Impossibly Pregnant
Impossibly Pregnant
Nicola Marsh
Keely, Emma and Tahlia work together at a small, trendy design company in Melbourne. They’ve become the best of friends, meeting for breakfast, chatting over a mid-morning coffee and a donut—or going for a cocktail after work. They’ve loved being single in the city…but now three gorgeous new men are about to enter their work lives, transform their love lives—and give them loads more to gossip about!
From sexy bosses to surprise babies—
these ladies have got everyone talking!
Impossibly Pregnant by Nicola Marsh, #3866
A positive pregnancy test is a surprise for Keely!
The Shock Engagement by Ally Blake, #3870
Emma has always dreamed of marrying Harry.
Now they’re engaged—but it’s all a sham.
Will he ever be hers for real…?
Taking on the Boss by Darcy Maguire, #3874
Tahlia’s furious that the promotion she’s been
working so hard for has been given to someone else!
He’s now her new boss—and he’s gorgeous!
Dear Reader,
I love living in the vibrant city of Melbourne. The cosmopolitan cafés, the fabulous shopping and best of all, bookstores galore!
Keely Rhodes, the sassy Web site designer in Impossibly Pregnant, alongside her best friends Emma and Tahlia, are city girls who thrive on Melbourne’s vibe. Keely works at Southbank on the Yarra River, lives in the beautiful bayside suburb of Port Melbourne and has her hands full with her gorgeous leading man, Lachlan Brant.
While Lachlan prefers surfing at Torquay and unwinding at Hepburn Springs, two towns not far from Melbourne, the city has its own charm, starting with the woman who turns his world upside down!
Writing Keely’s story has been rewarding and I hope you get a taste of what magical Melbourne has to offer. Ally Blake and Darcy Maguire continue the fun in their linked books for the OFFICE GOSSIP series. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as we did creating them.
Happy reading,
Nicola
www.nicolamarsh.com
Impossibly Pregnant
Nicola Marsh
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Heath, my littlest hero and very own precious miracle
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE (#u072e1bec-a36f-591a-b6a9-af681c9b243a)
CHAPTER TWO (#ue6576fe7-699e-5048-9cc5-886f14b0c47f)
CHAPTER THREE (#ub948f31b-ae4f-5b46-a8cf-8d3b250e0195)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE
‘There is no such thing as the perfect man.’
Keely Rhodes, age 19.
‘MBA. Nine o’clock!’
Keely Rhodes didn’t waste time answering her friend and co-worker, Emma Radfield. Instead, she slowly turned her head ninety degrees to the left, trying to look nonchalant as she checked out the Major Babe Alert.
However, rather than your average, run-of-the-mill babe, who occasionally popped into the sleek offices of Melbourne’s premier corporate website agency, WWW Designs, in search of the very best in Internet technology, this guy turned out to be the last person she had expected to see.
‘What do you think?’ Emma muttered under her breath, far less subtle in her attempt to ogle the guy as she craned her neck and elbowed Keely in the ribs.
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven, Keely thought, eyeing every glorious inch of the six-foot-three, broad-shouldered frame as he strode towards the reception desk.
Lachlan Brant was one fine specimen—and, by the confident charisma he oozed on the radio, probably knew it too.
‘That good, huh?’
Tearing her gaze away from him, Keely fixed her friend with a curious stare. ‘Don’t you recognise him?’
Emma shook her head. ‘Uh-uh. Believe me, if I’d seen that dreamboat before I would’ve remembered.’
‘The name Lachlan Brant ring any bells?’
‘The Lachlan Brant?’ Emma scanned him from head to foot and dabbed at the corner of her mouth. ‘Wow, he’s got the bod to match that incredibly sexy voice. Excuse me while I drool.’
‘Yeah, he’s not bad.’
As her friend quirked an eyebrow, Keely grinned. ‘Okay, he’s pretty cute.’
Emma’s other eyebrow joined the first.
‘Make that good-looking.’
If Emma’s eyebrows shot any higher they would be hidden under her blonde fringe.
Keely held up her hands in surrender. ‘Okay, he’s hot. Hotter than hot. He’s so hot he’s burning up. There, satisfied?’
Her friend sighed. ‘I would be if a guy like that looked twice at me.’
Keely rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, right. Like you’re interested in anyone but Harry Buchanan. Though for the life of me I can’t understand why you’re still pining over your first love. Get over it already.’
At the mention of Harry, Emma’s eyes glazed over as if lost in some precious private memory.
Keely made an exasperated sound akin to a snort. ‘Anyone ever tell you you’re a hopeless romantic?’
Emma smiled. ‘And I wouldn’t have it any other way. What do you think he’s doing here?’
Filling her cup from the water-cooler and taking several long gulps to dislodge the lump of foreboding in her throat, Keely hoped to God it wasn’t for the reason she suspected.
‘Who knows? He’s probably dating our illustrious leader.’
Or else he’d discovered the real identity of the caller who had given him more than he’d bargained for last week on his popular radio talkback show.
‘No way! He’d have better taste than that, surely?’
Keely shrugged, not in the mood to dish the dirt on Rabid Raquel, the boss from hell, as most of her employees liked to call her. Right now, she was torn between wanting to keep an eye on Lachlan Brant and running back to her office and hiding from him.
Besides, she had more important things to think about, like putting the finishing touches to the website for Melbourne’s largest athletic company, designing an upbeat site for Flirt, the newest women’s magazine about to hit the shelves, and planning Emma’s surprise birthday party.
‘I need to get back to work,’ she said, casting one final appreciative glance in Lachlan Brant’s direction before turning away.
Emma sighed. ‘Yeah, me too. Lunch at Sammy’s? Midday? I’ll e-mail Tahlia.’
‘If she can tear herself away. Our Director of Sales seems tied to her desk these days.’
‘She’s gunning for that promotion, you know.’
Keely nodded. If anyone understood, she should. After all, wasn’t that one of the main driving forces behind her maniacal hours at the moment? She’d coveted the role of Director of Graphic Design for the last year and might have a shot at the job if Nadia would ever announce her pregnancy.
‘Fine, but if she misses one more of our lunches she’ll become a very dull girl. You know what they say, all work and no play…’
Emma sent her a sceptical look.
Keely chuckled. ‘You’re right. As if anything about Tahlia could ever be dull.’
Tahlia Moran was brash, effervescent and the life and soul of every party. Throw in gorgeous and confident and it was little wonder that Keely felt like faded wallpaper next to her other closest friend.
‘See you at midday.’
However, before Keely could make her escape, Chrystal, receptionist extraordinaire—and all-round good-time gal if the office rumour mills were correct—waved her over.
Thankful she’d worn her favourite power suit today, Keely strolled across the chrome and glass foyer as if facing Lachlan Brant, her would-be nemesis, was something she did every day.
‘Keely, Ms Wilson wants to see you in her office for a second before you pop back here and take Mr Brant up.’ Chrystal flashed her an Oh-goody-look-what-Santa-brought-me-this-year smile as she stared up at Lachlan Brant—her next apparent intended victim in the bedroom stakes—with adoration, barely casting Keely a second glance.
Trying to keep her nerves at bay and wondering what Raquel wanted—and why she had to show him up to the boss’s office—Keely schooled her face into what she hoped was a professional mask and turned to face him.
‘Hi, I’m Keely Rhodes. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll be with you shortly.’
Then it happened.
The man she’d publicly berated on radio turned and fixed her with a penetrating stare, the deep blue of his eyes highlighted by a shirt of the same colour.
And her heart lurched.
For the first time in her twenty-six years, the organ she’d managed to shield from breaking by only dating Mr Averages did some weird pumping that sent blood pounding through her body at a million beats a minute.
‘Pleased to meet you.’ He smiled and held out his hand—her heart didn’t stand a chance.
Keely didn’t believe in love at first sight. She was a realist who had both feet firmly planted on the ground and it hadn’t steered her wrong to date. Why have romantic notions like Emma or follow nebulous predictions like Tahlia? Wishing for something that would never come true was asking for heartache and she had no intention of taking a fall.
Aware that she’d hesitated a fraction too long, Keely quickly slid her hand into his and shook it, the warmth of his touch doing strange things to her insides as his long, tapered fingers closed over hers.
Now she knew for sure. Not only had her heart flipped out, her common sense had joined the party. Since when did a mere handshake feel like an intimate touch designed for her and her alone?
‘I’ll be waiting.’ His deep voice washed over her, so much richer, mellower, in person than over the airwaves.
How many nights had she lain awake listening to this man and the advice he dished out to the masses, listening to his voice for the sheer pleasure of it? She’d imagined an older man, someone with a wealth of life experience, till she’d seen his photo in the newspaper, though Lachlan Brant in grainy print was nothing compared to the man in the flesh.
Mentally shaking herself out of her reverie, she extracted her hand and tried to get a grip—on her wits, not the man looking at her with an amused gleam in those all-knowing eyes.
‘Fine. I’ll be back soon,’ she said, wondering what it was about him that had her so flustered.
So he had a great body, a soulful voice and a lethal smile. That didn’t make him God’s gift to women. Or did it?
He also had a degree in psychology and analysed people for a living, a fact she’d rubbed his nose in during her five-minute brush with fame—or infamy—last week. And boy, would she be in trouble if he recognised her as the crackpot who had made scathing fun of him during that call. ‘Quack’, ‘thick as a brick’, and ‘out of touch’ were a few of the insults she’d levelled at him that sprang to mind—and they’d been the tame ones!
Hoping her legs wouldn’t wobble, she walked away, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder and see if he was checking her out.
As if. Since when did guys like him go for girls like her? Though she’d conquered her eating disorder years ago, she hadn’t shed her inhibitions regarding her body along with the excess kilos. Though she looked okay, she wasn’t a patch on the waif look that most men favoured these days—and never would be.
Reaching Raquel’s door, she cast aside her body-image issues, took a deep breath and entered after knocking twice.
‘About time you got here. What took you so long?’
Though Raquel Wilson was a competent leader, with enough drive to take WWW Designs into the next decade, her people skills were on a par with those of an angry Rottweiler. In fact, several employees had taken to calling her Raquel the Rottie behind her back, and Lord help them if she ever found out. Keely had a sneaking suspicion that in this case the Rottie’s bite would be every bit as bad as her bark.
Keely gritted her teeth and fixed a smile on her face. ‘I was waylaid by a client.’
‘Lachlan Brant, you mean?’ Raquel’s eyes took on a predatory gleam, the same look she got whenever a lucrative client set foot in the office.
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Good.’ Raquel threw the pen she’d been holding on top of a pile of paperwork that looked as if it would keep her chained to her desk for the next decade. ‘He’s your new assignment.’
Oh-oh. When Raquel said ‘assignment’, it meant trouble. Co-workers avoided one of her special assignments like the plague—she demanded you tail the client like a detective, finding out every nitty-gritty detail to make sure their account was the best and therefore would lure further big business for the company. In a way, that was what kept WWW Designs at the top. However, the thought of wearing the gorgeous Lachlan Brant like a second skin for any length of time had Keely wanting to hotfoot it to the nearest ice cream parlour—and she’d kicked that habit a long time ago.
Resisting the urge to run as fast as her legs could carry her, Keely did her best to look keen. ‘Sounds like a wonderful opportunity but I’m kind of snowed under with other accounts at the moment. Flirt has just come onboard and I—’
‘Lachlan Brant is your number one priority as of now. I’m sure you’ll find a way to juggle the rest.’ Raquel stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows that took in an impressive view of Melbourne’s latest cultural icon, Federation Square, and the beautiful dome of Flinders Street Station. ‘I have every confidence in you, Keely. If you do well, there could be a promotion in this for you.’
