The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde Read Free Book Online Page A

rubbed her ear. She was in the office and had just had a very long conversation with a woman who was wondering why she’d had no offers on her house although she’d had a good number of viewings, so Bella had arranged to go over and talk to her about how to make her house more sellable.
    She was making notes on just how to do this when Nevil passed her desk.
    ‘Can you pop into my office for a moment?’ he said.
    ‘Business or pleasure?’ asked Bella with a twinkle.
    ‘Oh, you know me – always business! And now, please, I’ve got a lot on.’ But he gave her his charming smile, reminding her why she’d been so attracted to him in the first place.
    Bella had managed to put the drinks with Jane Langley and Dominic Thane to one side. She couldn’t help thinking about it, like a hand going to a sore place before you remember you shouldn’t touch it, but she had rationalised it all and concluded that she had done nothing to make Dominic angry, and so she must just put it out of her mind and get on with her life.
    Now she picked up a notebook in case it really was business and followed Nevil into his room.
    Unusually for him in the office he drew her into his arms. ‘So, how are you? We don’t seem to have seen each other properly for ages!’ he said.
    ‘You’ve been so busy! We both have.’
    ‘Then let’s go on a date! I’ll take you out to dinner somewhere nice.’
    ‘I’d love that!’ said Bella, remembering how much fun Alice had had with the man she’d met on the train. It had been like that when she and Nevil had first got together. Maybe it could be like that again. Maybe they’d go back to his house afterwards.
    ‘We have lots of catching up to do.’ He kissed her cheek.
    ‘Is that all you wanted to see me about? Arranging a date? You could have phoned!’
    ‘I wanted to do it in person.’ He kissed her again and then ran his hands over her body, ending with a squeeze of her bottom. ‘Hmm, definitely plumper than it was.’
    Offended but not wanting to show it, Bella wriggled out of his grasp. ‘So when would you like to go out?’
    He caught hold of her hand. ‘Tonight suit you? I’m very busy for the rest of the week.’
    He looked at her earnestly for a moment and Bella said, ‘Fine,’ and smiled. Just then the phone rang.
    ‘Oh!’ said Nevil. ‘I must take that.’
    ‘OK,’ said Bella.
    Nevil picked up the phone. ‘Hi there! Can you hang on a minute?’ Then he held the receiver to his chest and made shooing gestures to Bella. Slightly hurt, she left the room.
    Why was it that lately, just when she was beginning to feel as if she might fall in love with him completely, Nevil did something that niggled her? She’d been quite busy herself and it was a bit annoying to be summoned to his office when really he just wanted to ask her out. He could have done that at lunchtime – or even sent her an email or text. And he’d been so secretive. He never usually minded her overhearing his telephone conversations.
    She walked through the back of the office to the car park thinking. If she’d been completely in love with Nevil any opportunity for them to be together would have been welcome, however inconvenient. But was being in love a sensible condition for an adult in full command of their wits? Probably not. It certainly hadn’t done her any good in the past. That ‘in love’ thing was really a crazy obsession that meant you couldn’t do anything except think about the person you were fixated on. It was more like a horrible virus than an emotion. It didn’t help you make good decisions either and she could only be grateful that her morals meant going after a married man was out of the question. Otherwise she might well have made the most almighty fool of herself. So she wasn’t in love with Nevil in that crazy way, but was that a problem? She sighed. It was probably an advantage. What they had was based on sensible things like companionship and friendship. There was sexual