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Bethann: Love, don’t say things like that. You are on a better track now. Sorry for being bossy.
Astrid: No problem. Sorry for getting all emotional.
Bethann: Have a good day, sis.
Astrid: You too. TTYL.
She entered her office to find three e-mails from Henry, the last one saying he’d be in the office later this morning.
She stashed her handbag and started to work. Tried to get into the flow of the office. There were a couple of coworkers that she’d started being friendly with in the kitchen area where the coffeepot was kept, but this morning she kept to herself. Stayed at her desk and just worked.
She had made mistakes with Daniel. At first their relationship had been like this one with Henry, and now she was afraid of repeating those same mistakes. She refused to let that happen.
Just because they spent every eight hours together in the office and then most evenings together didn’t mean they were growing closer. She had to remember he’d been happy last night because she’d helped convince Steph to sign with Everest Records.
Daniel had been happy with her too, and then she’d started to fall for him. Or rather let him seduce her. She couldn’t make that mistake again. Henry was her boss and unless she wanted to go back to Farnham with her tail tucked between her legs she needed to make this job work.
She wasn’t going to have that fairy tale happily-ever-after with Henry even if he was different from Daniel. She had to remember that she wasn’t like other women—not anymore—and she didn’t have the option of being a wife and mother to fall back on. For her it was a career or nothing.
She needed to keep to her vow. She needed to remember that if she had to leave this job, her only option might be working for her sister.
She didn’t want to have to start over yet again. The only way she was going to keep this job was to be firm with herself and focus on doing the best she could.
She almost believed herself that she could do it, she could keep her vow—until Henry walked through the door.
“Morning, Astrid. Have you got any messages for me?”
She looked up into his bright blue eyes and forgot what he’d asked. All she could remember was the way his shoulders had felt under her hands last night. The softness of those firm lips of his against hers. And the way he’d twisted his fingers in the back of her hair.
“Astrid?”
“Yes, Henry.”
“Messages?” he asked.
She handed him the messages and realized she’d done it again. Allowed her crush to interfere with her professional career.
Henry had taken one look at the button-down suit that Astrid had on and realized that kissing her last night had been a mistake. He knew he had to retreat. Had to give her room to regain the confidence she’d had the day before. He should have known that a woman who’d been badly burned by an office affair wouldn’t want to jump into another one with her new boss.
But the moonlight had been too entrancing…. Hell, the moonlight had absolutely nothing to do with why he had kissed her. It had been Astrid—her lips, her body and her sexy smile that had tempted him. That and the fact that he didn’t like that Daniel Martin had touched her. That the other man had at one time claimed Astrid as his own.
He was first and foremost a competitor. The need to win had been burned into the fabric of his being at a very young age. His mother had often blamed Malcolm for the fact that he was so competitive, but she was just as aggressive when it came to her career.
There was a rap on his door.
“Come in.”
“Sir, I mean, Henry. Davis from accounting is here to see you.”
“Close the door, Astrid,” Henry said.
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “Yes?”
“Does he have an appointment?”
“No. But he says its urgent. You do have ten minutes if you wanted to see him. Just a reminder—Steph Cordo is due here in twenty minutes and I know you want to be available then.”
He smiled to himself. She was very efficient and the best assistant he’d ever had. Okay, the only one, but she was still good.
“Thank you. When Steph gets here, escort her to the conference room. We’ll bring in everyone she needs to talk to. Also, Steven will be stopping by toward the end of the hour with her.”
“Steven?”
“My half brother. We are going to set up an in-store performance for Steph at the Everest Mega Store located in Leicester Square.”
“Sounds good. Do you want me to interrupt if Davis isn’t out of here in ten minutes?”
“That’d be great.”
She turned to leave, and though he was trying to keep his mind on business, he couldn’t help but notice the way her slim-fitting skirt hugged the curves of her backside.
“Henry?”
She paused in the doorway. “After Steph’s appointment, I’d like five minutes of your time.”
“What for?”
“We can speak later. I don’t want to mess up your schedule.”
“Davis can wait. Tell him I’ll have time tomorrow morning and then come back in here.”
“Really—”
“I’ve made my mind up.”
She left without another word. It was good to be the boss. Since he’d earned the top spot on the team and here at the office, he got things his way. Something that Henry freely admitted he liked.
She reentered his office less than a minute later, closing the door behind her, but remaining in the doorway.
“Sit down.”
She did.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Last night.”
“What about it?”
She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. His respect for her rose a notch.
“I like you, Henry. But this job … I’m aware that this is probably my last chance to make a go at the music industry. And I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Why would last night have anything to do with that?” he asked. “I’m not your last boss. If I kiss you, I’m not going to fire you.”
She glanced down at her lap where her fingers were tightly laced together. “I wasn’t fired due to our affair. Daniel kept me on after things ended. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of Daniel.”
Henry didn’t like her defending the other man. That reaction made little sense to him so he ignored the source. “Why then?”
“I was sick. And I did take a lot of time off from work. That was what made him sack me.”
