Rival Attractions & Innocent Secretary

‘You did very well.’ Kasumi smiled. ‘Your Japanese is improving.’

‘A bit,’ Luca agreed. Walking to his desk and seeing Emma’s slightly rigid lips, he turned back to the screen, catching Kasumi’s waiting eyes again as thick heat flared in Emma’s throat. ‘Saifu o otoshimashita,’ Luca said, and Kasumi started to giggle. ‘Isha o yonde kudasai,’ he added, to Kasumi’s obvious delight, and Emma was appalled at the prickles that rose on the back of her neck, at her indignation at their obvious flirting while she was in the room. Well, she wouldn’t show it, of course; instead, she poured his water and checked that the meeting was being recorded, as no doubt Luca offered promises of dinner and breakfast in bed on his next trip to Japan, or whatever it was that was making Kasumi giggle so.

Still, the skittish giggles from the, oh, so professional Kasumi soon faded as her boss entered the room, but it was Emma’s cheeks that were still flaming even after she discreetly left the meeting room.

‘Everything okay?’ Evelyn checked as Emma collected some files for the rescheduled HR meeting.

‘Everything’s fine,’ Emma said, forcing a smile, only everything wasn’t fine. She was unsettled, restless—angry even—and she didn’t want to acknowledge why. Taking her chair in the meeting, she eyed the pale pink blooms of an impressive display of orchids—Luca’s choice of flowers for the week—her teeth grinding against each other as she choked on that alien emotion. It was jealousy that had flared when he had spoken with Kasumi, and it had no place in her life.

He was a rake, a born flirt, a serial heartbreaker and a self-confessed playboy. He’d crush her in the palm of his hand. Well, Kasumi was welcome to him—they all were. She’d been right to say no to his ridiculous offer. If she accepted it, well, her job would be as good as over. Whatever Luca had implied about nothing sexual happening between them while they were away, Emma didn’t believe it for a second. And Luca didn’t like looking at his mistakes afterwards. Evelyn had warned her of that from the beginning.

Yes, she’d been right, but then why at night did she lie there thinking, wishing it could be different, wishing she could pluck up the courage to say yes?

* * *

Her head buzzing from the HR meeting, she returned to find several personal calls that needed to be returned—and not one of them brought her joy.

The interested vendor that had been through her house at the weekend had put in a bid—on a different house.

And, though he insisted he wanted to help, her brother Rory had just found out that his child maintenance to his ex-wife had been increased, so, sorry, no, he couldn’t.

‘Rory!’ Emma snapped. ‘We agreed when we chose this home for Dad that we’d cover the fees between us until the house sold!’

‘That was before we found out how much of a mortgage Dad had on the house. Look, Em, even if the house does sell, it’s not going to keep him there for ever. He’s only in his sixties. I’ve been talking with the boys and maybe we should look for somewhere cheaper…’

They’d do it, too.

As Emma hung up on her brother, she knew without a doubt that they’d do it—would move him from a home where he was, for the most part, happy, if it meant they could get their hands on some cash.

And then the nursing home rang to say that her father had been asking for her all morning.

‘He’s fine,’ the nurse assured her. ‘Just a touch anxious…’

‘Look, I know I haven’t been in as much recently.’ Emma closed her eyes in exhaustion. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to.’

‘We’re not trying to make you feel guilty,’ the nurse said. ‘You asked that we keep you up to date, and though he is confused, well…he does notice that you’re not visiting as often as you were.’

‘Tell him that I’ll be in soon,’ Emma said.

‘Can I tell him when?’

They didn’t mean to make her feel guilty—except guilty was exactly how she felt.

And at times it was completely overwhelming.

She pressed her fingers into her eyes in a bid to stem the tears, stem the urge to just throw in the towel, to let her brothers sort out the mess. To stop caring about a father who had treated her so poorly in the past.

When the house did sell, she’d be homeless. Oh, the profits from the sale would cover the overdue fees of the home, but it was the backlog of debt that was giving her nightmares.

‘Problem?’ Emma jumped, unsure how long Luca had been watching her.

‘Not at all…’ She forced a smile. ‘The meeting went well; I’ll write up a report and get the information to you.’