Page 64 of Planned Seduction
“When do you start?”
“If I take the job, two weeks Monday, after Janine’s holiday. I’d be away for about a month. It’s a long time, but we think it would be better if we did all the traveling in one go rather than break it into smaller trips.”
“Where will you stay?”
“The magazine’s organized hotels or bed-and-breakfasts at various towns. We just need to phone with the dates.”
Thoughts popped into Amy’s head. Thoughts of Daniel away on assignment with a gorgeous journalist. There’d be romantic beaches, gorgeous scenery, hotel rooms, beds.
The thoughts grew, converging with her fears. The beds contained people. Daniel. Janine. Simon. A nameless woman. Simon and the woman together. Daniel and Janine together.
A fist squeezed around her heart, tighter and tighter, causing enough pain to leave Amy breathless.
She blinked the images away.
They weren’t real. They were nothing but remnants of previous hurts and figments of her overactive imagination. Daniel wasn’t Simon. He’d never share a bed with Janine. Not while he was sharing one with Amy.
“What do you mean, if you take the job? Of course you have to take it. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. You know you want it more than anything else.”
“I’d like the work more than any other shoot. But when it comes to what I want most…that’s you.”
Amy melted.
He looked at her with serious eyes. “I’d be gone for a month. That’s a long time apart when we’ve only just found each other.”
“We found each other seventeen years ago.”
Daniel shook his head. “No, babe. We’ve been friends for a long time. We’ve been lovers for a heartbeat.”
His sentiment was so romantic, so sincere, warmth wrapped around her heart. “You have to do the shoot, Dan. We’re talking National Geographic. It’s not some arbitrary project that wouldn’t matter to you one way or another. Of course you must go.” He’d never forgive himself if he passed up the assignment.
His eyes searched her face. “You sure?”
Had he seen her misgivings earlier? She might have forced the hideous images from her head, but she might not have been fast enough to hide her distress from Daniel. “Of course I’m sure. You have to do it. It’s National Geographic,” she reiterated. “How can you even think of turning them down?”
“I won’t see you for a month.”
“And I’ll miss you. But do the article.” Her voice was smooth enough to hide her jitters. Daniel would be away for a long time. Out of town and away from her. He’d have a wealth of freedom, and if there was one thing Daniel cherished, it was his freedom. He proved that every time he ended a relationship.
“You’re absolutely certain?”
“Absolutely.”
His eyes gleamed. “Okay, then.”
“Excellent.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. He’d made the right decision. This was an opportunity too good to pass up.
His work was more important than their fling. His career would last the rest of his life. Their sexual relationship…probably a lot less. And if being away from her was the catalyst that ended things between them, so be it. Amy had never been under any illusion this was a long-term arrangement. She’d prepared them both for its inevitable demise. She’d cope just fine.
