The Boss’s Unconventional Assistant

by Jennie Adams

  ‘No, I guess not.’ Did he think indigestion was unmanly or something? Soph let him eat in peace after that and was pleased to see the colour come back into his face, but he had looked quite wan for a while there.

  Even so, when the meal finally ended and Grey sat back with a satisfied sound, she knew she had to at least let him catch up on the rest of his news.

  ‘I have phone messages from when you were busy with other matters this afternoon.’ His concentration had been absorbed while he’d worked on the Beacon’s Cove project, so she wasn’t sure if he had listened in on any of those calls. ‘There’s nothing urgent, but you’ll want to be informed.’

  ‘Perhaps we could do the physio stretches while you fill me in.’ He got to his feet as he made the suggestion and headed for the living room.

  Soph, perforce, followed and started the exercise routine as she recited the details of several calls from business people who had asked that Grey contact them.

  Grey nodded. ‘You’re right; there’s nothing urgent there. I’ll return the calls over the next couple of days.’

  ‘That only leaves three more.’ His stepmothers were persistent, if nothing else. Soph finished the exercises and sat back beside him on the two-seater sofa. ‘All your stepmothers phoned again today. Dawn and Sharon wanted your response on their urgent requests…for um…a cruise and a charter plane, and Leanna thought you should re-examine the size of their stipends. She said something about inflation. They all asked after your health again, as well.’

  ‘I’ll phone them…some time soon. Not tonight. I plan to have a long soak in the tub and turn in.’ He sighed and pushed up on to his feet. ‘I suppose you’ll insist I have sleep aids again.’

  He sounded very long-suffering as he said this, but Soph knew—he really wanted the incense and tea. They had obviously helped, even if he was too proud to say so. And he was choosing to get more rest.

  Would wonders never cease? ‘I’ll be happy to bring more incense and chamomile tea.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He turned and started towards the staircase. ‘I have appointments with my GP and a physiotherapist in Melbourne tomorrow. The first appointment is at ten-thirty. We’ll stay the night at my town house. You should have an early night as well so you’re fresh to do the driving.’

  ‘Oh, well, a trip to Melbourne will be nice.’ He really wasn’t the sort who blabbed out all his plans way in advance, was he? Soph could have done with some time to mentally prepare herself for a long car trip in his company. She tried to look on the bright side. ‘We can get to know each other better during the drive. For now, I’ll come up and run your bath.’

  ‘I’ll take care of the bath myself. If you’ll leave the incense and tea in my room, we needn’t see each other again until morning.’ He turned away as though he had already forgotten her existence.

  ‘I’ll put the tea in an insulated mug for you so it stays warm.’ Soph kept pace with him as he moved towards the staircase. ‘I can come in to see the doctor and physiotherapist with you tomorrow, if you like. Some people are squeamish about visiting medical people—’

  ‘I can manage my own appointments.’ He gritted the words through his teeth as he paused at the base of the stairs. The glance he cast her way threatened strangulation by remote glare if she said another word on the topic of assisting him.

  Soph suppressed the hint of a grin that wanted to escape.

  ‘Just see to it you’re ready to go in time in the morning. I don’t want any complications or last-minute problems.’

  It was then that Soph remembered there was a complication. He was outside, probably chomping grass and food pellets. How could she have overlooked the implications of an overnight trip?

  ‘There won’t be any problems.’ Guilty heat climbed her neck and settled in her cheeks. ‘Why would you think there might be?’

  She just had to work out how to make the Alfie situation not be a problem. Soph waved a hand towards the staircase. ‘Er, well, goodnight. I’ll bring the tea and incense while you’re bathing. I’ll be in and out of your room in less than ten seconds.’

  Though he cast her a frown, he dipped his head in acknowledgement and wrapped his hand around the balustrade. ‘Goodnight.’

  ‘Yes. Goodnight. Sweet dreams.’ Soph nodded. ‘I’ll see you in the morning, when I’m sure everything will be totally uncomplicated and calm and relaxed.’

