“Hi, Linc. Thanks for stopping by to collect me.”

She got the words out before she looked at him properly. It was just as well, because when she did, she couldn’t drag her gaze away again.

He had on a sleek evening suit in a dark pin-striped gray, a crisp white shirt and thin powder blue tie. Polished black dress shoes completed the outfit, and as he moved his arm slightly, she caught a glimpse of a gold cuff link.

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

Could any man look more handsome than Linc did tonight?

Tempted by Her

Tycoon Boss

Jennie Adams

www.millsandboon.co.uk

After years of living in a small inland city in New South Wales, Australia, JENNIE ADAMS re-embraced the country lifestyle of her childhood. When she isn’t writing, Jennie dedicates her time to promoting the natural wonders of her new area and encouraging others to visit and enjoy what now constitutes her back garden—large tracts of native bushland, flora and fauna reserves and wetlands. Jennie’s family has grown to embrace in-laws (and outlaws, she always jokes), sisters, daughters and brothers of the heart. Find Jennie at www.joybyjennie.com.

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For my dad. You were my first storyteller and you’ll always remain the best to me. Love you.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘GOOD MORNING, CECILIA.’ Linc MacKay spoke the greeting as he stepped between shoulder-height hedge shapes bursting from within with raised flowering displays. ‘Your second-in-command told me I’d probably find you here.’

‘Here’ was the feature maze area of the Fleurmazing Plant Nursery on its acreage just outside the Sydney city limits. The Australian sun warmed the air, and the light breeze carried the scents of a summer garden.

Now it had also brought a handsome millionaire, stepping around a corner of the maze to an alcove where a statue of a sun goddess draped in gossamer folds reached her arms upwards as though to bless the world with her light.

Was it the soft look in Linc’s eyes as his gaze moved beyond the sun goddess and lingered on her that made Cecilia’s breath suddenly catch? A moment later the expression disappeared, if it had ever truly been there at all.

‘Linc. Is it that time already?’ She focused on projecting professionalism into her words and tried to push those discomforting questions to the back of her mind. ‘I’m glad Jemmie was able to point you in the right direction to find me.’

Cecilia placed one final hedge trimming into the basket over her arm and walked towards the plant nursery’s owner. If she didn’t feel entirely calm she could at least act as though she were.

‘This is my favourite part of the maze, to be honest.’

‘I can see why.’ His gaze took in the maze, its beautiful flowers every shade from creamy white to deepest violet and blue. But then he turned back and took in Cecilia, too, from the top of her honey-blond hair in its high ponytail, over her face, lingering on each feature, and quickly sweeping over the simple strappy sundress that showed off her curves to perfection.

She rarely dressed in her best girly attire for work but, knowing that today she’d be inside most of the day in the office, Cecilia had let her most feminine side have its way.

‘It’s stunning,’ Linc finally said. ‘The...ah...the maze.’

‘Thank you.’ She drew a slightly unsteady breath. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t up front, ready to greet you.’

Cecilia glanced at the trimmings in the basket over her arm and hoped by doing so she would disguise her swirling thoughts from him.

‘This is a never-ending job.’

‘And a very important one at the moment, I can imagine.’

Why, oh, why did she have to feel suddenly oh-so-conscious of him? She had much better control than this. Usually...

Wasn’t it enough that she’d mistaken his interest once before, years ago?

‘The maze needs to look good. Fantastic, in fact.’

She forced the words out and told herself to concentrate on matters at hand. The Fleurmazing plant nursery was the third and most recent of Linc’s Sydney plant nurseries that she had managed over the six years she’d been in his employ, but this one was different.

It was her brainchild—a holistic nursery that required greater upkeep but offered an enhanced experience for its visitors. At least in this aspect of her life she had it together!

She should keep her focus on that. Now, of all times, Cecilia needed to ‘sell’ the nursery’s virtues to Linc at any opportunity she got. Noticing his character traits or wondering if his attention was caught on her wasn’t part of that plan.

‘We’re logging hundreds of people every day, who all come here specifically because they want to experience the maze. Sales out of that alone are fantastic. And the maze needs to be perfect in time for the part we’re playing in Sydney’s Silver Bells charity flower show, so I’m giving it a lot of attention at the moment.’

‘A masked ball in the middle of a plant maze is ambitious.’ One side of his mouth kicked up. ‘But I’m sure if anyone can carry it off it’ll be you.’

‘The Silver Bells organisers have put their faith in me, so I have no choice now.’ She said it laughingly, but the importance of it was never far from her thoughts.

She wouldn’t have had the opportunity if Linc hadn’t agreed to let her take the risk.

‘It’ll pay off, Linc. Your whole chain of plant nurseries will get good attention out of our participation in the Silver Bells event.’

Linc owned a dozen nurseries across the city, along with bucketloads of real estate and a commodities trading portfolio that, on its own, probably ran into millions. He truly was the quintessential millionaire bachelor, with the world at his feet. They were more than poles apart, which had made her faux pas of throwing herself at him six years ago even more embarrassing.

He hadn’t been interested. She’d mistaken his charming way for something it wasn’t, and then—moments after he’d let Cecilia down as gently as anyone possibly could have—a woman had arrived for her lunch date with him. A sophisticated older woman.

Old news, Cee. Linc played the gentleman that day, apologised that he’d given the wrong impression and went off on his date with Ms Socialite while you went back to digging around in potting mix. And you got over it.

Cecilia had worked hard to impress him professionally since then, and she’d dated. Then she’d found Hugh, and that relationship had lasted almost two years. Linc had no doubt dated lots more versions of Ms Socialite, too, though Cecilia had not heard of him ever being in a serious long-term relationship since she’d known him.

