From “office wife” to love for life

Landing a job as Austin Fortune’s assistant was a dream come true for Felicity Schafer—until she made the mistake of falling for her boss! But the brooding executive was nursing wounds from a nasty divorce, so she kept her distance. Now, after five years, Felicity seems no closer to a promotion—or to getting Austin to open up. Will giving notice finally get Austin to take notice?

National bestselling author NANCY ROBARDS THOMPSON holds a degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter until she realised reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Now that she has much more content to report to her muse, Nancy loves writing women’s iction and romance full-time. Critics have deemed her work “funny, smart and observant.” She resides in Florida with her husband and daughter. You can reach her at Facebook.com/nrobardsthompson

Also by Nancy Robards Thompson

The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride

A Bride, a Barn, and a Baby

The Cowboy Who Got Away

Texas Wedding

Texas Magic

Texas Christmas

Maddie Fortune’s Perfect Man

Fortune’s Surprise Engagement

Fortune’s Prince Charming

My Fair Fortune

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

A Fortunate Arrangement

Nancy Robards Thompson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09102-2

A FORTUNATE ARRANGEMENT

© 2019 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

This book is dedicated to the “Hey, Tinas,”

who are living proof that friendship can thrive

despite the miles and mountains between us.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Austin Fortune almost missed the plain white envelope at the bottom of the stack of papers his assistant Felicity Schafer had set on his desk. After he’d read the letter, he wished he’d never seen it and for a moment, he considered pretending as if he hadn’t read it.

Maybe it would just disappear.

Instead, the reality of it danced around him like illuminated dust motes.

Felicity, his gatekeeper, his right hand, the person who kept him organized and on track ahead of the fray, had tendered her resignation.

“Is this a bad joke?” he muttered aloud, trying it on for size.

But no. Even though Felicity was good-natured, it would’ve been out of character for her to kid around about something like this.

“She’s leaving me.” Uttering the words out loud made it sound personal. It wasn’t personal—it was work, but it sure felt personal.

He looked up from the note and watched her through the glass wall of his office. She was engrossed in something on her computer. He didn’t know what. He could see her in profile. Her head was bowed over her keyboard, her dark blond hair a curtain hiding her face.

What the hell was he supposed to do without her? Every morning when he got to the office, she had a daily briefing typed up and waiting for him on his desk along with his coffee and a smoothie with energy booster. She remembered birthdays, anniversaries and the minutiae of family and client particulars that elevated and solidified his business relationships and could prove costly if forgotten. She was always game for brainstorming new concepts and abstract business angles. Ultimately assisting with client presentations.

Plain and simple, Felicity made him look good and was always there to help him succeed.

It wasn’t just a matter of hiring someone new. Felicity was a rare find. She had an uncanny ability to anticipate his every need—even before he knew what he needed. In all fairness, he paid her well and she seemed happy. So, why was she leaving him?

He skimmed the letter again looking for clues, but in true Felicity form, it was short and to the point.

Dear Austin,

Please accept this letter as notification that I am leaving my position with Fortune Investments at the end of the month.

I’ve left the date open, so I can be of assistance during the transition.

Sincerely,

Felicity Schafer

Austin reread the note twice more, making sure he’d read it right. Once he’d absorbed it, he had a good idea of how he might fix it. He pressed the button on the intercom.

“Felicity, could you come into my office, please?”

“Sure.”

A moment later, she was standing in his doorway.

“What do you need?” she asked.

“If you wanted a raise,” he said, “all you had to do was ask.”

She wrinkled her nose. “A raise?”

“Of course, you just had your half-year review and got a bump in salary, but if it wasn’t enough, if you want more money, we can talk about it.”

She gave her head a quick shake. “Who said anything about a raise?”

He picked up her letter. “I thought maybe that’s what this was about. I mean why else would you resign?”

Her cheeks flushed, and her mouth fell open before she snapped it shut, into a thin line and folded her arms across her chest. She looked at him as if he had insulted her.

How could offering someone more money be insulting?

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, mirroring her posture.

“Austin, you’ve always been generous when it comes to my salary. But I’m graduating with my MBA at the end of the month. I don’t need a graduate degree to be someone’s personal assistant. It’s time I moved on.”

“Do you have another job?”

“No, not yet. I’m going to start interviewing soon. I wanted to be up-front with you about it.”

“Thanks,” he said.

She flinched. He realized he might have sounded sarcastic. Maybe a very small part of him had meant it that way. Was he supposed to be happy he was losing her?

He raked his hand through his hair. This was not the way he wanted to start his Friday. It certainly wasn’t the way he wanted to end his week.

He gestured for her to sit down in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk.

She sat and folded her hands in her lap. “I’ve loved working for you and Fortune Investments, but I’ve worked hard to get this degree.”

He didn’t say anything because he was afraid what he wanted to say would sound wrong. He’d always prided himself on being fair.