  ‘Right.’ He gave her an odd look and disappeared up the staircase.

  Soph stood at the bottom and chewed her lip. She couldn’t leave Alfie here alone for that long.

  Some time between now and morning, she had to figure out what to do about a certain rescued pet!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  AT QUARTER to seven the next morning, Soph sat in her bed cuddling Alfred the smuggled rabbit. No great revelation had come to her in the middle of the night and she was somewhat…worried. ‘We just have to tell him, Alfie, because I cannot and will not leave you alone here for that amount of time.’

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed, aware that she should have said something to Grey before now instead of sneaking the rabbit in at night, but the moment had just never been right and then he’d made his sudden announcement that they were to stay overnight in Melbourne.

  He wasn’t keen on domesticity. Okay, he seemed to feel it was right up there with having teeth pulled, maybe worse. How could she subject Alfie to such negativity?

  Downstairs, the phone began to ring. Soph popped Alfie into his high basket and tugged her door across after her. It didn’t catch, but that wouldn’t matter. She hurried downstairs and snatched up the phone, remembering to give the usual businesslike greeting, despite the early hour. ‘Sophia Gable on behalf of Mr Grey Barlow; how may I help you?’

  A man apologised for phoning so early and asked if Grey was up and about yet. ‘I’m Charles Cooper, Grey’s doctor.’

  Soph’s hand tightened a little around the phone. ‘I can get him for you. Is it urgent? Is there a problem?’ She thought to add, ‘I’m Mr Barlow’s temporary assistant while he’s recovering from his injuries.’

  ‘Hmph. Perhaps the boy has some sense, after all.’ Dr Cooper cleared his throat in a noisy, blustery way. ‘No need to disturb him. I phoned to make sure he will be at his appointment today.’

  ‘He’ll be there. We’ve already made our plans.’ Most of them, except the bit where she explained the need to take a rabbit with them.

  ‘Good to hear.’ The doctor paused. ‘What do you think about his stress levels? Do you see any indication of improvement in that regard?’

  ‘Stress levels.’ Soph repeated the words while something hard lodged in the pit of her stomach. ‘I wasn’t aware of those.’ But it made sense. The pale face yesterday, Grey rubbing at his breastbone while she’d thought he had indigestion or heartburn…

  ‘Grey has history on both sides of the family that indicate he needs to take care and, right now, his blood pressure is up, along with several other issues that seem to suggest he’s pushing himself.’ The doctor said a few blistering words about Grey’s hard-headedness. ‘I delivered the lad, you know, and he’s been stubborn from day one.’

  ‘I can imagine that.’ Soph kept her tone mild, though she suspected her blood pressure might be climbing right now!

  ‘You said you’re his assistant.’ The doctor’s voice rose in question. ‘Don’t tell me he’s been working from there?’

  ‘Yes, he’s worked quite long days. Keeping track of his company takes all of his time.’ Long days that could only have harmed him. ‘I tried to slow him down—’

  ‘The stay in the country was to ensure he had a complete break from contact with work.’ Again, the doctor harrumphed. ‘I’ve talked to him about this.’

  ‘I see.’ And Soph did. She saw herself working like crazy to help her employer push himself into the ground, when apparently he had health issues he hadn’t considered worth a mention. Even when she had made it clear that she needed to look after him
in the right way.

  By his silence, he had actively stopped her from helping him.

  ‘My employer will be at your appointment, doctor.’ Did the words sound on the irritable side? Well, then, they matched Soph’s current mood. ‘I hope you’ll ask him how much time he’s invested in rest and recuperation. It could prove an interesting discussion for you.’

  Soph finished the phone call with the lovely, good, sensible doctor. It wasn’t his fault that her employer chose to dice with his well-being. She stomped up the staircase and fumed over the fact that she had worked her fingers to the bone since she’d got here, all to help Grey probably raise his stress levels even further than they had been. That was something worthy of her feelings.

  ‘Good morning. Did I hear the phone?’ The low rumbled words came from Grey’s opened doorway.