‘I appreciate you coming in for the business review. I know you’re busy. Actually, I thought you might have sent someone to do it for you.’

‘You’ve earned this opportunity, and I felt I owed it to you to undertake the review myself.’ Sincerity rang in his tone. ‘I want to grant you that twenty per cent share in the nursery if I can, and no one else will understand your work here and your vision the way that I do.’

That was true. Even though the bulk of their interactions were over the phone, she’d always reported regularly to Linc.

And she’d negotiated—refusing bonuses over the years in favour of building up to this: a chance to own a share in the nursery. One day she wanted to open her own business.

‘I hope the review proves my efforts worthy of your time.’

Linc might have rejected her overtures, but he had been her example since he’d first taken her on and let her manage one of his nurseries six years ago, with no experience and only her determination to get her through. He was proof that a person could achieve anything if they wanted it enough.

What would he be now? Thirty-four? Thirty-five? Still with the same deep timbre to his voice, the same way of wearing his work boots, jeans and chambray shirt with an authority overlaid with a deceptive dose of casual charm.

With a strong chin, short-cut dark hair, those gorgeous shoulders and a way of carrying himself that shouted, Look out, world! Linc MacKay was in all ways a force to be reckoned with.

Linc would be making the nursery his base while he undertook the review. They’d be spending quite a bit of time in each other’s company. It couldn’t be a worse time for that old awareness of him to resurface. Whatever had brought it back, she needed her interest in him gone. Now, if not sooner.

Cecilia began the return walk towards the equipment shed and the front office.

‘I know I’ll see good results here, Cecilia. With each new nursery you’ve managed, you’ve improved on the last.’ Linc fell into step beside her in the maze. ‘I have taken it all in, you know—including the way this one has exceeded all expectations. Bringing coach tours in on a daily basis, gaining that whole new layer of tourism clientele...that has shown real vision.’

His words made every moment of her hard work feel doubly worth it. Cecilia couldn’t help smiling as she quietly thanked him.

‘Our social media presence has made a difference, too. I’m blessed to have Jemmie here, with her skills in photography and videography. Her plants-growing-and-bursting-into-flower videos get a lot of attention online.’

‘You found a good asset in her.’

His compliment pleased her, but it was his simple gesture for her to precede him through a narrower section of the maze that brought back that earlier flutter to Cecilia’s pulse. It felt intimate to her. As though they’d met here for a morning tryst and were returning now to their ‘real’ lives.

How silly.

Planning for this masked ball must be messing with her brain. Cecilia couldn’t come up with a more feasible explanation for her sudden case of hyper-Linc-awareness.

Or perhaps you’ve simply been out of your relationship with Hugh long enough to open your eyes and look around you?

If so, she could cast her attention in some other direction, thank you very much. Because Linc was not for her and she’d accepted that fact and got over caring about it a very long time ago.

She had, right...?

‘Thank you, Linc, for the commitment you’ve made to do this review.’

If the words were a little stiff and formal, that couldn’t be helped. Surely that was better than falling all over him, even if only inside her own thoughts.

‘I know it’s time away from the other demands of your life.’

‘I suspect some of those demands will follow me here, but I’ll do my best not to disrupt you.’ A teasing smile came and went.

Cecilia ignored how that smile made her tummy flutter. It had to be the kind of smile that one friend might share with another, or a person who’d known another person for years, or a boss who felt comfortable with his employee. And Cecilia fell into the latter category. Yes, she’d known Linc for years, but they were work associates with a lot of professional ground walked over in that span of time.

Therefore his smile must be a perfectly normal one that meant nothing whatsoever outside those bounds. He couldn’t help it if he was cute.

Great avoiding of his appeal, Cee.

He went on. ‘I don’t want to make a painful time out of this for you.’

‘I’m sure it will be fine.’ No matter the outcome, she knew Linc would be fair in his assessment. Whether she could eliminate the painful knowledge of her reawakened awareness of him was another challenge altogether.

But it was one that she had to achieve, and she could not let the rest of her life mess with her head, either, while she got through the review. That would be easier said than done, when one part of it gnawed at her ceaselessly and she was still stinging over another part.

Well, no-longer-interested-and-nothing-could-keep-me-here-now Hugh could go and trip over and fall into a duck pond, for all she cared. And the other thing just...was.

Cecilia drew a breath.

Her personal life might not be as calm as she would like, but she could manage—and Linc didn’t need to know about any of it.

She detoured to leave her plant cuttings and basket in the potting shed, and then led the way to her office. ‘Come on in. How long do you think the review will take?’

‘Depending on how much I get interrupted, it shouldn’t take more than a few days.’

His gaze searched hers just a little bit too keenly for her comfort.

‘Great.’ She gestured to where a second computer and desk sat at a diagonal angle to her own, and pushed those other thoughts as far back in her mind as she could manage. ‘I don’t mean it’s great that you won’t be here more than that. You know what I mean...’

Did he? Was he hearing her words falling over themselves in a way that was quite out of character after her usual modulated approaches to him?

So get over it, Cecilia. You’ve been to see him at his city office, where the staff all complain that he’s hardly ever there but say it fondly, as though they’re glad that he gives them the autonomy to do their best for him while he’s out spreading his holdings even further. You’ve been to the warehouse home he shared in the past with his brothers. He’s seen you at each of the nurseries you’ve managed. Multiple times, in fact. This is no different.

‘The financials are all on there.’ She used her best I’ve-got-over-it tone, which would at least make sense to her. ‘Along with my strategic forecast for the business for the upcoming couple of years.’

