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with one direct stare.
Thankfully, Zoe seemed to cotton on to the need for secrecy and nodded in return.  Yep, that s me,
the numero uno BFF.
Zoe downed the rest of her cocktail.  Who at this very minute has a date at the day spa. She
slipped off the barstool.  See you later, kiddos. Behave.
With a wink and wave, Zoe sauntered away, drawing the appreciative stares of every guy in the
place.
Allegra elbowed Jett in the gut, grinning at his oomph.
He released her to rub at his stomach.  What was that for?
 For staring at Zoe s ass.
He was too smart to refute it.  You already know I m a red-blooded male. No harm in looking.
She stood, turned, and laid a hand on his shoulder.  If you want to look at something, I ve got
something to show you.
 Have you now? His arm slid around her waist and tugged her close.  Because you know I m up
for checking out whatever you have to show me, but it ll have to be later.
It was then that she noticed his chinos and long-sleeved button-down white shirt. Casual work
attire, not island play attire.
 You ve got a meeting?
 Uh-huh. Kai Kahuna rang me, and wants to get together for a quick chat.
Allegra s heart stopped. At least, that s what it felt like, before it kick-started with a ka-thump and
started racing at a million beats a minute.
Surely Kai wouldn t divulge the competition to Jett. Not possible, considering that s not how
business worked in the advertising world, but for the agonizing moment she d contemplated it,
Allegra couldn t breathe.
This would be so much easier if she could tell him the truth. All of it. How she d changed her pitch
to not compete directly with his. How she wished they could both get what they wanted. How for the
first time in her life she was enjoying relinquishing control a little albeit in the bedroom and
relishing an intimacy she d never had.
But she couldn t say any of it so she patted his chest.  No worries. You go work, and we ll catch
up later.
 You sure? A shadow darkened his eyes.  Feels like you re sitting around at my beck and call,
waiting for whatever scraps I can dish out when I have the time.
Blown away by his thoughtfulness, Allegra cupped his cheek.  I m under no illusions as to what
this is. A fling that s mutually beneficial for us both while it lasts. Her palm shifted and she savored
the rasp of stubble against it.  So don t feel guilty about working. Do what you have to do.
She stood on tiptoe to brush a kiss across his lips.  And when you re done, I ll be waiting.
His gaze locked on hers and what she saw snatched her breath: admiration tinged with something
more she dare not identify for fear of reading too much into it.
Jett was transient, a rare moment of unadulterated pleasure in her otherwise ordered world, but
seeing the depth of emotion in that one revealing stare had her questioning her own belief system in a
way that terrified her.
He cleared his throat and stepped back, the intimacy of the moment broken.  Okay, I ll see you
later.
As she watched Jett stride away like he had a demon on his tail, Allegra knew she hadn t imagined
their connection, and it obviously scared him as much as it did her.
They couldn t get emotionally involved. It wouldn t end well.
With an aborted marriage tainting her personally and her business on the skids affecting her
professionally, no way in hell would Allegra complicate her life with an emotional entanglement she
didn t want or need.
But what if it was too late?
Chapter Six
After a particularly tough day at the office, Jett would head down to Bondi Beach with Reeve and
grab a few beers or hit the surf. It had become a ritual, a way of celebrating after they scored a new
client, and then became their usual Friday afternoon wind-down. Jett would look forward to it, when
the two of them would don wetsuits, grab their boards, and surf the tensions of the week away.
And there had been tensions. Came with the advertising territory. Clients who approved layouts
then changed their minds at the last minute. Clients who demanded their portfolio come first, ahead of
the rest. Clients who blamed them when their product didn t sell.
Yet somehow, despite the constant job stresses, working with Reeve had been fun. Their friendship
made working alongside each other easy. Not that they never disagreed, but they always managed to
shelve their differences by the end of the day and move on the next.
Business-wise, they d created some serious magic, boosting the profile of hundreds of Aussie
companies and products. It was the reason their agency became sought after in a glutted market, and
how they d built their profile so quickly.
Their first client, a lucrative Aussie food brand, had launched their name and soon businesses had
been beating down their door. And not once in the ensuing years had Jett suspected his partner and
best friend was screwing him over.
When Reeve s duplicity had first come to light, he d refused to believe it. But Jett had always been
nothing if not a realist and once he d accepted he d lost almost everything, he set about rebuilding his
business. He d also surfed for a week straight, but all the waves in Bondi hadn t cleared his head.
He hoped he d have better luck today, as he waded into the ocean and eased onto his board.
Catching a wave or two might soothe the yips. And he had the yips, big time. Since that run-in with
Allegra at the bar a few hours ago, he d been a mess.
Thankfully, he d managed to hold it together for his meeting with Kai, who d wanted to give him
some updated info he d given the other candidates, and had appeared professionally logical. But the
moment he d walked out of that meeting and headed to his room, Jett had lost it.
Stalking from one end to another like a caged feral beast, alternating between swearing and shaking
his head, edgy and uptight and more than a little scared.
Hearing Allegra articulate what their relationship entailed casual, fleeting, no strings should ve
made him feel good. Guilt-free sex with a classy woman who didn t seem to mind being at his beck
and call. But hearing her say the words and seeing the yearning expression on her face had been a
startling contrast that he was sure mirrored his own confusion.
Hearing her calmly state the obvious terms of their fling hadn t sat well with him, not at all, and it
had been bugging the shit out of him ever since.
He didn t want a relationship. Was no good at them. Yet having the option removed from the
equation somehow made it seem more appealing. And that s what scared him. He didn t do emotions.
He didn t do complications. Starting up anything with Allegra: one giant frigging complication.
Not that he d ever done it, but long distance would suck. Pointless. A fruitless exercise in restraint
and cold showers and jerking off. Especially when he d have the memory of being buried deep in
Allegra to taunt him. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]