Page 20 of In This Together

Biting down on her lips, her jaw set, Andrea turned her back on her friend and strode to the shower room.

When she was stood under the uncommonly cold spray, letting the water soothe her stinging eyes, her hot skin, her palpitating heart, Andrea tried to work through the torrent of thoughts surging her hectic mind.

Hannah knew she was seeing someone on the executive board, but Hannah didn’t knowwho,and it was best that she never did. It was best thatno oneever knew that she had been seeing Hunter.

Was she seeing Hunter?Was that what was happening? Had she resigned herself to being that other woman? For how long? Would she ever be more than just the other woman? Had she really been foolish enough to risk a heartbreak?

God, she shouldn’t be that person. She shouldn’twantto be that person.

She needed to endthis, whatever it was, with Hunter. And she needed to do it before anyone got hurt.

She massaged shower oil into her skin.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried to end it with Hunter.

About three months ago, they had gone two weeks without sleeping together. True, Hunter had been travelling for work for one of those weeks, but for the week after his return she had avoided him at all costs – going so far as to dart into the ladies’ restroom, behind walls, under her desk if she saw him heading in her direction.

But it hadn’t stuck. He was like sugar, caffeine, endorphins to her mind. A fix she needed.

It had to end now. She knew that.

Yet her hand moved to cover her heart unconsciously as she thought about seeing him day after day in the office and not having a claim to him.

What if he wanted her, too? What if he wanted her to be his number one, not just the other woman?

The one person she could ask for advice was currently in her lounge, dressed in her clothes and sipping on champagne.

But Hannah could never know the truth. Never. Knowing the truth would put her in a terrible position. No one could know the truth because the stakes were too high. If Rosalie found out that Andrea had been having an affair with her dad, she would never forgive her.

Andrea had to make a choice between being a friend and being the other woman.

7

HANNAH

‘Hannah! Are you kidding me?’

She ran from Andrea’s lounge into the master bedroom, where she found Andrea standing in front of her floor-length mirror. And she thought,Oh, Jesus!

Rosalie had picked out a stunning dress for Andrea to wear to the concert. The problem was, it was Rosalie-style stunning and verydefinitely notAndrea-style stunning.

The black gown clung to Andrea’s incredible figure. The thigh-high slit displayed her slim, long leg almost up to her panties. The neckline plunged to mid-torso, displaying her knock-out cleavage. The long sleeves and high back added a touch of sophistication and the crystal necklace that draped between her breasts added a classy finish.

‘Andi, you look a million,’ Hannah reasoned with honesty, but knowing she was about to cop itAndrea-style.

‘I look like… likeRosalie.’

‘Admittedly, you are a little more exposed than usual but you really do look?—’

‘Like I’m gagging for it from every rock star going to the concert tonight. For God’s sake, look at the time, the limo will be downstairs. I don’t even have time to change! Hannah, how could you do this to me?’

‘I—’

‘Forget it,’ Andrea snapped. ‘Let’s just go.’

Hannah rolled her eyes as she followed Andrea out of the apartment, all the while thinking,So now she has standards?

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