The hand she’d been waving around now hid itself in a fold of her sundress’s knee-length skirt.

‘Thanks.’ Again his lips curved into that hint of a smile. ‘I’ll jump straight in.’

‘I’d best get on with my work, too.’ Cecilia dropped into her chair. ‘I have invoices to get into the system from the weekend’s trade.’

She did not mention that she’d spent so much time ensuring that the outdoor aspects of the nursery were impeccable in recent days that she’d allowed that invoicing to get somewhat behind.

She’d known Linc would be here and that he’d want her around—at least to start with. This way she could work while she answered any questions he might have.

That’s right. You weren’t hiding out doing your favourite tasks just because they help you not to think about other things.

Cecilia had a major event coming up for the nursery. She simply didn’t have time to think about anything else. Not family stresses, not her abandonment by Hugh and certainly not this morning’s odd noticing of Linc in a way she had stopped herself doing for years.

Cecilia jabbed the start button of her Slimline computer. ‘I’ll be here all day in the office to be sure I’m available for any questions you may have.’

‘I appreciate that you’re so well organised for the review, even with a big event looming on the horizon.’

Linc MacKay murmured the words as his plant-nursery manager shuffled her bottom into her office chair and peered down her nose at the computer screen in front of her.

She looked beautiful today...a summery woman with golden skin. Her shoulders were bare but for a couple of spaghetti straps on the deep red sundress splashed with a bold floral design, and her lips were highlighted in a subtle lipstick.

Linc had rejected her innocent overtures six years ago, even though he’d felt a spark of interest at the time. It had never truly gone away, and he had felt that fact keenly today. Seeing her in the beautiful sundress, showing such a feminine side of herself, Linc felt as though he were seeing her in a whole new light.

And because that awareness wasn’t acceptable to him, he forced his focus to her business acumen.

Cecilia was determined and motivated and very capable when it came to running a nursery. Her push to gain a share in this one had impressed him, and she’d earned that opportunity over the last six years.

She was an intriguing woman, Linc acknowledged silently, and his glance returned to her once again. Slender, with shoulder-length hair every shade from ash to dark blond and eyes the colour of bluebonnets...

Where had he been?

Right. Her inner strength and drive impressed him. Linc told himself not to think about how sweet she looked, how he felt as though layers had been pulled from his eyes and he could see her clearly for the very first time.

‘I’ll review the strategic projections first.’ He pushed the knowledge of her appeal to the back of his mind, where it had to remain. ‘Those will form a solid basis for the rest of my review. They’ll also help me to spot any areas where the business might not yet be living up to its full potential.’

‘I’ll be keen to discuss any weak areas with you.’ Cecilia sat very upright in her chair. ‘I pride myself on trying to keep everything strong. I’ve printed a copy of the projections document for you.’

She pointed to the pile of files beside his computer. The document sat right on top.

‘I appreciate it.’ He lifted the sheaf of pages and flipped through them before turning back to the first page and lowering his gaze so he could fully concentrate on it.

It took a while, but Linc did immerse himself in the work. Even if he could see acres of soft, delicately sun-kissed skin in the periphery of his view.

Cecilia focused studiously on her office work, but out of the corner of her eye she remained very aware of Linc as the hours passed.

She wanted to know how he felt about his findings so far, even though he would have only just scratched the surface at this stage.

Distractingly, she noticed the scent of his aftershave. It made her think about things that had no business being in her mind.

‘Cecilia?’

‘Yes. No. I mean—’ Had Linc asked her a question while she’d been daydreaming about woodsy scents and clear grey eyes? She had no idea—and no business noticing his eyes. Or his shoulders. Or the way his strong nose perfectly matched the firm, sensuous appeal of his lips.

Concentrate, Cee! On something other than how gorgeous he is.

‘I might get a bite to eat.’ He glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘It’s getting to be that time of day. Would you like to join me, or can I pick up something for you?’

For a moment blank incomprehension filled her. She fought her way out of it and realised she was hungry—but a lunch date with Linc MacKay...?

‘Thanks, but I have errands to run on my lunch break.’ Fortunately, his invitation had been offhand enough that she didn’t need to worry about causing offence by refusing it.

Exactly.

So why had her heart skipped a beat?

‘Plus, I brought something to eat from home.’ Something dull and ordinary that held no uncertain surprises and certainly wouldn’t make her think back to a past time when she had wanted to know Linc better on a personal rather than a business footing. ‘But I appreciate the offer.’

He gave a little nod and a half smile and went on his way—which quite put it into perspective, as she should have done from the start. Thank goodness she hadn’t sounded as though she were turning him down in a personal way or anything like that.

Cecilia ate her home-packed sandwich at her desk, and then headed for the nearby mall. Her thoughts turned to her sister more and more with each step. Hugh might have dropped Cecilia like the proverbial hot potato when her family life had suddenly gone from slightly troublesome to really concerning, and that still hurt, but it was the rift with Stacey that remained as a constant source of heartache any time Cecilia let the thoughts surface.

Rejection seemed to have formed a bit too much of a repeat cycle in Cecilia’s life lately. It was just as well that she had learned to bury her emotions in her work and that she was very good at that work.

‘Next, please.’ The voice of the man behind the counter at the postal outlet drew her from her thoughts.

‘Hello. I need to purchase a money order, please.’

‘Same name and amount?’

The clerk probably thought he was being helpful, asking that. Instead, it just reminded Cecilia of how many times she had done this. Every Monday for the past five months, and it wasn’t over yet.

Not this guy’s fault, and not your fault, either, so smile and be normal. Got it?

She was fulfilling a duty, and if that felt like a paltry thing to do, well, the situation wasn’t easy—and doing this was a lot more than just duty. She had to continue to hope that things would improve.