Great. Just great.
How could she refuse tailing Lachlan Brant’s well-toned tail in exchange for a chance at the big time?
‘I’ll do my best.’ Inwardly sighing in resignation, she knew that in the Rottie’s case her best often wasn’t good enough.
‘See that you do. Now, bring the man in question up here and let’s see if we can get him to sign on the dotted line.’
Keely nodded, managed a grin that she knew must look like a grimace, and headed back to the foyer to find her new assignment.
Lachlan stood as soon as she entered the reception area and his sheer presence hit her all over again. The man was serious drool material—and, by that cocky grin, boy, did he know it.
‘Ready for me now?’
Ha! If he only knew how ready…
She nodded. ‘Follow me.’
He did exactly that and she was aware of him every step of the way to Raquel’s office. Thankfully, he didn’t have a clue to her identity as a moonlighting heckler and she hoped it stayed that way.
‘Your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?’
Her hand stilled on the doorknob to the Rottie’s office and she gulped. So much for breathing easy.
‘I don’t think so,’ she managed to get out, without a trace of apprehension in her voice.
‘Keely is rather an unusual name. I’m sure I’ve heard it recently.’ He fixed her with yet another piercing glare and she could almost imagine him stroking an imaginary goatee, like some Freudian professor trying to discover the meaning of life as he racked his brain to place her.
Stifling a grin at her mental image of the gorgeous psychologist in front of her even remotely resembling one of his ancient predecessors, she knocked on Raquel’s door and waited for the usual barked command to enter.
‘Come in.’ Judging by the decibel level, Raquel was keeping it down to a dull roar in deference to Lachlan’s status as prospective ‘assignment’ material.
‘Is this a bad time?’ Lachlan muttered under his breath, placing a hand in the small of her back to guide her through the door.
If she’d learned one thing it was never to slander her boss with anyone other than Emma and Tahlia, and especially not with strangers. However, with his innocuous touch burning a hole through her cool wool jacket, Keely lost all rational thought for a moment.
Concentrate, girl. She needed the promotion to Director of Graphic Design, and babbling in front of her boss and her newest project was not the way to go about it.
‘Raquel is very busy,’ she said, eagerly pushing open the door to escape the intimacy that seemed to envelop them in the deserted corridor.
‘I don’t speak to prospective clients like that when I’m busy,’ he muttered as they entered the airy office, a slight frown marring his brow.
The Rottie bared her teeth in an attempt at smiling and shook his hand. ‘Good morning, Mr Brant. Take a seat and let’s get started.’
So much for pleasantries. Raquel picked up a folder and slid it across her desk.
‘Call me Lachlan. And surely all this paperwork is a mere formality?’ He gestured to the folder he’d barely flicked through. ‘I’ve already done my research, and it looks like WWW Designs will suit my needs, so let’s dispense with the sales pitch. I’m eager to get started straight away.’
Raquel’s eyes gleamed behind her rimless glasses. She was obviously pleased at landing a big client with seemingly little effort. ‘Well, that was relatively painless. Glad to see you’re a decisive man, Lachlan, and I’m pleased that you’ve chosen our firm to handle your Internet needs. Why don’t you take these documents with you, leave them with Chrystal once they’re signed, and let Keely show you where she works her magic?’
Magic? The Rottie must really want to land the Brant account, badly.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
And, just like that, Keely had the sudden urge to bolt, promotion or not. Lachlan stared at her with a hint of speculation in his eyes and, with her imagination working overtime, she could’ve sworn she read more than an interest in her design skills there.
He continued, giving her valuable breathing space. ‘Your company seems to offer exactly what I’m looking for.’
She tried to break eye contact with him and failed, suddenly knowing how a cobra felt, trapped under the hypnotising stare of a mongoose.
Besides, she was obviously reading more into his words. How could a man like him be remotely interested in her?
Clearing her throat, she finally managed to speak. ‘If you’ll follow me, we can get started now.’
The corners of his mouth twitched again, as if he was having difficulty keeping a straight face, and she could’ve bitten her tongue. Obviously, he had a different idea to what getting started meant.
Rather than making some wisecrack, as she had half-expected, he inclined his head and said, ‘Lead the way.’
She was expecting a parting shot from Raquel, and her boss didn’t disappoint. ‘Make this your best work, Keely.’
Keely smiled through gritted teeth and nodded. As if she ever produced anything less! Though the way her mind kept wandering, from the way Lachlan’s suit seemed tailormade for his broad-shouldered frame to the way he smiled with his eyes as well as his mouth, maybe the Rottie had a point in reminding her to keep focused on the job at hand?
As she closed the door Lachlan asked, ‘Is she always like that?’
Keely resisted the urge to growl and make like a possessive dog over a bone, the way she did with the girls when one of them had a gripe with their boss.
‘Raquel is very driven. It’s what keeps this company at the top,’ she said, hoping that the good Lord would reward her for being so professional—with the big fat promotion she’d coveted for ages.
‘Good to hear. I only work with the best.’ He smiled and she noticed the fine lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes, lending a tiny flaw to the otherwise model-handsome face. He leaned towards her and for one insane moment she thought he was going to kiss her. ‘And it looks like I’ve got it here.’
‘Are you flirting with me?’
Oops! The words had popped out before she could stop them and to her horror, his smile broadened into a fully fledged grin, like that of a starving cat toying with an itty-bitty mouse.
‘What if I am?’
That would mean you’re interested in me as a woman and it’s my lucky day!
Mentally slapping herself for her wayward and wishful thoughts, she said, ‘That wouldn’t be very professional. We have a lot of work to do and I’d rather not be distracted.’
True to her cat analogy, he pounced. ‘You think I’m a distraction, huh?’
Who was the man trying to kid? In the last half-hour she’d thought about his body, eyes, smile and butt—in that order. Well, maybe the latter had been higher on the list, but it wouldn’t help to think about that now, when she could hardly string two coherent words together as it was.
‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ I’m doing enough for the both of us. Even if it was only in her mind. ‘I merely meant that word games aren’t my style. I’d rather focus on the job at hand.’
He’d fallen into step beside her and thankfully she didn’t have to look at him, preferring to concentrate on the suddenly onerous task of putting one foot in front of the other and not falling flat on her face. She had an embarrassing habit of clumsiness around men who grabbed her interest and she had no intention of adding to his obvious amusement by sprawling at his feet.
‘Mmm…interesting. Does that apply to all areas of your life?’
What was with this guy? He might be irresistible but didn’t he ever switch off the charm?
‘That’s none of your business.’ She pushed open the door to her office and waved him in. ‘Speaking of which, I think it’s time we got down to some.’
‘After you.’
She brushed past him, catching a faint waft of aftershave. She usually hated the stuff, but this was a tantalizing blend of fresh citrus that seemed to wrap around her and add to the heady sensation of being in a confined space with the hottest man to enter her sphere in a long time.
Grateful to have a seat before she made a complete fool of herself, she gestured to the one next to her. ‘Let’s get started.’
His knee touched hers as he folded his long legs beneath the desk, sending heat sizzling through her body and hot-wiring her dormant hormones.
Great. Not only had her mind entered meltdown mode, her body had followed suit.
‘I’m all yours,’ he said, sitting back and folding his arms, his confident grin setting her heart hammering in her chest.
And as she reached forward to angle the computer screen towards him and knocked over her credenza, sending pens, paperclips and rulers in all directions, she could only think of one response.
I wish.
Lachlan managed to appear interested as Keely prattled on about search engines, uploading pages, hosting companies and web space. However, the sultry brunette’s non-verbal cues intrigued him more than anything she was saying.
From her rigid posture and fiddling fingers to her tapping foot, she seemed nervous.
And so she should be.
The sophisticated woman doing her best to impress him with her knowledge had a secret and, though he hadn’t said anything yet, he was on to her.
Cops never forgot a face, and in his profession, after three years on the radio, he never forgot a voice. Though his late-night caller last week had sounded intoxicated, he remembered every cadence, every modulation of the melodious voice that had scrutinized his character and found it lacking.
He’d been angry at the time, and now that his beautiful heckler had been unexpectedly dropped in his lap, could’ve fired both barrels at her. However, he was in a playful mood today. Perhaps he would string her along till he felt like doing a little heckling of his own?
‘Do you have any ideas about the image you want portrayed on your web page?’
She picked up a pen and tapped it against her thigh as she waited for his answer, and all he could think about was the way her hazel-coloured eyes sparkled with intelligence, how the trendy black pinstripe suit fitted her curvy body to perfection, and what he would give for another glimpse of the cheeky dimple that appeared like an unexpected bonus when she smiled.
‘I’ve been in radio for a while. Perhaps you’ve listened to the Brant Show?’
Bull’s-eye! He watched her blush, the faint pink staining her cheeks lending her face a glow, and suddenly he wondered if any other activities could bring that tinge of colour to her face.
She nodded and looked at some distant point over his left shoulder. ‘I’ve listened to your show on the odd occasion. It’s very interesting.’
‘What do you think of my advice?’
To his delight, her blush deepened. ‘You seem to know what you’re talking about.’
The pen she held increased its staccato tempo against her thigh and, despite the fun he was having in baiting her, he decided to put an end to her obvious discomfort.
‘Thanks. The producers of my prospective TV show want to capture some of my expertise from radio while adding a fresh look at the same time. Think you can help me out?’
Tucking the pen behind her ear and swivelling to face the PC monitor, she smiled and his blood pressure rocketed. God, she was beautiful—from her shoulder-length sleek chocolate-brown hair to that adorable dimple.
He hadn’t dated anyone in a while, after the last disaster. His ex-girlfriend hadn’t tolerated a man who worked all hours and, though he’d spent quality time with her, she’d ended the relationship after four short months.
Maybe it was time to get back into the dating scene? Starting with the lovely Keely, who had switched her attention to the screen in front of her as she navigated through a host of complex computer programs while he studied her.
‘I’m sure I can help. Is this like something you had in mind?’
He glanced at the screen, surprised at the speed with which she’d conjured up a pro forma. ‘Wow, you’re a whiz on that thing.’
She shrugged and turned away, as if uncomfortable with his praise. ‘It’s what I do. If you don’t like the layout or colour scheme we can change it easily, but I thought you might like this?’
She’d chosen a bold template with a black background and royal blue font—very contemporary, very eye-catching.
‘I like it. I’m that easy to read, huh?’
Once again, he caught a spark in her eyes that had him itching to close the short distance between them and haul her into his arms. He’d never had caveman tendencies before, but there was something about her that just begged him to show her his club and coerce her into heading back to his cave.
She folded her hands in her lap, probably to stop them fiddling, and looked directly into his eyes. ‘It’s a talent I have, reading people. It helps in my job, in delivering exactly what the client is after. And you seem easier to read than most.’
‘Is that so?’
She nodded, and he resisted the urge to reach out and tuck the strand of hair that swung across her face behind her ear. ‘You’re a successful man, determined to make it to the top of your profession. Image is everything to you and you don’t like people questioning your beliefs. Well-groomed, personable, charming—it’s all part of the persona.’
Oh, she was good.
‘Anything else to add?’
‘I know just the thing to complete the package.’
He leaned forward, eager to hear what she had to say. She’d switched to teasing mode and, with her eyes twinkling and her glossy lips curved in a semi-smile, she had him intrigued.
‘What’s that?’
She hit a button on the keyboard and the screen became animated with a host of fancy graphics flashing across it.
‘Ta-da! The perfect website, of course.’ Her proud grin sent a thrill through him. If she got this excited about her work, imagine her enthusiasm for pursuits outside the office…
He smiled, making an instant decision to take a risk.
