had disappeared into the night.
It was over. He told himself he should be glad. He’d landed the meeting with Kendall and lived out a fantasy with Beth, all in one night. But somehow he still felt hungry.
CHAPTER TEN
DÉJÀ VU. HERE THEY WERE again at the expo, pretending not to stare at each other.
Eric pressed the phone harder to his ear and glared down at the souvenir glasses lined up in rows on the table. “Come on,” he growled at his sister. “You can make it. You’ve got two hours to find someone to work the bar.”
“There’s nobody else, okay? And I’ve got a headache anyway. I wouldn’t be any use to you.”
“Maybe you drank too much last night.”
“I had two drinks!”
Eric gripped the back of his neck, hard. “Have Jamie work the damn bar, all right? I want you there.”
She muttered a curse under her breath. “Kendall specifically asked for Jamie. Don’t be an idiot.”
And what the hell was that about? Kendall had never even met Jamie. Maybe he wanted to meet all the owners of Donovan Brothers before he made a decision.
“Eric, come on. We all want this. Not just me or you. Jamie wants to be involved, too.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. “Right.” It wasn’t that he thought Jamie and Tessa shouldn’t be involved. It was just that…Eric took care of things. That was his role. He took care of them. He owed them that. “I know you two are as responsible for the business as I am, it’s just…I’m not sure Jamie is right for this job.”
“Oh, come on. He’s great. What could go wrong?”
“Seriously? Kendall’s daughter is coming.”
“Jamie’s smarter than you give him credit for. And Kendall’s daughter will probably like him more than she’ll like me.”
“That’s my point. Look, of course Jamie’s smart, but I want you there. Please?”
“He’ll be good for this deal. You’ll see.”
Eric glared blindly out at the crowd, then realized a man who’d been headed toward the booth veered away. Eric tried to school his features into something less fierce.
“I’ll handle it on my own,” he snapped. “Tell Jamie to take the night off. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Eric—”
He snapped the phone shut and hoped to God Jamie didn’t show up. The deal was sitting right there in Eric’s palm. All he had to do was close his fingers slowly enough that he didn’t startle Kendall. Jamie never did anything slowly, especially if there was a woman involved.
Speaking of slowly… Reinforcing his sense of déjà vu, Eric stole a look across the booths to find that Beth was still there. Just like that first day. Today she wore a dark blue dress and heels that reminded him of cream in coffee.
The difference was that now he knew what she looked like under her beautiful clothes. He knew how round that ass was, and how it flexed under his hands when she pushed against him. Her knew that her breasts were high and full and the nipples nearly brown against her skin.
Was she wearing stockings again? Was she thinking about him? Or had she already moved on?
For the briefest of moments, their eyes met. When she looked away, pink climbed up her cheeks, and he marveled that he had the power to make a woman like her blush.
A sweet ache filled his chest as he watched her tape up a box and set it aside.
The hall was clearing out. The convention was over. This thing between them was over. But Eric had a bitter taste over how it had ended. It didn’t sit well. Hell, in his work, he knew damn well that half the satisfaction of any experience was the last taste it left on the tongue. She’d left so quickly, and he was still struggling with the lie he’d let grow between them.
She packed up one last box and added it to the pile before she gathered up a sweater and her purse.
“Henry,” he said without looking at the kid packing up their own booth. “I’ll be back in a few.”
She stepped out into the flow of people, moving away without a farewell glance. Eric followed her. He tried to keep a distance. She didn’t want anyone to know about him, and he didn’t want anyone to know about her. For him, the secret had started from his lie, but now he just wanted to keep the night for himself. He didn’t want it cheapened by others’ thoughts. Yes, it had been a casual encounter, but it hadn’t