Chapter 1

I’m sorry I rushed off but something urgent came up. I’ll be back tomorrow.

She’d sent that text to Briony as soon as she had arrived back home, not long after lunch time.

Tobias’s words cut into her, sharp like shrapnel, leaving her so devastated that the only thing she could think of was to get the hell away. She couldn’t run the risk of seeing him again. She’d tried to soldier on at work, had managed to stumble along for a few hours but his unpleasant words and that venomous look on his face refused to leave her and made it unbearable for her to remain at work.

The hours had crawled miserably towards lunchtime. She’d gone out to grab a sandwich but had ended up coming home and cleaning her oven instead.

It was spotless now. Because when all else failed, when she couldn’t stop replaying that scene over and over in her mind, or stem the endless recording of his words, her urge to clean, the desire to put order into things she could control, helped focus her mind. So she had cleaned her oven until she could see her face reflected in the shiny windows of the oven door.

I’ll fuck you for hours and pay you well.

His words stabbed into her psyche, throwing her into further misery. Each time her mind drifted to that scene again, she scrubbed harder, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand.

It was bad enough that money worries kept her from sleeping ever since she’d found out how much the hospital bill had come to. This morning she had worked herself into a frenzy as she’d left for work and was already hesitant about asking Tobias for an advance. Yet he had so graciously helped her through a tough Christmas period and it was this that had convinced her to go forward with her request.

But she hadn’t been prepared for his response which had knocked the life and breath right out of her, as if he’d landed a solid punch to her mid-riff. She had rushed away, unsure which was worse: Colt’s punches, or Tobias’s words.

She never wanted to see him again. Never. Sucker that she was for attracting only jerks and douchebags.

Her cell phone rang, snapping her back to present and when she saw Briony’s number, she was half-tempted to ignore it but she knew she couldn’t do that to one of the few people she liked and trusted.

“Hey, Briony.”

“Is everything okay? I just got back from a meeting and I saw your text.”

“I’m fine,” said Savannah, eager to put her boss’s mind at ease. “I’m sorry I left but something came up.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” No.

“I wanted to make sure. Tobias was looking for you earlier; I didn’t know where you were.”

“Does he know I came home early?”

“He’s been in meetings all day. He wouldn’t even know if your room caught fire.”

Savannah feigned a laugh. “I’m sorry. I can explain tomorrow when I come in.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know you’ve had enough to deal with recently. Is Jacob alright? I thought for a moment—”

“Jacob’s fine. Thanks for asking. What did Tobias want?” Her anxiety began to climb. What more could he have to say after the disgusting accusations he had leveled at her?

“I’m not sure and I didn’t care to ask. He didn’t look too happy.”

“Maybe he had a problem with his Word templates,” Savannah suggested, knowing that it wasn’t the reason he’d come looking for her.

“I don’t know why Candace can’t deal with those problems,” Briony muttered. “But that’s not important. I wanted to make sure that you and Jacob were okay.”

“We’re fine.” Savannah reassured her, quickly glancing at her cell phone screen when she heard the beep of another call waiting. Her eyes flickered with excitement. Bella from Southwood Select, the new recruitment agency she’d been dealing with, was on the line. “I’ve got another call coming through,” she said. “Do you mind—?”

“No, go. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.” Briony told her. Savannah quickly switched to the other call.

“Savannah?” Bella’s crisply efficient voice greeted her, raising her hopes. “I’ve got good news.”

“Yes?” Her mood suddenly brightened.

“You’ve got the job!” Words that lifted her from her misery.

“I did?”

“You sure did. They loved you. It wasn’t only your experience to date and the fact that you’ve held this position before, but they liked your personality. They think you’ll fit right in.” Savannah placed her hand on her chest as if she was unable to contain her happiness. This news was more than a small ray of sunshine in an otherwise shit-filled day. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week! I’m so excited. I really am.” She felt a lightness in her chest and couldn’t help but smile. “How soon can I start?” Tomorrow? She hoped. She was desperate to leave Stone Enterprises at the first opportunity.

Bella laughed. “You are eager to start. I like that! Unfortunately not tomorrow, but maybe in around two weeks’ time. I’ve been told that they’re looking at the start of February.”

“Are you sure?” asked Savannah, suddenly anxious again. “Because when I spoke to the manager during my interview, he told me that they needed someone as soon as possible.”

Bella paused. “I’ll look into that for you. I can ask, certainly. But first, let me get the paperwork over to you—”

“I can come by during my lunch hour and sign all the necessary paperwork.” Forget waiting until lunchtime, she might even rush out an hour after she arrived at the office, to get that paperwork signed.

“That works for me. I’ll see you tomorrow. Congratulations, once again.”

“Thanks.” Savannah put the phone down and hung her head in sheer relief. It was strange how today life had shown her two extremes on the emotional spectrum. Not only two, thought Savannah despondently, hugging her arms around her body. She’d suffered a whole heap of emotions in between. So much so that she was now ravenous, as well as drained, after the tumultuous ride that the day had turned into. She still hadn’t eaten lunch.

Feeling happier, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out some cheese and a jar of relish with which to make a sandwich. As she opened the lid to the jar, she was again reminded of Tobias Stone; this had been in the Christmas gift basket he’d sent her.

Back when he had cared.