‘Yes. Thank you.’

Cecilia placed the money order into a pre-stamped envelope and mailed it.

As she returned to work she let her spirits find happiness again. She loved the nursery and loved what she’d achieved here. And if she felt a little lift, knowing she was about to see Linc again, too, that came from knowing that every moment in his presence brought the results of the review and his decision about her share proposition closer. It was that and only that.

If she didn’t entirely believe herself, Cecilia ignored the fact.

Her peace lasted until she approached the office and heard Linc speaking.

‘I can tell you really want to speak with her, but Cecilia is at lunch just now.’ There was a pause. ‘Are you in a position where you could call back a bit later?’

‘Is that for me? I’ll take it now.’ She could hardly speak for the buzzing in her ears, and she saw Linc was ending the call even as she spoke.

For a moment after he’d placed the phone back in its cradle, she simply stood there.

‘That was a supplier wanting to change an order.’

Linc seemed to be searching her face with a great deal of attention.

It was just a supplier, phoning on the office phone. Your sister only has your cell phone number. You haven’t missed a chance to speak with her, and Linc hasn’t found out anything about her.

Disappointment and relief fought for supremacy inside Cecilia.

They both won.

‘The guy sounded old...grumpy.’ Linc gave a what-do-you-do kind of a shrug. ‘He didn’t want to leave his name or number, only wanted to speak with you, and he ended the call quite abruptly.’

‘I think I know which supplier that would have been.’ She walked to her desk, sat down. Felt Linc’s gaze on her and an added layer of awareness of her that she would swear, despite her admonitions to herself earlier to the contrary, was real.

Did she want to set herself up for further rejection? No.

Exactly, Cecilia. So get your mind back on your work. Now!

But trying to do that just reminded her that her heart had almost stopped for a second or two, and now she was fighting a renewed sense of sadness and loss that she tried to keep distant during work hours.

‘I’ll call the supplier back a bit later and let him know that a message would be welcome the next time, whether I’m here or not.’

Next time she wouldn’t practically fall apart over a silly, perfectly routine, office-related phone call.

Cecilia ignored the reasons why she would panic, and why she now felt deflated and sad all over again. Because no cause for panic had actually ensued. She’d ignored the way Linc had made her feel today so far, too. If she ignored that for long enough, she would get it under control.

She turned her attention back to her work. In the end, that was where her focus needed to stay!

CHAPTER TWO

‘IS THERE A chance we could move my tour of the facility forward and do it now? I have to disappear for a while later this morning on other business.’

Linc made the request as he and Cecilia met at the front area of the plant nursery the next morning. They’d driven into the staff parking area within seconds of each other.

‘I’m sorry for the disruption to our review, but would that be manageable for you?’

‘There’s no need to apologise. I’m surprised you got through even one day without a disruption, to be honest. And the flower show management team aren’t due here until eleven—so, yes, I can do the tour now.’

Cecilia’s words and tone were calm. Yet in catching her unawares Linc had glimpsed what had looked like sorrow in her eyes, before she’d shielded her expression and the mantle of ‘business manager’ came down over her face.

There’d been an awareness of him, too. It had sparked briefly before that mantle had come down. It disturbed him that he had looked and hoped for that very thing. And it disturbed him that she had seemed sad.

He frowned, but a moment later Cecilia spoke with such enthusiasm and apparent focus on her work that he wondered if he had imagined that earlier moment of interest and its preceding sadness.

‘It’ll be a real pleasure to show you everything here in detail. Just let me stow my things, Linc, and we’ll get into the tour.’

Cecilia quickly divested herself of her purse and her lunch, tucked her cell phone into the back pocket of her jeans, and led the way to the first part of the nursery.

She’d been an intriguing young woman at twenty, when she’d fought so hard to get him to let her manage one of his nurseries. With nothing but a community college course and some time spent in customer service in a small plant nursery behind her, she’d gone after her dream of managing one, tenaciously.

Linc would have been a fool not to employ her, so he had done exactly that. But not before she had let him see that she would have welcomed the opportunity to know him better as a man, not only as a potential employer.

Her interest then hadn’t been one-sided.

And now...?

Now, for his sins, Linc had seen a whole new aspect of her yesterday, and that had not only refreshed the underlying awareness of Cecilia that had never truly left him, but had added to it. Why? Was it because there’d been no woman in his life at all lately?

Well, he’d been busy.

Too busy to pick up the phone and invite someone out or to say yes to any of the invitations that came his way?

Was he getting jaded? Or perhaps lonely? Wanting what his brothers had in their marriages?

That last thought came out of nowhere, and Linc shoved it right back there just as quickly. Ridiculous. He was perfectly happy as he was. He ignored any possibility that he might not be.

Linc’s gaze was focused on the back of Cecilia’s head as she walked along a curved pathway ahead of him, but all that did was draw his attention to her again.

A yellow sleeveless shirt contrasted with denim cut-offs, and both highlighted her soft curves. Today she wore her hair up in that ponytail again, and it bounced with every step of her work-booted feet.

The ponytail made Linc want to kiss her, and while the sensible work attire spoke of her determination, she looked equally as appealing to Linc today as she had yesterday—all feminine curviness and beauty.

Layers had definitely been peeled from his eyes, and Linc wanted to paste them right back on. He needed to do that, because Cecilia wasn’t the kind of woman he’d date and forget—the type of woman he had always dated because it was easy to walk away.

He had to set aside this awareness of Cecilia—whether he’d suddenly noticed her on a whole different level or not.

Cecilia glanced over her shoulder. ‘Shall we visit the cold storage first?’