‘I like it, though there’s something else that would complete the package much better.’
Her face fell for a moment, as if he’d unjustly criticized her. ‘What’s that?’
Before he could stop himself, he reached across, tipped her chin up with his finger and stared into her remarkable eyes. ‘The perfect woman.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘Accessorise wisely. Choose a man with as much care as you would a handbag to go with those divine shoes.’
Tahlia Moran, long-time friend and expert on men.
‘WHAT happened then?’ Emma leaned forward, hanging on every word.
Keely took a sip of her sparkling mineral water and shrugged. ‘Nothing. Lucy came barging into my office and we sprang apart like we’d been doing something wrong.’ She stabbed the last piece of lettuce from her Caesar salad and forked it into her mouth.
Tahlia swivelled her head between the two of them as if watching a Wimbledon Final. ‘So you think he was implying you’re his perfect woman?’
Emma frowned and answered before Keely had a chance. ‘Of course. What else could he mean? Besides, she said he was flirting with her before then anyway.’
Tahlia ignored Emma’s response. ‘Em, you’d see the romantic side of two ants meeting on a crack in a footpath.’
Keely grinned as her two best friends discussed her love life—or lack of one, more like it—as if she wasn’t even there.
‘Romance makes the world go round.’ Emma pronounced it as a fact rather than one of her favourite theories.
‘I think you mean money,’ Tahlia said dryly, beckoning the waiter over to take their coffee order before they rushed back to the office.
Emma shook her head. ‘Not everyone’s as money-oriented as you, Miss Director of Sales.’
‘I’m goal-oriented, not money-oriented. There’s a difference. Nothing wrong with wanting to make it to the top.’
‘What about the glass ceiling?’ Keely teased, knowing her response was guaranteed to get a reaction out of Tahlia every time and thankful that the focus of the conversation had turned away from her encounter with Lachlan Brant.
Tahlia’s green eyes flashed as she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. ‘No such thing, honey. I’m going places in this company, just watch me. All the way to the top.’
‘Won’t the Rottie have something to say about that?’
Personally, Keely had every confidence that Tahlia would make it to CEO of WWW Designs, and she couldn’t wait for the day when Raquel was ousted from the top job. In fact, every employee would throw the party of the decade when that day came.
Tahlia tucked a strand of chestnut hair into her signature topknot and made an unladylike noise akin to a snort. ‘She won’t have a chance to say anything. I’ll muzzle her before keeping her on a short leash and locked away in her kennel.’
‘Meow!’ Emma made a clawing action with her perfectly manicured fingernails.
‘Hey, I wouldn’t be making cat noises around the Rottie. She’d eat you alive and spit out the bones for breakfast.’ Tahlia wiggled her fingers in a saucy wave at Andy, their usual waiter at Sammy’s, as he handed them the bill.
‘I can handle Ratchet Raquel,’ Emma said as all three of them leaned back in their chairs and watched Andy walk away, admiring the fit of snug denim to his butt.
‘Grrr…’ Tahlia growled.
‘Aah…’ Emma sighed.
‘Mmm…’ Keely allowed herself to be distracted for a moment—after all, she could appreciate a fine piece of anatomy like the next girl—before her dilemma niggled its way back into her mind.
‘So what do you think I should do?’ she asked, slipping her money into the folded bill without looking.
She had the same lunch at Sammy’s, the hippest café-cum-bar at Southbank—Melbourne’s hot spot for all things trendy—almost on a daily basis: sparkling mineral water with a twist of lemon, Caesar salad with low-fat dressing—hold the anchovies—followed by a fruit platter for one, capped off with a skinny latte.
Though she’d come to terms with her past, the feelings associated with spending years as an overweight, lonely teenager continued to dog her and she had no intention of ever feeling like that again. The trauma of what she’d gone through when she’d finally lost weight had left a lasting impression, one that she constantly strove to ignore.
So now she had to work hard to stay in shape, unlike Emma and Tahlia who seemed to devour calories without gaining an ounce. They actually joined her in weekly Pilates classes for fun! If they weren’t her best friends, she could easily hate their well-toned, under-exercised behinds.
‘I think you should weigh up the pros and cons before you jump into anything.’ Tahlia delved into her handbag, pulled out a newspaper and quickly flipped to the zodiac page.
‘Oh, no,’ Emma groaned. ‘Put that away.’
Tahlia raised an eyebrow and sent Emma her best ‘don’t mess with me’ look. ‘Keeping an eye on what fate may have planned for you isn’t a bad thing.’ She smoothed out the paper and ran a finger down the column. “‘Work brings challenges but your focus will shift to other things. Try to go with the flow.’”
Emma sighed heavily.
Keely stepped in before things turned ugly, as they inevitably did when Emma questioned Tahlia’s daily reading of the horoscopes. ‘Your zodiac stuff seems to have helped in your professional life, but what about in the men stakes?’
Tahlia shrugged, pulling a magazine clipping, featuring monthly predictions this time, from her bag. ‘Hasn’t steered me wrong in the guy department so far.’
‘But you haven’t got a man,’ Emma pointed out.
Keely had to agree, but didn’t want to gang up on Tahlia. Her tall, slim friend, who never had a hair out of place, might have it together in the career department but she wasn’t exactly ‘out there’ when it came to dating.
Tahlia sent them both a scathing look. ‘That’s from choice, not from lack of prospects.’ She turned to Keely. ‘Now, do you want to hear what you should do about the sexy psychologist or not?’
What did she have to lose? Keely hadn’t had so many sparks with a guy since…well, since…ever. And, if her intuition was correct, Lachlan had been striking a few matches of his own in her office this morning.
But what if he finds out you’re the one who gave him grief on national radio?
It wouldn’t be so bad. He struck her as a guy with a sense of humour. Maybe she should come clean and tell him the truth?
Yeah, right.
Would he still be interested in her if she revealed her identity as the woman who’d called him a Freudian fraud, a babbling psycho and a hack who dished out advice like a near-sighted agony aunt?
Somehow, in the cold light of day, she didn’t think so.
Whatever Madame Tahlia and her crystal ball had to say couldn’t be any worse than telling the truth.
‘Okay, let me have it. What should I do?’
Tahlia pursed her lips and nodded like an all-seeing sage. ‘“A study or work contact could end up being someone you want to do more than just have lunch with. Embrace the goddess within you and watch them fall: your man won’t be able to keep his hands off you.’”
She shrugged and stuffed the cutting back in her handbag. ‘So there you are.’
‘But what does it mean I should do?’
‘I don’t know, but now you’re fully informed.’
‘Give me a break,’ Emma muttered under her breath.
Tahlia ignored her. ‘You’re a Scorpio, right?’
Keely rolled her eyes and laughed. ‘Libran.’
‘Just kidding!’ Tahlia smiled as she stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder. ‘Your fate’s in your hands, kiddo. It’s written in the stars.’
Keely refrained from answering. None of the past horoscope predictions had come to fruition yet: she was still waiting for that promotion, she hadn’t travelled in five years, and she was still waiting for a tall, dark and handsome stranger to sweep her off her feet.
‘Thanks, Tahlia.’ She turned to her other friend. ‘Em, what do you think?’
‘Honestly? I think the wise woman over here has it partially right.’ Emma sent Tahlia a cheeky grin and Tahlia raised her nose in the air as if ignoring her. ‘Seems like fate has dropped this amazing guy into your lap. Why don’t you take a chance and see what happens? He could be the love of your life.’
Unfortunately, that was exactly what Keely was afraid of.
Keely stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her, wondering where her muse had disappeared to. Usually when she had a new client she loved to brainstorm on paper, bringing together a host of ideas and inspiration to create the final product.
In this case, the Brant file lay open on the desk to her right, the blank page on her ergonomic incline board and she didn’t have a clue. The harder she tried to come up with a concept, the more her mind drifted to the man at the centre of her project and she would start fantasizing, from the way his dark hair curled around the edges of his collar to the unique blue of his eyes.
A beep on her PC indicated she had mail and she clicked on the icon to display her e-mails—anything to distract her from her wayward thoughts.
To: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com
From: Lucy-PA@WWWDesigns.com
Subject: New talent
Sorry 2 barge in on U & LB earlier.
Wow! IMHO, he is 2 cute!
U interested?
Luce
Keely smiled, in total agreement with her assistant’s ‘in my humble opinion’ appraisal of Lachlan, though cute wasn’t the first word that sprang to mind when describing him. Try sexy, irresistible and charming.
She typed a quick response, knowing she needed to concentrate on work but grateful for the distraction. Anyway, it would be interesting to get another female’s viewpoint on the subject—besides her overzealous friends, that was. If it was up to Emma and Tahlia, she’d be married to the guy already.
To: Lucy-PA@WWWDesigns.com
From: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com
Subject: Latest assignment
Speaking of which, working on LB website now.
By the way, LB off-limits 2 U.
Interest level rising—all in the name of business, of course! U concentrate on Aidan.
K
She had no right to warn Lucy away from Lachlan. However, she took her job seriously these days, and if the Rottie told her to shadow the man, she would. She could shmooze with the best of them, yet somehow the thought of spending up close and personal time with her new client sent her into a tailspin—and she sure hoped she wouldn’t crash and burn.
Now, if she could just come up with a novel way to approach the man, without looking too obvious, she’d be well on her way to that hard-earned promotion.
Her phone rang and she picked it up, expecting to hear Lucy’s teasing tones.
‘Keely, Lachlan Brant here.’
She straightened so suddenly that she almost tipped out of her chair. Silly, really—it wasn’t as if he’d walked into the room or anything.
Taking a breath and aiming for casual, she said, ‘Hi, Lachlan. What can I do for you?’
He hesitated for a fraction of a second and, with her overactive imagination, the pause seemed laden with promise—maybe he would tell her exactly what she could do for him and, with a bit of luck, it wouldn’t involve work?
‘I was wondering how the website is coming along?’
She stared at the blank page and screen in front of her, crossed her fingers and said, ‘Fine. I’ve just been hashing around a few ideas.’
‘Such as?’
Great. Though she was creative in her job, she’d never been any good thinking on the spot, and having to tell little white lies was not one of her strong suits.
‘Uh…well, seeing as you’re on the radio, I was thinking of focusing on you to start with. Sort of like getting to know the man behind the voice?’ She silently applauded—not bad for quick thinking.
‘Sounds good. That’s why I’m calling, actually.’
She should’ve known. For a moment she’d hoped he’d been calling to keep flirting with her or, better still, maybe ask her out.
Get real. Focus. Before he thinks you’re a complete ditz.
‘I was wondering if you’d like to come out to the station tonight and take a look at where I work. You know, get a feel for what I do, maybe incorporate a few ideas into the site?’ His voice dropped lower, the deep tone sending an unexpected thrill up her spine. ‘Perhaps grab a coffee afterwards?’
He’d asked her out! He’d actually taken the matter of approaching him out of her hands and she couldn’t be happier.
‘Bring along my file and we can work on it while we have that caffeine fix.’
And, just like that, her hopes, which had soared to the heavens a moment ago, plummeted back to earth with a resounding thud.
He didn’t want to stare into her eyes over the rim of a coffee mug, flirt with her over an espresso or moon over a muffin.
Uh-uh. He’d asked her to have coffee with him to work.
She should be rapt he’d given her an easy way to start her assignment without having to come up with some lame excuse herself. Then why was she disappointed that his invitation had been about business and not a teensy-eensy bit of pleasure?
Instilling the right amount of enthusiasm into her voice, she replied, ‘Sounds good. What time should I meet you?’
