A Clandestine Corporate Affair - By Michelle Celmer Page 0,28

guess we should have the talk now.”

She threw an arm over her eyes and groaned. “Do we have to? Can’t we just enjoy the afterglow for a while?” She looked over at him. “In fact, could we just not talk at all?”

He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. She wondered if he had the slightest clue how sexy he looked like that. How difficult it would be to keep her hands to herself now. “You want to wait till later?”

“No, I mean never. I have no expectations of this being anything but one time, and I’m assuming you don’t either. So, it happened, it’s over, end of story. Let’s not ruin it by having a conversation.”

His this-is-too-good-to-be-real look made her smile. “You’re sure about this?”

“It is what it is. Analyzing it to death isn’t going to change anything. In fact, it would probably just make things even more complicated. At this point my only concern is Max.”

“If that’s how you feel.”

She really did, for the most part anyway. Did she want more? Of course. Sentiments of love would be nice, and she certainly wouldn’t balk at a marriage proposal. Hell, at this point she’d be happy with a semipermanent, exclusive sexual relationship. But she knew that wasn’t smart, because ultimately it was going to end, and she refused to put herself in a position to get her heart stomped on again.

There was someone else out there for her. He probably wouldn’t be as wonderful as Nathan, or as good in bed. And she would probably never love him the way she loved Nathan, but loving someone too much wasn’t such a great thing, either.

“It is,” she told him. “I mean, it was probably just something we needed to get out of our systems. You know?”

“Well then, there’s a problem.”

She frowned. “What problem?”

He lowered his eyes and she followed his gaze down to his crotch.

Oh boy. He clearly hadn’t gotten it out of his system yet.

Okay. This was not a big deal. They were already lying here naked, so she couldn’t really see the harm in doing it one more time. Or heck, two more times if that’s what it took. And since Nathan used to have the libido of an eighteen-year-old, and that probably hadn’t changed, it was a distinct possibility.

But after tonight, it was definitely over.

Eight

Nathan sat in his office the next morning, feeling more relaxed and all around happier than he had in a very long time. Eighteen months, to be exact.

Only problem was, that happiness never lasted.

His life would be going really well, and he would start to think that things were different, that her love had changed him, then something would happen to flare his temper and he would realize that nothing had changed. Wasn’t it better to get out while it was still good? Because the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Ana. This situation, their relationship, was supposed to be about Max and what was best for him, yet lately it seemed to be more about Ana and Nathan. Letting this go any further would be a mistake. So, the next time she tried to put the moves on him—and knowing Ana, there would probably be a next time—he would nip it in the bud. He would be the rational one. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, he knew what was best for her.

His secretary buzzed him. “Mr. Blair needs to see you in his office.”

He shoved himself up from his chair and headed down the hall to Adam’s office.

“They’re waiting for you,” Adam’s secretary said, gesturing him through the open office door.

They? Had he forgotten a meeting? His mind hadn’t exactly been in the game the last few days, but that was what his secretary was for, and she hadn’t said anything.

Adam sat behind his desk, and Nathan was surprised to see Emilio standing by the window. If it was a scheduled meeting, Jordan wasn’t there yet.

“Shut the door.” Adam said.

“What about Jordan?”

“I sent him to the refinery.”

There was only one reason why Jordan would be excluded from a meeting. There had been some sort of news about the explosion.

He shut the door and took a seat across from Adam’s desk. “So I take it there’s been a development.”

Adam and Emilio exchanged a look, and Emilio said, “Something like that.”

He wasn’t sure he appreciated the fact that Adam would discuss it with Emilio before him. Until the CEO position was filled, they were supposed