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Jarrod’s gaze dipped, trailed over her shoulders and lower, and came back to her face. ‘You looked stunning.’
Molly should remind him that she didn’t fit in, or play down his praise, but instead she couldn’t concentrate on anything but his nearness, and how much she wanted his kiss as his hazel eyes darkened and intent came into his features. Instead she said, ‘I’m…glad you liked the dress.’
‘I liked it a lot.’ His fingers crushed the soft fabric against her skin as he cupped her shoulders. His knee touched hers as he turned more fully towards her. And then his hands were on skin alone—shoulders, back—in the lightest touch that still managed to hold her.
‘Why did I never see you?’ He whispered the words, as though if he spoke them aloud the spell would be broken. ‘Why can’t I stop seeing you now?’
Molly wanted to be seen. Oh, she did. And she wanted his kiss. And at last his lips came down to cover hers.
Australian author Jennie Adams grew up in a rambling farmhouse surrounded by books, and by people who loved reading them. She decided at a young age to be a writer, but it took many years and a lot of scenic detours before she sat down to pen her first romance novel. Jennie is married, with two adult children, and has worked in a number of careers and voluntary positions, including transcription typist and pre-school assistant. Jennie makes her home in a small inland city in New South Wales. In her leisure time she loves long, rambling walks, starting knitting projects that she rarely finishes, chatting with friends, trips to the movies, and new dining experiences.
Jennie loves to hear from her readers, and can be contacted via her website at www.jennieadams.net
Dear Reader
Sometimes it takes a transformation for us to see what’s been in front of us right from the start. That’s how it is for Jarrod Banning when he draws Molly Taylor deep into his world to help him sort out a problem—and ends up creating some problems of a whole other kind for himself.
Molly is a special heroine, with a unique kind of family. They’re all about fairytale dreams as a harmless means of escape from their very ordinary lives. Molly wants only to keep her feet on the ground for everyone, and she’s done a good job—despite working for a ‘dream boss’ for the past three years. She’s rather concerned when the rules suddenly change!
I hope you enjoy visiting sunny Queensland with me—the real bits and the fictitious bits—as Molly and Jarrod’s story unfolds.
Love and hugs from Australia
Jennie
PROMOTED: SECRETARY TO BRIDE!
BY
JENNIE ADAMS
For Laura Hamby,
with thanks for the sanity-saving IM chats, the
daily doses of ‘And Today’s Whinge Is’, the title
brainstorming, Cupid, the e-card, the secret spook and
the many M&Ms—especially the peanut butter ones.
Consider yourself publicly outed for niceness above
and beyond the call of duty!
CHAPTER ONE
‘THAT’S a very generous invitation, Mr Allonby.’ An invitation that took geek-girl Molly Taylor completely by surprise. She wanted to assure the man there was nothing wrong with her boss’s business whatsoever. There couldn’t be! And yet the man sounded so sure.
Molly’s gaze moved past him, to the view outside the fourteenth-floor windows of the Brisbane office that housed Banning Financial Services. The Australian sky was as bright a blue as ever, the buildings in the cityscape as tall, the river area below as wide and calm.
Yet a few words from this stranger and Molly’s cheerful, all-but-perfect world—if you ignored the few niggling things that weren’t so perfect about it—didn’t feel quite so bright and secure after all.
What if Allonby was correct, and Jarrod’s business was in deep trouble? Allonby was offering her a job, but nothing could compensate for having to walk away from her boss.
‘You’ve taken me by surprise.’ She turned back to face the man, smoothed a few strands of dark-brown hair back into the ponytail that had a tendency to slip its moorings when she least expected it. One long, slim finger pushed her funky black-framed glasses farther up her nose as she stared at the middle-aged man.
‘I’m sure what you’ve heard must be some sort of mistake.’ It had to be. Molly’s boss loved the challenge of investing enormous amounts of money in complicated portfolios for a diversity of wealthy clients, and he was really, really good at it.
‘I can only assure you what I’ve been told came from reliable sources.’ Though they were alone in the middle of what was both Molly’s office and the reception area for the business, her boss was only a closed door away from them.
A fact Peter Allonby must have considered, because he leaned forward and lowered his voice. ‘Even billionaires can get into difficulty. They simply have more at stake if that happens.’
‘Ah, well, I’d guessed millions, actually.’ And this was not a topic for open discussion either way. ‘I’m afraid I know very little about my boss’s finances,’ Molly said primly.
Oh, she knew of the Banning family wealth. Everyone had heard of the long-established Road Ten furnishings. And Molly knew her boss had worked in the family business for some time before striking out on his own. He had told her that much of his history when he’d employed her, but as for his own business situation now—could he be in difficulty? It seemed absurd, but, if he was, how and why?
Molly met Allonby’s gaze. ‘Could you tell me who gave you this information?’
The man cleared his throat. ‘I learned of it from several different people among my society associates and colleagues.’
Not an original source, by the sound of it, nor one he would divulge, but of concern anyway.
Allonby dipped his head. ‘My interest right now is in securing your services if the opportunity arises to do so.’
‘That’s very flattering, though I’m not sure why you would want me “sight unseen”, so to speak.’ A few short steps took her to her desk. She plopped into the seat and laid her hands on the familiar wood surface.
‘I like to keep my eyes and ears open. I’ve heard Banning mention his satisfaction with your skills.’ The man murmured it as though in enticement.
All Molly heard was that her boss had praised her. Her heart suddenly churned with all sorts of silly feelings, the greatest of which was a completely out-of-proportion pleasure that Jarrod had mentioned her at all.
Settle
