Masquerade by Nicole Flockton Read Free Book Online Page A

lower car park. As she looked through the closing doors, she saw Alex standing and watching and brooding.
    By first sleeping with him and now walking out, had she blown her promotion once again?

Chapter 4
    Sophie threw her bag on the hallway table and wandered over to her couch, sinking into the butter-soft leather cushions. The view of the sparkling river and city skyline lay in front of her. It did nothing to soothe her nerves like it normally did after a tense workday. All she saw was Alex’s handsome, muscular body kneeling at her feet, his capable hands holding hers.
    She was in so much trouble.
    How could she have let herself get involved with a work colleague again? Hadn’t she learned her lesson last time? If she was truthful, the situation wasn’t the same. When she’d slept with Alex, she’d had no idea he would end up being her boss. With Neil, she’d known exactly what his job was, and how it tied in with hers. What she hadn’t known was his I’ll-sleep-with-whoever-I-can-to-climb-the-social-ladder attitude. What a fool she’d been.
    She clenched her fists against the rage building inside of her. She had dealt with those feelings, push them aside as they no longer mattered. She wasn’t going to let them consume her like an evil poison. Her situation with Alex was completely different. She knew who he was now. He was a professional colleague and that’s how she’d deal with him. Just like she’d dealt with the previous ED director before he’d retired. She would tell him so when she saw him next. Let him know in no uncertain terms that what happened New Year’s Eve was in the past and would not affect the way she worked with him. They would create a professional, working relationship and nothing more. Together they would ensure the emergency department ran without any hitches and without any tension between them.
    And keep dreaming, sweetheart, an annoying voice in her head stated. If Alex offered you another night, you’d definitely consider it.
    She pushed that voice aside. She would not succumb no matter how much she wanted to. It would be career suicide and she didn’t think she could possibly handle another failed attempt as NUM. She could kiss her career goodbye if that happened. She would make it work, she had to.
    Her mobile ringing was a welcome distraction from her thoughts. She pressed the answer button.
    “Hello?”
    “So tell me everything.” Phoebe’s excited voice sounded down the line. Truly the last thing she needed was an inquisition from her best friend, but if she handled it now, then hopefully she wouldn’t have to deal with it again.
    “There’s nothing to tell, Phoebs. I sat next to Alex at the New Year’s Eve gala, he came over to the table and you met him.”
    “You mean he never mentioned that he was working at the hospital?”
    “No, Phoebe he didn’t. We didn’t really talk much that night.” Sophie was hoping that Phoebe would stop asking questions, unfortunately her friend wasn’t like that at all.
    “So you didn’t hook up with him, at all?”
    It was the one question Sophie hadn’t wanted asked. She felt bad keeping her night with Alex from her best friend, but Alex was now in her working life. She wanted to keep the memory of their special night together completely to herself.
    “Why would I? He was a complete stranger that night. As I said, we sat together and that was it.”
    “Nice try, Soph, but I’m not buying it. I almost got burned from the looks he was sending your way.”
    Sophie gave a dry laugh, “It was probably annoyance, thinking he was stuck with an airhead as a NUM.”
    “But you are no airhead, Sophie Franklyn, so stop thinking that way,” Phoebe paused before barreling on. “You know Alex could be a nice little distraction for you. You know, help you get back into the game after your split with Mr. Sleaze Bag.”
    Sophie’s heart rate galloped into overdrive. She hadn’t given anything away had she? She hadn’t exuded