Free In the Market for Love by Nina Blake Page A

time.
    Bianca leaned over his desk to admire a photo of Connor. Jake looked away. He didn’t need to see her breasts hanging out of a particularly revealing red top. Since a breast enhancement three years ago, she was continually putting her chest on display with skimpy clothing. Very little of her was natural any more.
    She flitted quickly past the pin-up board covered with Connor’s drawings and stopped to pay homage to the spectacular views from Jake’s office. The hint of a contemptuous sneer on her face, she glanced around the rest of the room as though it was in need of severe maintenance.
    Seeing Bianca standing in his office, it struck Jake that she simply didn’t fit into his world. Her main concerns seemed to be with appearances, shopping and lunch dates. She had no idea what it was like to work and run a business. What’s more, she was completely devoid of any sense that she might be out of place.
    “I asked you w hy you came,” he said.
    Her lips curled to a smug smile. “Because we’ve got some business to discuss.”
    Both of them knew exactly why she’d come to Jake’s office. The same reason she phoned him at work. Because it riled him.
    “Fine,” h e said. “Let’s get on with it then.”
    “It’s about that trip to Italy you suggested.”
    He opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. “Go on.”
    “I think it’s an excellen t idea. A month away will do me good.”
    Jake nodded, refusing to speak. He knew Bianca had something else to say and he wasn’t going to make it easy for her.
    She sauntered over to his desk and ran her fingers along the edge of the mahogany. “I’ve booked already. I’ll be leaving in a few weeks. So I’ll be away over the school holidays. You’ll have to take of Connor.”
    Always putting her needs and desires ahead of those of her child. This was typical of her.
    Jake’s mind spun into overdrive as he thought of the projects he was managing, who he could delegate them to and meetings that would need to be rescheduled. One thing was for certain. He wasn’t prepared to let his son have two dreary weeks at home with the nanny because his mother had abandoned him.
    He raked a hand through his hair . “Do you have any idea how hard this is for me? Any idea how hard it is to juggle everything at work at such short notice. I’ve got an advertising agency to run, you know.”
    L ips pursed, she held his gaze. “You know, you’ve seemed different lately. Like you’ve had something big on your mind. But if your business is more important to you than your son–”
    “For crying out loud, woman. You’re the one flitting off to Italy, not me.”
    “I can always stay here if you don’t want me to go.”
    “Go, go!” Jake exploded. “I want you to go.”
    Fine. She could go away for a month and spend as much money as she wanted. He’d be glad to be rid of her.
    *          *          *
    Rachel stepped out of the lift, pushed open the agency’s heavy glass door and strode to the reception desk where she asked for Jake only to be told he was with someone at the moment.
    “Please take a seat,” the receptionist said. “I’ll phone through and see if he’ll be free soon.”
    Just then Marcus appeared, a friendly smile washing over his face as soon as he recognised her. “You must be after Jake?”
    Rachel nodded .
    “Don’t worry about it, Anne,” Marcus said to the receptionist. “Jake’s visitor is on the way out. I’ll show Rachel through.”
    “Thanks,” she said.
    *          *          *
    “Jake darling, I don’t know why you don’t take one of the bigger offices.” Bianca’s voice sailed over her shoulder as she ambled out of his office door. “The harbour view is excellent but this office really doesn’t do you justice.”
    She and Jake had had this conversation many times before. He owned the agency yet he hadn’t chosen the largest, most prestigious office for himself and no matter how