“I hope you can understand that I want more than being someone’s secretary for the rest of my working life,” she went on. “Because that’s what I am. We can dress it up and call me your assistant, but when it comes down to it, I’m your secretary. It’s been a great job, but now I need more.”

He held up his hand.

“I get it,” he said. “I do. Congratulations on accomplishing this, Felicity. I’m happy for you. I know how hard you’ve worked. You’re smart and you’re creative and I understand that a person with an MBA is way overqualified to be a personal assistant. You’d be wasting your potential staying in this position. But that doesn’t make it any easier for me because I don’t want to lose you.”

He held her gaze and her expression softened.

“I mean did you expect me not to be upset about the prospect of losing you?” He held up his hand again to signal that the question was rhetorical. “But that’s me being selfish. This isn’t about me. It’s about you. What do you want to do with your degree?”

“My undergraduate degree is in advertising. I’ve always wanted to work in that field.”

“You’d be good at it,” he said. “You’d be good at anything you decided to do.”

Her cheeks turned pink again. She looked down and then back up at him.

“Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay with Fortune Investments?”

“I don’t know. Are there any opportunities here?”

“What if I talk to Miles and see if we can create a position for you? I’m not making any promises, but would you consider staying if we could come up with something?”

Felicity smiled. “It depends. Would it mean doing advertising work in addition to everything I do for you?”

Austin laughed. “You know me too well.”

“I know I do.”

“How am I supposed to get by without you, Felicity?”

She shrugged. “You did fine before I came on board. You’ll survive.”

No, he hadn’t been fine before she came onto the scene. His life had been a mess, a big tumbleweed of mistakes and misjudgments that had cost him dearly. It had taken him five years to get himself back on track after his disastrous marriage. Sure, he’d come through it intact and he’d learned a lot about himself and life. Yes, he would be fine on his own, but he didn’t want to lose her.

“If they can’t create a position for me, I’d like to stay until after graduation, and as I said in my letter, I’ll stay until we find my replacement.”

Maybe if he didn’t find someone new, she wouldn’t go. It would be like waiting for tomorrow. Did tomorrow ever really come?

“I’ll tell you what. I’m having dinner with Miles tonight. I’ll broach the subject with him and let you know what he says. Sound good? You won’t quit on me before you let me figure something out, right?”

* * *

How am I supposed to get by without you, Felicity?

If she was a silly woman, Felicity would’ve let herself read so much into that question. But true to form, she had already overthought it, turning it round and round in her mind, examining it from every angle until it had completely lost its shape and she’d killed off any dreams that Austin Fortune felt anything for her that wasn’t strictly platonic.

However, her heart hadn’t gotten the memo from her brain, because her heart thudded in her chest like a drum in a New Orleans funeral procession.

He’d said get by.

He didn’t say live without you.

There was a world of difference between the statements. Like night and day. Love and like. Get by and live without.

Even so, she couldn’t shake the satisfaction she felt over his reaction to her letter of resignation. Sure, she’d known he wouldn’t be happy, but she hadn’t fathomed that he would react the way he did.

She stole a glance at Austin through the glass wall that separated his office from her workspace. He was wearing that blue button-down that she liked so much. It contrasted with his dark hair and those soulful brown eyes. Eyes that hypnotized her, that made her lose track of time and occasionally space out and miss what he was saying because she’d been totally transported.

Her thudding heart slowed, leaving her more breathless and full of longing.

He acted like I was breaking up with him.

As if I’d ever break up with him.

If I ever had him.

But I never will.

Why did she have to be in love with her boss?

Why did he have to dangle the potential of a promotion in front of her? She thought she wanted a clean break, so she could get on with her life and forget about him and this ridiculous crush, but the moment he’d offered to talk to his father, all fresh starts flew out the window.

Of course, the Fortunes had been so good to her. They were dream employers. The pay and benefits were top-notch. The working conditions were first class.

She stole another glance at Austin and her ridiculous heart picked up the cadence right where it had left off.

Felicity knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up. Fortune Investments was a family firm. Austin’s sister Georgia handled public relations for the investment firm. They’d never had to advertise in the true sense of the word—not the kind of advertising Felicity wanted to do. They’d built their business on solid reputation and word of mouth. But even from her position as support staff, she knew the business had grown.

Maybe they were ready to expand.

If she got a promotion, it was likely that she’d be in a different department with a different supervisor. Which would mean Austin wouldn’t be her boss anymore—

Don’t even go there.

She’d worked with him for almost five years and during that time, it had been all business all the time. What made her think anything would change if she got promoted?

Yeah, well, a girl can dream.

Just not on Fortune Investments’ time.

* * *

“Did you do it?” Maia Fredericks asked after she let herself in Felicity’s patio door. She didn’t knock. Maia never knocked. Felicity didn’t mind because her friend’s hands were never empty when she came over. This evening, she was carrying a bottle of something that looked like it could be champagne.

