A Clandestine Corporate Affair(24)

Nathan followed her. “You didn’t talk about yourself that much. And besides,” he added, “it was really great sex.”





Seven





Ana swiveled to face Nathan, not sure if he was joking or serious, if she should laugh or punch him. And whatever his intention, it hurt.

“That’s really all it was to you?” she asked. “Just great sex?”

Only after the words were out did she realize how small and vulnerable she sounded. Way to go, Ana. Why not just blurt out how much you loved him, and that he broke your heart? Why not throw it all out on the line so you can look like an even bigger fool?

“What difference does it make?” he asked, his eyes dark. “You were only using me to defy your father.”

Ouch. She should have known that remark would come back to bite her.

“And for the record,” he said, stepping closer, trapping her against the edge of the counter, “it was not just about the sex. I cared about you.”

Yeah, right. “Dumping me was certainly an interesting way to show it.”

“I ended it because of how I felt for you.”

What? “That makes no sense. If you care about someone, you don’t break up with them. You don’t treat them like they’re the best thing in your life one day, then tell them it’s over the next!”

“I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but I did what I had to do. What was best for you.” For her? Was he joking? “How in the hell do you know what’s best for me?”

“There are things about me, things you wouldn’t understand.”

Just when she thought this couldn’t get much worse, he had to lay the it’s not you it’s me speech on her. As if she hadn’t heard that one a dozen times before. Well, if it wasn’t her fault, why did she keep getting dumped? Why was she always the one with the broken heart?

“This is stupid. We covered all of this eighteen months ago. It’s done.”

She shoved past him but he grabbed her arm.

“It’s obviously not done.”

“It is for me,” she lied, and tried to tug her arm free.

“You weren’t the only one hurt, you know.”

She made an indignant noise. “I’m sure you were devastated.”

His eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t do that. You’ll never know how hard it was leaving you. How many times I almost picked up the phone and called you.” He leaned closer, so his lips were just inches away. “How tough it is now, seeing you, wanting you so damned much and knowing I can’t have you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t just telling her what she wanted to hear. He meant every word he’d said. He still wanted her. And despite everything else that had happened between them, as much as she’d tried to fight it, to be smart about this, she wanted him, too. But she didn’t tell him that. Instead she did something even worse. Something monumentally more stupid.

She pushed up on her toes and kissed him.

For one tense and terrifying instant she wasn’t sure how he would react, if she was making a huge mistake. But Nathan’s arms went around her, his hands tangling through her hair, and his tongue swept across her own in that lulling, bone-melting way of his.

Her knees went soft and her pulse skipped and everything in her screamed yes!

He should be telling her that this would only complicate things, and the important thing right now was to keep it civilized, for Max’s sake. He should be, but he wasn’t.

He broke the kiss and pulled back to look at her, cradling her face in his hands, searching her eyes.

Her heart sank. “Having second thoughts already?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No. Just savoring the moment.”

Because it would be their last. She knew it, and she could see it in his eyes. They would get this one night together, then things would have to go back to the way they were. They would have to go back to just being Max’s parents. There was no other way. Not for him, anyway. It sucked, and it hurt—boy, did it hurt—but not enough to make her tell him no. She wanted this, probably more than she’d ever wanted anything.

“You’re sure this is what you want?” he said, always the gentleman, always worried about her feelings, and her heart, even when he was breaking it. But this one was worth a little pain.

She stepped away from him, grabbed a quilt from the back of the couch and spread it out on the rug in front of the fire. Nathan watched, his eyes dark, as she stripped down to her bra and panties then laid down on the blanket. He had this look, as though he wanted to devour her, and every part of her hummed in anticipation. Her skin heated and her pulse jumped.