As the taxi sped towards Alex’s Darling Harbour address, Harriet pondered again the nature of said emergency. She hoped none of his family was ill.
When the taxi pulled up to the kerb outside Alex’s swish-looking apartment block, Harriet paid the fare, then climbed out, taking a few deep breaths as she waited for the driver to get her bag out of the boot. She no longer felt as nervous about this trip as she had the other day, but was not altogether calm. She’d spent an inordinate amount of time last night putting her wardrobe together for the two days, opting for smart casual, though at the last second she’d thrown in a dressy dress, in case Alex wanted to dine at the resort’s à la carte restaurant.
Of course that had meant adding the right accessories to the growing pile of clothes.
‘Going on holidays, love?’ the taxi driver asked as he dropped the rather substantial bag by her feet.
‘Something like that,’ she replied.
‘Hope it’s somewhere a bit warmer than this,’ he said jauntily as he climbed back in behind the wheel and sped off.
It was a bitterly cold morning, Sydney having been blasted by some air off the Antarctic overnight. Still, it would be warmer where they were going. Harriet had chosen to wear stretch black jeans for the drive, teaming them with black ankle boots and a cream cowl-necked jumper made of the softest mohair. She’d thrown on a fawn trench coat to keep out the early morning chill but which she would remove once they were underway. Alex’s car was sure to be heated.
Pulling out her phone, she sent him a text to say she’d arrived.
Wait there, he texted back. I’ll be right out.
Harriet was shivering by the time Alex pulled up next to her in his black Range Rover. She regretted not wearing a scarf; wearing her hair up was giving her no warmth around her neck.
‘Get in,’ he said as he jumped out. ‘You look cold. I’ll see to your bag.’
Harriet tried not to stare at him. But she’d never seen him in casual clothes before. He always wore a suit in the office. He looked great in a suit. In stone-washed grey jeans and a black leather jacket, however, he looked too hot for words. His fair hair was still wet from the shower, the top spiked up a bit, the sides and back clipped short. She liked it that way. It was dead sexy, supplying an added edge to his already macho looks.
Harriet forcibly had to drag her eyes away, her heart alternatively flipping over, then sinking as she wrenched open the passenger door and climbed in.
And there I was, she thought irritably, imagining I had this attraction under control.
* * *
Hell on earth, thought Alex as he scooped up the bag and threw it in the back.
He’d taken one look at Harriet standing there, staring at him with those big brown eyes of hers, and he’d known for sure that this thing he felt for her wasn’t a one-sided attraction. Alex was well versed in recognising the way women looked at him when they fancied him. And Harry fancied him. But possibly not as much as he fancied her. He was a man, after all, and she was seriously fanciable, especially in those sexy jeans and boots.
By the time Alex took his seat behind the wheel, his resolve not to act on the desire Harriet kept sparking in him was very definitely wavering, especially with her betraying her own feelings just now. Of course, his being her boss still created an ethical dilemma. Such relationships were definitely frowned upon, despite being quite common. Not always ideal, however. Inevitably, there came a time when the woman wanted more. Harriet would always want more. He wouldn’t be doing her any favours by taking advantage of her, especially at this time in her life when she was on the rebound and emotionally vulnerable.
Hell, hadn’t he been through this thought process before?
He’d already made up his mind to steer clear of her and that was what he should do. End of story. So just be your normal, bossy self and for pity’s sake keep your hands off! Then when you get back to Sydney tomorrow night, go out and find yourself a new girlfriend. With a bit of luck, by the time you go to work on Monday your head will be out of your trousers and back on business!
* * *
Harriet forgot about taking off her coat, buckling up the seat belt over it and propping her large black handbag in her lap whilst doing her best to adopt a relaxed facade. But inside, that tension which she’d been fearing was gathering with force, making her jump slightly when Alex gunned the engine.
‘You seem to have packed a lot for one night,’ he said as he drove off.
Harriet managed a casual shrug of her shoulders. ‘I’m never sure what clothes to take, so I always take more than I need.’
‘It’s a common female trait,’ Alex said. ‘When I took Hailey to Vanuatu for a long weekend, she had so much luggage I had to pay for extra baggage.’