‘Yes. That would be...ah...great.’

They headed over there, and Linc forced his attention back to the tour. He noticed the amount of empty space surrounding the limited offerings of cut flowers.

‘How’s the cut-flower trade going?’

‘It’s going well.’

Her glance seemed only to calculate the empty shelf area. But her cheeks held a hint of pink that couldn’t be attributed to their brief walk.

Was she feeling this, too? This interest and curiosity that felt fresh and new and oh-so-tempting to pursue?

‘At the moment we’re keeping our stock orders tight.’ She waved a hand in the general direction of the shelves, and then shoved it into the front pocket of her cut-offs.

She’s as aware of it as you are.

Maybe, but that didn’t mean she wanted to pursue it any more than he did, Linc reminded himself belatedly.

‘Any special reason?’ He cleared his throat. ‘For keeping the stock orders tight?’

She tipped her head on one side and seemed to consider him for a moment before she responded. ‘It’s because Valentine’s Day is very close and we’ll need the space for all the cut roses.’

‘Right. It’s good that you’ve thought ahead to make as much of that day as possible.’ His voice was so deep it might have come from his boots. ‘I should have thought of that straight away.’

‘It’s a very special day.’ The pink in her cheeks deepened. ‘For—for the customers, and very much for the nursery.’

And most of all for lovers.

She didn’t say that. Instead, she drew a deep breath, as though to try to compose herself.

In Linc’s experience women seemed to expect a very emotional expression of love on that particular day of the year. To show a love that encapsulated exactly the kind of commitment that would never be part of Linc’s own life.

He was grateful his brothers had found such love—that their lives had turned out okay in the end. However, Linc would never deserve—

‘We’ll be getting in red roses, predominantly.’

Cecilia’s words drew him back from the dark thoughts as she led the way out of the cold storage area and, once he’d joined her outside, secured it.

‘We’ll stock other colours of roses, too. There’s a growing percentage of buyers who will purchase something other than the classic red—particularly when purchasing for friends or family rather than—’

‘The romantic loves of their lives?’

There. He’d said it and the sky hadn’t fallen in.

‘Yes.’ She glanced at him and quickly away again. Her chin tipped up. ‘Roses are lovely at any time of the year. My favourites are the creamy white ones. They have a beautiful, subtle scent.’

She led the way through a section of potted seedlings and, as he came to her side, gave him the benefit of a determinedly work-focused gaze.

‘Hopefully this year’s sales of roses will prove to be as lucrative as last—if not more so.’

The words made Cecilia sound as unromantic as they came, and she was a great businesswoman. But one who’d managed to bring romance right to the heart of her working life through her instigation of this year’s masked-ball event. Not to mention all the flowers she stocked for Valentine’s Day, and the flowering maze she had designed and nurtured to fruition.

‘Given your track record over the last six years, I have no doubt that the Valentine’s Day trade will exceed all expectations.’ He made the comment matter-of-fact, but his thoughts were not pragmatic.

She’d been in a relationship a few months ago. His brother Brent had mentioned that it had ended.

So she’s single.

Why would Linc even consider her availability?

She may be hurting and still love the guy.

‘Thank you.’

For a moment Linc didn’t know what she was thanking him for, and then he remembered. He’d paid her a compliment. A business one, about her ability to do a great job as plant-nursery manager.

Which was true.

‘You’re welcome.’

They moved between rows of gardening supplies, through arrays of flowering plants and herbs, potting mix and foliage. Linc began to find his focus again, and the colour in Cecilia’s cheeks returned to normal.

So it was fine. He’d been foolishly carried away—imagining things, nothing more. Flights of fancy weren’t Linc’s style. He would make sure it didn’t happen again.

Cecilia’s love of her work shone through more and more as she talked avidly, explaining the progress and plans that related to each area.

‘What’s happening in that shed?’

He asked the question as they walked towards a shady path, far into the back section of the nursery. Access to the shed was gained through a locked gate. There were no customers to be seen or heard, and it truly felt secluded and private.

In fact, it was the perfect setting for a man to steal a kiss. Assuming that a man would choose to do something so unprofessional.

So much for him returning his thoughts to nothing but business.

‘I’ll show you.’ Cecilia led the way to this final shed on the property and unlocked and opened the door. The tour with Linc had proved productive so far, but she had been oh-so-conscious of him the entire time.

This sharpened interest towards Linc needed to stop.

She felt a moment of nervous anticipation as she prepared to reveal this part of the business. It was working well, and she was proud of it, but what would Linc think of the concept?

‘I hope you’ll approve of this aspect of the nursery.’ She tried to imbue nothing but confidence into her tone as she went on. ‘This is where I work on my repurposing projects. I get some of my best ideas for the future direction of the business when I’m working here, too.’

With this statement carefully delivered, and avoiding the thought that she also came here when she missed her sister the most, Cecilia glanced about the area.

Sunlight streamed through skylights in the roof into a large open-plan area that housed projects in various stages of completion. Old boots with creepers growing out of them...a rocking chair that had been painted orange and black, its seat area filled with a large planter of pumpkin vine... Demand for this kind of repurposed item was growing.

‘I didn’t know about this.’ Linc’s gaze moved about the area before it returned to her. ‘How long have you been doing this work? Where did you get all these items?’

He wouldn’t realise it, but the sun coming through the skylight above had cast his profile into sharp relief. Every strong feature and every subtle nuance was there for her to see. Right down to the length of his dark eyelashes and the way they curled slightly at the ends. And the shape of his lips...

Cecilia struggled to remember his question. He’d asked something about where she got the items for refurbishment. It was one of her favourite aspects of the plant nursery, which showed how easily being around Linc could throw her completely off her guard.

