Buttoned-Up Secretary, British Boss Read Online Free Page B

scrambling eggs, and that’s just about it.’
    Sabrina smiled up at him briefly and went over to the sink to fill the kettle.
    ‘I’ll go and get changed and come back in a minute for my coffee—which I like black,’ Alexander said. ‘And feel free to help yourself to anything you want, whether I’m here or not,’ he added.
    Sabrina set out the things she needed, putting coffee granules into the cafetière, and was just reaching for two mugs when the telephone rang. She frowned. It wasn’t the land line, it was a mobile, and it certainly wasn’t hers. Then she saw that Alexander had left his on one of the surfaces, and she went over to answer it. Before she could open her mouth, a woman’s rather strident tones filled her ears.
    ‘Alexander? You have not been returning my calls. That is extremely naughty of you!’
    ‘Excuse me,’ Sabrina said hastily. ‘Um, I’ll see if Mr McDonald is in.’
    There was a second’s pause. ‘Is that Janet?’ the voice demanded.
    ‘No, I’m Mr McDonald’s new secretary,’ Sabrina said. ‘Janet does not work for him now.’
    ‘ Really? He didn’t tell me anything about getting a new secretary,’ the voice said in a rather complaining tone. ‘Oh, well. I want to speak to him, please.’
    ‘I’ll see if he’s in,’ Sabrina repeated. ‘May I ask who’s calling?’
    ‘This is Lydia ,’ the voice said, as if that should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain cell.
    ‘One moment,’ Sabrina said, putting the phone down carefully and leaving the room, running up the stairs two at a time. Alexander was just coming out of one of the rooms dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts, his brown, muscular thighs and calves shadowed with dark hair. He was looking so unutterably seductive that Sabrina almost forgot what she was supposed to be doing.
    ‘There’s a call on your mobile—which you left in the kitchen,’ she faltered.
    ‘Oh, I’m always mislaying the wretched thing,’ he said. ‘Who wants to speak to me?’
    ‘Someone called Lydia,’ Sabrina replied, turning to go back down the stairs.
    He didn’t reply to that, but followed Sabrina into the kitchen and picked up the phone.
    ‘Good morning, Lydia,’ he said casually. Before he could utter another word, Sabrina could hear those distinctive tones sailing on uninterrupted.
    ‘Why haven’t you been returning my calls?’ the woman said petulantly. ‘It really is most annoying, Alexander.’
    ‘Yes, I know. Sorry, Lydia.’ He paused. ‘It’s just that I’ve been extremely busy, and rather distracted, because Janet has left and I’ve had to find someone else suitable.’
    ‘Yes, I’ve just been told about Janet,’ the woman went on. ‘Your problem is you work too hard, Alexander. Anyway, enough about all that. I hope you’re still free for Sunday week?’
    As Sabrina poured the boiling water onto the coffee, she couldn’t help being riveted to the conversation going on beside her. Alexander made no effort to exclude her from listening in. Who was Lydia? Clearly an over-familiar lady friend who didn’t seem very important to Alexander, if the expression on his face was anything to go by.
    ‘Sunday week?’ he repeated, frowning.
    ‘Yes, Sunday week,’ the woman said. ‘Look, I’m not taking no for an answer this time, Alexander.’ She paused. ‘There are going to be lots of party people there you’ll know.’
    ‘I don’t do parties. You know that, Lydia,’ he said.
    ‘You always used to! Your…social reputation was very well-known at one time.’
    ‘That was a very long while ago, Lydia,’ Alexanderreplied. ‘I have, shall we say, outgrown parties.’ Especially your parties , he thought. ‘I really do not find them entertaining any more.’
    ‘Well, I can promise you that you’ll find this one entertaining,’ Lydia persisted. ‘Do say you’ll come?’
    Alexander glanced at Sabrina, raising his eyebrows in mild exasperation.
    ‘Oh, well, OK. If you insist, Lydia,’