“Tessa. I didn’t realize you’d still be here.”

She simply couldn’t help the little thrill that shimmered up her spine at the sound of his deep, cultured voice. Or the way her heart rate picked up at the sight of his tall, broad-shouldered body clothed in his elegant charcoal gray suit, impeccable white dress shirt, and expertly knotted tie.

She blushed yet again as she realized he was gazing at her somewhat impatiently, evidently expecting some sort of reply. “I, um, was just leaving, sir. Can I – is there something you needed?”

He frowned slightly, already looking around the head of the table where he always sat. “I seem to have misplaced my pen. Did you happen to find it when you were tidying up?”

Tessa shook her head. “No, I didn’t, sir. But I’ll be happy to help you look for it.”

Ian waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s no bother. I’m certain it will turn up somewhere.”

From the corner of her eye she spotted an object on the thick carpet beneath the table that she recognized as the black fountain pen he always used at these meetings. Dropping to her hands and knees, Tessa crawled the short distance, her hand closing around the pen at the exact same moment Ian squatted down beside her.

“Here it is.”

“I’ve got it.”

They spoke simultaneously, his hand brushing over hers as they both reached for the pen at the same time. Flustered by the feel of his warm hand on hers – however fleetingly – she glanced downwards only to have her mortification increase by leaps and bounds. For not only had her slim fitting skirt ridden up her thighs several inches, but the neckline of her pretty yellow blouse gapped open enough to reveal the lace of her bra. She could only hope that Mr. Gregson hadn’t noticed, but those hopes were quickly dashed when she realized his gaze was fixed firmly on her cleavage.

She knew her face must be red as a beet as she somewhat awkwardly got to her feet, smoothing her skirt down as she did so. Ian, too, stood up abruptly, then uttered a hasty “thank you” before striding out of the room in his usual authoritative manner.

Tessa was still cursing herself for her gauche, awkward behavior when she left to meet Julia for lunch. She had lost count of the times she’d made a fool of herself in Mr. Gregson’s presence – always stammering or blushing or acting like she didn’t have an ounce of sense. It was small wonder that Andrew had never once assigned her to fill in for him when he was on vacation or away on business. Marisol or Gina typically filled in, though Kevin and Alicia had also helped out before. There was no possible way Andrew would ever trust Shelby to work as Mr. Gregson’s temporary PA but evidently Tessa hadn’t been deemed worthy, either. She had always assumed it was because she lacked the college degree that nearly all of the others had. Marisol was the only one besides Tessa who didn’t have a degree, but she did have seniority over everyone else, and had obviously earned Andrew’s trust because of her overall length of service with the company.

But now Tessa wondered if perhaps Mr. Gregson simply didn’t think she was bright enough or capable of handling the responsibility of being his temporary PA. God knew she’d done absolutely nothing to change his impression of her, given how tongue tied she always was when he was nearby. She hoped fervently that he only thought she was a silly, not especially bright girl rather than suspect the truth – that she had a massive crush on him. The former was embarrassing – the latter would be utterly devastating if he ever knew.

Tessa found the quaint little bakery/café easily and saw right away why Nathan might not care for it. The outside awning was pink, and the ruffled curtains at every window were a dainty floral print. Julia was just arriving, too, and Tessa marveled at how fluidly she could walk in her towering pale pink stilettos. She looked amazing in a form fitting sheath dress of gray lace, and drew admiring stares from every man she passed.

Julia’s smile lit up her gorgeous face when she spied Tessa, and she gave her hand a little squeeze. “I’m so glad you were able to come. I’ve been wanting to have lunch with you for ages, but work has been so crazy all summer that this is the first real opportunity that’s come up. Let’s go inside, shall we?”

The café was cozy and charming, with small tables draped in pink floral cloths, each with a vase of pastel flowers as a centerpiece, and attractively set with white dishes and gleaming flatware. It wasn’t in the least bit stuffy or pretentious, and Tessa felt a sense of relief. She seldom went out to lunch with her co-workers, except on special occasions like someone’s birthday, and the others all seemed to favor trendy, upscale restaurants where the atmosphere wasn’t nearly as relaxed and comfortable as this place.

Tessa continued to glance around the small interior as they were seated before smiling at Julia gratefully. “This is so lovely. It feels like someone’s home instead of a restaurant.”

Julie nodded enthusiastically. “It does, right? I thought the same thing the first time I ate here. But Nathan thinks it’s too girly, reminds him of his grandmother’s house.”

Tessa laughed softly. “I must say I can’t see him being comfortable here with so much pink and lace. Even the menu is printed in fancy pink script.”

She didn’t add that she had no real idea of what a grandmother’s house might look like, since she’d never known either of her grandmothers. Or her father, for that matter. It had always been just Tessa and her mother, until there had only been Tessa.

Forcing herself to stop thinking about sad things, and instead enjoy this rare opportunity to actually get out and do something fun, she studied the menu carefully. Fortunately, the café specialized in comfort food, nothing too fancy or exotic.

“Everything is delicious here,” Julia offered helpfully. “Sandwiches, quiche, crepes. You can’t go wrong no matter what you order.”

Tessa grinned at the enthusiasm in her companion’s voice. “Sounds like you eat here a lot.”

“Quite a bit. My boss Travis loves it, too, and especially his partner Anton. They don’t mind all the girly touches.”

Tessa ordered the chicken salad croissant and Julia the smoked salmon quiche, along with a tall glass of sparkling French lemonade for both of them. They ate hungrily, and Tessa reflected on how many meals she’d been skipping lately. Her sadness and loneliness over Peter’s absence had contributed to most of that, as well as the need to trim her already lean budget. She’d lost a few pounds as a result.