LITMIR.BIZ

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appointment with Charles means nothing if he figures there’s the least chance you might not be able to pay,’ Marcus told her. ‘And pay well.’

      ‘He has to see me,’ she repeated. ‘He’s my cousin.’

      Silence while they took that on board.

      ‘Charles Higgins is your cousin?’ Ruby asked, and Peta nodded. She didn’t look too pleased about it, though. In fact, she looked as if she’d prefer the relationship didn’t exist.

      ‘He is. Worse luck.’

      ‘But you have to make an appointment to see him?’ Marcus didn’t understand.

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘You’re running really late, Mr Benson,’ Ruby said warningly, but Marcus had heard enough.

      To say he disliked Charles Higgins would be an understatement. He detested the man. The word around town was that the man was utterly unscrupulous. He and his equally unscrupulous associates had rented office space here when Marcus had been in Europe; Marcus had been really annoyed that the man had been granted a twelve-month lease, and given the least excuse Higgins was out of here. He was trying to manoeuvre it now. But meanwhile… This girl would get nowhere with him. He knew that.

      So did Ruby. He could read it in her face.

      So, the best thing they could do for this girl was to clean her, feed her and give her a ride back to whatever cheap accommodation she was using.

      But…

      But.

      He’d hurt her. He’d made her life difficult when it was already impossible. He could see that. There was real desperation in her eyes.

      He knew enough of Charles Higgins to guess that the girl would be being screwed. He had no idea how—all he knew was that it was true. She was alone and bereft and he’d hurt her.

      She expected him to throw his assistant at her and leave her to face the wolves alone.

      Damn, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t.

      ‘Ruby, can you reorganise my afternoon?’ he said, and he said it as though every word was being dragged out of him. As if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

      Not seeing this deal through this afternoon might well cost him thousands. But it couldn’t be helped. When Marcus made a decision the decision was made—and his decision was made right now.

      ‘If you’ll set everything back a few hours, I’ll take Peta over,’ he told Ruby. And then, as his assistant’s eyebrows hit her hairline, he clinched it.

      ‘I’ll face Charles Higgins with her.’

      ‘You…’

      Marcus was left in no doubt of what she thought of him. She was still seated, with Marcus and Ruby speaking over the top of her. She was still—waif-like? Her mop of chestnut curls was tousled and wild, her freckled nose was completely free of make-up and that dollop of jelly was still there. And so was her antagonism towards him. Peta stared up at him and he thought ruefully that he might as well be Charles Higgins himself. Was it the suit? he wondered. Or the presence of his assistant? Tokens of power… Whatever, there was no doubting that she was looking at him with contempt, as if such an action as he proposed was just a figment of his imagination.

      ‘Why not?’ he demanded. He looked from Peta to Ruby and found their expressions matched. Both women were looking at him as if he’d lost his mind.

      ‘The project is important,’ Ruby murmured, but he thought he detected a trace of a smile behind her normally expressionless eyes.

      ‘I know. I’m trusting you to keep things on ice until I can take over again.’

      ‘And when will that be?’

      ‘A couple of hours.’

      ‘Let’s keep you clear until tomorrow,’ Ruby suggested and there was no mistaking the laughter now. ‘You might find ankle-fixing and clothes-shopping and lawyer-facing takes a bit longer than you think.’

      ‘Um… Maybe you can do the ankle fixing and the shopping,’ he said, suddenly uneasy. ‘Then I can take her in to see Charles.’

      ‘No!’ Astonishingly, Ruby shook her head in definite disagreement. ‘No, Mr Benson, I shouldn’t do that. This is a fine gesture on your part and it’d be unfair of me to take over.’

      ‘Ruby…’

      ‘Hey.’ Still seated beneath them, Peta was catching her breath. Catching her dignity. Sort of. ‘There’s no need for any of this. I told you. I don’t need help.’

      ‘If you need to face Charles then you need help,’ Marcus told her and Ruby nodded.

      ‘Take his advice, miss,’ she said gently. ‘You’re Australian?’

      ‘Yes, but…’

      ‘If I was in Australia, then I’d take your advice on your territory,’ she said. ‘But this is corporate America. There’s no one more at home in this territory than Marcus Benson. You put yourself in his hands and you’re putting yourself in the hands of an expert.’

      ‘I don’t want to be in anyone’s hands.’

      ‘You truly think you can get what you want without me?’ Marcus demanded and she faltered.

      ‘To be honest…’

      ‘To be honest, what?’

      ‘To be honest, I don’t think I can get what I want anyway,’ she admitted. ‘I was a fool to come. But I need to try.’

      ‘So if you’ve come all this way,’ Marcus said, his tone becoming gentler, ‘why not give yourself the best chance you could possibly have? Take my advice.’

      ‘Put myself in your hands?’

      ‘That’s right.’

      She stared up at him, bemused, and he gazed back down. Astonishingly, her eyes were bright and challenging. Her chin tilted upward, somehow defiant. She might look bereft but she certainly didn’t act bereft. She had spirit, Marcus thought appreciatively. And courage.

      It seemed she also had the sense to know when to concede. ‘Okay.’ She swallowed. ‘Okay.’

      Ruby beamed. Marcus Benson’s assistant, it seemed, was enjoying this. Enjoying this a lot. ‘You do exactly what Mr Benson says,’ Ruby told her, and Peta gave her a rueful smile.

      ‘I’m not much good at doing what anyone tells me.’

      ‘Then be tactful,’ Ruby told her and his assistant even had the temerity to chuckle. ‘Maybe it’ll be good for both of you. Okay. I’m off to save the world—or your deal, Marcus—while you two front the awful Charles. I know which I’d rather. Good luck.’

      ‘Um…do you employ her?’ Peta asked as Ruby disappeared down the fire-escape with an airy wave. Ruby had come to work this morning looking tired, but now she was practically bouncing down the fire-escape.

      ‘I acquired Ruby,’ he said, watching her disappear. ‘By accident. Sort of like getting hit by a bus.’

      ‘You really like her.’ Peta’s face had focused. All at once she seemed really interested. Her distrust backed off a pace.

      ‘I don’t do like,’ he told her. ‘I’m a businessman.’

      ‘So if Ruby threatened to quit…’

      ‘I’d raise heaven and earth to keep her,’ he admitted. ‘Of course I would. As I said, I’m a businessman.’

      First the ankle. Which she intended to ignore.

      ‘My ankle’s just a bit bruised. It’s no problem.’

      ‘Your ankle’s

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