AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come on, luv, it means nothing.”
His British accent caused her lips to twitch. The man was brilliant, but sometimes, he thought he was the greatest lover because he was British. But he was the best assistant she’d ever had.
“Behave yourself. I’m going back to the office, so go take care of the luncheon.” He opened his mouth, and she held up her hand. “I’ll catch a rideshare and leave the van for clean-up after lunch.”
Martin frowned, a lock of his dark brown hair falling onto his forehead. “Everything okay?”
“Just a headache.” A six-foot two one. “You can handle this without me.”
“Will do, luv.” He sauntered down the hallway, and Amber went in the opposite direction. After using the app on her phone for the rideshare, she decided to wait outside. The cool breeze made her shiver, and she slipped on her sweater. At least it wasn’t raining. While she waited outside, she wondered what she was going to do about Gavin.
The car arrived, and the drive back to Precious Gems Event Planning and Catering gave her time to think. Gavin had said seven. Well, she’d still be at the office then, not at home where he planned to pick her up. Dealing with Gavin McKay was best done without sitting across a table from him, or in a boardroom, or in a bed. Amber thrust those thoughts out of her mind. If he happened to call, she’d tell him she had to work late, and there was no future for them.
She laughed out loud, and the driver gave her an odd look. Would it really work? She doubted it. She had to come up with something Gavin would believe because getting any more involved with him was not a good idea.
Over the last few years, she’d seen women come and go in his life. Half of them didn’t have a coherent thought in their head and were more interested in money than the man. Amber wasn’t about to join the legion of women vying for his attention. It was time to move on. She bit her lip.
Yes, she was making a gross generalization, but the last woman he dated could barely say more than, hello, that’s nice, or goodbye. Gavin didn’t seem to mind. Besides, Amber shouldn’t care. She wanted a relationship built on trust, respect, and the ability to talk intelligently with each other. Sex was important, but it wasn’t just about sex. She wanted a man who would listen to her and not be judgmental about her life choices.
The car stopped in front of her business. “Thank you.” She climbed out and stared at the small building painted a light peach color, which gleamed in the afternoon light. The Precious Gems Event Planning and Catering sign was painted in the colors of the rainbow and never failed to make her smile.
Her mood lightened as she stepped inside. She loved her business and working with her sister. Together, they’d built their company. The name was an homage to her father, who called them his “precious gems.”
“What are you doing back so soon?” Ruby, her sister, asked.
“Martin is handling the job. I wanted to get a jump-start on the upcoming weekend events.” Amber put her purse in her office. “How was your meeting with the bride-to-be?”
Ruby tilted her head. “It was fine. She’s coming back on Saturday, with her fiancé, and we’ll go over everything. We’re going to have a busy spring.”
“I can’t believe New Year’s Eve is in a few months.”
“I know. Don’t forget, I’m going to dinner with Peter tonight.”
Amber waved to acknowledge she’d heard her and made her way to the back part of the building. This was her domain, the catering portion. Ruby did the planning; she did the food.
Amber slipped on an apron and stood in front of her planning board. She had a party Friday night, and she wanted everything perfect. She pulled the request up on the computer and started adding to her notes. This would keep her busy the rest of the day and keep her mind off of Gavin.
* * *
Gavin pulled up,in his black SUV, at six fifty-five. The lights outside Precious Gems revealed an empty parking lot. He frowned. Where was her car? He wasn’t going to be happy if she stood him up. As he strode up to the building, he could see the lights were still on. She had to be in there.
Glancing up at the night sky, he was happy they were having a mild summer so far. Six months ago, his father retired and put Gavin in charge of the McKay and Son’s construction company. It had been a busy time, and next year was already shaping up to be a banner year.
Gavin turned the doorknob and realized the door was locked. He was pleased Amber took precautions when she was alone. He knocked on the door and waited. After a minute, he knocked again, louder. When there was no answer, he reached for his phone. A click sounded, and the door was thrown open.
“Hi.” Amber was wiping her hands on her jeans and looked flushed.
“Shouldn’t you have checked to make sure you knew who was standing out here?” He fought against pulling her into his arms for a kiss.
“I did.” She stepped back and motioned for him to enter. “Sorry it took me a couple of minutes; I was in back doing inventory.”
“Alone?”
“Yep.” She shut the door and threw the lock.
“You shouldn’t be here alone at night.” He placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Usually, I’m not. But Ruby went to meet Peter an hour ago, and I had a feeling you’d come here.”
