Page 91 of Breaking the Ice

“She says you’re miserable.”

Samantha stopped eating again.Goddamn it, Bec. She knew her sister’s heart was in the right place but sometimes she didn’t know when to butt out. She went into mom mode and tried to fix things. Things that weren’t hers to fix.

What else had she told him?

“Bec should mind her own freaking business.”

“Is she right?”

Samantha shrugged. “I’m having a tougher time adjusting than I thought, that’s all.”

He didn’t say anything for long moments, just narrowed his eyes, looking her up and down. And not in anI’ve-missed-youkinda way. In aninspecting-a-defective-productway. Which was alarming because Nick was really observant.

She supposed he’d honed that playing hockey.

However he’d honed it, she knew she was looking… wan. And that was putting it mildly. In the mirror this morning she’d looked drawn, her hair and eyes lacking their usual shine. Hell, she’d even dropped a few pounds because she’d been too damn busy to eat.

If he noticed, though, he didn’t say. “I have a proposition for you.”

Samantha sat a little straighter, her curiosity piqued. His last proposition had involved a step-by-step seduction plan. Nick gavegoodpropositions.

“As you know, I’ve been interviewing all this week and frankly, they’ve all been terrible and after talking with Bec Ithought, why not Samantha? I know it’s not flashy and the pay is lousy but at least you enjoyed yourself working at Birdie’s. So… if you want it, it’s yours.”

Samantha gaped at him. Nick was offering her a management position at Birdie’s. No corner office. No Porsche. No view. A massive pay cut. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she knew she’d give up all the prestige in the blink of an eye to be back at Birdie’s.

Did she want it?

Hell to the yeah.

Thank you, Bec, you meddling, interfering witch.

Of course, there was still the unrequited love thing. Nick was stillleavingand working back at Birdie’s would put that right in her face. Every nook and cranny would remind her of him. The place would smell like him, memories would follow her round the shop. But if she couldn’t have Nick then she could have the store and at least part of her would be satisfied.

“Well?”

“Yes.” She smiled, then she laughed and then, to her utter dismay, she cried and Nick came around and pulled her off her chair and cradled her to him.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she muttered into his chest as he rocked her gently.

He held her until her emotion passed then eased away, ambling over to the window. He whistled. “Great view you have here. Are you sure?”

Samantha wiped her face, and joined him. She’d never been surer of anything in her life. The corporate killing fields and the view they came with would get on just fine without her and she would be a happier person without them. She liked it better, she realized, on the ground.

“I’m sure,” she murmured.

“Then let’s get the hell out of here,” he suggested.

Grinning and nodding, she stopped at her desk to grab her bag and stuff in the personalized Post-its, then, to her surprise, he swept her up in his arms. She protested but he just smiled and said, “Hold on tight. Some people believe in making an entrance, I’ve always preferred exits.”

And what an exit it was. People stopped their work and stared as Nick marched her out past the central cubical area and then they started to clap, sporadically at first, then louder until they were cheering.

She felt like Debra Winger inAn Officer and a Gentleman. Except Debra got her man. And she was getting a shop.

“Samantha!” Bob’s voice boomed over the noise and the place went deathly silent. “What the hell is going on here?”

“I’m leaving, Bob,” she said, not feeling remotely ridiculous that Nick still had her cradled against him.

Bob’s mouth opened and closed like a floundering fish, not dissimilar to Godzilla really. “But… but… what about the corner office? What about the Porsche?”

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