Free Love Torn by Anna Valentine

Chapter 1
     
     
     
    Jackie climbed out of the taxi and pulled her skirt straight.  She hated these functions.  Why on earth could she not say no to Jason her boss when he asked?  Because she was weak, she thought bitterly as she reluctantly walked towards the double doors that led into the foyer of the largest hotel in town.  All he ever had to do was look at her , with those blue eyes , and she found herself automatically saying yes, to whatever he demanded.   Damn he was gorgeous.   Why did she have to have a crush on her boss?
    She reached the doors and pulled them open.  In the foyer, she spied the large sign announcing their company was being h osted in the Blue Function Room. S he put her head down and made her way there.  She had spied Marcia Cummings the new receptionist talking to some people she didn’t recognize near the reception desk, and she desperately wanted to avoid Marcia , no matter what.
    “Oh Jackie!  Jackie Forbes!”
    Too late.  Marcia ’s voice screeched across the foyer.   She fixed her best smile on her face and turned to face Marcia .
    “Oh, you’re looking good today!”  Marcia beamed and slapped J ackie on the arm.
    J ackie resisted the urge to punch her back, “Ha, thank yo u Marcia .  How are you?”   She cringed at the thought of the predictable answer she was about to get.
    “All the better for seeing you!”
    J ackie laughed what she called her plastic-laugh, “I have to go Marcia, and Jason is expecting me.”
    “Ooh, he’s a dish, isn’t he?”  Marcia giggled.   “I wish I could work with him,” she sighed.
    Jackie turned and walked away.  “If you like that sort of thing,” she called back to the insanely grinning woman behind her.   Jackie shook her head . Marcia was always the same, one of those bubbly-types, who w ere far too effervescent for her liking.
    She approached the doors to the Blue Room.  As she reached out to grab the handle the door swung out and almost hit her in the face.
    “Oh I am so sorry!”
    “Jason.”
    “Did I hit you?” H e reached out and touched her shoulder.
    Jackie gasped and stood stock-still with the shock his touch produced in her .
    “Oh God, I must have, you are in shock.  Come and sit down over here.”  Jason placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to a dark corner of the Blue Room.  “Sit down.” H e motioned her to a chair.  She automatically sat and stared at him, her whole body tingling from his touch. 
    How can he do that?  Why am I reacting like this?  She asked herself.
    “Wait here.”  Jason turned around , and he was gone.
    Damn it, she thought as her body calmed down and her breathing settled back to normal , along with her pulse.  She frowned ; Jason was cute, but she’d never reacted like that to him before. 
    Jason returned moments later with two coffee cups in his hand s .  He offered one to Jackie who took it gratefully.  “Look , I’m sorry I hit you with the door.”
    She shook her head, “You didn’t hit me Jason.  You just shocked me.  That’s all.”
    “Sure?” H e fixed her with those blue eyes she loved , and she blushed.  He noticed.
    “Yes, I’m sure.”
    “Good.  So are you all ready for today’s function?”
    She gave him a sarcastic look. 
    “Oh don’t be like that,” he laughed, “you know you love to hear our CEO talk about how great he is and how wonderful his company is too!” H e winked at her.
    “No, that’s not why I’m here, and you know it.”
    “And why are you here?”
    “Because you insisted , and you know that I can’t say no to you!”   She didn’t mean it to come out the way it had.  She knew he would read more into that than she had intended.
    He shot her his boyish grin and his eyes twinkled.  He lowered his voice, “Then maybe you’ll say yes to coming to dinner with me afterwards then?”
    Jackie stood up, “No.”
    He protested. “Hey , I thought you couldn’t say no to me!”
    She stopped as she