‘Why don’t I pick you up? The security at the station can be a bit tough on strangers, particularly for the night shift. There’s a lot of crackpots out there who have nothing better to do than heckle me.’
She choked on the sip of water she’d been having, coughing and spluttering while trying to contort her arm to pat herself on the back.
‘Are you okay?’
She could’ve sworn she heard amusement in his voice but dismissed it. What was so funny about the fact that she’d almost choked to death?
‘Surely my suggestion to pick you up hasn’t got you that choked up?’
‘Depends on your version of picking up,’ she said, wondering where that had come from.
Darn it, he’d think she was flirting with him—which she was, but why couldn’t she be a whole lot more subtle about it?
‘Let’s start with the standard garden-variety pick-up from your place and see if we can work on the other pick-up over coffee.’ He chuckled, the sound of his rich, deep laughter enveloping her in its intimate cocoon, drawing her further under his spell.
And, just like that, he took up where they’d left off in her office, flirting like a pro.
She really shouldn’t encourage him.
He was business.
He was a psychologist who could spend a lifetime psychoanalysing her.
He was way out of her league.
‘I take your silence as agreement?’
Managing to shake herself out of her fantasy world, she said, ‘It’s an improvement on the choking, don’t you think?’
‘Nothing about you needs improving, Keely.’
She loved the way he said her name, drawing out the ee sound in its correct pronunciation. Many people called her Kelly and she hated it.
‘Thanks. What time tonight?’ She knew his show started at seven, which wouldn’t give her much time to get home from work and do the usual pre-date routine.
It’s not a date, her voice of reason screamed. And she happily ignored it.
‘Is six too early?’
Heck, yes! She wouldn’t have time to blow-dry her hair, pick out an outfit designed to impress and do a quick tidy up just in case he popped in afterwards.
‘No problem. I live in Beacon Cove, Port Melbourne. Apartment 8/24 on the Esplanade.’
‘Great. I’ll see you at six.’ He suddenly sounded brisk and businesslike and she wondered if she’d just imagined the whole conversation and its undertones.
‘Keely?’
‘Mmm?’
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
He disconnected before she had a chance to respond, which was rather fortunate as it would’ve been hard to answer him while grinning like a loon.
Keely barely raised her head as Lucy entered her office. She didn’t have a moment to waste and, apart from having to head home and get ready, she needed to have something down on paper for Lachlan’s file. Otherwise he’d know she was a total phoney. About the only ideas she’d hashed to date were about the two of them getting up close and personal, and she didn’t think that would be appropriate to have on his web page, displayed for the world to see.
Lucy perched on the end of her desk, took off her rose-coloured glasses and wiped them with the end of her funky lime-green top.
‘What’s got you in a tizz?’
Keely placed the Brant file in her tote bag and zipped it shut. ‘I have to leave. Now.’
‘Hot date, huh?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’ And, despite her best intentions to stay cool about the evening ahead and not read anything into it, she blushed.
Predictably, her astute assistant pounced. ‘You have got a date! And I bet I know who it’s with. Would the initials LB mean anything to you?’
‘It’s part of my research for his website,’ Keely responded, trying not to encourage Lucy. That was all she needed—for Lucy to rev her up even more than she already was.
‘Oh, right.’ Lucy’s eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips, as if pondering a particularly difficult puzzle. ‘So that’s what they’re calling it these days. Research.’
‘Luce, I haven’t got time for this.’ Keely picked up her bag and headed for the door. ‘Besides, shouldn’t you be working on the Flirt account?’ She clicked her fingers as if remembering something. ‘Speaking of Accounts, have you been down there today? I heard Aidan popped in to oversee some discrepancies.’
Keely scored a direct hit as Lucy flushed a deep crimson. ‘I may have seen him briefly.’
‘Why don’t you ask him out? He’s perfect for you.’
Lucy slid off the desk and smoothed her skirt down. ‘I really must get back to work.’ She stopped at the door and wiggled her fingers. ‘Have fun tonight.’
‘It’s work.’
‘Whatever. I’ll expect an e-mail with the details of your research first thing in the morning. Bye.’
‘It is just work,’ Keely muttered under her breath as she followed Lucy out the door, wishing she could believe it.
The doorbell rang as Keely slicked gloss over her lips and took a final look in the mirror.
Not bad—black bootleg pants, burgundy fitted top, hair blow-dried to perfection and just a hint of make-up to make the most of what the good Lord had given her.
Not great, but not bad. Hopefully, Lachlan would be impressed.
As she opened the front door and his eyes lit up she had her answer.
‘Hi,’ was all she could manage.
If she thought he’d looked impressive at the office that morning, in suit and tie, it was nothing compared with his casual look. The combination of jeans, white T-shirt and black leather jacket had never looked so sexy on a man—and this was no ordinary man.
‘You look great. Ready to go?’
She nodded, finally managing to tear her gaze away from the way the white cotton moulded to what looked like rock-hard pecs beneath.
‘Just let me grab my bag,’ she said, hoping that the bag was all she managed to grab in the next sixty seconds.
As if she hadn’t had a hard enough time convincing herself that tonight was only about business, he had to turn up here looking like that.
‘Nice apartment.’ He stood at the door looking in and she suddenly realised that the minute she’d caught sight of him all rational thought—along with her manners—had flown out the window.
‘Come in,’ she said, getting more flustered by the minute as she picked up her bag and his file slid to the floor.
Great—she must’ve forgotten to zip it up earlier, when she’d slid a brush and lippy for touch-ups alongside the all-important folder.
‘Here, let me help.’ He bent down and reached for the scattered papers at the same time she did, their heads colliding in a sickening crunch.
‘Ouch!’ She sank back on to the floor and rubbed her forehead, silently cursing. It looked as if her clumsy curse around cute guys had reared its ugly head again.
Thankfully, he laughed and reached out a hand to help her off the floor. ‘Do I make you uncomfortable or are you always this graceful?’
‘It’s you,’ she said, and joined in with a rueful chuckle.
‘Mmm…first you up-end half your desk when I sit next to you, now you drop your bag when I get within two feet and give me a concussion in the process. It must be me.’
He pulled her up as she placed her hand in his and true to form, she stumbled against him. Totally unintentional, of course.
As she braced herself against his chest—yep, those pecs felt every bit as good as they looked—and he gazed down on her with a tender glint in his eyes, she suddenly didn’t mind being such a klutz.
And when he rested his hands on her hips and smiled in that special way he had, as if she was the only woman in the world, she could’ve quite happily caused havoc by stumbling, upending bags and messing up desks every day of the week.
‘If I’m the problem, what’s the remedy?’
‘You’re the doc, why don’t you tell me?’ Her voice came out all soft and breathy while her pulse raced double-time as his hands tightened their grip, sending bolts of electricity shooting through her body.
So much for playing it cool. They hadn’t even made it out of her apartment and the evening had taken on an intimate feel.
‘Take two kisses and call me in the morning.’
O-kay. Think quick. Respond with something light-hearted and witty.
However, all she could do was stand there and stare at him while his gaze stayed riveted to her lips, as if he’d like to follow up on the first part of his advice. As he leaned forward her heart jolted at the clear intent in his eyes and she was sure the air crackled with tension around them.
Work…assignment…client…
The words filtered through her dazed mind and acted like an instant dampener and she reluctantly looked away.
‘If that’s one of your cures, I’m not surprised you’re so popular,’ she murmured, managing a weak smile as her gaze fixed on his chest.
What would he think of her almost letting him kiss her? Totally unprofessional for starters, and as for the rest…
He tipped her chin up, gently forcing her to meet his stare. ‘Don’t second-guess yourself.’
How did he do that? She’d begun to doubt herself the minute she’d averted their near-kiss and he knew it. Despite her intoxicated ranting over the airwaves last week, he did know his stuff. And wouldn’t he have a field-day if he found out why she’d been so riled about his advice to the overweight teenager that night she’d given him a verbal blast?
She opened her mouth to respond and he placed a silencing finger against it. ‘And, no, I don’t dish out that remedy to just anyone.’
‘That’s reassuring.’ She aimed for brevity but her comment came out sarcastic as she pulled away from him completely, needing to establish physical distance between them to gather her thoughts.
Rather than pushing her for an explanation for her erratic behaviour—welcoming his attention one minute, freezing him out the next—as she half-expected him to do, he fixed her with a curious stare before turning away.
‘As much as I’d like to cure your clumsiness, we’d better get to the station. I need to be on the air in less than an hour.’ He picked up her bag and handed it to her as if nothing had happened. ‘All set?’
She managed to nod, follow him out and lock up without further mishap. However, amidst her confused state at what had just occurred, one thought penetrated.
If kisses were part of his cure, she suddenly had a distinct hankering for treatment.
CHAPTER THREE
‘Where men are concerned, always adhere to the “try before you buy” policy.’
Lucy, personal assistant extraordinaire.
LACHLAN gave the console a quick once-over to make sure he was off the air, removed his headphones and waved Keely into the booth.
He’d just spent the last three hours watching her through the glass partition, thoroughly distracted and, though he’d managed to present a professional front over the airwaves, he’d had enough. It was time to switch off and relax in the company of a woman who sparked his interest on many levels.
He’d thought by bringing her here to the station she might come clean about her call to him. However, despite ample opportunity, she hadn’t confessed and it surprised him. He valued honesty above all else, thanks to his lying, cheating mother, who had left his father with a broken heart after leaching every last ounce of devotion out of him. And he’d vowed to never end up like his dad, a sad old man obsessed with the one woman he couldn’t have, pining away for that so-called love of a lifetime.
Though the call hadn’t been a big deal in itself, he wondered why Keely would keep it a secret, especially after the way they’d clicked.
Standing up and stretching, he knew one thing. He wanted to give this woman a chance. Apart from the sizzling attraction that arced between them whenever they got within two feet of each other, he genuinely liked her and would like to get to know her better.
Starting now.
Opening the door to the sound booth, he beckoned her in. ‘What do you think? Pick up any ideas for my website?’
He watched her walk across the outer room; she was wearing a classy, understated outfit that looked as if it had been made for her. She moved with an elegance that turned heads, a quiet confidence that would make any man sit up and take notice. And he’d done that the minute he’d first laid eyes on her, strolling towards him in the foyer of WWW Designs.
Usually, he liked to ponder important decisions, but after his first glimpse of Keely he’d been ready to sign on the dotted line with the company as long as she was involved in some part of his website’s production. It must’ve been his lucky day, for not only would she play a role in the production, she was one of the main players working with him directly.
She smiled, drawing his attention to her lips, resurrecting barely suppressed thoughts of how they’d almost connected with his earlier that evening. He hadn’t meant to take things so far so fast, but had been powerless to resist her allure.
‘I’ve looked around, spoken to a few of your co-workers and jotted down some ideas.’ She picked up a pad from a nearby table and presented it to him like a proud student handing in a prized project. ‘See? Enough here to keep me going for a while. Great idea to invite me to your workplace.’
He barely glanced at the pad, more interested in her non-verbal cues. Another part of his job that he couldn’t turn off—he read people’s unspoken actions all the time, believing they revealed a lot more about the person than first met the eye.
In this case, Keely appeared nervous as she shifted her weight from one foot to another while tapping her fingers on the back of the pad. Were her nerves a result of her little secret about heckling him or caused by something deeper? Was it just him or did all men make her this jittery?
So much for getting to know her better. It would prove extremely difficult if she reacted like a skittish filly every time he got near her.
‘Glad it helped. Shall we get that coffee now?’
