Page 9 of Without Regret

CHAPTER FIVE

Emma

By the time Trevor and Simon broke for lunch, I’d pulled myself together. I didn’t like surprises, but I’d adapt. So what? I’d met him at the gym yesterday after I’d made his sister cry. As far as first impressions went, it wasn’t my worst, I thought wryly. And so what if he was pretty to look at? I met plenty of men in this line of work who were easy on the eyes. But I made it a rule never to date a suit. Never. Ever.

“Emma, are the lunch reservations at Rios?” Simon asked as they walked out of his office. He’d sent me a quick message about an hour ago asking me to make them.

“Yes. They’re all set. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Newhall.”

I politely dismissed him, intending to have the office to myself during my lunch break. Perhaps I’d order those new shoes I’d been eying at Saks.

“Please call me Trevor, especially since we’ll be working together so closely over the next few weeks.”

Damn. He had a twinkle in his eye, knowing he’d backed me into a corner. Now I had to let him call me by my first name, so I wouldn’t look rude. He’d also effectively reminded me we’d be working side by side for the foreseeable future.

“Of course, and please call me Emma.” I hoped he wouldn’t, but I couldn’t avoid offering.

He grinned, the effect not dimming his hot factor.

“You want to join us for lunch, Emma?” Simon invited.

“Actually, I have other plans today.” Because he frowned, I amended, “But I’d love a raincheck.”

“Yes, I suppose there’s plenty of time for team lunches.”

I managed a small smile and gave Simon a look which said ‘do not, under any circumstances, make me go with you today.’ Luckily, he knew my ‘I’ll tell you later expression’ well enough to leave it alone. Besides, it wasn’t as though I’d been included in his initial plan for lunch. That had only supposed to include the two of them.

“Yes. Another time.”

“Oh, but before I go, I wanted to thank you.” Trevor’s smirk indicated he was up to something.

“Me?” What game was he playing?

“Yes, for checking on my sister yesterday at the gym. Especially after her awful first impression.”

Despite having absolutely no reason to be embarrassed, I could feel my neck heating. I hated him putting me on the spot in front of Simon. “Uh, happy to help.”

Now leave. Just go, and don’t say another bloody word.

“And the advice you gave her. Would you call that your ‘over-under strategy’?”

Getting over someone by getting under someone else. Bloody hell. She’d told him what I’d said? I didn’t have siblings, but I hadn’t expected her to confide something so sexual to her brother. “Yes, well, I suppose it’s more eloquent than other names I’ve heard.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her you said hello. In fact, she’s in town another few days if you want to get together. Just wait until she hears we’ll be working together.”

Shoot me. Shoot me now.

I threw a pleading look towards my boss, whose lips were twitching but who finally came to my rescue. “We’d better go before we’re late for the reservation. I’ll see you after lunch.”

Once they stepped into the lift, I expelled a relieved breath, grateful that ordeal was over.

***

“You met Trevor and his sister at the gym yesterday?”

I lifted my gaze from the computer to Simon’s incredulous eyes. After nearly two hours, he’d just walked back in from lunch. Thankfully, he was alone. “Not as though I knew who he was at the time I met them. She was crying, and I got caught up in it.”

“How?”

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