His Secretary: BBW Romance (Her Second Chance Book 1) by Harmony Raines

shoulders.”
    “You mean I’m boring,” she laughed, but his words hit home.
    “No. Not at all.” He turned her towards him, and tilted her chin up in a most inappropriate way for a man who was simply her boss. “Thank you for being here, Helen.”
    At that moment, in any other circumstance he would have kissed her, she was sure of it. However he didn’t act, his lips stayed a couple of irresistible inches away from hers. With a sigh she pulled herself away, and feeling utterly confused she went over to the table she was using as a desk and began to leaf through the paperwork one last time.

Chapter Twenty - Oliver
    He stood in his uncles hospital room, with nothing concrete to go on. For the first time in years he felt like a helpless tear away again. The one his uncle had taken and moulded into something worthwhile, instead of worthless.
    “I’m sorry, Uncle Bob. I can’t offer you anything more than my gut feeling.”
    Bob Pierceson, one of the most respected and influential men in London, sank back against the pristine white pillow of his bed, and looked as if he would fade away. Oliver wished he hadn’t had to come here, hadn’t made this harder for his uncle.
    “Well, my boy, I’m not sure what I can do. It would look unprofessional if I simply cancelled the loan on your hunch. No matter how much I trust your judgement.”
    Oliver shook his head. “There’s something not right. Perhaps if I had more time, to research Clarkson.”
    “There is no more time, this deal has been in the making for months. Until you took it fully on your shoulders you were happy with it. What’s changed?”
    Again Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s to do with their previous loans.”
    “Are you sure it’s not just you?”
    “What do you mean?” He tried to keep his voice even.
    “I’m not having a go at you Oliver. Perhaps it’s the responsibility of someone else’s money that’s affecting you.”
    “It never has before.” He stood in silence, looking out of the window at the harbour below. Only here could a hospital have such a great view. “But perhaps you’re right. I don’t like second guessing you, Uncle Bob. It feels disrespectful somehow.”
    “Nonsense. I appreciate you watching my back on this. If my damn health hadn’t let me down it would never have come down to this would it? So the buck rests right here.” He sank lower into the pillow, a low groan leaving his lips.
    “You’re tired. I am going to leave you to rest. I would still like to sit in on the meeting, but I give you my word I will keep my opinions to myself, unless you ask for them of course.”
    “Deal,” Bob said tiredly. “Now, I have one more favour to ask of you.”
    “Whatever you want, Uncle Bob.”
    “There’s this pretty doctor I’d like you to take to dinner.”
    “A doctor. Uncle Bob, I kind of already have dinner plans.” He had asked Helen to have dinner with him, and she had agreed. To phone her now and let her down would be verging on cruel, especially when she heard it was so he could take another woman out. It would blow his chances once and for all.
    “Ahh, here she is.”
    Oliver took one look at the pretty doctor his uncle was referring to, and knew he would indeed have to change his dinner plans. There are some things, and some people you simply can’t turn down. And the woman standing in the doorway was one of them.
    He walked forward and kissed her on the cheek. “Hello, Oliver, it’s been a long time.”
    “Too long. It’s so very good to see you, Kat.” He laughed, and she threw her arms around him, hugging tightly.

Chapter Twenty One - Helen
    She’d dressed carefully for dinner, changing her outfit twice. First she had erred on the side of caution, dressing as though they were heading in for a business meeting. The warm Mediterranean breeze had wafted in through the open windows leading onto the balcony, and she had felt ridiculously overdressed.
    Carefully hanging the skirt and