Buttoned-Up Secretary, British Boss Read online

  In the complete silence which followed that remark, the two were like solemn players in a momentous production which was about to reach its climax; the intensity in the room was palpable, and painful. Then Alexander walked slowly over to stare out of the window, his hands thrust in his pockets.

  ‘Perhaps I should explain something,’ he said. ‘About Angelica.’ After a few moments he went on. ‘I met her at one of my book signings. Or, rather, she was in the long queue of people which the organizers were trying to hurry along.’ He paused. ‘On these occasions there are always those who want to engage in conversation and chit-chat, and the whole procedure can drag on a bit. This particular day did seem endless because hundreds had turned up.’

  Alexander waited before going on. ‘Anyway, I’d glanced up once or twice and I’d seen this tall, raven-haired, beautiful girl…Well, you couldn’t miss her. She never actually got to where I was signing. But eventually she was the last one, and we exchanged pleasantries as she gave me her book.’ He paused. ‘She asked for the entry to read “for Angelica”—and “never give up”. Which I thought was a bit strange at the time,’ he added.

  Alexander turned to glance back at Sabrina briefly. ‘Then later, as I left the building to go the car park,’ he went on, ‘there she was. She’d somehow managed to park her car right next to mine—she must have been there very early in the day to do that.’ There was another long pause.

  ‘She asked if she could buy me a drink. Well, it’d been a long day, and suddenly the thought of spending an hour in the company of a very attractive woman seemed…enticing. So I bought us some dinner and it was midnight before we parted company. We exchanged phone numbers…you know how you do…and I thought she’d been good company: intelligent, and a good listener. She hung on my every word, and I suppose I had my head turned a bit.’ Alexander turned to stare out of the window again. ‘Well, this was all a very long time ago,’ he added defensively.

  ‘For the next two or three months we saw quite a lot of each other—and I even began to wonder whether she’d be the one I’d marry and settle down with…’ A derisive snort left Alexander’s lips.

  At this point, Sabrina got up and came across to stand next to him, knowing that he wasn’t enjoying telling her all this, but he went on.

  ‘One evening, I was invited to go with her to someone’s twenty-first birthday party. It was at a wine bar in town, and very crowded. Plenty of bright young things there, a lot of excitable noise and merry-making and plenty of drink to go with it. I knew it wasn’t my kind of thing, but anyway…’ He shook his head slightly. ‘Unfortunately—for both of us—I enjoy very keen hearing. Later in the evening I overheard Angelica talking to two friends.’ Alexander grimaced to himself. He could recall the incident without difficulty.

  ‘The long and short of it was that Angelica’s purpose in making herself known to me was to get to Bruno. To get to my famous brother. She apparently had great ambitions for herself in the theatrical world—something she’d very skilfully kept from me, by the way. My brother’s name had barely been mentioned between us. Up to that point I’d been listening to everything she was saying with only half an ear, but when Bruno’s name cropped up I immediately took more interest and it all became clear. Especially when I heard Angelica’s final remark.’ Alexander’s mouth twisted as he remembered.

  “‘As soon as my feet are fully under their family table, who knows what’ll happen for me? Alexander could be my fast track to success at last…perhaps even stardom! And then telesales can take a run and jump!’”

  ‘That’s what she said,’ Alexander went on flatly. ‘It wasn’t me she was interested in at all—it was Bruno, who could maybe give her the chance to progress her stage career. And, looking back, I had to give her full marks for her enterprise. She’d made me feel that I was the only man on the planet that she had eyes for.

  ‘But her final words to her friends were, “I’ll do whatever it takes…You know me. Persistence is all—and I never, never give up—not when I really, really want something”.

  ‘Then I remembered what she’d asked me to write on the book, and it left me in no doubt about her true motive in hanging around to speak to me.’

  There was complete silence for a few moments as Sabrina took in everything Alexander had told her. How dreadful that must have been, to be used as a tool in someone’s ambitions—and especially to get to a close relative. How hurtful and how degrading for him. Being degraded was something Alexander McDonald would not have experienced before, and something he would never tolerate again.

  ‘So our wonderful “relationship” ended that night—and I’ve never seen her since,’ Alexander said noncommittally. ‘Neither have I seen Angelica’s name in lights either,’ he added.

  Gently, Sabrina put her arm around Alexander’s waist and rested her head on his shoulder. ‘I’m sorry that you had to tell me that, Alexander,’ she said. ‘But I’m glad that you did because it does answer my question. To be treated in that way is unforgivable—well, I wouldn’t be able to forgive it if it happened to me,’ she said bluntly. ‘But I can understand your reluctance to actually tell someone—tell a woman—that you love her…’

  At that, a slow smile spread across Alexander’s features and almost hungrily he gathered Sabrina up in his arms, virtually crushing her to him.

  ‘Sabrina,’ he whispered, his lips lingering over her hair and her neck. ‘I have never said those words to anyone because, I suppose…Well, because…’ He frowned briefly. ‘I have never heard them actually said to me. They are words which have always seemed unreal, belonging to another world, just out of my reach.’ He gazed down into her eyes, making Sabrina almost melt with longing and tenderness.

  ‘But since I met you I have found myself whispering those words, Sabrina, whispering them to myself. And now I’m going to say them out loud. For the first time in my life, I’m going to tell someone that I love them. I love you, Sabrina Gold. I love you. With all my heart, my soul and mind.’

  And as he uttered the words, Alexander felt the loosening of a lifetime’s tension, felt the unbelievable magic of laying his soul bare to someone he knew he would trust and adore for the rest of his days—if only she would have him.

  Leaving him in no doubt about that, Sabrina wound her fingers around his neck, drawing him even closer to her. She tilted her head back, offering him her parted lips, all her senses swimming with emotion and happiness. Because she knew that he had unlocked that part of her she’d thought she’d lost for ever. For her, there was to be no more running away.

  Today was the beginning of the rest of her life—of their lives.

  And she knew it was going to be wonderful.

  All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

  All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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  First published
in Great Britain 2010

  Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,

  Eton House, 18–24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

  © Susanne James 2010

  ISBN: 978-1-4089-1954-5

  Table of Contents

  Cover Page

  Excerpt

  Title Page

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Copyright