Promoted to Wife? by Paula Roe Read Free Book Online

Potts Point, Emily still found herself thinking increasingly unprofessional thoughts during the lulls.
    She was worried about him. This thing with the Prescotts had gotten under his skin, affecting him in a way she’d never seen before. The most difficult of clients hadn’t elicited even half the reaction he’d given this.
    â€œWe’re here.”
    As Zac pulled up into a space, Emily’s gaze automatically went to the window.
    Building plastic and chipboard covered the ground floor. Leaning forward, her gaze went up…and up, and up. From what she’d read, the complex was twenty-five stories high, twenty levels of private apartments, a fourth-level gym and indoor pool, a laundry level, three more for businesses, and a ground floor restaurant, coffee shop and café.
    And Zac had put his faith in her to launch this to the Sydney public.
    â€œComing?” Zac was on the sidewalk, peering steadily in at her.
    â€œIt’ll be full-on getting it all ready by December.” She scrambled out, barely faltering as he rounded the car to take her bag.
    â€œYep.”
    â€œLong hours, late nights…” She smoothed her jacket then retrieved her bag from him.
    He nodded. “For a while, yes.”
    Irritation threaded her blood, her partly demolished wall teetering as one brick reappeared with a solid thunk. “I’ve drafted a preliminary list of requirements—staff, budget…”
    â€œSure. E-mail me when it’s finalized.” He swept one arm toward the service entrance. “They’re meeting us in the penthouse suite.”
    Emily straightened her shoulders and nodded. She’d said yes to this job, had given her word. It wouldn’t be forever. Even if she couldn’t get into Queensland University by second term, she’d still end up repaying Zac by then.
    You can do this. You’ve honed professional to a fine art. You’re an expert at focusing on work.
    And she would not stress about Zac Prescott.
    Â 
    As the Sydney team made their way through the freshly painted top-floor penthouse apartment, Emily studied them again, filing away their names and positions for future reference. Thestructural engineer, the acoustic consultant, the fit-out specialist. But it was Sattler Design, Sydney’s leading brother-and-sister interior design duo, that captured her attention. Steve and Trish Sattler were walking, talking ex-cover models—Steve with rangy good looks and artfully messy hair that only added to his urban sophistication. He was a perfect foil for Trish, with her long, glossy mahogany mane and big brown eyes that frequently focused on Zac with entirely too much interest.
    Zac, to his credit, didn’t pick up on that, instead conducting himself as professionally as always. She had to give him points for that, if not for the way he didn’t entirely discourage Trish’s overly friendly body language.
    Her boss was unlike any man she’d met: trustworthy, honorable, loyal. She actually liked him, which was saying something. He couldn’t help it if all those attributes oozed a “come here” aura that attracted women of all ages.
    She glanced up from the schematics just in time to catch Trish’s look. She was studying Zac’s profile with almost lustful relish, a small smile hovering on her lips. When she caught Emily looking, she merely raised one eyebrow, giving her a woman-to-woman smile. Without acknowledging it, Emily returned to the plans.
    Point proven right there. Another ex-girlfriend-in-training. She fielded a handful of those calls each week.
    From the twenty-fifth floor they went systematically down, addressing outstanding issues until they ended up in the plastic-covered foyer of a soon-to-be authentic Balinese restaurant.
    Meeting over, Emily shook everyone’s hand with a smile and a nod. From the corner of her vision she watched Trish approach Zac.
    â€œI just wanted to thank you for this