Anna Cleary - Do Not Disturb

‘No. I didn’t promise that,’ he said coolly. ‘I’ve never said anything like that.’

Mirandi’s heart started to thump out an unpleasant drum roll. Wasn’t this the old familiar scene? How well she knew the female part, having played it herself. The more emotional and extravagant the distressed woman, the cooler, more controlled and inaccessible the man. All that female emotion. So inconvenient.

That impulsive moment when she’d actually flirted with the possibility of opening up her heart to Joe Sinclair died. Thank heavens she hadn’t. Embarrassed about intruding any further into his private life, she stood up and started to edge towards the door. But catching sight of her, he held up his hand.

‘No, stay there.’ His gaze locked with hers and he said quietly, ‘Please.’ Then he walked away into another room to deal with his call.

She stood there on tenterhooks. Should she stay, or should she go and end this intriguing and unlikely conversation, in which it sounded as if Joe was actually prepared to open up and give his take on their past relationship? Though she could see how risky it would be, with the potential emotional fallout. Still, the temptation to stay and hear what he had to say was tantalising, to say the least.

She truly wasn’t straining her ears, but every so often she couldn’t help overhearing snatches of his conversation from the study.

‘I’m not… why I have to explain…’ His voice had taken on an ominous crispness. ‘Business, pure and… As it happens my assistant isn’t—Oh? Why’s that?’ He gave a harsh laugh. ‘Certainly I do… Well, I wouldn’t expect her to sleep on the street.’ After an extended silence, she heard his voice again. ‘That’s not how I want to play it, Kirsty.’ Another silence, then, ‘Well, if that’s… I think you’re probably right. Yep. Yeah.for the best.’

There was something very final in those last few phrases. Mirandi might be an absolute fool at understanding men, but she could tell when one was cutting a woman loose. And she could remember how it felt.

Looked as if poor Kirsty had crossed the line, just as she had ten years ago. Was Kirsty in the same situation? Begging him to know how he felt. If he felt.

She felt a wave of disillusionment. For a minute there he’d almost had her convinced. The more things changed.

Inside his study Joe dropped the phone with an angry grimace. The sheer enormity of the woman, attempting to dictate terms to him now about the trip. He wondered, not for the first time, if her father had put her up to it. The fact that the old man had a seat on the MPI board… Could the old manipulator have enlisted his daughter as a means of keeping a check on Joe’s meetings in Monaco?

Fuming, he was about to call the devious old devil when the phone rang again. He snatched it up, ready to deliver a few sharp words, but this time it wasn’t Kirsty.

‘Oh, Joe.’ Tonia’s voice purred down the phone, and he relaxed and allowed the anger to drain out of him. ‘About Stella’s replacement—what about that new girl, Mirandi? Her office still hasn’t been decided and Ryan’s EA comes back next week, anyway.’

‘No, no, Tonia. Not possible.’ Hell, that would open a can of worms.

Although. Would it necessarily?

‘Ah-h-h… Leave it with me,’ he said quickly. ‘I’ll think about it and get back to you.’

He replaced the phone very gently in its cradle. No, no, no. He couldn’t do it. Out of the question. Though…well, certainly it would provide a neat system solution. He could see the appeal from Tonia’s point of view. Business in the office would tick over as usual without anyone being disturbed.

But it was far too dangerous. Fraught with risk. Dynamite in what it could unleash. Possibilities flashed through his mind, some of them quite scintillating, but he thrust those away. No rational man would ever open that door again.

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