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Nicola Marsh
Keely, Emma and Tahlia work together at a small, trendy design company in Melbourne. They’ve become the best of friends, meeting for breakfast, chatting over a mid-morning coffee and a donut—or going for a cocktail after work. They’ve loved being single in the city…but now three gorgeous new men are about to enter their work lives, transform their love lives—and give them loads more to gossip about!
From sexy bosses to surprise babies—
these ladies have got everyone talking!
Impossibly Pregnant by Nicola Marsh, #3866
A positive pregnancy test is a surprise for Keely!
The Shock Engagement by Ally Blake, #3870
Emma has always dreamed of marrying Harry.
Now they’re engaged—but it’s all a sham.
Will he ever be hers for real…?
Taking on the Boss by Darcy Maguire, #3874
Tahlia’s furious that the promotion she’s been
working so hard for has been given to someone else!
He’s now her new boss—and he’s gorgeous!
Dear Reader,
I love living in the vibrant city of Melbourne. The cosmopolitan cafés, the fabulous shopping and best of all, bookstores galore!
Keely Rhodes, the sassy Web site designer in Impossibly Pregnant, alongside her best friends Emma and Tahlia, are city girls who thrive on Melbourne’s vibe. Keely works at Southbank on the Yarra River, lives in the beautiful bayside suburb of Port Melbourne and has her hands full with her gorgeous leading man, Lachlan Brant.
While Lachlan prefers surfing at Torquay and unwinding at Hepburn Springs, two towns not far from Melbourne, the city has its own charm, starting with the woman who turns his world upside down!
Writing Keely’s story has been rewarding and I hope you get a taste of what magical Melbourne has to offer. Ally Blake and Darcy Maguire continue the fun in their linked books for the OFFICE GOSSIP series. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as we did creating them.
Happy reading,
Nicola
www.nicolamarsh.com
Impossibly Pregnant
Nicola Marsh
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Heath, my littlest hero and very own precious miracle
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE (#u072e1bec-a36f-591a-b6a9-af681c9b243a)
CHAPTER TWO (#ue6576fe7-699e-5048-9cc5-886f14b0c47f)
CHAPTER THREE (#ub948f31b-ae4f-5b46-a8cf-8d3b250e0195)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE
‘There is no such thing as the perfect man.’
Keely Rhodes, age 19.
‘MBA. Nine o’clock!’
Keely Rhodes didn’t waste time answering her friend and co-worker, Emma Radfield. Instead, she slowly turned her head ninety degrees to the left, trying to look nonchalant as she checked out the Major Babe Alert.
However, rather than your average, run-of-the-mill babe, who occasionally popped into the sleek offices of Melbourne’s premier corporate website agency, WWW Designs, in search of the very best in Internet technology, this guy turned out to be the last person she had expected to see.
‘What do you think?’ Emma muttered under her breath, far less subtle in her attempt to ogle the guy as she craned her neck and elbowed Keely in the ribs.
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven, Keely thought, eyeing every glorious inch of the six-foot-three, broad-shouldered frame as he strode towards the reception desk.
Lachlan Brant was one fine specimen—and, by the confident charisma he oozed on the radio, probably knew it too.
‘That good, huh?’
Tearing her gaze away from him, Keely fixed her friend with a curious stare. ‘Don’t you recognise him?’
Emma shook her head. ‘Uh-uh. Believe me, if I’d seen that dreamboat before I would’ve remembered.’
‘The name Lachlan Brant ring any bells?’
‘The Lachlan Brant?’ Emma scanned him from head to foot and dabbed at the corner of her mouth. ‘Wow, he’s got the bod to match that incredibly sexy voice. Excuse me while I drool.’
‘Yeah, he’s not bad.’
As her friend quirked an eyebrow, Keely grinned. ‘Okay, he’s pretty cute.’
Emma’s other eyebrow joined the first.
‘Make that good-looking.’
If Emma’s eyebrows shot any higher they would be hidden under her blonde fringe.
Keely held up her hands in surrender. ‘Okay, he’s hot. Hotter than hot. He’s so hot he’s burning up. There, satisfied?’
Her friend sighed. ‘I would be if a guy like that looked twice at me.’
Keely rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, right. Like you’re interested in anyone but Harry Buchanan. Though for the life of me I can’t understand why you’re still pining over your first love. Get over it already.’
At the mention of Harry, Emma’s eyes glazed over as if lost in some precious private memory.
Keely made an exasperated sound akin to a snort. ‘Anyone ever tell you you’re a hopeless romantic?’
Emma smiled. ‘And I wouldn’t have it any other way. What do you think he’s doing here?’
Filling her cup from the water-cooler and taking several long gulps to dislodge the lump of foreboding in her throat, Keely hoped to God it wasn’t for the reason she suspected.
‘Who knows? He’s probably dating our illustrious leader.’
Or else he’d discovered the real identity of the caller who had given him more than he’d bargained for last week on his popular radio talkback show.
‘No way! He’d have better taste than that, surely?’
Keely shrugged, not in the mood to dish the dirt on Rabid Raquel, the boss from hell, as most of her employees liked to call her. Right now, she was torn between wanting to keep an eye on Lachlan Brant and running back to her office and hiding from him.
Besides, she had more important things to think about, like putting the finishing touches to the website for Melbourne’s largest athletic company, designing an upbeat site for Flirt, the newest women’s magazine about to hit the shelves, and planning Emma’s surprise birthday party.
‘I need to get back to work,’ she said, casting one final appreciative glance in Lachlan Brant’s direction before turning away.
Emma sighed. ‘Yeah, me too. Lunch at Sammy’s? Midday? I’ll e-mail Tahlia.’
‘If she can tear herself away. Our Director of Sales seems tied to her desk these days.’
‘She’s gunning for that promotion, you know.’
Keely nodded. If anyone understood, she should. After all, wasn’t that one of the main driving forces behind her maniacal hours at the moment? She’d coveted the role of Director of Graphic Design for the last year and might have a shot at the job if Nadia would ever announce her pregnancy.
‘Fine, but if she misses one more of our lunches she’ll become a very dull girl. You know what they say, all work and no play…’
Emma sent her a sceptical look.
Keely chuckled. ‘You’re right. As if anything about Tahlia could ever be dull.’
Tahlia Moran was brash, effervescent and the life and soul of every party. Throw in gorgeous and confident and it was little wonder that Keely felt like faded wallpaper next to her other closest friend.
‘See you at midday.’
However, before Keely could make her escape, Chrystal, receptionist extraordinaire—and all-round good-time gal if the office rumour mills were correct—waved her over.
Thankful she’d worn her favourite power suit today, Keely strolled across the chrome and glass foyer as if facing Lachlan Brant, her would-be nemesis, was something she did every day.
‘Keely, Ms Wilson wants to see you in her office for a second before you pop back here and take Mr Brant up.’ Chrystal flashed her an Oh-goody-look-what-Santa-brought-me-this-year smile as she stared up at Lachlan Brant—her next apparent intended victim in the bedroom stakes—with adoration, barely casting Keely a second glance.
Trying to keep her nerves at bay and wondering what Raquel wanted—and why she had to show him up to the boss’s office—Keely schooled her face into what she hoped was a professional mask and turned to face him.
‘Hi, I’m Keely Rhodes. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll be with you shortly.’
Then it happened.
The man she’d publicly berated on radio turned and fixed her with a penetrating stare, the deep blue of his eyes highlighted by a shirt of the same colour.
And her heart lurched.
For the first time in her twenty-six years, the organ she’d managed to shield from breaking by only dating Mr Averages did some weird pumping that sent blood pounding through her body at a million beats a minute.
‘Pleased to meet you.’ He smiled and held out his hand—her heart didn’t stand a chance.
Keely didn’t believe in love at first sight. She was a realist who had both feet firmly planted on the ground and it hadn’t steered her wrong to date. Why have romantic notions like Emma or follow nebulous predictions like Tahlia? Wishing for something that would never come true was asking for heartache and she had no intention of taking a fall.
Aware that she’d hesitated a fraction too long, Keely quickly slid her hand into his and shook it, the warmth of his touch doing strange things to her insides as his long, tapered fingers closed over hers.
Now she knew for sure. Not only had her heart flipped out, her common sense had joined the party. Since when did a mere handshake feel like an intimate touch designed for her and her alone?
‘I’ll be waiting.’ His deep voice washed over her, so much richer, mellower, in person than over the airwaves.
How many nights had she lain awake listening to this man and the advice he dished out to the masses, listening to his voice for the sheer pleasure of it? She’d imagined an older man, someone with a wealth of life experience, till she’d seen his photo in the newspaper, though Lachlan Brant in grainy print was nothing compared to the man in the flesh.
Mentally shaking herself out of her reverie, she extracted her hand and tried to get a grip—on her wits, not the man looking at her with an amused gleam in those all-knowing eyes.
‘Fine. I’ll be back soon,’ she said, wondering what it was about him that had her so flustered.
So he had a great body, a soulful voice and a lethal smile. That didn’t make him God’s gift to women. Or did it?
He also had a degree in psychology and analysed people for a living, a fact she’d rubbed his nose in during her five-minute brush with fame—or infamy—last week. And boy, would she be in trouble if he recognised her as the crackpot who had made scathing fun of him during that call. ‘Quack’, ‘thick as a brick’, and ‘out of touch’ were a few of the insults she’d levelled at him that sprang to mind—and they’d been the tame ones!
Hoping her legs wouldn’t wobble, she walked away, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder and see if he was checking her out.
As if. Since when did guys like him go for girls like her? Though she’d conquered her eating disorder years ago, she hadn’t shed her inhibitions regarding her body along with the excess kilos. Though she looked okay, she wasn’t a patch on the waif look that most men favoured these days—and never would be.
Reaching Raquel’s door, she cast aside her body-image issues, took a deep breath and entered after knocking twice.
‘About time you got here. What took you so long?’
Though Raquel Wilson was a competent leader, with enough drive to take WWW Designs into the next decade, her people skills were on a par with those of an angry Rottweiler. In fact, several employees had taken to calling her Raquel the Rottie behind her back, and Lord help them if she ever found out. Keely had a sneaking suspicion that in this case the Rottie’s bite would be every bit as bad as her bark.
Keely gritted her teeth and fixed a smile on her face. ‘I was waylaid by a client.’
‘Lachlan Brant, you mean?’ Raquel’s eyes took on a predatory gleam, the same look she got whenever a lucrative client set foot in the office.
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Good.’ Raquel threw the pen she’d been holding on top of a pile of paperwork that looked as if it would keep her chained to her desk for the next decade. ‘He’s your new assignment.’
Oh-oh. When Raquel said ‘assignment’, it meant trouble. Co-workers avoided one of her special assignments like the plague—she demanded you tail the client like a detective, finding out every nitty-gritty detail to make sure their account was the best and therefore would lure further big business for the company. In a way, that was what kept WWW Designs at the top. However, the thought of wearing the gorgeous Lachlan Brant like a second skin for any length of time had Keely wanting to hotfoot it to the nearest ice cream parlour—and she’d kicked that habit a long time ago.
Resisting the urge to run as fast as her legs could carry her, Keely did her best to look keen. ‘Sounds like a wonderful opportunity but I’m kind of snowed under with other accounts at the moment. Flirt has just come onboard and I—’
‘Lachlan Brant is your number one priority as of now. I’m sure you’ll find a way to juggle the rest.’ Raquel stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows that took in an impressive view of Melbourne’s latest cultural icon, Federation Square, and the beautiful dome of Flinders Street Station. ‘I have every confidence in you, Keely. If you do well, there could be a promotion in this for you.’
