Double Dare (32 page)

Once she got to the office, she'd have time to look through her presentation notes again before the meeting. It was really a recap, an opener for discussion on future management with Roberson and potential growth areas for the portfolio. But she wanted it to go well. She wanted to end her time at Robertson's on a high note.

The night before, on her return from Paris, she had typed and printed her resignation. After the meeting, she would see Tom and give him her formal notice. At the end of her day, Zac was her reward. Okay, so she had to take it slowly, get to know him. But she wanted to live dangerously. It was a new life, an exciting life. One filled with possibility. Eating her cereal absent-mindedly, she counted the hours until she sealed her destiny.

While she dressed, she took a moment to enjoy her own decadent smile in the mirror. How her life had changed, how much pleasure she had encountered by following her desires and being brave. Not reckless, no, but brave. She knew that now.

She opted for a classic black dress, cut long, sleeveless and simple. She wasn't much in the mood for power dressing, her power came from within. She tied her hair in a thick plait and slung it over her shoulder. After she put on her make up, she picked up the necklace that Zac had given her. She drew it over her lips, then slid it around her throat and let it kiss her skin slowly, before it nestled into place.

The office was in chaos when she arrived. There was no sign of Suzanne at her desk, which probably accounted for it. That unsettled her. Apart from being unusual, she'd planned to ask Suzanne to schedule her resignation meeting with Tom. She strode down the corridor, avoiding Ed who got up as if to speak to her when she passed his office.

She closed the door behind her. Within a few moments, there was a knock. She sighed. She didn't really want to speak to him until she had the meeting out of the way.

Surprisingly, it was Penny that came in and clicked her stiletto heels over to the desk. She folded her arms, her tight-fitting suit riding up, her shoulders looking like evil twin humps as she stood staring at Abby with those strange gray eyes.

Abby smiled unreservedly at the spectacle of the badly fitting suit. "I'm rather busy, Penny. What is it that you want?"

Penny's mouth twitched with annoyance. "Tom has asked Eddy and I to be at this meeting because of our earlier work on the account. I wanted to make sure you aren't going to cause any problems for us."

Abby couldn't restrain a chuckle. "Me, cause problems for you?" She swung her chair back and forth, amused by the other woman's fear of public reprisal. "Now, Penny, you shouldn't judge other people on your own standards. That's much more the sort of thing you'd do, not I."

Penny glared at her.

"Incidentally, you're more than welcome to enjoy Ed, if that's what you're worrying about. I'm happy for you both."

Rivets of ice formed in Penny's eyes. She didn't like being called to order.

"What, were you expecting me to be upset?" Abby looked at her earnestly. "Do you really think I'd ever let you steal anything that I wanted to keep, you silly girl?"

"It wasn't like that..." Penny muttered, looking flustered, her voice trailing nowhere.

"Of course it wasn't...but if you're still trying to steal my job..." Abby smiled at the other woman's frozen stare. "Well, you're welcome to go for that too, I'm handing in my resignation later today then I'm out of here."

Penny did a fair impression of a fish swallowing air.

"Why don't you run along now." Abby directed her toward the door with a wave of her hand.

Penny's lips tightened to a pinch. She turned on her spiky heels and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Abby spun her chair to the window and allowed herself a brief moment of gratification, before returning to the papers on the desk.

Within a couple of minutes there was another knock and before she had time to answer it, Ed opened the door and walked in. He looked confused, rather sheepish and truly embarrassed.

She stood up in an effort to make him feel unwelcome.

"Abby." He walked towards her. "Penny said you're intending to leave, is it because...." He looked so uncomfortable that she actually felt sorry for him. Momentarily.

"No, Ed. It isn't because of us, you, Penny, whatever."

He didn't look convinced.

"It's time for me to move on. I want to go freelance, I have for a while. The time's right, that's all."

It was if her words didn't quite reach him. He looked confused. She walked to the door and opened it, urging him to go out. He stood in the doorway.

"It's okay, Ed, let's just go our separate ways. We had a short relationship and it was over months ago anyway, wasn't it?"

He frowned. "But I thought we would...I thought you wanted me, that we had a special relationship."

"Excuse me?" Abby folded her arms. She was amazed. "Let me get this straight. You want me to tell you how much I need you, after discovering you with another woman?"

"Well, I..." A confused frown took up residence on his forehead.

"Or perhaps what you really need is to carry the guilt of my broken heart, to make you feel more of a man?" She sighed deeply, shaking her head. "I'm sorry Ed, I'm not going to be able to give you that particular pleasure. It would be a downright lie."

He gave her a pleading glance, clearly confused by her words. It wasn't what he had been expecting. "You're upset, I can see that."

Christ almighty
. The man only saw what he wanted to see. Outright rejection was the only thing that would get rid of him now.

"Let's face it, Ed, we had sex occasionally...that is all it was. Let it go, I did. I'm seeing someone else now." She gave him a bright smile, grabbed the door handle and wavered the door to and fro, to scoop him out.

He shuffled a couple of steps, then stopped and turned to face her. "Who are you seeing?"

She sighed again, loudly. "Ed, I don't have time for this. I have to look over my notes and get ready for this meeting." She turned away from him, looking down the corridor toward the board room to make her point.

