Campaign for Love (33 page)

 

 

"Yes, it was."

 

 

He ran his fingers through his hair. "So how long are you going to
beat
me up over it?"

 

 

"As long as it takes for you to see I'm a straight-up kind of gal."

 

 

"I do!"

 

 

She put down the bag of fresh whipped cream she had been piping and
shook her head. "You say that now, but the fact of the matter is
that
it's pretty clear to me that you've never trusted me. Maybe it was
the
whole thing almost from the start with Brad stealing my ideas. Ask
him
yourself if you don't believe me, only please don't fire him.

 

 

"But it also goes back to the whole hot and cold way you were
blowing
at the start of our relationship. This last accusation was just the
last straw. The fact is you've never trusted me. And I don't know if
you ever will."

 

 

"That's not—"

 

 

"It is true. So since you trust me so little, it's obvious that it
really is time for us to go our separate ways."

 

 

"Suzanna, no, I'm sorry—"

 

 

"I'm sorry too, Quentin. I thought things were going so well, but it
was all a fantasy. You've evidently come to your sense, and so have
I."

 

 

He balled up one fist and thumped it against his own thigh. "Come to
my
senses? You're driving me insane!"

 

 

She sighed heavily and turned partly away from him so that he
couldn't
see the tears that threatened to spill as she prepared to say her
next
words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, but
what's
done can't be undone. It's like this whipped cream." She pointed.
"Now
that it's out, it can't be put back in the bag."

 

 

"But we can use it, clean it up, whatever you want."

 

 

She nodded. "That's exactly right. What I want. No more people
pulling
my strings. Not even you."

 

 

"So what do you want?" he asked in a husky voice that set a thrill
coursing down her spine.

 

 

"You to leave now so I can get on with my work," she said firmly,
ignoring the frisson of desire with all her willpower.

 

 

"Please, Suzanna—"

 

 

She shook her head. "I've told you want I want, and it also includes
respecting me and my wishes. I didn't invite you here. I've heard
you
out, now I want you to leave, Quentin."

 

 

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "Fine. I give up. Do what you
want, with your life and your career. But if you want to speak to
me,
you know where I am."

 

 

"Thanks. Good night. And if you don't mind, please let yourself
out."

 

 

His brows knit, and for a moment he paused in the kitchen doorway
looking as black as a thundercloud. For a moment she was sure he was
going to grab her and try to wipe her seeming indifference from her
face.

 

 

Then he evidently thought better of it, shrugged one shoulder, and
left.

 

 

She blew out a shaky sigh, more relieved that she could have
imagined
that he was gone, yet aching for him all the same.

 

 

She was not sure what she would have done if he had gone Neanderthal
on
her. She had the feeling it would have been to either melt into his
arms, or hit him with her rolling pin.

 

 

She ached to be held, loved by him, but she was still hurt at what
she
saw as his lack of trust, and certainly his lack of faith in her
morals.

 

 

Sure, it was great being at the top, but she had worked damned hard
to
get there. If they couldn't see that at Elder and Rubin, she thought
as
she picked up the whipped cream once more to finish her elegant
confection, maybe she could consider a future at Imperial Foods....

 

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

 

 

Exactly two weeks after her original appointment with Nathan Elder,
she
found herself back in his office, looking the picture of calm, cool
professionalism in a black power suit with crisp white blouse and
her
hair up in a bun so tight that no amount of wind would ruffle it.

 

 

She wasn't too surprised to see a different personal assistant. The
last one had looked like a class act, and didn't need to be chased
around a desk several times a day.

 

 

"Well, Miss Sills, I take it you've thought over my offer?"

 

 

"Yes sir. It's Ms, by the way. I don't want to be labeled as
available,
or someone's property either. I have given it a lot of thought, sir,
but I've had no reason to change my mind.

 

 

"I think I've been helpful where I am. I'm needed, part of a team.
The
accounts are going really well. I don't want to move into an
executive
position at this time. Imperial Foods and Femme Fatale have both
asked
that Mr. Pierce and I be kept on their accounts, and the client is
always right.

 

 

"I don't mean to offend you, but I have to refuse your offer, even
if
that also means refusing the fine raise you offered along with it.
But
there are more important things than money."

 

 

He stared at her as though she were speaking a foreign language, and
she had to resist the urge to laugh. She was sure no one had ever
turned him down before, or at least, not so reasonably.

 

 

At length he blinked, and said, "Well, your eloquence impresses me,
and
so does your reasoning. I am surprised at the choice you're making,
I
have to admit, but I accept your decision.

 

 

"In fact, Mr. Rubin and I have discussed this, and wondered if our
offer of a promotion was a bit premature. However, we still feel you
deserve the raise, so that stands, regardless. Thank you for coming,
Ms. Sills. I hope we'll see more of one another, in any event."

 

 

"Thank you, Mr. Elder, for being so understanding."

 

 

Suzy went back to her office and once behind her closed door, she
heaved a sigh of relief. That hadn't been so hard after all. The
question was, now that she had said no to the mighty Elder, what
would
the consequences be?

 

 

Reporting back to Brad and Quentin at lunch, she told them it had
all
gone like a charm.

 

 

Or had it? Quentin seemed pretty quiet, almost as if she had done
something wrong.

 

 

That night he no longer seemed that eager to go home with her, and
even
when he phoned her that evening to say goodnight, he was distant and
quiet.

