Free Delicious Desires by Jackie Williams Page A

interested in her anyway. They appeared slightly agitated, and then relief seemed to sweep over them as a couple of them waved to an oncoming car. They stood back to let the Mercedes pull into a space next door to the big orange boat. They all started running to their positions as Adam launched himself out of the car, his huge figure unmistakeable even from a distance, his untucked shirt flapping in the breeze as he sprinted for the boat. He threw himself into the lifeboat with the other men as it started moving down the slipway.
    It was only then that Caroline noticed that someone else had climbed out of the passenger side of the car at the same time.
    The woman walked a round the front of the car, her hips swinging gently as she took long graceful steps. She stopped for a moment to watch the launching lifeboat.
    Her long, slim legs were sheathed in some kind of tight, figure hugging materialand her blouse fluttered against her flat stomach in the breeze. The wind took her blond hair and blew it about her face as she stood and waved at the boat for a second before she turned, slid elegantly behind the steering wheel of the car and slowly pulled away.
    Caroline bit back bitter tears.
    His lover! Beautiful, slim, blond and elegant, and allowed to drive his car! She had never stood a chance!
    She stared at the vision of beauty as the car slid past her and the n s he swivelled round and started to walk as fast as she could back in the direction of the shop.
    She didn’t know why she was running away. There was no way that they had seen her. He was far too focused on getting into the boat and the woman wouldn’t know who she was anyway, but she didn’t want to see him, she couldn’t bear to look at Adam ever again; her heart would surely break.
    And then she realized that it was already far t oo late and her body broke into violent shudders of despair.
    The floodgates holding back her tears crashed open as her chest gave an almighty, lurching heave and her heart split right down the middle.

Chapter Seven
     
    The letter giving them one week’s notice to quit their premises arrived only six days later. Caroline stared in horrified amazement at the thickly embossed paper.
    Cavendish Developments w as kicking them out nearly two months early! And the extra compensation was pitiful. She couldn’t believe what she was reading.
    How could he?! She was so shocked that she forgot to be miserable for a moment.
    Her blood heated in her veins as fury swept through her. It was an impossible task. It would mean more than just having to rush everything. She couldn’t afford to be without an income for long and the mobile van idea was far from ready.
    Fuming, she shoved the letter under Cathy’s nose.
    “Just take a look at that and tell me again that I should have slept with the arrogant bastard!” She couldn’t conceal her rage.  
    Cathy scanned the letter quickly as she placed several thick chocolate slices on a tray. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned deeply.
    “Who the hell does he think he is? We have to fight this Caroline; you can’t let him get away with it, especially as our trade is actually picking up. Our net profit has doubled in the last week and I can’t see it dropping off anytime soon, not with all those blokes from the site who keep turning up every day. They all have a terrible sweet tooth.”
    That was the worst irony of it all. Sales had gone through the roof as soon the building work had commenced. Every morning and lunchtime there was an eager queue of builders, slathering at the mouth for the warm, generously sugared bread pudding or thickly iced bakewell tart.
    Caroline nodded.
    “I know. My dad always says that the way to a bloke’s heart is through his stomach and going by the trade we’ve had recently all these guys have huge hearts.” She looked outside as the usual morning queue began to form.
    Cathy scoffed.
    “Huh! All except one! You’re going to have to go and talk to him. He’s probably