‘I find items in all sorts of places.’

She took a step to the side, to break that particular view of him. It was as though she’d jumped back through time six years and all her past awareness of him as a man had returned.

Actually, it hadn’t—because she saw him now with a history of working in his employ for six years. She saw him with more maturity. With more certainty in her interest in him...

‘I started this operation about four months ago.’

Soon after she’d realised she needed a distraction and a way of letting out her emotions, thanks to the implosions going on in her personal life.

She simply couldn’t feel a renewed attraction to Linc, let alone a deeper one. Because— because business and that sort of pleasure didn’t mix. Because she had enough to deal with in her life without trying to take on a romance. Because she’d learned the hard way, when Hugh had disappeared from her life without a backward glance, that you just couldn’t trust romantic attachments once ‘real life’ interfered with them!

Most of all because Linc had rejected her overtures all those years ago. Remember? There was no earthly reason why he’d feel any differently now.

‘Any time I’m out and about I visit garage sales and junk shops...thrift stores and car boot sales.’

Perhaps if she made herself sound like a lonely single girl with a craft obsession, she would embarrass herself out of being so conscious of him.

‘All the items are ridiculously cheap to buy,’ she continued, ‘and people leap at the chance to purchase the end product—the repurposed item. There’s good profit to be made, and the items appeal to the style of visitor who comes here to tour the maze. Jemmie features them online, as well.’

His strong hands lifted a pottery urn from the bench. It had a chunk missing from one side. ‘So a buyer will pay top dollar for this?’

‘Once the urn has herbs growing in it, or maybe some flowering cacti, you’ll be surprised how quickly it will be snapped up.’

She took the urn from his hands, held it up to the light. She ignored her fanciful thoughts and how it felt to stand so close to him, to measure her smaller frame against his taller, stronger one.

Get over it, Cee. Get over it right now!

Cecilia went on to tell Linc about her repurposing timetable, and then led the way back through the nursery acreage to the maze, quickly showing Linc the upgrades she’d had done to the fruticetum at the centre of it. Its circular arrangement combined colourful blooming potted shrubs with evergreen native species.

‘Clever work.’ He made the declaration the moment they stepped into the central area. ‘Those shrubs grouped all around the edges of the circular space will add to the air of mystery for the masked ball.’

She gestured to the picnic tables dotted around the central area as well as the edges.

‘Currently, when folks finish touring the maze, they can sit for a while, enjoy the quiet and utilise the screens embedded in the tabletops to scroll through our available stock lists and place orders. They can either take them with them, collect later or have them sent to any address they choose. The night of the ball there’ll be a raised dais for dancing. The central picnic tables will be shifted out to the edges of the area and the canopied dais will be assembled on-site the day before the event.’

Something she had told herself was mostly about commerce and exposure for the business suddenly felt quite personal to Cecilia. She could imagine herself on that dais, dancing with a handsome partner.

Well, a girl could buy into a romantic idea, couldn’t she? Even if it was an idea she had germinated to increase the popularity of her business.

As for that vision of herself on the dais... The man who appeared in it with her looked remarkably like Linc.

Heat warmed the back of her neck. The middle of a working tour was not the time for such flights of fancifulness. Hadn’t she allowed herself to be distracted enough by him this morning?

‘Will it be an old-fashioned ball?’ he queried. ‘With waltzing and so on?’

Was his voice deeper than usual? Cecilia glanced at his face but couldn’t read his expression.

‘There will be waltzes and other simpler dance tunes. I want people at all levels of dancing ability to be able to participate,’ she murmured, and then had to clear her throat and strive for a stronger tone. ‘I hope to create a night to remember.’

His gaze met hers and, for one breathless moment, electricity seemed to charge the air between them.

‘I’m sure you’ll achieve that.’

Oh, Linc, do you feel this too?

‘I hope you’ll be there.’ The words came unthinkingly, and the warmth that had started at the back of her neck now rushed into her cheeks.

Had she not learned the last time?

She rushed on. ‘What I mean is, it would look good to have the owner here. For business. But I understand you may be busy. It’s not an expectation.’

Cecilia had asked the question with business in mind. She had!

‘I’ll have to consider—’ He broke off as his cell phone started to ring.

Yet not before Cecilia sensed the hesitation in him.

So there. That answered her unspoken question.

Of course he wouldn’t want to involve himself in a masked ball. She had never asked him to do anything like that before. Why should she start now?

Mortification threatened, because she did not want him to see her request as an overture. It didn’t matter what she might or might not have felt towards him since his arrival to undertake this review of the business.

Her request had been about business, and she needed Linc to know that.

Cecilia ignored the little voice that suggested it had been a little bit about the man himself, as well...

A moment later he’d responded briefly to the caller. He turned to Cecilia. ‘I’m sorry. That was the call I’ve been waiting on. I need to go.’

‘You’re fine. Go do what you need to do.’ Cecilia waved him away as though she had some claim to granting him permission or not. ‘And don’t worry about my invitation. I understand if you can’t make it or don’t want to attend. It was a marketing-related thought. That’s all.’

Another thought encroached. What if he did attend the masked ball and arrived with some beautiful woman on his arm?

Not her business—and she wouldn’t care one way or the other!

Linc gave a quick nod and strode off.

Cecilia did not watch his departure until he was out of sight, nor did she stand there daydreaming, incapable of remembering what she should do next even though she’d just given herself a stern internal talking-to.

She merely took a moment to gather herself for her next job. Yes. That was what she did.

And that job needed to be a last-minute check of the maze before the flower-show committee arrived.

