Free Unbound by Kathryn Taylor Page A

already a hopeless case when he brought you here from the airport.”
    I can’t help thinking about the moment in the limousine, when I got so close to him. Luckily, Annie doesn’t know anything about that.
    “Well, so what,” I say defensively.
    “It’s not going to go well,” Annie insists, and her concerned look suddenly raises my ire. There’s probably nothing behind the gesture, and even if there were—would it be such a disaster if Jonathan Huntington was interested in me?
    “So you’re completely ruling out the idea that he might actually like me, for whatever reason, are you?”
    Annie withstands my angry stare. “In my experience, yes, that’s how it is.”
    “Whose experience? Yours? Why don’t you just spit it out? Why is Jonathan Huntington so damned dangerous that we have to be so suspicious of him?”
    Annie puts her mug away and puts an arm round my shoulders. She looks at me piercingly. “I just don’t want him to hurt you, OK?” “But he’s not doing anything to me—he’s giving me an opportunity.”
    Annie lets go of me again, with a deep sigh. “Listen, perhaps I’m wrong. Of course it’s a great opportunity and it sounds fantastic. But don’t agree to anything you don’t want to do. Anything at all.” She looks up. “And don’t fall in love with him. Under any circumstances. Do you understand?”
    “OK,” I say, although I’m not sure how I’ll be able to prevent that. Can’t a person fall in love, if they want to? “If you’ll leave me in peace.”
    She smiles again at last and gives me a friendly shove. “At least you didn’t accept his offer of an apartment. You’ll be coming home with me in the evenings and I can make sure you don’t get up to any mischief.”
    “You sound like my little sister,” I say, laughing because I’m happy she isn’t mad anymore. “She’s always worrying about me too.”
    “She probably has good reason,” Annie replies. “And now get yourself back upstairs. You heard Veronica. The boss doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
    I hug her again. “See you this evening.”
    “I’ll wait till you’ve finished upstairs,” she says, pointing a finger at the ceiling. “Then we can go home together. The boys and I have already lost one roommate after all, because she spent too much time on the management floor. We won’t let that happen again.”
    I nod, guiltily. I know she means well—but I’m looking forward to spending the day with Jonathan Huntington, despite Annie’s warnings. I simply can’t help it.
    We leave the kitchen together and—carrying my bag and coat this time—I make my way up to the very top floor, to the management.
    ***
    When I arrive, the dark-haired woman is sitting at her desk again. I’m not sure if I can just go straight through to his office, so I slow down and look at her inquiringly. She smiles.
    “I haven’t introduced myself yet,” she says, standing up to offer me her hand. “I’m Catherine Shepard. Welcome, Miss Lawson.”
    “It’s a pleasure,” I answer and I’m not sure if she really finds it a pleasure too. She is smiling, it’s true, but she looks neutral and professional. I can’t tell what she really thinks of the fact that I’m here, and that makes me nervous.
    “Can I go in?”
    “Just a moment,” she says and goes back behind her desk again. She fetches some papers attached to a clipboard, and hands them to me, together with a pen.
    “Please sign that.”
    I skim over the text. It’s three pages of narrow print, formatted in bullet points. The sense is clear. “A confidentiality agreement?”
    “Exactly. We have to be cautious, I’m sure you understand. Nothing you experience during your stay here can be made public. If you don’t comply with the agreement, our legal department will take appropriate steps.” Her smile is saccharine now and I don’t like the way she says ‘we’, as if it definitely does not include me.
    Without casting a single look at the