Elizabeth Harbison - Plain Jane Marries The Boss

“You really saved my life tonight.”

Jane’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t think that’s true.”

Trey took her hand in his. “It’s true and I won’t forget it. But at the moment I’m more concerned about what it will take to convince my secretary to be my fiancée for just a little bit longer.”

Tiny shivers ran up Jane’s bare arms, though whether it was from his touch or his proposition, she couldn’t say. “You could just try asking her.”

“Would you be my fiancée, Jane?”

Elizabeth Harbison has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. After devouring the Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon series in school, she moved on to the suspense of Mary Stewart, Dorothy Eden and Daphne du Maurier, just to name a few. From there it was a natural progression to writing, although early efforts have been securely hidden away in the back of a wardrobe. Elizabeth lives in Maryland with her husband, John, and daughter Mary Paige, as well as two dogs, Bailey and Zuzu. She loves to hear from readers and you can write to her c/o Box 1636, Germantown, MD 20875, USA.

EMMA AND THE EARL

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

He entered the office humming. Humming! After all the stress he’d been under in the past couple of months, the pensive silences and long hours burning the midnight oil? Jane Miller couldn’t have been more surprised if her boss had carried a lamp post to swing himself around.

“Tonight’s the night, Jane.” He smiled broadly. She loved his teeth. Even, white teeth, made more charming by a slight crookedness in his smile.

In his French-tailored charcoal-gray suit, which Jane had noticed long ago picked up a light in his gray eyes and made his glossy dark hair look as black as pitch, he looked every inch the distinguished executive. Terrence Breckenridge III. Not many people were regal enough to carry such a name, but it fit Trey like a fine leather glove.

Most of the people in the offices of Breckenridge Construction said he should be a movie star. Jane agreed that he had the looks and the charisma to draw millions of fans, but she also knew he would never be interested in that sort of fame. Fortune, yes, but fame, no. He was too private for that. It was one of the things that attracted her the most about him during the five years she’d worked as his administrative assistant.

“Tonight’s the night,” he said again, and reached down to pull her out of her chair, whirling her around in what was probably a good imitation of Fred Astaire dancing with a coat rack.

“I—I have an important message for you,” Jane said stiffly, fixing her glasses and trying to regain her balance. Truthfully, though, her wobbly knees had more to do with his proximity than the fact that he was whirling her around the floor like a top.

“A message.” He pulled her close, as if to begin a tango. He smelled wonderful, she noticed—clean as spring but with a vague hint of sultry autumn—and the warmth of his body aligned with hers made her dizzy with excitement. “What’s the message?” he asked dramatically. He was joking with her but his mouth was so close to her ear that his low voice sent tremors down her spine.

She pulled away gracelessly, afraid that if she didn’t get some distance quickly she might try to get closer and make a real fool of herself. “One if by land, two if by sea,” she said with a smile, but her voice was thin with nerves. She smoothed back strands of her long auburn hair which had come loose from the heavy braid she wore down her back.

He clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Really, Jane, you’re going to have to start getting my messages to me sooner. That one’s already in the history books.” He smiled again and cocked his head toward his office. “Come on in, and have some coffee.”

She took a steno pad and pen off her desk. “As long as I bring it myself with a cup for you too, right?”

“Isn’t that part of a secretary’s job?”

“Administrative assistant.”

He lifted an eyebrow persuasively. “Girl friday?”

“Administrative assistant,” she said again, but she couldn’t help smiling.

“Ah.” He nodded. “In that case, can I get you a cup of coffee?” He started toward the machine across the room. “How do you take it? Just cream?”

A flush of pleasure washed over her. He knew how she liked her coffee. That tiny fact made her feel almost giddy. Immediately, she pushed the feeling away, remembering what she had to tell him. She glanced at her desk, at the While You Were Out…message pad. Dread niggled in the back of her mind. She wasn’t sure how he’d feel about this.

As well as she knew him, as thoroughly as she could predict his reactions in business, she had never been able to figure out his emotions or private life. Heaven knew she’d tried.

He was humming again. She hated to stop him, but there was no time to waste.

“Trey, seriously, I have a message for you.” She swallowed. “From Victoria.”

He stopped and was very still. Without turning around, he said, “Don’t tell me she’s canceling,” in a tone that suggested this would be a major calamity.

Jane fought the disappointment she felt at the fact that he cared so much. Thanks to the sheen of nervous perspiration on her face, her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose and she pushed them back hastily.

He turned to face her and she knew she must be a terrible sight compared with the mental picture of Victoria he undoubtedly had right now. “Look, Trey, why don’t we go into your office so I can explain?”

“Tell me she’s not canceling on me tonight,” he repeated, the blood draining from his handsome face in an almost cartoon-like fashion.

Her heart beat a furious rhythm. She couldn’t believe she had to say this to him. She heaved a shuddering breath. Five years. For five years, nearly six, she’d wanted nothing more than to be with Trey, romantically. Not only had that not even come close to happening, but now she had to break up with him for someone else! “I’m afraid it’s worse than that.” She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. Just say it, she told herself. Get it over with. “She’s…she’s getting married.”

Trey stared at her in apparent disbelief.

“To someone else,” Jane added, unnecessarily.

“What, tonight?” Trey said at last. His tone was steeped in incredulity. “She’s getting married tonight?”

“Yes.” Jane took a steadying breath. Trey and Victoria had been going out together for exactly six months, one week and three days. Surely he had had an idea that there was someone else in Victoria’s life. “She said to tell you that someone named Bill had finally asked her and she wasn’t taking any chances by waiting and letting him change his mind.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “She’s waited three years for this guy—couldn’t she wait one more night?”

“You know about him?”

“Of course. Bill Lindon from Cosbot Technologies. Very big fish in a big ocean.” He gave a dry laugh. “She’ll make a good socialite.” His face darkened. “Which was exactly what I wanted her to do tonight.”

Jane’s heart, which had been pounding furiously, suddenly seemed to stop. “What do you mean? You’re not upset that she’s getting married, just that she’s doing it tonight?” Her heart rose. That she should feel hopeful at the idea that he didn’t love Victoria was as silly as a teenager being hopeful that a rock star was available. But she was hopeful nevertheless.