  She looked up and came to a halt. Bare skin, rumpled hair, sleepy eyes that watched her with interest and made her suddenly aware that she wore only a green spaghetti strap top and long floral pyjama pants with her hair a riot of unstyled mess about her face.

  Soph returned his examination. Looked at the expanse of his chest, the light dusting of hair, the overall appearance of a man who had just climbed out of bed. Even his feet looked appealing. Soph had never cared less about feet. She didn’t now. She was angry—nothing else!

  ‘You shouldn’t walk without the exoform support on your foot.’ She regained her stomp factor and used it to move towards him. ‘Where is it? I’ll put it on for you.’

  ‘The brace is in my room.’ He leaned behind him and used his good hand to push the door wide, but didn’t take his gaze from her. ‘You haven’t explained about the phone call.’

  It was irritation that made her blood heat, nothing else, certainly not being close to him, no matter what her early morning hormone levels might want to say to her.

  She didn’t care if Grey had just climbed out of that bed, either. No, sir. Soph did not care. She pushed past him, into his room, snatched up the brace and pointed to the rumpled bed. ‘Sit.’

  Only when he did and she had deftly and carefully laced and tied the brace without once thinking about the proximity of all that bare skin—not once—did Soph look up and meet his gaze again.

  He narrowed his eyes. ‘Why are you angry?’

  Oh, she was annoyed, all right, along with other feelings she couldn’t begin to sort out right now. She stuck to the anger part and let him have it.

  ‘The call,’ she informed him with slow conciseness, biting each word off before she spoke the next, ‘was from your doctor. He rang to check you’d be at your appointment today. I said you would be.’

  As she talked, she stepped away until she stood in the corridor, but only because if she stayed close to Grey right now she might pummel him.

  ‘What else did he say?’ Grey followed her, stalking after her. How could he seem to stalk when in truth he had no choice but to hobble? It was that blasted presence of his. Grey went on, ‘I can see in your face there was more.’

  ‘You’ve deliberately misled me.’ The accusation came straight out of her anxiety and anger. ‘I came here to care for you and help you get well and instead you used me to help you work like a madman.’

  Unable to stop herself, she moved towards him. ‘The doctor told you to get right away from your workload, didn’t he? Yet you’ve done the exact opposite and hauled it all here with you.’

  Why didn’t you trust me with your problems? All of them? Why wasn’t I good enough for that?

  ‘I have responsibilities.’ The muscles around Grey’s mouth tightened and his lips thinned. He took a step forward until they were almost nose to nose. ‘I’ve built that company up into what it is today. I have. I’ve every right to watch over it, and Doc Cooper had no business discussing my health with you that way.’

  ‘I suppose that’s true. I’m just the person hired to help you and care for you for the next few weeks.’ She jutted her chin at him and, no, she did not see any parallels between his absurd attitude and her own need to control any and all emotional entanglements.

  This was about his behaviour. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? I could have done so much more. The doctor said you have concerns in your family history that mean you have to be extra careful.’

  ‘My mother died young of a heart attack. My father followed five years ago from problems caused by living the high life for too long. But I’m not sick. Not in the way the doctor is worried about.’

  Frustration poured off him. ‘I’ve been nothing but healthy. The doctor is overreacting to a few readings he got soon after my accident that could have resulted from the shock of breaking my arm, the pain, anything.’

  Soph stared at the stubborn man and tried to hold on to her anger, but something stronger supplanted it. He didn’t say much about his father, didn’t seem close to his stepmothers, and couldn’t remember much of his mother. How much of his life had he spent feeling detached and maybe alone?

  Yes, she felt sad for him but she still felt hurt.

  Well, from now on she would tend to him in a very businesslike manner. Forget letting herself actually care.

  ‘Look, I know I’ve annoyed you.’ He rammed his hand through his hair, ruffling it into further disarray as he seemed to search for words. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t more open. I’m not accustomed to being helped.’

  Now he looked wickedly tempting and sorry as well as infuriating and upsetting and still… isolated somehow.