“I did,” Felicity said.

“Well, how did it go? Don’t keep me waiting.” Maia dislodged the cork on the bottle. Felicity winced at the loud popping sound.

“You do know you’re not supposed to open champagne that way, right? Besides the possibility of damaging eardrums and putting out someone’s eye, it kills the bubbles and the taste.”

“This way is more fun,” Maia said, helping herself to two flutes from Felicity’s china cabinet. “Besides, it’s not champagne. It’s sparkling rosé.”

“Same principle,” Felicity said. “Haven’t you heard the saying, the ear’s gain is the palate’s loss?”

Maia made a face and waved away her words with a flippant flick of her hand. “You gave your notice. We’re celebrating, and I wanted to start the night off with a bang. How did he take the news?”

Felicity shrugged. “He took it about as well as you might expect.”

Maia handed Felicity a glass of sparkling rosé.

Felicity couldn’t suppress a smile thinking about how upset he’d been by the news.

How am I supposed to get by without you, Felicity?

Did she dare tell Maia what he said? One of two things would happen: her friend would either point out what Felicity already knew—it wasn’t personal. It simply meant that she was good at her job. Or she would read way too much into it and try to tempt Felicity into abandoning her common sense about where she stood with Austin Fortune.

Either way, this little nugget was best kept bottled up. Because much like the sparkling wine Maia had brought over to help her celebrate, once the feeling was uncorked, it wouldn’t be long before the harsh reality made it flat and unpalatable.

Actually, that was Felicity’s view on romance in general. Once romance was set in motion, it was as if a clock started ticking, counting down toward the inevitable end.

Instead of letting the air out of her giddy feeling, she sipped her drink and closed her eyes, savoring the bubbles that tickled her nose.

“What exactly does that mean?” Maia asked. “The guy has his good days and he has his beastly days. Which was this? Was he Mr. Wonderful or was he the Beast?”

Maia knew way too much about Felicity’s unrequited crush on her boss. The two women were next-door neighbors, each owning half of a double shotgun-style home that had been converted into two units. They had become fast friends that cool February evening when Felicity moved in and Maia, bearing a casserole of red beans and rice and a bottle of zinfandel, had knocked on Felicity’s door and introduced herself.

Felicity had invited her in and amid a maze of boxes, they’d bonded as they feasted on the dinner and wine.

Four years later, they shared more than a common interior wall and communal outdoor space. Maia was so easy to talk to that Felicity constantly found herself confiding secrets that in the past she would’ve never entrusted to anyone. Secrets such as the big honking crush she’d had on Austin since the day he’d hired her.

“Austin was...Austin.” She shrugged. “He was all business, as usual.”

Maia didn’t just frown, she looked outraged. “What? He just said okay and was fine with letting you walk out of his life forever?”

“I gave my notice. I didn’t ask him for a divorce.”

“I know that,” Maia said. “Did he not show any emotion at all?”

“He didn’t cry, if that’s what you were expecting.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course he wouldn’t cry. Beasts don’t cry. But they do bellow. Did he bellow? Please tell me at the very least he bellowed. If he didn’t, I’ll have to worry about him.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Felicity said.

Truly, she was. Ridiculously good at getting Felicity to spill her guts. Because suddenly, she was brimming over with the need to tell Maia everything.

“He said he didn’t want me to go.” Felicity bit her bottom lip. Maia looked at her expectantly. “Actually, he said, ‘How am I supposed to get by without you?’”

“Oooh, giiirl.” Maia whistled.

And that was how Maia did it. It was that subtle, almost like sleight of hand. One minute, Felicity would be steadfast in her resolution to bury a secret deep in her heart, in a place only she knew. Then somehow Maia had diverted her attention and extracted the secret from her.

“Get by without you,” Felicity repeated. “Not live without you. There’s a world of difference in getting by and living.”

Maia shook her head. “Same thing, baby girl. That’s simply Beast-speak. He loves you. You need to tell him how you feel.”

This time Felicity was the one shaking her head.

“Then you’re telling me you’re perfectly happy getting by rather than living?” The woman was relentless. “But he let you off work early.” Maia glanced at her watch. “Relatively speaking. It’s 6:45. I guess that’s almost normal business hours.”

“He’s having dinner with his parents tonight,” Felicity said. “After that, he’s catching a flight to Atlanta for a meeting tomorrow. I was at a good stopping point. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to call it a day at a reasonable hour for a change.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t insist that you go to Atlanta with him. Seems like he has a hard time functioning without you there to keep everything in order.”