He began to speak, but Abby didn't hear him any more, because someone familiar had caught her eye. A shiver ran down her spine. Tom was standing in the reception area speaking with another suited man. Zac.

What is he doing here
?

Ed's voice had gone quiet. He turned to follow her gaze. "Oh, you haven't met the Ashburn client yet, have you?"

"Ashburn client?" she repeated, her pulse growing erratic, her thoughts in chaos.
It can't be
. She looked at his familiar face. He was wearing shades, but it was undeniably him.

"Tom just introduced us. He's the son, name's Zachary Bordino. Apparently he recently took over from his old lady."

She stared at Ed, frowning.
I've been working for Zac
?

"Don't worry, Abby, he might look a bit eccentric, but he seemed sound enough. He mentioned that he thought our work with the account was excellent."

She swallowed, looked back at Zac again. "He did, did he?"

Her breath was catching in her throat.

"You look worried. Concentrate on the meeting, you'll be fine." He reached for her shoulder, squeezing it. "We can talk again later."

He trailed off but Abby barely noticed, she was still riveted to the spot watching Tom introducing Zac to Penny.

As she stared at his profile in dismay he turned toward her, looking over Tom's shoulder, as if drawn by her gaze. No thoughts seemed to form in her mind, just a rush of chaotic emotions. Fear, hope, confusion, love and pain. The confusion was overwhelming.

After the initial moment of mutual recognition finally lapsed Zac reached for his shades, folded them into his hand and revealed his eyes to her. He looked at her with such intensity that it sent her heart tripping. Another wave of chaos through her mind.

But he was calm.
He knew
.

Her hand went to her face and her breathing flew even further out of pitch. Why the hell hadn't he said something? Confusion swelled inside her.

Meanwhile, Tom gestured toward her and Zac nodded at him, then glanced back at Abby as they walked closer.

Tom was going to introduce them. She just about died on the spot. Clutching at the doorframe for support, she wished the moment away.

But no, he kept getting closer, his expression determined, immaculately presented in a charcoal suit, a black shirt and tie beneath.

"Abigail, allow me to introduce you to Zachary Bordino, the Ashburn portfolio client."

Zac reached out his hand. "I'm pleased to meet you here, Abigail. We've been impressed with your work and I came here today specifically to acknowledge that."

His expression was laden with concern.

"Abigail is our brightest rising star," Tom interjected with a smarmy, possessive smile.

Zac threw him an irritated glance.

It was a nightmare, surely
? She felt as if she was on a stage and didn't know the lines. His hand was still outstretched. Reluctantly, she took it. "I'm sorry. I was expecting someone else. Adrianna?"

"Yes, you were. I am Adrianna's son. I thought it best that I attend. I've taken over my mother's business, but I didn't want to interrupt your flow of work with this information earlier." He squeezed her hand firmly, his eyes flickering secret messages to her.

Why, why didn't you tell me
? Hurt, angry hurt spilled through her. This was the obstacle that she had felt between them, the secret that he had hidden.
Why
?

"Your professionalism is unquestionable. You've got my full trust." He paused to let his message sink in. "On everything you do."

He'd well and truly prepared for this, she realized with a wild sense of irony. But then he'd had the time to do so. She bloody well hadn't. Her gaze fell to his hand, which held hers so firmly, so reassuringly.

She pulled away.

Tom glanced at his watch. "Let's get some coffee before we kick off. Abby?" He put out his arm, as if to take her under his wing.

She shook her head and stepped back into her office. "I just need to go over my presentation notes, I'll join you shortly."

Zac's brow furrowed, but then he gave a slight shake of his head—as if the situation was beyond his control—and a hopeful half smile as he walked away from her view.

Abby turned back into her office. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it. Her heart was pounding. Thoughts crashed against one another in her mind. What was going on?
He'd known
. Not only that, but he must have known all along, because he was so calm when she'd told him in Paris that she wasn't just the receptionist. He'd looked sort of gutted, as she recalled. She'd mistaken it for disbelief, or a sense of wrong that she'd lied to him, but it was more than that. It was because of this, the fact she was working for him. That was obvious, now. But how had he known? She paced the office, her mind ticking over frantically.

She stopped, steadying herself with one hand on the edge of the desk. Of course, he would have had the staff dossier from when they first took on the Ashburn account. It was standard company policy to supply full details of all employees to new clients. They were given as much information as possible, to reassure them about allowing their millions to be handed over to complete strangers. He not only had a photo of her, but he knew her whole life story. Everything. What University she went to, her personal interests, her favorite authors, what historical figures she admired.

No wonder he hadn't asked her much about her work—after that initial bout of teasing, which made much more sense now. She'd assumed it was because he didn't want to pry into that side of her life until she was ready to discuss it with him. In reality it was because he already knew it all. She remembered her early feelings of being watched. Watched, or watched over? Had he been observing her at first hand because of her work with his money - or because he hadn't trusted her, after what had happened to him before?

She put her head into her hands, and thought back to the moment she met him. He'd been delivering documents, he'd told her later as a favor to someone. Why hadn't he said who that was? Her blood ran cold as she retraced the sequence of events.
I lied
to him
.