Great. Just great.
How could she refuse tailing Lachlan Brant’s well-toned tail in exchange for a chance at the big time?
‘I’ll do my best.’ Inwardly sighing in resignation, she knew that in the Rottie’s case her best often wasn’t good enough.
‘See that you do. Now, bring the man in question up here and let’s see if we can get him to sign on the dotted line.’
Keely nodded, managed a grin that she knew must look like a grimace, and headed back to the foyer to find her new assignment.
Lachlan stood as soon as she entered the reception area and his sheer presence hit her all over again. The man was serious drool material—and, by that cocky grin, boy, did he know it.
‘Ready for me now?’
Ha! If he only knew how ready…
She nodded. ‘Follow me.’
He did exactly that and she was aware of him every step of the way to Raquel’s office. Thankfully, he didn’t have a clue to her identity as a moonlighting heckler and she hoped it stayed that way.
‘Your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?’
Her hand stilled on the doorknob to the Rottie’s office and she gulped. So much for breathing easy.
‘I don’t think so,’ she managed to get out, without a trace of apprehension in her voice.
‘Keely is rather an unusual name. I’m sure I’ve heard it recently.’ He fixed her with yet another piercing glare and she could almost imagine him stroking an imaginary goatee, like some Freudian professor trying to discover the meaning of life as he racked his brain to place her.
Stifling a grin at her mental image of the gorgeous psychologist in front of her even remotely resembling one of his ancient predecessors, she knocked on Raquel’s door and waited for the usual barked command to enter.
‘Come in.’ Judging by the decibel level, Raquel was keeping it down to a dull roar in deference to Lachlan’s status as prospective ‘assignment’ material.
‘Is this a bad time?’ Lachlan muttered under his breath, placing a hand in the small of her back to guide her through the door.
If she’d learned one thing it was never to slander her boss with anyone other than Emma and Tahlia, and especially not with strangers. However, with his innocuous touch burning a hole through her cool wool jacket, Keely lost all rational thought for a moment.
Concentrate, girl. She needed the promotion to Director of Graphic Design, and babbling in front of her boss and her newest project was not the way to go about it.
‘Raquel is very busy,’ she said, eagerly pushing open the door to escape the intimacy that seemed to envelop them in the deserted corridor.
‘I don’t speak to prospective clients like that when I’m busy,’ he muttered as they entered the airy office, a slight frown marring his brow.
The Rottie bared her teeth in an attempt at smiling and shook his hand. ‘Good morning, Mr Brant. Take a seat and let’s get started.’
So much for pleasantries. Raquel picked up a folder and slid it across her desk.
‘Call me Lachlan. And surely all this paperwork is a mere formality?’ He gestured to the folder he’d barely flicked through. ‘I’ve already done my research, and it looks like WWW Designs will suit my needs, so let’s dispense with the sales pitch. I’m eager to get started straight away.’
Raquel’s eyes gleamed behind her rimless glasses. She was obviously pleased at landing a big client with seemingly little effort. ‘Well, that was relatively painless. Glad to see you’re a decisive man, Lachlan, and I’m pleased that you’ve chosen our firm to handle your Internet needs. Why don’t you take these documents with you, leave them with Chrystal once they’re signed, and let Keely show you where she works her magic?’
Magic? The Rottie must really want to land the Brant account, badly.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
And, just like that, Keely had the sudden urge to bolt, promotion or not. Lachlan stared at her with a hint of speculation in his eyes and, with her imagination working overtime, she could’ve sworn she read more than an interest in her design skills there.
He continued, giving her valuable breathing space. ‘Your company seems to offer exactly what I’m looking for.’
She tried to break eye contact with him and failed, suddenly knowing how a cobra felt, trapped under the hypnotising stare of a mongoose.
Besides, she was obviously reading more into his words. How could a man like him be remotely interested in her?
Clearing her throat, she finally managed to speak. ‘If you’ll follow me, we can get started now.’
The corners of his mouth twitched again, as if he was having difficulty keeping a straight face, and she could’ve bitten her tongue. Obviously, he had a different idea to what getting started meant.
Rather than making some wisecrack, as she had half-expected, he inclined his head and said, ‘Lead the way.’
She was expecting a parting shot from Raquel, and her boss didn’t disappoint. ‘Make this your best work, Keely.’
Keely smiled through gritted teeth and nodded. As if she ever produced anything less! Though the way her mind kept wandering, from the way Lachlan’s suit seemed tailormade for his broad-shouldered frame to the way he smiled with his eyes as well as his mouth, maybe the Rottie had a point in reminding her to keep focused on the job at hand?
As she closed the door Lachlan asked, ‘Is she always like that?’
Keely resisted the urge to growl and make like a possessive dog over a bone, the way she did with the girls when one of them had a gripe with their boss.
‘Raquel is very driven. It’s what keeps this company at the top,’ she said, hoping that the good Lord would reward her for being so professional—with the big fat promotion she’d coveted for ages.
‘Good to hear. I only work with the best.’ He smiled and she noticed the fine lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes, lending a tiny flaw to the otherwise model-handsome face. He leaned towards her and for one insane moment she thought he was going to kiss her. ‘And it looks like I’ve got it here.’
‘Are you flirting with me?’
Oops! The words had popped out before she could stop them and to her horror, his smile broadened into a fully fledged grin, like that of a starving cat toying with an itty-bitty mouse.
‘What if I am?’
That would mean you’re interested in me as a woman and it’s my lucky day!
Mentally slapping herself for her wayward and wishful thoughts, she said, ‘That wouldn’t be very professional. We have a lot of work to do and I’d rather not be distracted.’
True to her cat analogy, he pounced. ‘You think I’m a distraction, huh?’
Who was the man trying to kid? In the last half-hour she’d thought about his body, eyes, smile and butt—in that order. Well, maybe the latter had been higher on the list, but it wouldn’t help to think about that now, when she could hardly string two coherent words together as it was.
‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ I’m doing enough for the both of us. Even if it was only in her mind. ‘I merely meant that word games aren’t my style. I’d rather focus on the job at hand.’
He’d fallen into step beside her and thankfully she didn’t have to look at him, preferring to concentrate on the suddenly onerous task of putting one foot in front of the other and not falling flat on her face. She had an embarrassing habit of clumsiness around men who grabbed her interest and she had no intention of adding to his obvious amusement by sprawling at his feet.
‘Mmm…interesting. Does that apply to all areas of your life?’
What was with this guy? He might be irresistible but didn’t he ever switch off the charm?
‘That’s none of your business.’ She pushed open the door to her office and waved him in. ‘Speaking of which, I think it’s time we got down to some.’
‘After you.’
She brushed past him, catching a faint waft of aftershave. She usually hated the stuff, but this was a tantalizing blend of fresh citrus that seemed to wrap around her and add to the heady sensation of being in a confined space with the hottest man to enter her sphere in a long time.
Grateful to have a seat before she made a complete fool of herself, she gestured to the one next to her. ‘Let’s get started.’
His knee touched hers as he folded his long legs beneath the desk, sending heat sizzling through her body and hot-wiring her dormant hormones.
Great. Not only had her mind entered meltdown mode, her body had followed suit.
‘I’m all yours,’ he said, sitting back and folding his arms, his confident grin setting her heart hammering in her chest.
And as she reached forward to angle the computer screen towards him and knocked over her credenza, sending pens, paperclips and rulers in all directions, she could only think of one response.
I wish.
Lachlan managed to appear interested as Keely prattled on about search engines, uploading pages, hosting companies and web space. However, the sultry brunette’s non-verbal cues intrigued him more than anything she was saying.
From her rigid posture and fiddling fingers to her tapping foot, she seemed nervous.
And so she should be.
The sophisticated woman doing her best to impress him with her knowledge had a secret and, though he hadn’t said anything yet, he was on to her.
Cops never forgot a face, and in his profession, after three years on the radio, he never forgot a voice. Though his late-night caller last week had sounded intoxicated, he remembered every cadence, every modulation of the melodious voice that had scrutinized his character and found it lacking.
He’d been angry at the time, and now that his beautiful heckler had been unexpectedly dropped in his lap, could’ve fired both barrels at her. However, he was in a playful mood today. Perhaps he would string her along till he felt like doing a little heckling of his own?
‘Do you have any ideas about the image you want portrayed on your web page?’
She picked up a pen and tapped it against her thigh as she waited for his answer, and all he could think about was the way her hazel-coloured eyes sparkled with intelligence, how the trendy black pinstripe suit fitted her curvy body to perfection, and what he would give for another glimpse of the cheeky dimple that appeared like an unexpected bonus when she smiled.
‘I’ve been in radio for a while. Perhaps you’ve listened to the Brant Show?’
Bull’s-eye! He watched her blush, the faint pink staining her cheeks lending her face a glow, and suddenly he wondered if any other activities could bring that tinge of colour to her face.
She nodded and looked at some distant point over his left shoulder. ‘I’ve listened to your show on the odd occasion. It’s very interesting.’
‘What do you think of my advice?’
To his delight, her blush deepened. ‘You seem to know what you’re talking about.’
The pen she held increased its staccato tempo against her thigh and, despite the fun he was having in baiting her, he decided to put an end to her obvious discomfort.
‘Thanks. The producers of my prospective TV show want to capture some of my expertise from radio while adding a fresh look at the same time. Think you can help me out?’
Tucking the pen behind her ear and swivelling to face the PC monitor, she smiled and his blood pressure rocketed. God, she was beautiful—from her shoulder-length sleek chocolate-brown hair to that adorable dimple.
He hadn’t dated anyone in a while, after the last disaster. His ex-girlfriend hadn’t tolerated a man who worked all hours and, though he’d spent quality time with her, she’d ended the relationship after four short months.
Maybe it was time to get back into the dating scene? Starting with the lovely Keely, who had switched her attention to the screen in front of her as she navigated through a host of complex computer programs while he studied her.
‘I’m sure I can help. Is this like something you had in mind?’
He glanced at the screen, surprised at the speed with which she’d conjured up a pro forma. ‘Wow, you’re a whiz on that thing.’
She shrugged and turned away, as if uncomfortable with his praise. ‘It’s what I do. If you don’t like the layout or colour scheme we can change it easily, but I thought you might like this?’
She’d chosen a bold template with a black background and royal blue font—very contemporary, very eye-catching.
‘I like it. I’m that easy to read, huh?’
Once again, he caught a spark in her eyes that had him itching to close the short distance between them and haul her into his arms. He’d never had caveman tendencies before, but there was something about her that just begged him to show her his club and coerce her into heading back to his cave.
She folded her hands in her lap, probably to stop them fiddling, and looked directly into his eyes. ‘It’s a talent I have, reading people. It helps in my job, in delivering exactly what the client is after. And you seem easier to read than most.’
‘Is that so?’
She nodded, and he resisted the urge to reach out and tuck the strand of hair that swung across her face behind her ear. ‘You’re a successful man, determined to make it to the top of your profession. Image is everything to you and you don’t like people questioning your beliefs. Well-groomed, personable, charming—it’s all part of the persona.’
Oh, she was good.
‘Anything else to add?’
‘I know just the thing to complete the package.’
He leaned forward, eager to hear what she had to say. She’d switched to teasing mode and, with her eyes twinkling and her glossy lips curved in a semi-smile, she had him intrigued.
‘What’s that?’
She hit a button on the keyboard and the screen became animated with a host of fancy graphics flashing across it.
‘Ta-da! The perfect website, of course.’ Her proud grin sent a thrill through him. If she got this excited about her work, imagine her enthusiasm for pursuits outside the office…
He smiled, making an instant decision to take a risk.