Felicity would’ve loved to go to Atlanta with him. Arriving at the hotel, which would allow her to indulge in the brief illusion that they were checking in together. One room. A king-size bed. Both of them naked, spending one glorious night making love—

Felicity tried to shake the image of hot, sweaty, naked Austin. It wasn’t the first time she’d thought about what he’d look like naked. She just knew that underneath his custom-fit Tom Ford suits, Austin’s body would be long and lean and sexy. His shoulders—oh, those shoulders, they were so perfect they made her want to weep—those broad shoulders would give way to strong, muscled arms—not too muscled, but just right so that his biceps would bulge when he pulled her into his arms and against his perfectly defined chest. Lean hips would showcase a washboard-flat stomach just above the part of his body that would rock her world.

She drew in a sharp breath. She couldn’t help it. That’s what he did to her. It wasn’t considered objectifying a man if you were in love with him, right? She didn’t think of anyone else like this. She didn’t want to just sleep with him—okay, she did want to sleep with him and she’d fully imagined that experience, too. She wanted so much more than lust or a one-night stand. She wanted to love Austin and she wanted him to love her, too. But he didn’t. Clearly, he didn’t.

Her sexy daydreams were the consolation prize for the fact that beyond the office, Austin didn’t even realize she existed.

“That’s not true,” Felicity said, answering her friend’s comment about how Austin couldn’t function without her.

Maia pinned her with a dubious look.

“Okay, maybe it’s partially true,” Felicity conceded. “It’s called job security. I make myself indispensable and I keep getting paid.”

“I think you’re long past needing to worry about job security. How long has it been now?”

“Almost five years.”

“Do you think he will remember your anniversary?” There was a gleam in Maia’s eye that Felicity tried to ignore. “I think it’s an occasion that calls for flowers and jewelry.”

“Stop. He’s my boss. There will be no jewelry involved. Because I’ll be at my new job by then.”

“But you wouldn’t mind jewelry. Maybe a ring?”

“Maia, stop. Even if I was still working there, I doubt it would even cross his mind to get me a card. I’m sure in his mind my paycheck is proof of his appreciation.”

Austin did pay her well. She couldn’t dispute that. Once, when she’d been offered an entry-level position as an account executive with a local advertising agency, she’d given him two weeks’ notice. He’d doubled her salary without blinking an eye.

He’d told her she was worth it.

For a bright and shiny moment, she’d read something deeper into his words. Something that bordered on personal. Then she’d blinked and the next thing she knew, he’d launched into what a hassle it would be to find and train someone new and what an imposition it would be to suffer through a new assistant’s initial learning curve.

The explanation had dulled the luster in a hurry.

Still, the money was nice. The raise had allowed her to save up a substantial down payment for a house. A year later she’d been in position to buy one of the units in the cute little green house in New Orleans’s Irish Channel neighborhood. Technically, it was half a house, but it was hers and she loved it so much she wouldn’t have traded it for one of the stately mansions in the neighboring Garden District. Well, in theory, anyway.

In the years she’d worked for Austin, nothing had changed. Felicity was still single, and Austin was none the wiser to her feelings for him. Every day was the same. Except, the days had morphed into weeks and weeks into months. Now, here she was looking back at nearly half a decade that had gone by in a heartbeat and she felt like a hamster on a wheel, bored and mostly unfulfilled by the sameness of it all, but safe and comfortable hiding behind her fat bank account and feelings for him she could never reveal.

Emotionally, she couldn’t afford to go on like this much longer. She’d go insane. That’s why she had promised herself she would quit and get a real job after she graduated with her MBA at the end of the month.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just level with him and tell him how you feel,” Maia said. “You might just be surprised. I mean, you’re leaving soon anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Just the thought made Felicity want to turn and run. She had no idea where she wanted to run to other than somewhere far away from the idea of confessing her secret to Austin. In fact, right now she was sorry she’d confided in Maia. It wasn’t the first time her friend had suggested such nonsense. She’d been bringing it up more frequently since Felicity had told her of her plans to leave after she graduated.

“Austin said tonight at dinner he would talk to his father about creating an advertising position for me. That’s all the more reason why I need to keep my feelings to myself.”

“I don’t know,” Maia mused. “Most likely, you won’t be reporting to him anymore if they do make a position for you. Might be a good time to come clean with your feelings.”

“Stop.” Felicity held up her hand like a traffic cop. “Please listen to me. If they create a job for me—and that’s a big if—I would be one of the few non-Fortunes in a position that wasn’t support staff. If I start publicly mooning over Austin, it could be career suicide or at the very least I would embarrass myself.”

Maia shrugged. “You look pretty cozy over there in your comfort zone.”

“Leaving the comfort of a well-paying job is hardly staying in my comfort zone.”

“You know what I’m talking about,” Maia said. “I’m talking about the love part. I’m talking about you not wanting to put yourself out there. It was one thing to not want to jeopardize your job, but now that you’re leaving you have no excuses.”

Ah, but she did.

She hadn’t shared it with Maia because her friend had never asked.

“You know what they say, a comfort zone is a very safe place, but nothing ever grows there—especially not love.”

