Page 27 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

‘I’m thinking of a flower-filled atrium within a botanical garden. An old house or a mansion, a warehouse or an industrial building.’

Ella waited for the response to her out-of-the-box suggestions and, while Thadie and Micah thought about her suggestions, Alta erupted. ‘My brother will never agree to exchange vows in a factory!’

Thadie ignored Alta again—something, Ella was convinced, she did quite often. ‘Actually, Anna and I were just talking about that—exploring alternative ideas. We even thought about trimming the guest list so that we could be married here, at Hadleigh House—it’s always been my dream to be married at home—but Clyde and my mum vetoed that idea. As they pointed out, it’s too late to un-invite people to our wedding.’

But maybe, since both she and Anna were exploring other options, and if the wedding gods were on her side, Thadie would still have an incredible reception in a beautiful, unusual place.

‘On Clyde’s behalf, I absolutely insist on having the reception somewhere decent!’ Alta spluttered.

Decent, to Alta, meant a five-star hotel, upmarket and luxurious. Thadie caught her eye and Ella suspected she wanted to do a massive eye-roll. As the bride, Ella thought she was being remarkably patient.

Thadie stood up, smoothed down her dress and slid her feet into her sandals. ‘I need to get going.’ She kissed Micah’s cheek before turning to Ella and holding out her hands. Ella was surprised when Thadie squeezed her fingers and dropped a kiss on her left cheek, then her right. ‘It was so lovely meeting you. Thank you for your help. I’m so appreciative. Maybe you, Anna and I could meet and we could throw some ideas around.’

Ella knew how possessive planners could be about their functions and internally winced. ‘I don’t think Anna would appreciate my input.’

‘Anna is lovely, and not at all pretentious or protective of her turf. And, since this is becoming a wedding from hell, she’d welcome any input.’

Yeah, but not from someone so far down the events-planning ladder. But, God, being able to say that she’d worked with Anna de Palmer-Whyte, even for a day, would be a great, gold shiny star on her résumé.

But she wouldn’t wait for Anna’s call, that would just be setting herself up for disappointment.

Seeing that Alta was also preparing to leave, Ella concluded that the meeting was over and picked her tote bag up off the floor. Micah didn’t suggest she hang around so she followed his sister into the hall. Thadie said goodbye to Alta and told them she was going out of the back door to fetch the boys from the greenhouse. Ella, Alta and Micah walked in silence to where Alta’s and her cars were parked.

At her convertible, Alta kissed Micah’s cheek, placed her hand on his chest and looked up into his face. ‘It really will be so much better if Thadie postponed the wedding, Micah. So much easier, lessmessy.’

Ella looked away and swallowed her growl as Alta stroked Micah’s chest as she would a fur stole. Hot and sticky jealously lodged in her throat.

‘It’s Thadie’s wedding and she calls the shots, Alta,’ Micah told her, not bothering to remove her hand from his chest.Grr...

‘But you can persuade her, I’m sure,’ Alta said, lowering her voice an octave. Then she stood up on her toes and dropped another too-long kiss on his cheek. ‘Call me.’

Ella bit the inside of her own cheek as Micah opened Alta’s car door and she deliberately flashed him most of her slim thigh as she settled into the seat. She gunned the engine, sent Micah another sultry smile and reversed, narrowly missing Ella’s car.

What a...

‘Wow. She’s...prickly, isn’t she?’

And she’s got her eye on you...

‘Alta? She’s okay, she’s just highly strung.’

Guys often used that as an excuse for a woman who was a complete witch. ‘She doesn’t like your sister much, does she? Why is she one of her bridesmaids?’ Ella asked.

Micah looked genuinely surprised. ‘What are you talking about?’

Oh, come on, it wassoobvious. ‘She does not like Thadie. At all.’

‘You got that from one meeting?’ Micah asked, and his amused and dismissive tone irritated her.

‘Yes, I did.’ Ella tipped her head back to look up at him. ‘Be careful of her, she’s not good for your sister.’

‘She’s harmless,’ Micah scoffed. ‘You’re overreacting.’

You’re crazy, you’re overreacting, you’re nuts. I don’t believe you. I can’t trust what you say.

She’d heard all the comments and every variation of the theme made her clench her jaw and grind her teeth.

How could he so easily have believed her about being sexually accosted but not believe her about this? His rejection of her opinion reminded her of how her dad refused to believe her when she’d said her mum was sick, of Winters brushing her off when she’d told him his best client had forced his attentions on her. She opened her mouth to argue her point, to stand up for herself, but the words stuck in her throat, creating an acidic slick.

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