‘I like it, though there’s something else that would complete the package much better.’
Her face fell for a moment, as if he’d unjustly criticized her. ‘What’s that?’
Before he could stop himself, he reached across, tipped her chin up with his finger and stared into her remarkable eyes. ‘The perfect woman.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘Accessorise wisely. Choose a man with as much care as you would a handbag to go with those divine shoes.’
Tahlia Moran, long-time friend and expert on men.
‘WHAT happened then?’ Emma leaned forward, hanging on every word.
Keely took a sip of her sparkling mineral water and shrugged. ‘Nothing. Lucy came barging into my office and we sprang apart like we’d been doing something wrong.’ She stabbed the last piece of lettuce from her Caesar salad and forked it into her mouth.
Tahlia swivelled her head between the two of them as if watching a Wimbledon Final. ‘So you think he was implying you’re his perfect woman?’
Emma frowned and answered before Keely had a chance. ‘Of course. What else could he mean? Besides, she said he was flirting with her before then anyway.’
Tahlia ignored Emma’s response. ‘Em, you’d see the romantic side of two ants meeting on a crack in a footpath.’
Keely grinned as her two best friends discussed her love life—or lack of one, more like it—as if she wasn’t even there.
‘Romance makes the world go round.’ Emma pronounced it as a fact rather than one of her favourite theories.
‘I think you mean money,’ Tahlia said dryly, beckoning the waiter over to take their coffee order before they rushed back to the office.
Emma shook her head. ‘Not everyone’s as money-oriented as you, Miss Director of Sales.’
‘I’m goal-oriented, not money-oriented. There’s a difference. Nothing wrong with wanting to make it to the top.’
‘What about the glass ceiling?’ Keely teased, knowing her response was guaranteed to get a reaction out of Tahlia every time and thankful that the focus of the conversation had turned away from her encounter with Lachlan Brant.
Tahlia’s green eyes flashed as she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. ‘No such thing, honey. I’m going places in this company, just watch me. All the way to the top.’
‘Won’t the Rottie have something to say about that?’
Personally, Keely had every confidence that Tahlia would make it to CEO of WWW Designs, and she couldn’t wait for the day when Raquel was ousted from the top job. In fact, every employee would throw the party of the decade when that day came.
Tahlia tucked a strand of chestnut hair into her signature topknot and made an unladylike noise akin to a snort. ‘She won’t have a chance to say anything. I’ll muzzle her before keeping her on a short leash and locked away in her kennel.’
‘Meow!’ Emma made a clawing action with her perfectly manicured fingernails.
‘Hey, I wouldn’t be making cat noises around the Rottie. She’d eat you alive and spit out the bones for breakfast.’ Tahlia wiggled her fingers in a saucy wave at Andy, their usual waiter at Sammy’s, as he handed them the bill.
‘I can handle Ratchet Raquel,’ Emma said as all three of them leaned back in their chairs and watched Andy walk away, admiring the fit of snug denim to his butt.
‘Grrr…’ Tahlia growled.
‘Aah…’ Emma sighed.
‘Mmm…’ Keely allowed herself to be distracted for a moment—after all, she could appreciate a fine piece of anatomy like the next girl—before her dilemma niggled its way back into her mind.
‘So what do you think I should do?’ she asked, slipping her money into the folded bill without looking.
She had the same lunch at Sammy’s, the hippest café-cum-bar at Southbank—Melbourne’s hot spot for all things trendy—almost on a daily basis: sparkling mineral water with a twist of lemon, Caesar salad with low-fat dressing—hold the anchovies—followed by a fruit platter for one, capped off with a skinny latte.
Though she’d come to terms with her past, the feelings associated with spending years as an overweight, lonely teenager continued to dog her and she had no intention of ever feeling like that again. The trauma of what she’d gone through when she’d finally lost weight had left a lasting impression, one that she constantly strove to ignore.
So now she had to work hard to stay in shape, unlike Emma and Tahlia who seemed to devour calories without gaining an ounce. They actually joined her in weekly Pilates classes for fun! If they weren’t her best friends, she could easily hate their well-toned, under-exercised behinds.
‘I think you should weigh up the pros and cons before you jump into anything.’ Tahlia delved into her handbag, pulled out a newspaper and quickly flipped to the zodiac page.
‘Oh, no,’ Emma groaned. ‘Put that away.’
Tahlia raised an eyebrow and sent Emma her best ‘don’t mess with me’ look. ‘Keeping an eye on what fate may have planned for you isn’t a bad thing.’ She smoothed out the paper and ran a finger down the column. “‘Work brings challenges but your focus will shift to other things. Try to go with the flow.’”
Emma sighed heavily.
Keely stepped in before things turned ugly, as they inevitably did when Emma questioned Tahlia’s daily reading of the horoscopes. ‘Your zodiac stuff seems to have helped in your professional life, but what about in the men stakes?’
Tahlia shrugged, pulling a magazine clipping, featuring monthly predictions this time, from her bag. ‘Hasn’t steered me wrong in the guy department so far.’
‘But you haven’t got a man,’ Emma pointed out.
Keely had to agree, but didn’t want to gang up on Tahlia. Her tall, slim friend, who never had a hair out of place, might have it together in the career department but she wasn’t exactly ‘out there’ when it came to dating.
Tahlia sent them both a scathing look. ‘That’s from choice, not from lack of prospects.’ She turned to Keely. ‘Now, do you want to hear what you should do about the sexy psychologist or not?’
What did she have to lose? Keely hadn’t had so many sparks with a guy since…well, since…ever. And, if her intuition was correct, Lachlan had been striking a few matches of his own in her office this morning.
But what if he finds out you’re the one who gave him grief on national radio?
It wouldn’t be so bad. He struck her as a guy with a sense of humour. Maybe she should come clean and tell him the truth?
Yeah, right.
Would he still be interested in her if she revealed her identity as the woman who’d called him a Freudian fraud, a babbling psycho and a hack who dished out advice like a near-sighted agony aunt?
Somehow, in the cold light of day, she didn’t think so.
Whatever Madame Tahlia and her crystal ball had to say couldn’t be any worse than telling the truth.
‘Okay, let me have it. What should I do?’
Tahlia pursed her lips and nodded like an all-seeing sage. ‘“A study or work contact could end up being someone you want to do more than just have lunch with. Embrace the goddess within you and watch them fall: your man won’t be able to keep his hands off you.’”
She shrugged and stuffed the cutting back in her handbag. ‘So there you are.’
‘But what does it mean I should do?’
‘I don’t know, but now you’re fully informed.’
‘Give me a break,’ Emma muttered under her breath.
Tahlia ignored her. ‘You’re a Scorpio, right?’
Keely rolled her eyes and laughed. ‘Libran.’
‘Just kidding!’ Tahlia smiled as she stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder. ‘Your fate’s in your hands, kiddo. It’s written in the stars.’
Keely refrained from answering. None of the past horoscope predictions had come to fruition yet: she was still waiting for that promotion, she hadn’t travelled in five years, and she was still waiting for a tall, dark and handsome stranger to sweep her off her feet.
‘Thanks, Tahlia.’ She turned to her other friend. ‘Em, what do you think?’
‘Honestly? I think the wise woman over here has it partially right.’ Emma sent Tahlia a cheeky grin and Tahlia raised her nose in the air as if ignoring her. ‘Seems like fate has dropped this amazing guy into your lap. Why don’t you take a chance and see what happens? He could be the love of your life.’
Unfortunately, that was exactly what Keely was afraid of.
Keely stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her, wondering where her muse had disappeared to. Usually when she had a new client she loved to brainstorm on paper, bringing together a host of ideas and inspiration to create the final product.
In this case, the Brant file lay open on the desk to her right, the blank page on her ergonomic incline board and she didn’t have a clue. The harder she tried to come up with a concept, the more her mind drifted to the man at the centre of her project and she would start fantasizing, from the way his dark hair curled around the edges of his collar to the unique blue of his eyes.
A beep on her PC indicated she had mail and she clicked on the icon to display her e-mails—anything to distract her from her wayward thoughts.
To: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com
From: Lucy-PA@WWWDesigns.com
Subject: New talent
Sorry 2 barge in on U & LB earlier.
Wow! IMHO, he is 2 cute!
U interested?
Luce
Keely smiled, in total agreement with her assistant’s ‘in my humble opinion’ appraisal of Lachlan, though cute wasn’t the first word that sprang to mind when describing him. Try sexy, irresistible and charming.
She typed a quick response, knowing she needed to concentrate on work but grateful for the distraction. Anyway, it would be interesting to get another female’s viewpoint on the subject—besides her overzealous friends, that was. If it was up to Emma and Tahlia, she’d be married to the guy already.
To: Lucy-PA@WWWDesigns.com
From: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com
Subject: Latest assignment
Speaking of which, working on LB website now.
By the way, LB off-limits 2 U.
Interest level rising—all in the name of business, of course! U concentrate on Aidan.
K
She had no right to warn Lucy away from Lachlan. However, she took her job seriously these days, and if the Rottie told her to shadow the man, she would. She could shmooze with the best of them, yet somehow the thought of spending up close and personal time with her new client sent her into a tailspin—and she sure hoped she wouldn’t crash and burn.
Now, if she could just come up with a novel way to approach the man, without looking too obvious, she’d be well on her way to that hard-earned promotion.
Her phone rang and she picked it up, expecting to hear Lucy’s teasing tones.
‘Keely, Lachlan Brant here.’
She straightened so suddenly that she almost tipped out of her chair. Silly, really—it wasn’t as if he’d walked into the room or anything.
Taking a breath and aiming for casual, she said, ‘Hi, Lachlan. What can I do for you?’
He hesitated for a fraction of a second and, with her overactive imagination, the pause seemed laden with promise—maybe he would tell her exactly what she could do for him and, with a bit of luck, it wouldn’t involve work?
‘I was wondering how the website is coming along?’
She stared at the blank page and screen in front of her, crossed her fingers and said, ‘Fine. I’ve just been hashing around a few ideas.’
‘Such as?’
Great. Though she was creative in her job, she’d never been any good thinking on the spot, and having to tell little white lies was not one of her strong suits.
‘Uh…well, seeing as you’re on the radio, I was thinking of focusing on you to start with. Sort of like getting to know the man behind the voice?’ She silently applauded—not bad for quick thinking.
‘Sounds good. That’s why I’m calling, actually.’
She should’ve known. For a moment she’d hoped he’d been calling to keep flirting with her or, better still, maybe ask her out.
Get real. Focus. Before he thinks you’re a complete ditz.
‘I was wondering if you’d like to come out to the station tonight and take a look at where I work. You know, get a feel for what I do, maybe incorporate a few ideas into the site?’ His voice dropped lower, the deep tone sending an unexpected thrill up her spine. ‘Perhaps grab a coffee afterwards?’
He’d asked her out! He’d actually taken the matter of approaching him out of her hands and she couldn’t be happier.
‘Bring along my file and we can work on it while we have that caffeine fix.’
And, just like that, her hopes, which had soared to the heavens a moment ago, plummeted back to earth with a resounding thud.
He didn’t want to stare into her eyes over the rim of a coffee mug, flirt with her over an espresso or moon over a muffin.
Uh-uh. He’d asked her to have coffee with him to work.
She should be rapt he’d given her an easy way to start her assignment without having to come up with some lame excuse herself. Then why was she disappointed that his invitation had been about business and not a teensy-eensy bit of pleasure?
Instilling the right amount of enthusiasm into her voice, she replied, ‘Sounds good. What time should I meet you?’