  ‘So you’ll let me help you properly from now on?’ she mumbled.

  ‘If you still want to, I’ll try.’ He spoke the words in a low, soft tone that felt like the stroke of a hand. Or, at the least, of a bear’s paw without the claws.

  Soph sighed as the remaining shreds of her anger dissipated. ‘I still want to.’

  Silence fell then and she slowly became aware of other things. The quiet huff of his breath in the stillness, the warm heat of his body…

  Her eyes widened and she looked up and gasped, because somehow the distance between them had all but disappeared as they’d had it out about his health issues. Now Grey watched her, his face tight as his gaze darkened and swept over her, caught her up with the strength of a physical touch.

  ‘This isn’t working, is it?’ His hand rose to clasp her arm.

  Just that simple touch shifted all through her. Soph’s hand followed the lead of his and pressed against the wall of his chest. He growled, but this time it wasn’t Bear Speak.

  Her heart rate doubled and her breath caught in her throat as she realized, He’s going to kiss me.

  She could have backed away, said or done something to stop him, but she didn’t. She waited. And then his lips were warm and sure over hers, determined and seeking and demanding all at once, and Soph kissed him back while sensations bombarded her.

  The satin of his lips against hers, the taste and texture of him and the low sound of satisfaction he made as their heads angled and the kiss deepened. His heart beat steady and sure beneath her fingertips. Warm skin and the masculine feel of crisp, curly hair burned against the pads of her fingers.

  His hand released her arm and rose to cup her face while his other arm wrapped around her back and drew her in, against his body. He didn’t seem to care that both his upper arm and the plaster cast were pressed to her.

  They kissed like that, body to body, soft full lips to firm silky ones, for long head-spinning moments until finally they drew apart just enough to breathe in, for their gazes to meet.

  The barrier of flimsy clothes between them felt like nothing. They could have been in polar suits on an iceberg and she still would have felt his heat and responded with her own. The strength of that reaction to him scared her, because she had kissed men but it had never been like this.

  Yet she had let it happen, had fully participated.

  Because you were curious, because ignoring it wasn’t working.

  Sure, and this had worked better?

  ‘I don’t know—’ What t
o do, how to react, how to respond to this intensity.

  ‘Neither do I.’ He pulled back and stepped away from her.

  ‘That was…um…it was unexpected.’ The heat, how quickly it had moved from curiosity to a demand that had all but swept her away. Had it affected him equally or did he see it as just another kiss, no big deal?

  ‘Unexpected, and not smart.’ His voice was gravelly, his face tight and leashed in a way that made her heart pound all over again.

  This had affected him. That conclusion made her feel powerful and pleased with herself when she shouldn’t.

  ‘No, it wasn’t smart.’ She had to agree. When her body caught up with her thought processes she would mean every word.

  ‘I usually have better control. I always have control.’ He clamped his lips closed.

  He would have that control again. Soph didn’t doubt it. Even now he was gathering himself, drawing his strength around him. He would use it to shut her out because he wanted to control himself far, far away from any interest in her.

  ‘I understand you probably wish that hadn’t happened, but I think it had to because we were both curious.’ She tipped up her chin, cool on the outside. ‘Now we’ve put that curiosity to rest. It won’t be repeated and we can get on with the working relationship we want.’

  ‘Yes.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘That’s exactly how I see it.’

  ‘I’d like to discuss our working relationship now, actually.’ Soph forced her thoughts in that direction by sheer effort of will. ‘I have some stipulations. Just so I’m sure we’re both clear.’

  ‘If you’re worried about this…’ His brows drew together. ‘What are the stipulations?’

  Not those. She knew he didn’t want this to happen again. ‘You agree to be honest with me about your health from now on and you take real steps to do what your doctor has asked of you.’ She needed that agreement from him—to satisfy her commitment to her work for him. If there were other reasons, she would sort them out.

  Unsettled, she pushed on, determined to at least convince Grey that their kiss hadn’t completely crumbled every rational thought from her mind. ‘I need to know you’ll let me do my job here.’