Free Falling For Her Boss by Karen Rose Smith

Call me soon."
    The machine clicked off.
    Francie could remember a time when Brent's voice was the only voice she'd wanted to hear.  She'd looked to him for guidance and approval.  But now...
    Noah appeared in the doorway.
    "You could have told me what Brent wanted."
    Noah shrugged.  "It sounded private to me."
    "Brent's wanting to win a gold medal is not private."
    "His missing you might be."
    Noah's voice had a husky timbre that melted through her like a hot toddy.  The questions in Noah's eyes demanded answers.  But he didn't ask the questions.  She felt compelled to give him the answers anyway.  "That part of it is over, Noah."
    He took a few steps into the room.  "I wonder.  If you skate with him again, if you get the magic back, wouldn't your relationship revive?"
    "No. I'm a different person now.  I'm not young, idealistic, or blinded by pretty words and charm."
    Noah looked somewhat relieved but still a bit skeptical.  "You owe it to yourself to find out for certain or you'll always wonder what could have been."
    She ran her fingers over the answering machine, thinking about gliding across the ice, the sound of her blades, Brent lifting her.  "You think I should go to New York."
    "I know you want to make your own decision, but for what it's worth, I think you should go."
    "That would solve your problem, wouldn't it?" she asked, annoyed because he thought he could give her advice.
    "What problem?"
    "My job managing the rink.  If I go back to skating, I won't be in your way."
    "You're not in my way now, Francie."
    His low voice made goose bumps break out on her arms.  "Why did you really decide to stay?"
    "I needed a breather, time to work on profit analysis.  I can work here as well as anywhere else."
    "So nothing I say or do is going to convince you not to sell the rink."
    "Probably not.  I'm going to list with the agent I spoke to on Monday."
    His decision created a squall of anger.  "You can list the rink, but that doesn't mean you'll sell it."
    "Maybe not in two months, maybe not in six.  But it will sell eventually.  Everything does."
    She came around the desk and stood before him.  "And everything has a price.  Is that the way it is, Noah?"
    His face hardened.  His jaw set.  "Most things do."
    She pushed by him, ignoring the woodsy scent that lingered even at the end of the day.  But now there was more male than woods.  She needed to get away from his presence, away from her attraction toward him, away from the temptation of feeling more than she should.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    "Has the roof leaked since you've been here?"  Noah asked Francie Friday afternoon as he sat at the desk in the rink's office, filling out a disclosure form for the real estate agent.  The problem was he couldn't keep his mind on the form.  Every time he looked at Francie, he could remember the feel of her in his arms.
    And it wasn't just Francie who was distracting him.  It was her whole family.  They treated him as if they'd known him all their lives.  Paul treated him like a...son.  Paul had taken his advice about a laptop and they'd gotten a great deal.  Noah had helped Francie's father set up the laptop.  The experience had brought back memories of another man who'd treated Noah like a son.  Noah had been eight.  And for a few months, he'd hoped he'd have a dad like most other kids.
    But then his mother's agent had booked her a job in Detroit.  The man Noah had hoped would become his stepfather hadn't gone with them.  And Noah had never seen or heard from him again.
    "The roof has never leaked as far as I know," Francie answered him, bringing his attention to her again.
    She frowned and Noah knew what she was thinking.  She thought he only cared about money.  That wasn't true.  He cared about the future of his company.  He did believe anyone could be bought.  He believed money could ease people's woes, if not bring them happiness.  If he could have helped his mother sooner financially, maybe she