Felicity shook her head. “He has never given me any indication he feels the same way for me.”

Maia sighed. “Fine. If you don’t want to try to make things work with Austin, then you need to open your mind to other prospects.”

“Such as?”

“Be open to dating other men.”

Felicity sighed.

“I’m just saying,” Maia said. “Just think about it. And since there’s no use arguing with a brick wall, let’s change the subject.”

“Good.”

“I have a huge favor to ask you,” Maia said. “You know the hair show I’m doing next weekend?”

Felicity nodded.

“I’ve already sunk a boatload of money into this show and Jane Gordon, the girl who was going to be my model, got a paying modeling job in Paris. She had to bail on me.”

“Oh, no. That’s terrible. I’m sorry.”

“It’s good for her, but it stinks for me,” Maia said. “So, I have an idea. Will you be my model?”

“Me?” Felicity laughed, unsure if Maia was joking. “I’m not a model.”

Her friend set down her drink and walked over and started fluffing Felicity’s hair and assessing her as if she was a horse at auction.

“If you try to pick up my leg and look at the bottom of my foot, I’m going to kick you,” Felicity said. “I’m not a show pony. I don’t do things like this.”

“I’m not asking you to change careers.” Maia smoothed Felicity’s hair away from her face, shaping it into a high ponytail before she turned it loose and let it cascade around her shoulders. “Just help me out of this pickle.”

Chapter Two

Austin drove through the stately iron gates that surrounded his parents’ rambling eight-bedroom, Garden District mansion. Miles and Sarah Fortune still lived in the same house where Austin and his six brothers and sisters had grown up. The sprawling Victorian was way too much house for most people, but maintaining the family home was a point of pride for them, especially on nights like this, when they called everyone together for a family dinner meeting.

Austin parked his Tesla next to his brother Beau’s BMW. He took care to park where no one could block him in, since he’d have to leave early to catch a flight to Atlanta tonight.

He wound his way around the other cars that lined the driveway. When the family got together, it looked like Miles and Sarah were having a party. Tonight, it appeared that Austin was the last to arrive.

As he let himself in the front door, the antique grandfather clock struck 7:15. That meant he’d missed the cocktail hour and they were probably holding dinner for him. Work had kept him late. His parents would understand since they had called the last-minute family dinner meeting just this morning. Austin already had important meetings on the books. He’d gotten away as soon as he could, given the short notice.

As he strode down the hall, he glanced in the living room and could see vestiges of what looked like predinner martinis. Something smelled good. Austin inhaled deeply, and his stomach growled in appreciation. There was nothing like a home-cooked meal. His mom employed a chef who helped her prepare for parties and family gatherings like tonight, but Sarah Fortune could hold her own in the kitchen. She made a mean beef Wellington. Judging by the delicious aroma, that beef Wellington might be on the menu tonight. Austin hoped so as he made his way toward the dining room, where he heard the sound of amicable chatter punctuated by peals of laughter. The sound warmed Austin’s heart.

For a moment, he stood in the doorway of the family dining room, taking in the sight of his parents with his four siblings, Beau, Draper, Georgia and Belle. Their brother Nolan and sister Savannah got a pass on tonight’s family dinner meeting because they lived in Austin, Texas. They would have to hear secondhand Miles’s misgivings about attending the wedding of his half brother Gerald to his long-lost love, Deborah. That was the topic of tonight’s summit.

Funny, though, Nolan and Savannah probably regretted missing an opportunity to get together with the family. That’s just how they were. They were a close-knit bunch and enjoyed each other’s company, respectfully listening when one of them felt it necessary to call a family meeting. To them, family was everything, which made the topic of tonight’s meeting so curious. They had all been invited to Gerald and Deborah’s wedding in Paseo, Texas. However, based on recent turns of events, Miles believed they should not attend.

“There he is.” His mother beamed at him and motioned him inside. “Come in here and give your mama a hug.” Even though Austin was thirty-two years old, he did exactly that, following it up with hugs for Belle and Georgia and solid handshakes and backslaps for his father and brothers.

His mother fussed about, offering him a martini. “It’s no trouble to mix one up for you right quick.” Her Louisiana accent was a bit more pronounced this side of the cocktail hour. Ever the lady, Sarah never overindulged, but she certainly did enjoy a predinner libation.

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll have a glass of wine with dinner. I have to drive to airport later.”

Soon dinner was served. Just as Austin had hoped, it was beef Wellington, with sides of asparagus with hollandaise sauce, baby carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. It was delicious. Austin hadn’t realized how hungry he was. He’d been so busy he’d only had time to eat half the turkey sandwich that Felicity had ordered for him at lunch.

Felicity. He made a mental note to talk to his father about creating an advertising position for her. He’d planned to present it as if Felicity had approached him about advancement opportunities within Fortune Investments. He knew his dad well enough to know if he told Miles that she was quitting, he would’ve thought her unimaginative.

