It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.’
‘It kind of is, actually. You have many skills, but putting together a Life Plan?’ Jared gave a mock shudder and Amanda regretted seating herself so far away because it meant landing a swift left hook was currently outside her physical scope. But, darn it, he was right. Again. She knew she gave every impression of abhorring making plans. Life had this way of sneaking up and upsetting any she made, so it made total sense to her to avoid making them.
Avoid disappointment. Avoid upset.
Going with the flow was a perfectly acceptable lifestyle choice and, perversely, made her feel in control. Of course, if she could just get Life to stop throwing her curveballs in the first place she’d be more willing to make nice with The Planning Gremlins.
‘Maybe I should take a look at this plan for you, check it’s not really more of a list, because,’ Jared broke off and glanced towards her bag, suddenly emitting noise. ‘You want to answer your phone?’
Amanda shook her head. So much for hoping he’d politely ignore the fact that her phone was ringing with all the subtlety of the clanging chimes of doom.
‘It could be about your interview.’
It was definitely going to be about the interview. Her luck said it was the agency ringing her with a ‘no’. A word she suddenly didn’t want to hear. Not after owning up to her plan. Not if it would make her look as if she’d fallen at the first hurdle. Not if it made her wish she’d accepted Jared’s job offer in the first place.
A job offer that was now completely off the table.
On account of the whole sizzling kissing thing.
With leaden feet she crossed to her bag and rummaged for her phone. Answering it she turned her back on Jared and listened to the agency telling her the gallery owner had decided to go with someone with more experience.
As she felt her head drop she determinedly set her shoulders. This was not the end of the world. This was a new year, a new her. So she’d line up some more interviews. Pursue her plan.
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
She returned her phone to her bag and turned around.
‘It was a “no”?’ Jared asked.
She nodded.
‘Their loss,’ he commiserated, giving her all of ten seconds to sit back down at the table before getting up and walking around to her side of the unit and saying in a low voice, ‘You could always revisit my proposition.’
Her body instantly responded to the chocolate pitch of his voice. ‘Pr-proposition?’ she questioned lamely.
‘Mmmn.’ He smiled down at her, plucked the mugs from the table and dunked them both in the kitchen sink along with the pastry dishes. He turned on the taps and Amanda wished mightily for a cold shower.
‘Accept my job offer and come to London with me.’
‘London?’ Amanda gaped. ‘London?’ Glad his back was to her, she tried to get a hold of her runaway thoughts, realising that for an instant she had committed the cardinal sin of associating Jared with an altogether different kind of proposition. Bad idea, she scolded herself. Very. Bad. Idea.
‘I need to go back to London and I need a Personal Assistant to accompany me.’
‘Oh. Okay. Let me just pack a bag,’ she said crossing her eyes comically behind him, ‘wait, what shall we tell Janey—that she’s taken one too many coffee breaks and you’re through with her?’ She slid off the stool to come and stand next to him.
‘I need Janey here keeping an eye on things. And she and Mikey could do with the time together.’
Amanda picked up a mug and a dishtowel. ‘So what’s in London?’ she asked.
For a moment, when Jared simply stared at his hands submerged in the soapy water, she thought he wasn’t going to respond.
When he did, his words were dragged from deep within. ‘A sick father and a failing family business.’
Amanda put the mug down and stretched her hand out in an automatic offer of comfort. ‘This is what your sister came to tell you?’ She felt the corded sinew of his forearm harden beneath her fingers.
‘It’s-’
‘Complicated?’ she helped, sure his hands had formed fists beneath the water’s surface.
He turned to look at her. He was absolutely still and yet she could sense something coursing through him—that edge of danger; a flash of fire in otherwise cool, clear green eyes.
‘Complicated is an understatement.’ He did that quiet thinking thing and from his expression she knew he was weighing up the consequences of revealing something to her. ‘I’m sure my sister would be only too happy to provide me with one of her assistants but I’d rather take someone I know with me; someone without ulterior motive.’
Unbidden she saw herself tasting his lips, and flustered, felt the ridiculous need for him to clarify what he was asking of her. ‘And I’d be in London as your Personal Assistant?’
‘Amanda, you could do the job standing on your head.’
She stared up at him, gripping the kitchen roll top as casually as she could manage because suddenly his utter belief in her had her wanting to take the risk and go with him. He was that sure of her? It had her wanting to repay his compliment by offering whatever support he needed.
She swallowed. ‘How exactly would you go about telling your sister that in one day I’ve gone from “sleeping” with you to working for you?’
‘It’s none of her business.’
Right. That shut down that then. She was going to have to actually come out and say it wasn’t she? ‘Speaking of,’ she moved a hand between them, ‘you know, the—’ she couldn’t say it.
‘—Kiss?’ His eyes moved to her lips and she had to fight an insane urge to moisten them with the tip of the tongue. ‘Forget about it.’ He withdrew his hands from the water and reached for the dishtowel she was still holding. ‘Are you going to let fear rule your life, then?’
‘What do you mean?’ she spluttered, pinned under his searching gaze.
‘I know you’re capable of more than you have let your life become. You say you’re ready to change your life. Prove it.’
That was exactly what she was trying to do. She just needed one person to take a chance on her, to believe she could do a job without having recent experience to back it up. It slowly dawned on her that there was someone standing right in front of her completely willing to take that risk. And, actually, how awesome would it be to prove to him she was worth taking a chance on? Purely in a work capacity, of course.
‘Mikey’s going to think your moving out is a lot less a knee-jerk reaction to change if you do it sensibly and with thought,’ Jared added. ‘Like dipping your toe in the water with a temporary assignment that will give you money towards a place
