Page 52 of The Boss's Forbidden Assistant

‘You have to live for us, Salvador.’ She took his hand in hers, fingers so fine he wanted to cry. ‘There is no meaning to her death, or mine, unless you give it to us. I don’t mean by naming a library after me, or building a statue here in this garden,’ she teased, then paused to cough, because she was faint of breath all the time.

Salvador waited patiently, not asking if she was okay, because she hated that. Instead, he pressed a hand reassuringly to her back, wincing as he felt her spine through the fabric of her clothes, knowing she had a very limited number of breaths left to draw—this woman who’d once been a girl he’d run with until their lungs had burned and their cheeks had been flame-red, who’d once been as vital and real as the nights were dark.

‘Every day, you have to do something for me. Live your life in a way I would be proud of. Make decisions that prove you’re alive, because I won’t be. And she never really got to be.’ A tear slid down Anna-Maria’s cheek and Salvador wanted the world to open up and swallow him into the pits of its lava-filled belly. ‘You owe it to us.’

He wiped his forehead now, which was covered in perspiration, then pushed back the sheets, planting both feet over the edge of the bed and leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees and his head cradled in his palms.

Because Harper had been there too.

He dreamed of her as she’d been on that last morning. Not of the words she’d said, but the smile she’d offered when she’d first arrived. It was a smile that had haunted him, over and over, and now he understood, finally, why that was.

Her smile had been like a sunrise. A beautiful, hope-filled, promise-laden, glorious gift, reassuring and bright after the longest night of his life, a grief-soaked slumber from which he thought he’d never stir. Ilha do Sonhos—Isle of Dreams. Magic was everywhere and anything was possible.

He’d already failed the two most important women in his life—his mother and Anna-Maria—by failing to abide by his promises to them.

And now, he’d done exactly the same thing to Harper. Because he had made her a promise, he realised, lifting his face and looking towards the window, surprise changing his features. He’d never told her loved her, but surely he’d shown her with every conversation, with the way he’d tried to push her away but had instead ended up pulling her closer again and again?

He’d made her a thousand little promises every moment that she’d been here and then he’d rejected her because he’d been terrified of what allowing her to stay would mean. How could he have let her stay when that would have meant opening the door to a world that would contain so many risks...? But what was the alternative?

He cursed as he stood, striding across his room with renewed purpose and dressing swiftly.

It wasn’t just about a promise to Harper, though. It was about how he felt and what he wanted. It was about pushing through the fear of losing her because every day he had with her would be a gift and he was willing to go through any eventual pain for just one more day, one more kiss. For a little bit of hope and that sunrise smile of hers...if she’d offer it to him again.

‘Harper, would you get the boardroom ready?’

Midway through replying to an email, she paused what she was doing to look at her boss, Jack Wotton, as he propped an arm against the door to her office.

‘Sure thing. Meeting?’

‘Unexpected, but yes.’ He looked a little nervous, which was definitely out of character.

‘What’s the problem?’ Harper asked, just wanting to be home. She was tired. Tired of pretending to be fine, tired of pretending she was okay when she absolutely wasn’t. It was Friday and she had two days of blissful alone time ahead when she could switch off and stop pretending. When she could wallow in her sadness and loneliness and not have to pretend for anyone else.

‘No problem. I hope.’ Jack’s brow was furrowed.

‘Jack?’

‘It’s Salvador da Rocha. He’s coming here. I’m sure everything’s just at it should be. I just wish I knew what it was about.’

Harper jerked so hard she whacked her knee into the side of her desk and the breath in her lungs burned as she exhaled.

‘When?’ The word shot from her lips with panicked urgency.

‘Half an hour.’

She looked at her watch. It was almost five. ‘Jack, I have an appointment,’ she lied, grabbing her bag and placing it on her desk. ‘I’ll set up the conference room but then I have to go straight away. Do you mind?’

‘I’d prefer you stayed and took minutes—’

The very idea made Harper’s insides squelch in pain. Seeing Salvador, sharing a room with him...?

She shook her head emphatically, swallowing and reaching for her phone. ‘I’ll ask David to do it. He owes me a favour.’ Then she said reassuringly to Jack, because wild horses wouldn’t make her stay in this building a moment longer, ‘He’s very good, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.’

The final reassurance, she added for her own benefit.Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine.So long as she got the hell out of there.

But in the end it took longer than expected to set up the meeting room, courtesy of the previous occupants having left coffee cups and old papers lying around. Harper worked as quickly as she could, all the while conscious of the ticking of time and her desperate need to escape. Finally, with only minutes to spare, she finished and zipped into Jack’s office.

‘I have to go,’ she said breathlessly, pulling her bag over her shoulder. ‘Good luck.’

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