Page 2 of Fallen Roses

“This is Ana. She has replaced Rachel as the junior accountant. I hope you will make her extremely welcome.”

I glance at my fellow workers who nod and smile their welcomes.

“I’m David.” A man in a pinstripe suit stands and heads toward me. “I’m the manager of this section, and you will be reporting to me.”

I take everything in and note the way his gaze drags the length of me and the appreciative gleam in his eye irritates me rather than flatters, causing me to say coolly, “I’m pleased to meet you.”

He points to a woman in the cubicle behind me.

“This is Gretchen. She’s German and the most efficient woman in this building.”

I forgive his sweeping statement and offer her a rare smile because efficiency is something I most admire.

“I’m Ana.” I step forward to shake her hand and her curious gaze tells me she is assessing me and then she nods and says in a thick accent, “Welcome to The Rose Foundation, Ana. I am responsible for the public donations.”

“And I’ll concentrate on the corporate side?” I ask, although I already know the answer to that.

David nods. “And Eric over there is responsible for the payroll and general expenditure. So, you can see we’re a tight team, but we work hard and play even harder.”

The look he shoots me leaves me in no doubt of how hard he’d like to play with me, and I pointedly ignore him and smile at Gretchen.

“I hope you won’t mind me asking you many questions while I get to grips with how things work around here.”

She nods and then turns to her computer screen and sighs, an irritated gleam in her eye that has her tapping away on her computer in seconds.

Eric peers around the divide and grins cheekily. “I’m also available for information, although I’m most known for the best places to eat in town and if you love to gossip, I’m your man.”

David rolls his eyes. “Ana is here to work and not gossip, Eric. If you paid as much attention to your spreadsheets as you do the gossip pages, you would have my job by now.”

“I disagree.” Eric winks. “I’d be sitting where James Warner is now because there is not a man alive, or a woman, who is as clued up as me on gossip.”

David shakes his head as Miss Prendergast rolls her eyes and says, “Now you’ve met the team, I hope you stay long enough to fill out the many employment forms required by law that are waiting in your inbox. The details are in a folder marked induction on your desk top. If you have any questions, I’m in office three sixty, two doors down.”

“Thank you.” I allow her a brief smile and then place my purse in the filing cabinet and take a seat at my cramped desk.

She nods and turns to leave and as I stare at the blank computer screen, I prepare myself for the reason I’m here in the first place.

CHAPTER 2

JAMES

Why did I go out last night? It was unusual as I never socialize but the call from my brother changed my plans. I needed the bite of the whiskey to calm my frayed edges because where Dylan is concerned, there is more fray than edge right now.

I stare at the computer screen and attempt to engage in business, but my mind drifts to the only good thing about yesterday.

My mysterious stranger who offered me an escape I needed at exactly the right time, and I’m just annoyed that I didn’t get to finish the job.

She was certainly easy on the eye and I couldn’t fault her skill, except her stamina perhaps. It was probably best that she passed out because then I wasn’t required to make polite conversation before I made my excuses and left.

It is now merely a pleasant memory that did the jobof shifting my focus from Dylan and business, but now I’m right back where I started.

His name flashes up on my phone and my heart sinks.

“Dylan.” I’m abrupt as I attempt to get this one over with quickly, and the desperation in his voice makes my heart sink.

“Have you got the money?”

“No.”

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