him and be normal. Not after the way he’d looked at her. And definitely not after the kiss that still haunted her.
She needed time away from him, that was the answer. Although, she ignored the nagging voice in her head that told her that seventeen years apart from him hadn’t made a huge difference to her attraction to him. This time she’d make it work. She’d erase him from her life. She’d go to Paris and teach herself all things Zen and meditate or something, she’d learn the huffy aloofness of Parisian women, she’d become sophisticated … and she’d come back immune to his generally annoying attractiveness.
‘Yes, you’re both right. Things got out of hand and it won’t happen again. You and I are off to Paris tomorrow, Jacob, so we can all put this episode behind us. When I get back things will very definitely be back to normal.’ She felt better already.
Jacob scraped his chair back and stood, signalling the conversation was coming to an end and that he now wanted them to act on their word. ‘Actually, Isabel, I need to talk to you about Paris. Unfortunately, something’s come up and I can’t go. I’m going to have to leave you to do the presentation on your own. I’m sorry.’
‘Oh. Okay.’ Not so bad. Paris on her own would be wonderful. Perhaps she could play hooky a little and do some sightseeing? Have a makeover?
Her boss scrutinised her reaction. ‘You’ll be fine, don’t worry.’
‘I’m not worried at all. It’ll be great. But I thought you wanted to schmooze the SCBU ventilator manufacturers for some discounted prices?’
‘I’m sure you can manage that just fine.’ He started to walk them both to the door. ‘And Sean will be on hand to help.’
Isabel screeched to a halt. ‘What? Sean? What?’
Sean looked as incredulous as she did. ‘What the hell …? Absolutely not. No way.’
Jacob shook his head to silence them. ‘I need two representatives over there to handle the schmoozing requirements and networking meetings. You’re both rostered on over Christmas when we’re short-staffed, and currently we’re a little top heavy—no one tends to take leave just before Christmas, it’s a vacation dead zone. So, it makes sense to send you together. I’ll have the documentation transferred into your name by the end of today, Sean, and a synopsis of who you need to speak with and when. Who knows? A little entente cordiale might do you both some good.’ Like hell it would. ‘Really, I don’t care. I just need two reps there and a harmonious atmosphere here. Got it?’
‘No.’ Isabel’s mouth worked before her brain got into gear.
‘No?’ Jacob stared at her.
‘I mean, yes.’ No. She couldn’t go with Sean. Four nights in Paris with her ex-lover who could heat her up with one look and freeze her bones with another. She needed space from him, not to be banished to a damned conference hotel with him. ‘This is—’
Ridiculous. Painful. Harmful.
So, so stupid.
But if they couldn’t sort it out amicably it would go down on their employment records—and who knew what else, a warning? No way. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her, so yes, they needed to sort it out once and for all. But that meant she was going to be stuck with him in the famous city of love with harsh memories and increasing desires and a whole lot of tension, trying to sort out a situation that was far from normal.
‘That is, if you don’t kill each other first. Now, I’m running late for another meeting, so if you’ll excuse me.’ Jacob’s word was final. ‘Play nicely, children. I’ll see you when you get back.’
‘WHO THE HELL has a symposium just before Christmas?’ Sean lugged his duffle bag onto the train, threw it onto the overhead rack and sat down opposite Isabel.
Angry as he was with the whole situation, he couldn’t help but note that she looked as pulled together as any self-respecting Delamere girl would be. A dark furtrimmed hat sat on her head, her straight golden hair flowing over her shoulders. A smattering of mascara made her green eyes look huge and innocent, and her cheeks had pinked up from the bitter north-easterly that had whipped around them as they stood on the Eurostar platform. A red coat covered her from neck to knee. At her throat was a chain of what looked like diamonds. They weren’t fake. He knew her well enough to be sure of that. She looked like an Eastern European princess rather than a doctor.
And, despite himself and the rage still swirling round his gut, he felt a pull to wrap her in his arms and warm her up. Damn it.
She barely took her eyes away from the glossy magazine she was reading. ‘It was originally planned for September, but had to be postponed because of a norovirus outbreak at the hotel the day before it was due to start. That’s smack in the middle of conference season so all the other appropriately sized venues were already full. This was the only time they could rebook it. So we’re stuck with it.’ Now she lifted her head and glared at him. ‘Like I’m stuck with you. But I won’t let that spoil my time in Paris.’
She was angry with him? ‘Whoa. Wait a minute. Let’s backtrack a little … you’re pissed with me because of what exactly? Because I don’t remember me keeping any secrets from you for the last seventeen years.’ The train was beginning to fill. People were taking seats further down the carriage, squealing about Christmas shopping, so yes, he knew this wasn’t the time or the place.
But she answered him anyway, her voice quiet but firm. ‘Sean, I apologised for that and I cannot do anything about it. You want to keep going over and over it, feel free but it won’t change a thing.’
Her eyes clashed with his in a haughty, assertive glare. She was not going to move on this, he could see. But he could see more than that too. He could see how tired she was. How much she was hurting. How the proud stance was a show. And he felt like a jerk. She’d been through a traumatic time and had achieved so much despite it.
And how she had him feeling bad about this whole scenario he couldn’t fathom.
Dragging a book from his backpack, he settled down. It would get easier, he asserted to himself, being with her. He’d get over the swing of emotions from anger to lust. He’d get bored of looking at her. Surely? He would stop being entranced by that gentle neckline, the dip at her throat where the diamonds graced the collarbone. He’d get tired of the scent … expensive perfume, he guessed, but it was intoxicating nonetheless, sort of exotic and flowers and something else. Her …
Now, where was he …? Ah, yes … neonatal emergencies … distraction therapy.
As the train jerked to depart she closed her magazine and gazed out of the window. Luckily the seats beside them were free; they had the four-berth area to themselves. ‘I’ve never been to Paris before.’
For a minute he thought she was talking to herself, then he realised it was actually an attempt at a civil conversation. Fine, they were in a public place. He could do civil just to get through the two-and-a-half-hour journey. But that would be as far as it went. ‘It’s a great place. I went a few years ago, when I did my gap year. I travelled around Europe for a bit.’
An eyebrow rose. ‘I didn’t know you did a gap year?’
‘There are lots of things you don’t know about me, Isabel. There are years and years of my life you know nothing about, and you’ve spent the last couple of months that I’ve been here running in the opposite direction whenever I’m around too. Hardly surprising you know nothing at all.’
‘I know.’ Tugging off her coat and hat, she plumped up her hair and looked at him. ‘I’m sorry. After what I told you yesterday you’ll understand that I just couldn’t deal with you being back in my life again.’
Guilt could do that to you, he mused. ‘And now?’
She