 

 

Something was bothering him, she could see that, but what on earth
could she say? Are you falling out of love with me already?

 

 

It never occurred to her to think that he might have felt regret
about
her turning down the promotion, even with all the strings which
would
have been attached.

 

 

But she knew she had made the right decision, just as she knew there
was nothing more important in her life than Quentin, being with him,
making him happy. If that meant being part of his team, well, so
much
the better.

 

 

They had so much in common. Surely the job would never drive a wedge
between them?

 

 

She had been angry over what he had said, but they had known each
other
only a short time, and yet their relationship had grown so intense
so
quickly.

 

 

She could not blame him entirely for not trusting in her one hundred
percent. Many people would have jumped at the chance Elder had
offered.

 

 

Or perhaps the promotion had made him feel inadequate. That she was
rapidly becoming his equal, and might soon overtake him? She did not
think he was so petty.

 

 

But all the same, she longed for the days before the offer, when
things
had been so much less complicated between them. The question was,
now
that they were at such an impasse in their personal lives, how could
they find their way back to one another?

 

 

And did she even want to try? There could be no love without trust.
And
no future for her and Quentin without love…

 

 

 

CHAPTER FORTY

 

 

The next evening she was behind her desk working late to finish a
last
minute Spudz idea that had come to her in a flash. There was a
presence
in the doorway, and she smiled up warmly, thinking it was Quentin.
She
was eager to share her idea with him, and perhaps start mending
fences
and seeing if they had a future together after all despite their
tiff.

 

 

Her face fell when she saw it was Nathan Elder, and she tried not to
show how rattled she was, how cornered she felt. She was wearing a
modest turtle neck sweater in cream and a well tailored pair of
black
slacks, but still felt almost naked as he stared at her.

 

 

As she put down her pen, he sat down in one of the chairs. She
didn't
quite know why, but she was happy that it wasn't Quentin's usual
seat.

 

 

"What can I do for you, Mr.Elder?" she asked briskly.

 

 

"I can think of a number of interesting things you could do for me,
Suzanna," he said with a smirk.

 

 

Suzanna noticed he had dropped the Ms. Sills, thus imbuing the
moment
with unnecessary familiarity.

 

 

Before she could think of a rejoinder, he said, "For now, would you
please let me see the Imperial Foods file."

 

 

"Of course," said Suzy, as she got to her feet and walked to the
file
cabinet. She wished fervently that she'd worn one of her old boxy
suits
that day, something less provocative than the fitted outfit she had
put
on in the hopes of looking nice for Quentin that day, and possibly
that
evening.

 

 

As she was opening the drawer, she sensed him looming behind her. In
a
moment she felt more than his presence. He had placed his hands on
her
shoulders as if to look over them into the file drawer at the same
time
pressing against her.

 

 

She was so sickened she thought she would faint.

 

 

"God, Suzanna, you are the most tantalizing piece.... I could do a
lot
for you--and you could do a lot for me. I'll bet you're great in
bed."

 

 

His hands had already started down toward her breasts. Before they
could be defiled by his groping hands, she pushed herself away from
the
cabinet and out of his grasp.

 

 

"Look, sir, I don't know what made you think I'd welcome your
advances,
but whatever it was, you misread the signs. If you leave my office
now,
I'll forget this ever happened. If you ever try it again, I'll tell
everyone what a pervert you are.

 

 

"And since everyone in this company knows about your past exploits
with
the former occupant of this office, I think that is one scandal you
can
do without."

 

 

His face reddened and without a word, he turned on his heel and
left.

 

 

Suzanna threw herself down on the sofa and crushed her trembling
hands
together to still them. She was safe for now, but she knew she had
just
made a powerful enemy. One that could come in here at any time he
liked, and try again, unless she stopped him one way or the other…

 

 

That night, once she was home safely, she debated what to do for the
best. After picking at a salad she could not force herself to eat,
she
made up her mind. She took a deep breath, then phoned Quentin and
confided in him what had happened.

 

 

There was no mistaking his fury. Not only had Elder been guilty of
gross misconduct, but worse, it had been premeditated. Apparently,
he
had called Quentin to say he had set up an appointment for him with
a
new client that evening. He had planned his move for the hours when
he
knew Quentin would be out of the office.

 

 

Because of Elder's crude pass, Suzanna temporarily reverted to her
aversion to being touched.

 

 

Quentin understood, and was the soul of kindness the next day in the
office. He wooed her with tact and understanding. He kissed and
petted
her and talked to her soothingly. Gradually, her tension started to
melt away and she relaxed in his arms.

 

 

"You know, darling, this experience had nothing to do with the way
you
look, not really. Plenty of other men have been with you and all
treated you with the utmost respect. Elder just happens to be a
dirty
old man, like your uncle."

 

 

"He pressed against me. I felt him. You know. I hated it."

 

 

"That was him. This is me, and I love you. We just have to trust
each
other. I'm sorry for ever being jealous, and the stupid things I
said
because of it. I trust you, and love you. And I'm sure you love me."

 

 

She nodded. "I think I do. I just need us both to be sure."

 

 

"Tonight then, at your place? The past two weeks have been the worst
of
my life."

 

 

"Mine too," she breathed.

 

 

He gave her a powerful kiss, and vowed, "I want to put all this
behind
us, and make you happy. And make you forget the touch of any other
man
but me."

 

 

"Yes, yes, I want that too."

 

 

They parted to get back to work, but with one final kiss full of
promises delayed, but inevitable.