Miles might not realize how hard Felicity worked and how good she was at her job. To Austin, she wasn’t just an assistant, she was his right hand. She was the person who kept him on track. She was one of the few people outside of his family that he trusted implicitly. Even though a new position meant she might not be able to do as much for him, he owed it to her. At least she’d still be with Fortune Investments. So, yes, before he left here tonight, he would plant the seed about promoting her.

In the meantime, he would enjoy his meal and this time with his family. During these family meals, food and catching up were first. Business second. They never broached family business until the coffee and dessert course was served.

True to form, after everyone had a generous helping of brandy-laced English trifle, Miles started the discussion.

“I called you here tonight because we’ve all been invited to Gerald and Deborah’s wedding. There’s been a lot of discussion about whether or not we should attend.”

He sipped his coffee. “As much as I’d love to go, I don’t think it’s a good idea. With all that’s happened lately, gathering the family in one place doesn’t seem like a very smart idea. Essentially, it would make us sitting ducks. We’d be an easy target for whoever has been terrorizing the Fortunes.”

Miles was talking about a series of events that had taken place over the last five months. It had started with a fire at the Robinson estate in Austin. The fire had injured Gerald’s son Ben, though he had recovered. Gerald’s company, Robinson Tech, had been targeted, causing the business to have to recall some of their software. The sabotage had even affected the extended family. Fortunato Real Estate, the business of Kenneth Fortunato, Miles’s other half brother, had experienced a downturn after being the target of rumormongering. Most recently, events had hit closer to home when Austin’s sister Savannah’s apartment had been vandalized.

All signs pointed to Gerald’s first wife, Charlotte Prendergast Robinson, as the perpetrator. After discovering some unsavory realities about Charlotte’s true nature, Gerald divorced her and had gotten back together with Deborah, his first and one true love. They met when Gerald was on the run from his past, but they’d split and lost touch before she’d discovered she was pregnant with his triplet sons.

No one had been able to catch Charlotte in the act. The family was concerned, as she had already proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with. Now that she had been excommunicated from the family, she’d made it clear she had no compunction about wreaking havoc on anyone related to the Fortunes, even if it meant hurting people in the process.

“Maybe not, Daddy,” said Belle, her pretty brow furrowed. “This is an important day for Gerald. He’s marrying the love of his life. He has more money than he knows what to do with. Since this day is so important to him and Deborah, don’t you think he will invest in the best security?”

“I’ll bet it will be on par with the Secret Service,” said Draper.

“I know,” said Belle. “Call me crazy, but I want to go.”

Miles looked furious as he sipped his red wine. “She burned down her own house, injuring her own son. A sociopath like that won’t rest until she seeks the ultimate revenge.”

Miles shook his head. Georgia, who was seated to his left, reached out and took her father’s hand. He squeezed hers in return, but the anger was still apparent in his eyes.

“I’m trying hard to embrace my new extended family.” Miles used his fingers to make air quotes around the word family. “I know you think it’s nice to think that we have found this wonderful, big family and that they are welcoming us with open arms. But don’t forget, I’ve lived all but the last six months of my life without them. You—” Miles spread his arms wide and gestured to his wife and grown children gathered around the table and then pounded his fist on his heart “—all of you, and Savannah and Nolan are my family. And you’re all the family I need. If anything happened to any of you because of them, I couldn’t forgive myself. I say we send Gerald and Deborah a nice gift and our best wishes for a happy life together, but we’re staying away.”

Miles was still trying to come to terms with the extended family. Not only was he a self-made man, he was also incredibly self-reliant. His birth father, the philandering millionaire Julius Fortune, had denied Miles at birth. Mile’s mother, Marjorie Melton, had raised him on her own. When Miles, who had shared his mother’s last name, turned twenty-one, Marjorie revealed his father’s identity. That’s when Miles took on the Fortune surname. He’d done it to prove a point. He didn’t want his father’s money. In fact, he set his sights on doing well in spite of his heartless father and the Fortunes.

Not only was he driven to achieve financial success, but he wanted a large family to hold close and shower with the love his own father had denied him. It was a subtle way of showing old man Fortune and the myriad others, I don’t need you. You didn’t love me, but I’m going to show you how love is done. In the end, you’ll be the lonely, broken one on the outside looking in. It was a silent and dignified middle finger.

Then a strange thing happened; Miles learned that he wasn’t Julius’s only dirty little secret. There were others. Much like Miles, they, too, had created their own large families and successful lives. Finally, Schuyler Fortunado Mendoza, daughter of Kenneth Fortunado, decided it was time to end all the secrecy and hurt. It was time for all the Fortune family branches to come together. She arranged a family reunion for the “bastard Fortunes,” inviting them all to come to the Mendoza Winery in Austin.

