Promoted to Wife? by Paula Roe Read Free Book Online Page A

wonderful opportunity, Mr. Prescott,” she began, a wide smile on her perfectly made-up mouth.
    â€œZac, please.”
    â€œZac.” She practically purred out his name. Emily narrowed her eyes as she checked her phone messages.
    â€œSattler Design’s reputation precedes you, Miss Sattler.”
    â€œTrish, please.”
    Trish, please, Emily mentally mimicked, scrolling through her calls with single-minded intent.
    â€œAre you free for dinner? Steve has another client, but I thought you and I could discuss the finer points of our brief, to get a firm handle on what you really need.”
    Oh, please. Emily nearly rolled her eyes at the double entendre but noted that Zac had pulled out his phone again.
    â€œNo, I think everything’s looking pretty good at this stage. Emily?”
    â€œSorry?” Emily blinked innocently as both sets of eyes fell on her.
    â€œDo you have any issues you need to raise with Trish?”
    Yes. You’re only one in a long line. She smiled and shook her head. “Not right now. But I’m sure we’ll be talking later.”
    She watched Zac shake hands, thanking them for coming. The look on Trish’s face didn’t crack, but Emily knew the woman was reconnoitering, already working out another way to achieve her goal. It was a familiar dance, one that had begun as an amusing weekly anecdote she related to her sister. But now it had slipped from amusing to tiresome. Especially since…
    She pulled herself up short with a frown.
    Especially since you kissed him?
    Yes.
    He was talking to her and she was nodding, giving the outward appearance of actually listening. But inside her heart pounded, her blood racing at breakneck speed while her brain buzzed annoyingly.
    Okay. So this is just a physical thing. You’ve been celibate for close to two years. Of course you’re reacting to the first man who’s shown any interest in you since…Jimmy.
    Ooh. Bad comparison.
    â€œEmily? You okay?”
    A hand on her shoulder stopped her thoughts. She blinked up at Zac, at the concern in his eyes. Expressive olive eyes designed to make short work of a woman’s will.
    A pulse of irritation spread through her belly and she quicklyjerked her jacket back into place. The stiff collar suddenly chafed.
    â€œJust thinking about Point One. It’s…different from your usual.”
    â€œThere are only so many mansions you can build before you need a bigger challenge,” he answered with a smile, pulling open the glass doors for her.
    â€œTrue. A challenge is good.”
    He slid in the car after her, clipping on his seatbelt. “You up for it, Emily?”
    His eyes mesmerized her, part amusement, part determination. Suddenly the air in the car got way too warm.
    â€œYes.” Her voice came out way too breathy. Her cheeks heated as his lips spread into a grin, and she quickly coughed, warmth swamping her limbs. “Yes,” she added more firmly. “I am.”
    â€œGreat.” With that devilish smile still in place, he shoved on his sunglasses and started the car.

Five
    â€œD inner at six downstairs.” The note had been pushed under her door, signed with a large “Z” at the bottom.
    She’d planned on eating alone in her room, going over the files and refining her action plan, not sharing an intimate meal with Zac. No, not intimate. A working dinner. They’d talk business like they had a hundred times before. There’d be schedule discussions, costings, launch ideas. There would be no hand-holding, no seductive looks, no footsie under the table.
    Just work.
    Ignoring that tiny swoop of disappointment, she walked firmly into the dining room at two minutes to six, shoulders back, eyes straight ahead.
    The Harbour Kitchen & Bar was prime waterfront dining, with floor-to-ceiling folding glass doors and an open-plan kitchen so the diners could watch their meals being prepared by the chef. Its clean