‘Why don’t I pick you up? The security at the station can be a bit tough on strangers, particularly for the night shift. There’s a lot of crackpots out there who have nothing better to do than heckle me.’
She choked on the sip of water she’d been having, coughing and spluttering while trying to contort her arm to pat herself on the back.
‘Are you okay?’
She could’ve sworn she heard amusement in his voice but dismissed it. What was so funny about the fact that she’d almost choked to death?
‘Surely my suggestion to pick you up hasn’t got you that choked up?’
‘Depends on your version of picking up,’ she said, wondering where that had come from.
Darn it, he’d think she was flirting with him—which she was, but why couldn’t she be a whole lot more subtle about it?
‘Let’s start with the standard garden-variety pick-up from your place and see if we can work on the other pick-up over coffee.’ He chuckled, the sound of his rich, deep laughter enveloping her in its intimate cocoon, drawing her further under his spell.
And, just like that, he took up where they’d left off in her office, flirting like a pro.
She really shouldn’t encourage him.
He was business.
He was a psychologist who could spend a lifetime psychoanalysing her.
He was way out of her league.
‘I take your silence as agreement?’
Managing to shake herself out of her fantasy world, she said, ‘It’s an improvement on the choking, don’t you think?’
‘Nothing about you needs improving, Keely.’
She loved the way he said her name, drawing out the ee sound in its correct pronunciation. Many people called her Kelly and she hated it.
‘Thanks. What time tonight?’ She knew his show started at seven, which wouldn’t give her much time to get home from work and do the usual pre-date routine.
It’s not a date, her voice of reason screamed. And she happily ignored it.
‘Is six too early?’
Heck, yes! She wouldn’t have time to blow-dry her hair, pick out an outfit designed to impress and do a quick tidy up just in case he popped in afterwards.
‘No problem. I live in Beacon Cove, Port Melbourne. Apartment 8/24 on the Esplanade.’
‘Great. I’ll see you at six.’ He suddenly sounded brisk and businesslike and she wondered if she’d just imagined the whole conversation and its undertones.
‘Keely?’
‘Mmm?’
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
He disconnected before she had a chance to respond, which was rather fortunate as it would’ve been hard to answer him while grinning like a loon.
Keely barely raised her head as Lucy entered her office. She didn’t have a moment to waste and, apart from having to head home and get ready, she needed to have something down on paper for Lachlan’s file. Otherwise he’d know she was a total phoney. About the only ideas she’d hashed to date were about the two of them getting up close and personal, and she didn’t think that would be appropriate to have on his web page, displayed for the world to see.
Lucy perched on the end of her desk, took off her rose-coloured glasses and wiped them with the end of her funky lime-green top.
‘What’s got you in a tizz?’
Keely placed the Brant file in her tote bag and zipped it shut. ‘I have to leave. Now.’
‘Hot date, huh?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’ And, despite her best intentions to stay cool about the evening ahead and not read anything into it, she blushed.
Predictably, her astute assistant pounced. ‘You have got a date! And I bet I know who it’s with. Would the initials LB mean anything to you?’
‘It’s part of my research for his website,’ Keely responded, trying not to encourage Lucy. That was all she needed—for Lucy to rev her up even more than she already was.
‘Oh, right.’ Lucy’s eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips, as if pondering a particularly difficult puzzle. ‘So that’s what they’re calling it these days. Research.’
‘Luce, I haven’t got time for this.’ Keely picked up her bag and headed for the door. ‘Besides, shouldn’t you be working on the Flirt account?’ She clicked her fingers as if remembering something. ‘Speaking of Accounts, have you been down there today? I heard Aidan popped in to oversee some discrepancies.’
Keely scored a direct hit as Lucy flushed a deep crimson. ‘I may have seen him briefly.’
‘Why don’t you ask him out? He’s perfect for you.’
Lucy slid off the desk and smoothed her skirt down. ‘I really must get back to work.’ She stopped at the door and wiggled her fingers. ‘Have fun tonight.’
‘It’s work.’
‘Whatever. I’ll expect an e-mail with the details of your research first thing in the morning. Bye.’
‘It is just work,’ Keely muttered under her breath as she followed Lucy out the door, wishing she could believe it.
The doorbell rang as Keely slicked gloss over her lips and took a final look in the mirror.
Not bad—black bootleg pants, burgundy fitted top, hair blow-dried to perfection and just a hint of make-up to make the most of what the good Lord had given her.
Not great, but not bad. Hopefully, Lachlan would be impressed.
As she opened the front door and his eyes lit up she had her answer.
‘Hi,’ was all she could manage.
If she thought he’d looked impressive at the office that morning, in suit and tie, it was nothing compared with his casual look. The combination of jeans, white T-shirt and black leather jacket had never looked so sexy on a man—and this was no ordinary man.
‘You look great. Ready to go?’
She nodded, finally managing to tear her gaze away from the way the white cotton moulded to what looked like rock-hard pecs beneath.
‘Just let me grab my bag,’ she said, hoping that the bag was all she managed to grab in the next sixty seconds.
As if she hadn’t had a hard enough time convincing herself that tonight was only about business, he had to turn up here looking like that.
‘Nice apartment.’ He stood at the door looking in and she suddenly realised that the minute she’d caught sight of him all rational thought—along with her manners—had flown out the window.
‘Come in,’ she said, getting more flustered by the minute as she picked up her bag and his file slid to the floor.
Great—she must’ve forgotten to zip it up earlier, when she’d slid a brush and lippy for touch-ups alongside the all-important folder.
‘Here, let me help.’ He bent down and reached for the scattered papers at the same time she did, their heads colliding in a sickening crunch.
‘Ouch!’ She sank back on to the floor and rubbed her forehead, silently cursing. It looked as if her clumsy curse around cute guys had reared its ugly head again.
Thankfully, he laughed and reached out a hand to help her off the floor. ‘Do I make you uncomfortable or are you always this graceful?’
‘It’s you,’ she said, and joined in with a rueful chuckle.
‘Mmm…first you up-end half your desk when I sit next to you, now you drop your bag when I get within two feet and give me a concussion in the process. It must be me.’
He pulled her up as she placed her hand in his and true to form, she stumbled against him. Totally unintentional, of course.
As she braced herself against his chest—yep, those pecs felt every bit as good as they looked—and he gazed down on her with a tender glint in his eyes, she suddenly didn’t mind being such a klutz.
And when he rested his hands on her hips and smiled in that special way he had, as if she was the only woman in the world, she could’ve quite happily caused havoc by stumbling, upending bags and messing up desks every day of the week.
‘If I’m the problem, what’s the remedy?’
‘You’re the doc, why don’t you tell me?’ Her voice came out all soft and breathy while her pulse raced double-time as his hands tightened their grip, sending bolts of electricity shooting through her body.
So much for playing it cool. They hadn’t even made it out of her apartment and the evening had taken on an intimate feel.
‘Take two kisses and call me in the morning.’
O-kay. Think quick. Respond with something light-hearted and witty.
However, all she could do was stand there and stare at him while his gaze stayed riveted to her lips, as if he’d like to follow up on the first part of his advice. As he leaned forward her heart jolted at the clear intent in his eyes and she was sure the air crackled with tension around them.
Work…assignment…client…
The words filtered through her dazed mind and acted like an instant dampener and she reluctantly looked away.
‘If that’s one of your cures, I’m not surprised you’re so popular,’ she murmured, managing a weak smile as her gaze fixed on his chest.
What would he think of her almost letting him kiss her? Totally unprofessional for starters, and as for the rest…
He tipped her chin up, gently forcing her to meet his stare. ‘Don’t second-guess yourself.’
How did he do that? She’d begun to doubt herself the minute she’d averted their near-kiss and he knew it. Despite her intoxicated ranting over the airwaves last week, he did know his stuff. And wouldn’t he have a field-day if he found out why she’d been so riled about his advice to the overweight teenager that night she’d given him a verbal blast?
She opened her mouth to respond and he placed a silencing finger against it. ‘And, no, I don’t dish out that remedy to just anyone.’
‘That’s reassuring.’ She aimed for brevity but her comment came out sarcastic as she pulled away from him completely, needing to establish physical distance between them to gather her thoughts.
Rather than pushing her for an explanation for her erratic behaviour—welcoming his attention one minute, freezing him out the next—as she half-expected him to do, he fixed her with a curious stare before turning away.
‘As much as I’d like to cure your clumsiness, we’d better get to the station. I need to be on the air in less than an hour.’ He picked up her bag and handed it to her as if nothing had happened. ‘All set?’
She managed to nod, follow him out and lock up without further mishap. However, amidst her confused state at what had just occurred, one thought penetrated.
If kisses were part of his cure, she suddenly had a distinct hankering for treatment.
CHAPTER THREE
‘Where men are concerned, always adhere to the “try before you buy” policy.’
Lucy, personal assistant extraordinaire.
LACHLAN gave the console a quick once-over to make sure he was off the air, removed his headphones and waved Keely into the booth.
He’d just spent the last three hours watching her through the glass partition, thoroughly distracted and, though he’d managed to present a professional front over the airwaves, he’d had enough. It was time to switch off and relax in the company of a woman who sparked his interest on many levels.
He’d thought by bringing her here to the station she might come clean about her call to him. However, despite ample opportunity, she hadn’t confessed and it surprised him. He valued honesty above all else, thanks to his lying, cheating mother, who had left his father with a broken heart after leaching every last ounce of devotion out of him. And he’d vowed to never end up like his dad, a sad old man obsessed with the one woman he couldn’t have, pining away for that so-called love of a lifetime.
Though the call hadn’t been a big deal in itself, he wondered why Keely would keep it a secret, especially after the way they’d clicked.
Standing up and stretching, he knew one thing. He wanted to give this woman a chance. Apart from the sizzling attraction that arced between them whenever they got within two feet of each other, he genuinely liked her and would like to get to know her better.
Starting now.
Opening the door to the sound booth, he beckoned her in. ‘What do you think? Pick up any ideas for my website?’
He watched her walk across the outer room; she was wearing a classy, understated outfit that looked as if it had been made for her. She moved with an elegance that turned heads, a quiet confidence that would make any man sit up and take notice. And he’d done that the minute he’d first laid eyes on her, strolling towards him in the foyer of WWW Designs.
Usually, he liked to ponder important decisions, but after his first glimpse of Keely he’d been ready to sign on the dotted line with the company as long as she was involved in some part of his website’s production. It must’ve been his lucky day, for not only would she play a role in the production, she was one of the main players working with him directly.
She smiled, drawing his attention to her lips, resurrecting barely suppressed thoughts of how they’d almost connected with his earlier that evening. He hadn’t meant to take things so far so fast, but had been powerless to resist her allure.
‘I’ve looked around, spoken to a few of your co-workers and jotted down some ideas.’ She picked up a pad from a nearby table and presented it to him like a proud student handing in a prized project. ‘See? Enough here to keep me going for a while. Great idea to invite me to your workplace.’
He barely glanced at the pad, more interested in her non-verbal cues. Another part of his job that he couldn’t turn off—he read people’s unspoken actions all the time, believing they revealed a lot more about the person than first met the eye.
In this case, Keely appeared nervous as she shifted her weight from one foot to another while tapping her fingers on the back of the pad. Were her nerves a result of her little secret about heckling him or caused by something deeper? Was it just him or did all men make her this jittery?
So much for getting to know her better. It would prove extremely difficult if she reacted like a skittish filly every time he got near her.
‘Glad it helped. Shall we get that coffee now?’
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Nicola Marsh
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Impossibly Pregnant, электронная книга автора Nicola Marsh на английском языке, в жанре современные любовные романы