Seduced By The Boss. Kate Hardy

mind.’

      ‘The girl who broke your heart? The one you worked with?’

      He gave her a sidelong glance. ‘Fishing, Bella?’

      ‘No—but I can hardly ask you straight out about it, can I? You’re not exactly approachable.’

      ‘My past isn’t any of your—’ he began, then stopped, knowing that he was being completely unfair to her. ‘Sorry. That was rude and unkind. Especially as you’ve just given up your whole weekend to do me a favour, and I’ve already treated you badly. I apologise unreservedly. And you have the right to stamp all over me in spike heels.’

      ‘Spike heels?’

      ‘Your “three strikes and you’re out” rule. I’ve broken that several times.’

      ‘That’s bravado,’ Bella said, sounding sad. ‘I don’t really stomp on people.’ And he felt even guiltier when she added, ‘Besides, you’re right. Your past isn’t any of my business.’ She sighed. ‘Did you hear everything I said to your mum?’

      ‘Only from when she asked you if you were my real girlfriend pretending to be my pretend girlfriend.’ He gave her another swift look. Guilt was written all over her face. ‘Is there more I should know about?’

      ‘I told her that you’re Insurgo’s heart—and joining the family firm would break your spirit and make you resent them instead of loving them and being exasperated by them as you do now.’

      If Hugh hadn’t been driving, he would’ve closed his eyes in horror. ‘We never talk about that sort of stuff.’

      ‘I think you might do, in future,’ Bella said softly. ‘But, as I said earlier, I understand if you want me to resign.’

      ‘Right now,’ Hugh said, ‘I think the best thing would be if neither of us said another word until we get back to London.’

      ‘OK,’ Bella said, and lapsed into silence.

      Which made Hugh feel even more mean and guilty. He knew she’d said everything with the best of intentions. But his head was in a whirl. Bella Faraday knocked him seriously off balance, and he didn’t trust himself to say what he really meant. He wasn’t even sure what he really felt, other than being completely mixed up, so it was better to say nothing.

      It didn’t help that he could still smell her perfume, and that made him remember kissing her in the orangery last night. That kiss—and what had happened afterwards—was something he really couldn’t dare to repeat. So it was better to put a little bit of metaphorical distance between them. Wasn’t it?

      Finally he pulled up in the road outside her flat. ‘I’ll see you to your door.’

      ‘There’s no need,’ Bella said. ‘Thank you for the lift. And I won’t ask you in. Not because I’m being rude, but because I’m sure you’re busy. And, tomorrow morning, when we’re back in the office, this weekend never happened.’

      ‘Agreed,’ he said.

      Even though he didn’t see her to the door, Hugh waited until she’d closed her front door behind her before he drove away. That was the very least he could do. And as for the damage to their working relationship... He’d better hope that he could fix it. Because the only way he could keep Bella in his life was as a colleague—and he didn’t want to lose her.

      What a weekend, Bella thought as she closed the front door behind her.

      She changed swiftly into a more comfortable—not to mention demure—pair of jeans and a normal T-shirt, and bustled about sorting out things in her flat. There was a message on her phone from Grace.

      Give me a ring when you’re back and let me know how it went xxx

      Yeah, right. Bella rolled her eyes. She could hardly admit to her sister what she’d done: slept with her boss, gone completely off brief, interfered and told his mother the truth, and then had a huge row with Hugh. Even though he’d apologised, she still hated the fact that he thought he couldn’t trust her. Maybe his ex had broken his ability to trust, the way Kirk had broken hers; but it still hurt that he could think of her in that way. Did he not know her at all?

      So she left it until late in the evening to text a reply to Grace: Just got back. That was stretching a point, but it was only a tiny fib. Too late to call. That bit was true. All fine. That bit might not be true. But she hoped that Grace wouldn’t push her for more details—and that things would be OK in the office tomorrow. That she and Hugh could pretend that nothing had ever happened. Because, otherwise, she’d be looking for another job.

      And, if she left Insurgo, it wasn’t just the job she’d miss.