Cash’s head came up and he looked over his shoulder, his voice a mild growl when he said, “Yes?”
“The others are here,” Emma told him, standing uncomfortably at the door.
“We’ll be right there,” Cash replied and Abby, peering around Cash’s body, saw Emma disappear instantly.
Cash’s arms went from around her but both his hands came up to curl on her neck.
“After this weekend, as soon as I can arrange it, we’re going on holiday,” he informed her, his brogue still a soft, effective rumble that slid across her skin.
“We are?” Abby asked, sounding dazed because she was, it was a great kiss.
“We are,” he returned. “No phones, no receptionists, no nosy neighbours, no aggravating cousins, no ghosts, just us.”
“Okay,” Abby agreed and she felt Cash’s fingers flex at her neck before he smiled.
He let her go but caught her hand and gently pulled her to the door, asking blandly, “How annoyed is this meeting going to make me?”
Abby thought about Mrs. Truman.
Then she thought there was a very good possibility (in fact, it was a certainty) that Angus would be attired in full Scottish regalia.
“Um, on a scale of one to ten?” Abby enquired and Cash stopped at the door and looked down at her. She bit the side of her lip then mumbled, “Fifteen.”
At that, he threw his head back and laughed. She felt his rich laughter go straight from her stomach, this time up, to rest close to her heart before he tugged at her hand, leading her out the door and down the hall.
And she didn’t know Cash’s laughter in his office was not unheard of, but it was also not commonplace. So that, as well as their passionate embrace, as well as what was to come, was going to be the talk of the office for the rest of the month.
They walked, hand-in-hand, down the hall and Cash stopped them when they hit reception.
Abby took one look at her motley crew and mentally groaned.
Jenny, luckily, looked like Jenny, wearing the black trousers that did great things for her behind, high-heeled black boots and a black turtleneck.
Honor was also dressed like a normal person.
Fenella, however, was wearing a pink monstrosity that was fifty years too old for her and looked like it was created to be worn to attend a tea party at a retirement home.
Mrs. Truman was wearing English Old Lady, from the tip of her felt hat with a sharp feather sticking out of it, through her boxy tweed suit, to the toes of her rubber-soled shoes.
Angus was, as Abby feared, in full kilt.
But it was Cassandra that had gone OTT looking like the rock ‘n’ roll gypsy from hell. She had a scarf wrapped tightly around her head, its fringed ends mingling with her long dark hair. She had three, thin rock ‘n’ roll scarves around her neck and yet another fringed scarf wrapped around her h*ps over her jeans. As an unnecessary finishing touch, she was wearing enough jewellery in her ears, around her neck, at her wrists and on her fingers to set off the metal detectors in the Pentagon thousands of miles away.
“Fucking hell,” Cash muttered under his breath and Abby looked up to see he was not amused.
“I need tea,” Mrs. Truman announced loudly.
Abby suppressed a hysterical giggle but just barely.
Cash walked forward, taking Abby with him, and his eyes went to Emma. “Is lunch set up?”
“Yes, Cash. Everything’s ready in the conference room,” Emma answered, her surprised eyes on the assemblage.
Cash led the way to the door of the conference room. As Abby walked beside him she noticed there were an awful lot of people standing around pretending to be in conversations, but surreptitiously watching what was happening in the reception area.
That’s when she started to freak out that all Cash’s employees were going to think she was a bad influence on him.
She stood beside Cash as her posse trooped into the conference room, greeting Cash and Abby as they passed. All except Angus who shook Cash’s hand so hard, Abby’s body also shook as Cash was still holding her hand.
“Angus McPherson,” he declared when he was done shaking Cash’s hand, then he puffed out his chest and boomed, “Proud to be working for ye, Cash Fraser!”
Cash stared at Angus a moment then tilted his head down to look at Abby, brows raised, and she scrunched her nose at him.
Luckily, Angus didn’t take offense to Cash’s non-greeting and headed into the conference room.
Abby started to follow but Cash halted her with a tug on her hand. She looked up at him in time to see his face disappear by her ear.
“Somehow, I think you owe me for this,” he murmured there.
Somehow, she thought he was right.
His head came back and when she caught his eyes, she winced and shrugged which, fortunately, made him grin.
When Cash and Abby entered and Cash closed the door, Abby noted they were all partaking of the buffet like they’d just come off a month-long forced fast.
When they had their plates piled high, they sat around the conference table. Cash was at the head with no food, Abby to his right and she’d decided to take her cues from him and also not load up a plate (even though the buffet looked really good, Cash didn’t do things in half-measures that was certain).
Cash didn’t waste any time and once everyone was settled he immediately asked, “Who’s in charge?”
“I am,” both Angus and Cassandra said at the same time.
“That would be me,” Mrs. Truman said over both of them.
Cash’s body stayed facing forward, just his head turned to Abby and his brows went up.
“Um,” Abby started, looked amongst the faces, trying to decide who would take the least offense then she tried to be diplomatic, “let’s say Angus as he’s had more experience with this type of thing.”
Mrs. Truman let out an affronted “humph”, Cassandra sat back smiling and Angus leaned forward happily.
Cash put both elbows on the table, linked his fingers, rested his chin on them and looked at Angus.
“Tell me your plan,” he ordered.
Angus glanced at Cassandra then said, “We’re thinking the showdown will be Saturday night.”
There was silence as Cash waited for Angus to say more.
Angus said no more.
Cash closed his eyes, pulled breath in through his nose and, when he opened his eyes again, they were aimed at Abby.
Abby pressed her lips together.
Cash’s eyes went back to Angus and he suggested with barely restrained patience, “Perhaps you’d like to fill in the blanks.”