Cecilia forced her attention to her work. And it was as she inspected the perfect flowerbeds that Cecilia admitted to herself that she really did hope Linc would attend the masked ball.

But only for business purposes.

* * *

‘You can go ahead and sell off two of the three apartment complexes as whole lots to those investors. It’s a good time to do it, and you know the profit margin I’ll be looking for.’

Linc gave his agreement over his cell phone to his property broker as he strode from his car to the entrance of Cecilia’s plant nursery the following morning.

‘The third is to be offered as individual units under the first home-buyer arrangement we have with our partner real estate firms.’

‘You know that plan is neither time efficient nor as cost-effective as the investor option.’ His broker’s voice held the tone of an oft-repeated lament.

Linc treated the warning to the same response he gave it every time. ‘Nevertheless, you know where I stand on this.’

‘There are times when you’re going to give back, whether it reduces your profit margin or not. Yeah, I know. I’m proof of that myself.’ The other man gave a wry laugh and yielded the point. ‘You gave me a great chance when you employed me, and I haven’t looked back since.’

‘You can fill the time while you’re waiting for those units to sell by property shopping for me in Queensland,’ Linc offered. ‘How does that sound? I’ve been wanting to buy into that state for a while.’

He gave his broker—suddenly a much happier man—his instructions, ended the call and set out to find Cecilia.

‘She’s in the office.’ Jemmie, Cecilia’s second-in-command, told him as Linc strode across the courtyard.

‘Thanks.’

As Linc headed for the office, he acknowledged silently that he really wanted to see Cecilia. He should want to see her again to prove to himself that this recent and inexplicable sharpening of his interest in her had disappeared as quickly as it had made its presence felt.

Odd that he should feel a lift in his spirits as he approached the door of the plant-nursery office, if that was the case.

The office door stood open. As Linc drew closer, observing Cecilia’s concentration and hearing the sound of her voice as she spoke into the phone, he silently acknowledged that she looked beautiful sitting there and that seeing her gave him a warm, happy feeling.

He could live with that without ever doing a thing about it. In a short span of time he’d be out of here and back to his regular world, anyway.

Out of the way of temptation?

‘Linc. Hi.’ She glanced up after ending her call and offered a welcoming smile.

For a moment Cecilia looked equally happy to see him. Happy and...interested? Linc couldn’t take his gaze from hers. And blue eyes stared back at him—before she seemed to realise how long their glances had held.

She dropped her gaze. ‘I wasn’t sure if you’d be here today.’

He stepped over the threshold and let his gaze linger on her face, enjoying the lovely lines, the sweep of her lashes against her cheeks.

‘The business with my property guy didn’t take long.’ Linc gave himself full points for sounding so close to normal. ‘I wound it up a few minutes ago on the phone, actually.’

He brushed aside his travelling all over Sydney to inspect his property holdings as though it had barely impinged. Right now it didn’t seem to matter. All he could focus on was Cecilia.

What the heck was going on with him?

‘Besides, I’ve got this review to do for you. It still shouldn’t take too long if I get a good run at it.’

As though to mock him, his phone rang.

‘I think you may have spoken too soon.’ Amusement crinkled the skin at the corners of Cecilia’s eyes, and her mouth turned up into a soft smile.

Linc lost himself in her in that moment. His breath caught and, still stuck on that smile, he answered his phone absent-mindedly.

He had to run the caller’s first few words back through his mind again before he could focus. ‘Sorry, Alex. Which export law did you say is concerning you?’

Linc forced his attention to the call.

Cecilia turned her focus to her work while Linc spoke on the phone with his brother. It felt strangely intimate to be in the same room with Linc while he did that, yet she had learned from his brief time here so far that he would step outside if he wanted privacy for a call.

Maybe she should find a reason to step out, anyway. She didn’t need to add any extra feelings of intimacy to her connection with this man. She was having enough trouble ignoring her awareness of him as it was.

She started to stand.

‘Okay. Tell Jayne I said hi.’ Linc’s voice softened noticeably as he said his goodbyes on the phone. ‘I’ll stop by to see you both tonight on my way home.’

The man loved his family to pieces.

Cecilia’s heart softened and ached a little at one and the same time. He must be close to his family. That was so appealing. Yet it made her feel sad because she, on the other hand, was experiencing a difficult phase with her sister.

But that was going to get better. It was!

Linc ended the call and glanced up just as Cecilia settled back into her chair. ‘How did the committee’s visit go yesterday?’

‘It went well.’ She welcomed the distraction from her thoughts more than he could know. ‘The committee members were happy with the standard of the maze and with the area that will be used at its centre for dancing. There will only be a hundred guests. Tickets to the ball are being auctioned online, with proceeds going to charity. I’m relieved the committee were satisfied with my plans and with the site itself.’

If the nursery played its cards right, it might get a yearly event out of this. She would definitely hold more balls for special occasions...weddings. The possibilities were endless. Cecilia couldn’t help but feel a little excited about the doors this first event might open up.

‘It sounds as though you have things well under control.’ Linc murmured the words as he sat down to recommence his review.

Cecilia laughed. She didn’t mean to, but the sound escaped her. ‘All except the fact that Valentine’s Day is about to erupt onto my work horizon, whether I feel ready for it or not—and I’m leaning somewhat towards the “not” side of that particular equation right now.’

As Linc turned his attention to his work—with numerous interruptions on his cell phone, despite his desire for a clear run at the review—Cecilia refocused and settled in to finalise stock orders for Valentine’s Day.

She worked hard, but she had to admit—to herself, at least—that Linc’s proximity was corroding her concentration. He was just so there.