Her intentions were pure. She thought she was doing a good thing by bringing everyone together. However, calling the illegitimate Fortunes together actually ended up putting them in danger, which was why Miles and Sarah were having so much trepidation about attending the wedding.

“If we don’t go,” Belle said, “they might think we’re snubbing them. Family relations are a bit tenuous right now since everything is so new. In addition to being there to support Gerald and Deborah, I think this is an important opportunity to claim our rightful place in the Fortune family.”

Miles glared at his daughter. “Enough!” he bellowed. “I am the head of this family. I have decided we are not going. End of discussion.” His voice was low and simmering as he bit off each word one by one in a way that had everyone holding their collective breath. Once Miles Fortune made up his mind, he didn’t tolerate people challenging him like Belle was doing. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll say good night.”

Scowling, Miles scooted his chair back from the table and left the room. Austin knew now was not the time to broach the subject of creating a new position for Felicity. Miles was not in the mood and it might undermine the promotion. Austin would approach him after he got back from Atlanta.

* * *

Felicity had been waiting all day to ask Austin if he’d had a chance to talk to his father about a new position for her. After the talk with Maia, Felicity had a chance to mull it over a bit and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense to stay at Fortune Investments. If she could get promoted within the company she could keep her benefits and they were always so generous with compensation. It would be less like starting over and more like making a strategic career move up the ladder. Plus, she would still be around Austin, just not as close. Maybe if she wasn’t always “right there,” Austin might feel her absence enough to realize he missed her.

As counterintuitive as that might sound, it made sense. It was like taking the same route to work every day. You got in such a habit that you went about the drive with blinders on, missing the most important sights along the way. One day, you’d notice a house or shop or a tree that you’d driven by hundreds of times and realize it was the first time you’d really seen it.

Felicity propped her elbows on her desk and rested her chin on her fist. She wanted to be Austin’s tree. She chuckled to herself. She wanted him to look up and suddenly notice her.

Notice me, Austin. See me.

She heard his voice coming from the other side of the corridor. That snapped her out of her daydreaming, and she busied herself on the computer, pretending to type away, adding notes to her to-do list for the Fortune Investments gala. She was way ahead of schedule, but she never wanted to give Austin the impression she was slacking off on the job. If she let down her guard, that would be the time he’d notice her.

Come to think of it, she would be doing herself a favor when she went in to talk to him if she told him she really was enthusiastic about the opportunity to stay on with Fortune Investments. The other day when Austin had mentioned the possibility of creating a position for her, she had been so flustered about giving him her notice that she hadn’t even acted very excited about the prospect. She smiled at him as he came closer, cell phone pressed to his ear.

“Mackenzie, seriously?” His laugh was infused with a sexy flirtation that made Felicity’s heart drop.

Who was Mackenzie? It certainly didn’t sound like a business call. In fact, it didn’t sound like any type of call she’d ever heard Austin take out in the open like this. Most of the time his calls were business. The small percentage that weren’t were family.

He laughed again.

Oh, Mackenzie, you funny girl, you. Felicity stared at her computer screen, so he wouldn’t know she was listening.

“Okay. Okay. If you insist. Macks, it is.” Then he slipped into his office, closing the door behind him.

Max? Or Macks?

As in short for Mackenzie?

Either way, it proved they were on personal terms.

Through the glass wall that divided their workspaces, she watched Austin sit down at his desk and continue the conversation. She couldn’t hear what he was saying now, but he was animated. More than she’d ever witnessed before.

His face transformed as he seemed to give a full-throated laugh, his eyes crinkled at the corners, lighting up and dancing. He leaned back casually in his chair, raking his hand through his hair.

She wasn’t even bothering to sneak peeks at him now. She was full on staring, greedily watching him delight at whatever it was that this Macks had to say. Of course, Austin was oblivious that she was watching him.

What kind of a woman called herself Macks?

Felicity’s phone chirped Maia’s text tone. Reluctantly Felicity dragged her gaze off Austin to see what her friend needed.

Are we still on for tonight? Just wanted to make sure you’re able to untangle yourself from the Beast.

I’ll be there.

ETA?????

6 p.m. as planned

By the time Felicity put her phone in her purse and looked back at Austin, he was off the phone and on his computer.

She needed to borrow a page from this woman and start being more of a Macks—not a Mackenzie. Mackenzie sounded prim and proper, like a rule follower. Macks sounded like a woman in charge of her destiny.

Felicity pulled up the interoffice messaging system on her computer and typed, Do you have a moment? She pressed Send before she could change her mind. It was twenty minutes until five o’clock.

She was going to channel her inner Macks and march in there. First, she was going to tell him she was leaving at five because she had plans. Then she would ask him if he’d talked to his dad. She was not going to sit around and wait for him to come to her. She was going to be proactive.

