The Glass House
Page 33
He didn't reply.
"You left me a note to come and see you . . . in the middle of a bunch of flowers . . ." She cleared her throat. Talk about hypocrisy; the man forbade her from seeing clients on personal time, and yet he made no effort to hide his own blatantly inappropriate, inter-office affections. Yet, double standards were by no means atypical for Hamish.
"I did," came a response.
Ana cleared her throat. "Well, thank you, Sir." She stepped forward and gently placed the envelope on his desk, hoping he wouldn't hear her as she did so. Ana would have been perfectly happy to sneak back out, and wait for him to read it before he called her back in to question and most likely, insult her. She refused to stand there whilst he read it, which he would definitely make her do if she didn't leave before he turned around. "It was very kind," she added, as she stood back up.
"Is that your resignation letter?"
Ana closed her eyes. The chair spun around and she heard the familiar, and mildly annoying, creak of the damn thing.
"There's really no need," he said.
She opened her eyes; it was time to face up to what she'd been hyping herself up to do for the last three days. She nearly fell over when she saw Brayden James sitting there with his hands folded on top of the desk, in his suit, looking right at her. She readjusted her weight from one foot to the other, folded her arms, looked behind her, then turned back at him.
"If you leave, I'll have no one to run my company."
Anabelle's mouth was still open, and she blinked several times. "Your company?" was all she could manage. There were a lot of questions that sprang to mind, but that was the first one to shoot out.
"Yes. I flew to Greece and met the owner. She's a lovely lady, and she didn't take kindly to hearing how Mr. Seagram treats his employees, or his clients. I promised her Tweed Events would be a better company if someone else ran it. Then I made an offer she couldn't refuse."
"When?" She forced a laugh. Her arms were still crossed. Brayden James was sitting in her nightmare-boss's chair, behind his desk, being his usual insanely attractive self, and he just said he had bought Tweed Events Co. Not likely. Had the plane landed? Was it a crash landing?
"Last Sunday," Brayden said, standing up out of the chair. Definitely not a crash landing, he was really walking toward her. Now Ana was really about to fall over. He walked around the desk, and right over to her. His suit was killing her. Navy blue with thin white pinstripes. Her favourite. She swallowed.
"Why?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
Brayden stared at her as he gently rested his hands on her shoulders. "Because I love you." Then, against his better judgment, his scripting, and without even asking – he kissed her. Brayden moved his hands from her shoulders up to gently cradle her face, then breathed in every part of her as they pressed closer to one another. He didn't open his eyes, and Ana wouldn't close hers; she wanted to make sure it was really happening. There was nothing to distract them for the full fifteen minutes it took to make up for the three months of supressing that kiss. It was long, drawn-out and just as meaningful as she'd imagined kissing him for the first time would be.
He left a final kiss on Anabelle's cheek, then stood back to look at her. "Can you ever forgive me?" he asked.
"For what?" She searched his eyes.
"For not pursuing you." His reply was heartfelt regret.
Ana's eyes glossed over. "What happens now?"
"Now, I believe we are courting."
The End.
Glossary of English Expressions for American Readers
Strop: having a sulk or tantrum
Rocket: [in the context of food], another name for arugula, a strong flavored lettuce
Git: stupid, incompetent, jerk
Patent shoes: patent leather, high-gloss dress shoes.
Bloody: borderline swear word, used for emphasis, exclamation or surprise. An English expression that should only be used by the English.
Foie Gras: considered a delicacy, it is specially prepared goose or duck liver. It may be served whole, or served as a mousse or parfait, or pared with another food, such as steak.
Wanker: an insult used to describe someone who exhibits egotistical, self-indulgent behavior.
Numpty: a silly idiot
Snogging: heavy kissing, but only kissing.
The £3 million rose: it took 15 years of intensive breeding to produce this exquisite rose, which is one of the most popular for weddings and special events.
Bella Bryce
I started writing of my own accord when I was 13 years old; a fictional world of rules and discipline which I hid behind to escape a broken home and trauma. Now in my mid-twenties, I'm still writing, but now I'm not escaping anything . . . rather bringing to life beloved characters and plots that have been with me for a very long time. My first proper book, "The Solicitation," was written during the first few weeks of living in the Mid-Atlantic region after my husband and I were seconded here from England in 2013.
My stories must have a direction and a guiding inclination of some kind. They won't always be romantic or have happy endings, but they will challenge readers to look at themselves and reflect on their own behaviour, thoughts and belief systems. And I always include personal circumstances and memories in my writing, but those that are fact from fiction shall remain undisclosed.
Visit her blog here:
http://authorbellabryce.weebly.com/
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The Solicitation, Waldorf Manor Book One
The Shortlist, Waldorf Manor Book Two
The Courting, Waldorf Manor Book Three
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Glossary of English Expressions
About the Author
Blushing Books Newsletter
Blushing Books