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 I m very proud of you, she said softly.  And I hope that you someday realize that you re not this
monster you ve painted yourself to be. You re just a man.
The man who I love.
But the words clung to her throat.
 I took your advice about Eldon, too. Hunter folded his hands on his desk. She noticed his
knuckles were white, as if he were gripping his hands tightly despite his casual pose.
Oh, no. Did he fire his assistant-slash-butler? Now she felt bad.  He s very loyal 
 He s a cranky old bastard, Hunter admitted.  But yes, he s very loyal. He s also elderly and has
family in the west. I gave him a very large retirement bonus as thanks for his tireless work, and I
suggested he visit his daughters for a time. And I hired some additional staff at Buchanan Manor. It s
rather . . . quiet lately.
She inclined her head back to the main room.  Maylee s not exactly what I had in mind when I
suggested you hire a new assistant.
To her vast amusement, he grimaced.  Maylee is a . . . problem.
 She seems like a sweet girl.
 That is the problem. Hunter sighed and rubbed a hand over his mouth.  When I had Eldon call the
agency, I told them to find me someone pleasant. She s very pleasant, he said in a sour voice.  But I
feel I should have been more specific. She s not good with computers. Or phones. Or the copier.
A giggle escaped her throat.
He gave her a vexed look, seemingly aggrieved.  Yesterday, she set up a meeting for a client and
then didn t tell me about it because she couldn t find her sticky note. I was extremely . . . annoyed.
 Oh, no. What did you do?
 I suggested she use the computer to keep my schedule instead of Post-it notes.
Gretchen thought back to the sea of yellow sticky notes on Maylee s desk.  And what did she say?
 Nothing, he said in a pained voice.  She cried.
 What did you do?
 What else could I do? I gave her a raise.
Gretchen burst into laughter.  Really?
He looked aggrieved.  This is her first job since leaving Arkansas and no one else will hire her
because she is a hick, as she likes to tell me. I can t fire the poor girl simply because she s
unorganized.
 You big softy, Gretchen teased, her heart swelling with warmth.  Maybe you should hire an
assistant for your assistant.
 Maybe so. His gaze moved over her with obvious pleasure.  You look beautiful.
She shivered at the husky tone of his voice. He looked so delicious that she wanted to crawl across
the desk, start kissing him, and never stop. She forced herself to look at the gigantic windows instead.
 Forgive me, Hunter said in a tight voice.  I m not trying to make you uncomfortable. Did you see
my invitation?
She glanced at him in surprise.  I haven t been by work yet. You sent me an invitation?
His nod was short.  Today s flowers came with an invitation to a charity fundraiser scheduled for
this weekend. A ball. It s at Buchanan Manor.
Her eyes widened and she sat on the edge of her chair.  You re hosting a charity ball? Are you
serious? Who are you and what have you done with Hunter?
Hunter gave her a patient look.  I was approached because the venue that the charity ball had
originally been scheduled for cancelled on them. They were desperate. It seemed like the polite thing
to do.
Polite had never bothered him before, though.  What should I wear?
His eyes warmed at her question.  Something formal. I m told there will be dancing.
 Do you plan on dancing with me?
 If you ll be my date.
 Oh, you just want me to be your date because I put out, she said in a teasing voice.
His face flushed an angry red and he jerked to his feet.  I m sorry you think that of me.
And just like that, their easy banter ended. Gretchen felt a moment of sadness. She d messed it up
this time, and it was clear from Hunter s stiff posture that the moment had vanished.
 The invitation is yours if you want it, he told her in a cold voice.  Feel free to decline with no
obligations. It was meant as a friendly gesture.
And she d killed it. Clearly if she was going to bring them back together she d have to be the one to
do it.
 I ll think about it, she lied.
Chapter 15
When Gretchen s taxi pulled up to Buchanan Manor several days later, she did a double take. She
knew that having the charity event at the house was a big move for him, but it took seeing the throngs
of people and the endless line of limos curving up the driveway to impress into her mind just how
much of an effort he was making.
She smoothed her little black dress nervously. He d made an effort. Had she done enough? She
pulled out a compact and checked her hair. Her upsweep so different from her normal messy
ponytail still looked perfect thanks to Audrey s help, and she had a yellow rose tucked behind one
ear. It was the only accessory she wore, and she hoped it was enough. Her dress was plain since she
didn t have the money in her bank account to buy something. But she d had a dress in the back of her
closet that was simple, but elegant. It was a black dress with tight, elbow-length sleeves, shirred
sides, and a boatneck collar. It made her red hair stand out, and she knew Hunter liked her hair.
Staff in white shirts with black ties opened the doors to the house to let her in. Had he hired more
staff only for the party? Or was this a new change? She thought she recognized a few of the women
wandering the room with trays as the housecleaners, but she didn t approach them for fear of making
them uncomfortable. Instead, she mingled with the crowd and scanned the room. Buchanan Manor
looked as gorgeous as ever, but it was unnerving seeing it full of guests. She was used to seeing the
rooms empty and silent.
Oddly enough, the house no longer felt lonely.
As she pushed through the throngs of people, a woman whirled past her with a tray and then turned.
 Would you like a hors d oeuvres oh, Gretchen! Hello! She broke into a smile.
 Brandy, how are you? Gretchen smiled back at her. She recognized the maid from her excursions
into the cleaning wings. Brandy was fond of Gretchen s banana nut bread and always talked about
how much her children enjoyed Gretchen s cooking.
 Busy, she said, offering Gretchen a fig-covered confection from her tray.  But happy. There s
been lots of changes in this house in the last two weeks. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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