Austin had been out of the office all day, which meant he would be pulling a late night tonight. Usually, she stayed as late as he did. She didn’t mind, as it gave her time to get a jump on future projects such as the FI charity ball. She was single-handedly organizing the ball. It was a big job and took a lot of extra time. But tonight, she had promised Maia she would come to the salon so her friend could practice for the hair show. She said she’d be there at six o’clock. That meant she needed to get a move on if she was going to go home and grab a bite to eat and change out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable before she went to the salon.

She jumped at the sound of the chime notifying her of Austin’s reply.

Sure, come on in.

She looked at him, but his head was bent over his desk and he was busy writing something.

Felicity’s stomach bunched, then fell as she realized in a matter of minutes, she would know whether or not Miles Fortune was on board for keeping her on board. The sooner she knew, the better. She gathered her courage and closed the short distance to Austin’s office.

“Hey, what’s going on?” He leaned back in his chair, laced his fingers together and cradled the back of his head. His biceps pushed at the boundaries of his shirt sleeves. Her gaze lingered. She couldn’t help it.

He motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs in front of his desk. She chose the opposite chair from where she’d sat when she’d given her notice.

“What did your father say? I’m dying to know.”

His blank stare made her wish she could retract the question.

“What did he say about what?” Austin asked, leaning farther back in his chair, but not looking nearly as relaxed as he had when he was talking to Macks.

“Really, Austin? You don’t remember?”

He blinked once. Twice. Then he tapped his head. “Oh, my God, right. I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy day.”

I’ll bet. Macks must be occupying a lot of real estate up there.

“I’m sorry, Felicity. I haven’t had a chance to bring it up with him. The other night when we were at dinner I intended to talk to him, but it ended up not being a good time. We had some family business to discuss and Belle was pushing his buttons. She got him a little riled up. You know how he can be.”

Felicity didn’t answer.

It was the stupidest thing but suddenly she felt a hot, stinging sensation behind her eyes. God, she was not going to cry. She couldn’t cry. Why did she want to cry over this?

So, he hadn’t remembered right off the bat. The guy had a lot on his mind. But suddenly it was crystal clear to her that she really didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay.

Obviously, Austin wasn’t so devastated by the thought of her leaving. It was ridiculous, but it hurt her feelings.

Needing to get ahold of herself, she bit her bottom lip hard to keep the tears at bay. It worked.

“No problem,” she heard herself saying. Maybe after he’d initially thought up the possibility of creating a position for her, he’d realized it wasn’t feasible. Or maybe he had mentioned it to Miles and his father had shut down the idea. Maybe Austin was trying not to hurt her feelings.

“It’s five o’clock,” she said. “I need to leave. I have plans tonight. I’ll call Derek and ask him to bring your dinner to the office. What time do you want him to deliver it?”

“Anytime is fine.”

Derek was Austin’s personal chef. Usually, Derek left Austin’s dinner in the oven of Austin’s condo, which was around the corner from the Fortune Investments offices, and Felicity would pick it up and bring it to the office. Tonight, Derek would have to deliver it.

If she was leaving at the end of the month, Austin would need to learn to fend for himself until he got his new assistant up to speed.

It hit her that having someone else deliver Austin’s dinner wasn’t exactly making him fend for himself, but it was part of the weening process for her. She enjoyed taking care of him. It was a point of pride. Moving on would be a loss for her, too.

She felt his eyes on her. “Are you okay?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Something’s wrong.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to talk to Miles. I will as soon as I can. I promise. Okay?”

“It’s fine, Austin. Really.”

She stood to leave, feeling a little better that he’d noticed that she was upset and had said he would speak to his dad. If Miles had already shot down the idea, Austin wouldn’t have said that. She knew him well enough to know that.

“Don’t leave me, Felicity. Okay?”

Her mouth went dry at his words.

Dear God, if you only knew.

But he didn’t. This was strictly business. It would always be about business when it came to them. That was the problem. Her taking care of Austin was so personal, sometimes her heart crossed the line. She needed to make sure her mind and better judgment stayed in complete control. Because her heart could only lead her astray.

Still, it didn’t help that the look on his face was so earnest it made tears sting the back of her eyes again. God, she was a mess. Her emotions were up and down like a roller coaster. One minute she was ready to walk out the door, and the next minute his don’t leave me had her wanting to withdraw her resignation and dedicate her life to him... Well, to being his personal assistant. And that was no kind of life. Especially when she felt like this for him.

“Before you leave for the day, would you do me a huge favor? Will you call a courier to deliver this?”

She nodded and reached out, taking the large white envelope he held.

It was addressed to Mackenzie Cole. Felicity recognized the lower Garden District zip code. The name Mackenzie was crossed through on the package. Austin had rewritten Macks above it in that script that was so achingly familiar to Felicity. For some stupid reason, seeing Macks’s name written by Austin’s hand felt so personal. It was a punch to Felicity’s gut.

No. She would not call a courier to deliver this package.

Felicity would deliver it herself.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.