“Did you find it difficult to work with him after your affair ended?” he asked. Then realized he was prying into very personal areas. He could work with Astrid, kiss her and whatnot, without knowing any of the details of her past. Except he wanted to know more.
“No. It was something else entirely. But I like you and I really like this job. I don’t want to make another decision based on lust and end up regretting it.”
Henry leaned back in his chair. “So you lust after me?”
“Henry, please, I’m trying to be serious.”
“Sorry, Astrid, but you brought up sex and I’m a guy. That means my mind is going to automatically shut down.”
She smiled. “You are more than some sex-crazed maniac. That’s why I’m talking to you. I know you want to beat your half brothers and I think we have a chance of doing that, but only if we both concentrate on business.”
“This is all in my best interest?” Henry asked.
“Well, it’s not going to be bad for me, either,” she admitted.
His respect for Astrid rose even more. And he realized she wasn’t the kind of woman he’d always been attracted to. She was so forthright. She wasn’t just out for herself and what she could get.
That was more refreshing than he would have imagined.
“I just want us both to be successful,” she said.
He stood up and walked around to the front of his desk, leaning back against it so that he faced her. “Thank you, Astrid. I will do my best to keep my baser instincts in check, but I’m not sure I’ll be successful.”
“I’m going to keep dressing in my ultraprofessional suits,” she said.
He laughed. It wasn’t the clothing or her sexy body that was making him want her, though they definitely played a part. It was the woman she was, but he doubted telling her would help either of them.
It was a late night almost three weeks into her tenure at Everest Records. She’d been on the phone with a number of radio stations throughout the U.K. and Europe to make sure that everyone had received the packages she’d sent out about Steph.
Henry had been out doing his nightly club thing, and she was sitting in the office by herself.
“Another late night?”
She looked up to see him standing in the doorway. “My boss can be a slave driver.” She smiled.
“Really? I thought I was easing up a bit. Giving you room to grow and all that.”
“Is that what you are trying to do?”
“I think so. You said that you wanted a career in music so I’ve been introducing you to all the departments—A & R, marketing.
“It has been smashing,” she said.
“Truly?”
“Well, it’s different than what I did for Daniel. I mean, for him I was just his assistant, but you are giving me my own responsibilities. I’m enjoying it.”
Henry nodded. “Good. Then maybe you can start to relax here at the office.”
“I already have,” she said. It surprised her. She’d kept her guard up and tried not to see Henry as anything other than her boss. But he was a stand-up guy behind the celebrity profile. She fielded a dozen questions a day from magazines and newspaper reporters about where he was going to be. Some of the information she leaked because Henry wanted some extra coverage for a group or for his friends.
“Good,” he said again, leaving her to go into his office. She just sat there and tried not to think too much about the fact that he was treating her like an employee and he hadn’t tried to kiss her once since that night at her flat. Which was perfect, really, since she wasn’t interested in him as a man. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.
Astrid borrowed her sister’s car for the evening and left it parked near Waterloo Station so she could have Henry drop her off there if she needed to. She didn’t want to risk having him at her flat again. They were hitting another string of clubs tonight. It had been four weeks since she’d talked to him in his office. For the most part he kept his hands to himself. But his gaze often lingered on her lips or her figure.
And she found herself wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. She wanted to feel his arms around her. Each night in her dreams she relived that brief kiss he’d given her at her door. She wasn’t going to allow herself to pine for him, but a part of her—the part that she sometimes thought would never come to her senses—longed for Henry.
She took the Underground to Covent Garden and walked to Bungalow 8. The exclusive club had been known to turn away even celebs, so she was a little intimidated to approach the bouncer.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m meeting Henry Devonshire,” she said. “I’m Astrid Taylor.”
“Of course, Ms. Taylor. He asked that you join him in the VIP area. The hostess will direct you once you are inside.”
The electronica music pulsed through her body as she followed the hostess to the VIP area. She should be getting used to so many late nights, but she wasn’t. And when she approached Henry’s table, she noticed that it was full of people. She’d realized quickly that part of Henry’s charm was his easygoing manner.
No wonder the bouncer had simply let her in. She was probably one of fifteen people who’d used Henry’s name to get in the door tonight.
He looked up when she approached and gave her a half smile. He gestured for her to have a seat at the end of his table and she sat down next to a man she’d seen on TV and Lonnie from their office. She chatted with the TV guy—“call me Alan”—until he left with a group of three women. Henry waved her down to a seat next to him.
“Have you been listening to this group?”
“Hard not to,” she said. Since the music even in the VIP section was blaringly loud, it made conversation impossible.
“What do you think of it?”
She turned her head toward the sound and closed her eyes. One of the first things she’d realized about good music was that it had the power to entrance a person. Make someone forget about the problems of everyday life. The band didn’t spark that feeling.
“It’s nice.”
“But not great,” Henry said.
“Exactly. They are a good band and I bet they’d do well for one album, but I don’t think they have the kind of sound that would sustain a lasting career,” she said.
“Good. I like your instincts.”
