place. At first I thought Grandfather was trying to replace Raff, but now?’ She shook her head, once more dislodging the precarious knot of hair. ‘I wonder what kind of game he’s playing.’
‘Maybe, he just knows I’m good at my job.’
‘Oh, that will be part of it,’ she agreed. ‘But with Raff engaged I’ll bet there’s something else. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s played matchmaker. You’ve got to admit it’s convenient, working together, living together.’ Her voice trailed off.
‘And I thought it was an over-ambitious developer tunnelling under my building. Your grandfather must have some extraordinary powers.’
‘You have no idea,’ Polly said darkly. ‘He’s pretty unscrupulous.’ She shook her head. ‘He just can’t stop interfering.’
‘You are just speculating. Besides, what does it matter? He can play all he wants.’ Gabe made an effort to speak calmly but his heart was thudding so loudly he was surprised the kitchen wasn’t shaking. Marriage? Children? If Charles Rafferty was looking at Gabe to fulfil his dynastic dreams he had a long, long wait ahead. ‘We don’t have to join in. Not on his terms.’
Light, fun and short-lived. That was all he wanted, all he could cope with. Polly Rafferty was many impressive things but were light and fun part of her enticing package? She hid it well if so.
But getting under her skin
was
fun. He was pretty sure, by the way her gaze lingered on his mouth, by the sudden flush that highlighted her cheeks occasionally, that she hadn’t forgotten about that kiss.
And he certainly hadn’t—not for want of trying.
‘Of course we don’t.’ She sounded more like her usual self. ‘I’ve never allowed myself to follow the path Grandfather thinks suitable. I’m not going to start now he has finally retired. I’m still so tired, I’m probably imagining things. You’re not my type at all. Even Grandfather must see that.’
This was where a wise man would stay silent. ‘I’m not?’
The soft words caught her, echoing round and around her head.
‘Of course not, you’re an exercise-mad smoothie drinker who flirts inappropriately with half my staff.’ Polly tried to keep her voice light but she could feel inappropriate heat rushing to her cheeks, a sweet insistent ache pulsing in her chest, reverberating all the way down to the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to look at him yet somehow she had turned, caught in his dark gaze. ‘Not to mention that we work together.’
Had he leaned in closer? The dark eyes were even more intent than usual, black pools she was drawn to, the kind of bottomless depths girls could drown in. ‘I won’t tell if you don’t.’
‘Tell what?’ But her tone lacked conviction even to herself. ‘Gabe, I...’ Polly wasn’t entirely sure what she had been planning to say, whether she was going to lean in, close the distance between them and pull him in close—or turn away and tell him to grow up and stop with the innuendoes. She knew the sensible choice, the logical choice and yet she hesitated.
But the kitchen seemed to have shrunk, the space suddenly, suffocatingly small, the air so stuffy she could hardly breathe, the tumult in her stomach churning. She gasped for a breath, realising her mistake too late, pushing her stool back and running for the downstairs cloakroom horrifyingly aware that she wasn’t going to make it.
* * *
‘I am so humiliated.’ Polly leant forward until her forehead touched the kitchen counter, grateful for the coolness of the granite. ‘Thank you for taking care of me.’
That wasn’t quite enough but she didn’t want to articulate all the reasons for her gratitude. The gentle way he had rubbed her back, held her hair back from her face, waited with her until the last
Similar Books