And she was so busy. Every time she tried to work on her orders, the phone rang again or a supplier called through directly on her cell phone. There were cancellations of previously established orders, stockists informing her that they’d oversold to other buyers and couldn’t fill her order, asking if other blooms could be substituted.

Cecilia’s answer was always the same. No, they couldn’t!

This happened every year—it was part of dealing with this particular day on the nursery’s calendar—but that didn’t make it any less busy or any less challenging for her to ensure she reached her necessary stock levels.

On top of that the floor staff came in more often than usual, with odd questions that simply couldn’t wait. The more that time passed, the busier it became.

‘Linc, I’m putting this call on speaker. I’m sorry if it disturbs your concentration.’

She tried not to let frustration colour her tone as she jabbed at the settings on her cell phone. Once she had placed it atop the filing cabinet in the corner of the room, she began to riffle through the cabinet’s contents.

‘It’s fine. I can see you’re under pressure.’

Linc’s words were calm. He had fielded numerous distractions of his own since he got here today, and he seemed quite unfazed. As though he didn’t find Cecilia’s presence and nearness at all disturbing.

Not that Cecilia felt agitated due to his presence. Certainly not in any personal kind of way. She’d had that conversation with herself earlier. She simply had to get over the nerve-racking, overalert, oh-so-conscious of him feeling.

And she was over it. She 100 per cent totally was. Her consciousness could just catch up with that attitude right now!

‘Mr Sampson, I have your previous delivery docket, your invoice and a receipt showing a nil balance in front of me.’ She gave the reference number, speaking towards her phone. ‘If funds are outstanding to your company, they aren’t owed from here.’

After a moment the man discovered a mistake at his end. He agreed to finalise Cecilia’s order for the next day and ended the call.

With Mr Sampson sorted out, Cecilia replaced the file in the cabinet and returned to her desk.

Time passed. And when a customer phoned with a special request for a particular style of repurposed item, and Cecilia happened to be able to match it, she decided to take the opportunity to head to the repurposing shed to collect the piece.

She replaced the desk phone in its cradle. ‘You’ll be okay for a few minutes, Linc? I’ll put the phone through to Jemmie, out front.’

‘Leave it. I believe I may just be able to manage without you for a little bit without having to disturb Jemmie.’

His wry smile brought out every gorgeous manly feature. It also undid every bit of Linc-ignoring effort Cecilia had put in today.

Before she could stop herself, she smiled back. A big, wide, pleased-with-the-world smile that brushed across her face and made Linc grow still before an enigmatic veil came down over his eyes.

Her breath hitched, and just like that it was all there again. The awareness. The interest.

She drew in a slightly shaky inhalation. ‘Okay. I’ll...ah...I’ll leave the phone. I’d better go take care of this.’

Before she did something she regretted for the second time since knowing him.

Cecilia exited the office and gave herself a good talking-to while she was at it. She wasn’t interested in Linc. Such an interest wasn’t something she could allow to exist. Just because her boyfriend had dumped her when her issues with her sister had hit crisis point, it didn’t mean she should try to pick up the next available—

Oh, get over yourself, Cecilia. And get over Hugh, too.

As if Linc would participate in that possibility, anyway. He was a millionaire, for crying out loud, so successful in life. And he’d already rejected her once before. Was she trying to line herself up for a second shot at that humiliation?

She wasn’t. She just hadn’t expected to feel this attraction to and interest in Linc again. It had surprised her. All she needed to do was adjust to that surprise factor and she would be fine.

In minutes she was back at the office.

‘Item retrieved and left with the front staff ready for collection.’ She spoke as she stepped over the threshold of the office space.

‘Great.’ Linc was in the process of putting down the office phone extension as he responded. ‘I’ve taken a couple of messages. You’ll know what to do with them.’

He didn’t break into a big smile. She didn’t, either. That earlier moment of blinding connection had passed. So why could she still not seem to be able to tear her gaze from him? And why did he gaze so intently at her? And had she not taken any notice whatsoever of her earlier warnings to herself?

Immersed in those thoughts, she was slow to realise that her cell phone had started to ring.

When she did realise it, she barely gave the caller’s identity a thought. It would be some supplier again. However, she wasn’t sure where her phone actually was.

Cecilia patted her pockets. Her gaze searched the desk. Then, without any warning whatsoever, the worst possible thing happened for her privacy, and perhaps the most heart-wrenching yet hope-inspiring thing for her emotions.

The phone’s voicemail picked up automatically, went straight on to the speaker setting she’d left it on and a tinny prerecorded message from the caller’s end began to play out into the room.

‘Are you willing to accept a call from the Fordham Women’s Correctional Centre? Your sister, Stacey Tomson, wishes to speak with you... ‘

The revealing words blared across the room as though trumpeted through a megaphone by the world’s largest elephant.

‘If you do not want to accept this call—’

She’d left the phone on the filing cabinet. She had received only two other calls like this, and questions filled her mind.

Why had Stacey chosen now to phone? Did it mean their rift might be ending or would they argue again?

So many emotions swirled inside Cecilia in that moment. Hurt. Frustration. Disappointment. Love.

Cecilia quickly crossed the room, grabbed up the phone and fumbled to take it off speaker.

One glance at Linc’s face told her it was way too late to try and hide this, but she managed to change the setting and get the phone to her ear. She wasn’t sure if he’d heard her sister’s voice or not, but when she started towards the door, to leave the room, it was to realise Linc had beaten her to it.

The door clicked shut behind his receding back, and Cecilia could acknowledge both the joy and the pain of finally receiving this call when she hadn’t known when or even if she ever would.

She said hello to her troubled, incarcerated twin.

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