In the Market for Love Read Free Page B

him again. She hadn’t come here for him. She was here for the campaign.
    H e couldn’t accept the campaign on a whim, because of an infatuation, because of a woman. That was no way to make professional decisions. He ran a business, not a charity, for goodness’ sake. He didn’t make decisions based on the flutter of eyelashes.
    “ I take it you’ve formed an opinion,” Rachel said.
    He had to turn down the project.
    Would he never see her again?
    “Well,” she said, “are you going to take on the campaign?”

Chapter two
     
    Rachel detected a glint of playfulness in Jake’s eyes, and that only increased her agitation. What was he playing at? How could he take this so lightly when she’d put so much work into the campaign?
    He held her gaze. “The agency has done lots of pro bono work over the last couple of years and we can’t possibly take them all on. We’ve done our bit for the community. That’s for sure.”
    “Please go on,” she said .
    “But your project is different. Tell your boss we’ll take it on. Pro bono of course.”
    She heaved a sigh of relief and Samantha’s face lit up visibly. They hadn’t expected an advertising firm the calibre of Agency 66 to manage the campaign gratis but that’s exactly what he was saying. Rachel pushed aside her questions about what differentiated their project from the others and took a moment to enjoy the result.
    “Thank you for your kind offer,” she said. “We were hoping you’d say that.”
    How on earth was she going to manage a stable business relationship with these two men? Marcus was clearly an ideas man and seemed good at his job but had little discretion. Meanwhile Jake was strong-willed and arrogant.
    One thing was for certain, she was going to have to stick with business when it came to Jake. She couldn’t let him sweep her into a storm as he had when they’d first met downstairs. She didn’t want him rattling her organised world.
    Rachel retrieved her burgundy suede handbag from the foot of her chair. “We’ve got to get going.”
    “Please have another coffee,” Jake s aid. “Or do you have to get back to work?”
    “There are other things in life than work.”
    She had to leave work early that afternoon to baby sit her two nieces but didn’t think two savvy advertising men like Jake and Marcus needed to know about her child care duties. She’d found when working with men it was simpler to stick to the business at hand.
    “I’ll leave Jake to show you ladies to the door,” Marcus said. “I’ve got another appointment.”
    Interesting. He was the last to arrive and the first to leave.
    Rachel strode ahead of Jake and Samantha through the reception area to the agency’s front door. She pulled the brushed aluminium handle on the glass door as hard as she could but it didn’t budge so she pulled on it again with all her weight.
    “There’s a little trick to t his,” Jake said.
    The release button clicked and the door opened with gusto. Her hands slipped from the handle and she tumbled backwards. Straight into Jake.
    He had one hand on the small of her back, the other on her arm as he st eadied her. His grip was firm, his hands lingering slightly longer than they needed to. What’s more, she liked it though she definitely should not have.
    Then he shook her hand, enveloping it with both of his so she felt the warmth of his skin. She wondered how it was possible for a mere handshake to hold so much promise.
    “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know that would happen .”
    “Perhaps you should be more careful,” she said. “Or I might start to think you’re harassing me. First the car park, now this.”
    He raked a hand through his hair, his expression serious. “Ah, the car park. Not the most pleasant of places at the best of times. I think the gentlemanly thing for me to do is to walk you ladies to your car.”
    She smiled. “There’s no need for you to act the gentleman. I wouldn’t want you to go to all that