LITMIR.BIZ

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some nonentity waster. I’m a real person with real feelings, Max. I tried to make this work—you have no idea how hard I’ve been trying—but I guess this is just life’s way of telling me that I’m done here in London.’ She threw up her hands and took a deep shaky breath. ‘After all the work I put into building myself a career here that I was so proud of—’

      Taking in the look of utter frustration on her face, he felt his anger begin to drain away, only to be replaced with an uncomfortable twist of shame.

      She was right, of course—he had been really unfriendly and probably very difficult to work with, and she was clearly dealing with some testing personal circumstances, which he’d made sure to blithely ignore.

      He frowned and sighed heavily, torn about what to do next. While he could do without any extra problems at the moment, he couldn’t bring himself to turn her away now he knew what she was dealing with. Because, despite it all, he admired her for standing up for herself.

      * * *

      Cara willed her heart to stop pounding like a pneumatic drill as she waited to see what Max would say next.

      Had she really just shouted at him like that?

      It was so unlike her to let her anger get the better of her, but something inside her had snapped at the unfairness of it all and she hadn’t been able to hold back.

      After spending the past few days using every ounce of energy keeping up the fake smile and pretending she could cope with the punishing days with Max on so little sleep, she’d hit a wall.

      Hard.

      The mix of panic, frustration and chronic tiredness had released something inside her and in those moments after she’d let the words fly she had the strangest sensation of the ground shifting under her feet. She was painfully aware that she’d probably just thrown away any hope of keeping this job, but at the same time she was immensely proud of herself for not allowing him to dismiss her like that. As if she was worth nothing.

      Because she wasn’t.

      She deserved to be treated with more respect and she’d learnt by now that she wasn’t going to get that from Max by meekly taking the insults he so callously dished out.

      At her last place of work, in a fug of naïve disbelief, she’d allowed those witches to strip her of her pride, but there was no way she was letting Max do that to her, too.

      No matter what it cost her.

      She could get another job—and she would, eventually—but she’d never be able to respect herself again if she didn’t stand up to him now.

      Her heart raced as she watched a range of expressions run across Max’s face. The fact that he hadn’t immediately repeated his dismissal gave her hope that there might be a slim chance he’d reverse his decision to fire her.

      Moving her hands behind her back, she crossed her fingers for a miracle, feeling a bead of sweat run down her spine.

      Sighing hard, Max ran a hand through the front of his hair, pushing it out of his eyes and looking at her with his usual expression of ill-concealed irritation.

      ‘I’m guessing you became homeless on Friday, which is when the mistakes started to happen?’ he asked finally.

      She nodded, aware of the tension in her shoulders as she held her nerve. ‘I spent all day on Sunday moving my furniture into storage. I’ve been staying with my friend Sarah and her boyfriend ever since.’

      ‘But that can’t carry on,’ he said with finality to his voice.

      Swallowing hard, she tipped up her chin. ‘No. I know. I’ve tried to view so many places to rent in the last week, but they seem to go the second they’re advertised. I can’t get to them fast enough.’

      He crossed his arms. ‘And you have nowhere else to stay in London? No boyfriend? No family?’

      Shaking her head, she straightened her posture, determined to hang on to her poise. She wouldn’t look away, not now she’d been brave enough to take him on. If she was going to be fired, she was going down with her head held high. ‘My parents live in Cornwall and none of my other friends in London have room to put me up.’ She shifted uncomfortably on the spot and swallowed back the lingering hurt at the memory of her last disastrous relationship. ‘I’ve been single for a few months now.’

      He stared back at her, his eyes hooded and his brow drawn down.

      A world of emotions rattled through her as she waited to hear his verdict.

      ‘Okay. You can stay here until you find a flat to rent.’

      She gawped at him, wondering whether her brain was playing tricks on her. ‘I’m sorry—what?’

      ‘I said—you can stay here,’ he said slowly, enunciating every word. ‘I have plenty of spare rooms. I’m on the top floor so you could have the whole middle floor to yourself.’

      ‘Really?’

      He bristled, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling and letting out a frustrated snort. ‘Yes, really. I’m not just making this up to see your impression of a goldfish.’

      She stared at him even harder. Had he just made a joke? That was definitely a first.

      Unfolding his arms, he batted a hand through the air. ‘I’m sure it won’t take you long to find somewhere else and until then I need you turning up to work fully rested and back to your efficient, capable self.’

      Her eyes were so wide now she felt sure she must look as if she was wearing a pair of those joke goggle-eye glasses.

      He was admitting to her being good at her job too now? Wonders would never cease.

      But she was allowing these revelations to distract her from the decision she needed to make. Could she really live in the same house as her boss? Even if it was only for a short time.

      Right now, it didn’t feel as though she had much of a choice. The thought of spending even one more night in Party Central made her heart sink. If she turned Max down on his offer, that was the only other viable option—save staying in a hotel she couldn’t afford or renting a place a long way out and spending her life commuting in. Neither of them were appealing options.

      But could she really live here with him? The mere idea of it made her insides flutter and it wasn’t just because he was a bit of a difficult character. During the week and a half that she’d known him, she’d become increasingly jittery in his presence, feeling a tickle of excitement run up her spine every time she caught his scent in the air or even just watched him move around his territory like some kind of lean, mean, business machine. Not that he’d ever given her a reason to think she was in any kind of danger being there alone with him. Clearly, he had no interest in her romantically. If anything, she’d felt it had been the total opposite for him, as if he didn’t think of her as a woman at all, only a phone-answering, data-sorting robot.

      So she was pretty sure he didn’t have an ulterior motive behind his suggestion that she should stay in his house.

      Unfortunately.

      Naughty, naughty Cara.

      ‘Well, if you’re sure it won’t be too much of an inconvenience to you,’ she said slowly.

      ‘No. It’s fine,’ he answered curtly. ‘We’ll have to make sure to respect each other’s privacy, but it’s a big place so that shouldn’t be a problem. All the rooms have locks on them, in case you’re worried.’

      Her pulse picked up as a host of X-rated images rushed through her head.

      Slam a lid on that, you maniac.

      ‘I’m not worried,’ she squeaked.

      He nodded.

      ‘And your girlfriend won’t mind me staying here?’ she asked carefully.

      ‘I don’t have a girlfriend.’

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