A Clandestine Corporate Affair(31)

Damn it. Emilio and his fiancée would be there, and he knew his brother would never miss an opportunity to score a few brownie points. Leaving him the odd man out. He could call Ana back and tell her he couldn’t make it, but something told him that wouldn’t go over really well.

He knew going into this that being a parent would require sacrifice. Besides, Adam had assured him it was okay if he didn’t come, that he knew it was last-minute.

Nathan just hoped he meant it. He’d come too far, was too close to getting everything he wanted to throw it all away.



Everything was going to be fine.

Ana sat on the couch, one eye on Max in his exersaucer and one on the clock. Nathan was due there any minute to babysit. And though she was maybe a tiny bit nervous about leaving him and Max alone for the first time, she was crazy nervous about Nathan being here. Their lunch date Thursday—using the word date in the loosest of senses—had fallen through, so she hadn’t actually seen him since they slept together Tuesday night. They had talked on the phone a couple of times, but that wasn’t the same as seeing someone face-to-face.

So much for her brilliant theory about sleeping with Nathan to get him out of her system. All that did was make her want him more, make her fall just a little more in love with him. But what was the point of being in love with someone who didn’t love her back?

Easy. There wasn’t one.

What had she expected? That sleeping with her was going to make Nathan suddenly realize that he loved her and couldn’t live without her? Clearly that wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t doubt that he cared about her, and desired her. Just not enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her. She was fun in the short term, just not marriage material.

Wasn’t that the story of her life?

He may have been her one true love, but obviously she wasn’t his. And even if he were willing to settle for a life with her and Max, she wanted more than that. She had no illusions about who she was and what she needed from a relationship to be happy. With all her insecurities, she needed someone who adored her. Someone who put his love for her above all else.

Nathan would never be that man. Not for her, and probably not for anyone else. He was too independent, too focused on his own life to devote himself completely to someone else.

The only exception to that rule seemed to be Max.

The bell sounded and she shot up off the couch like a spring. Jeez, Ana, relax. She forced herself to walk slowly to the door, glancing at her reflection in the foyer mirror. She didn’t get out much these days, so she’d really taken her time getting ready. Usually by this point in the evening she was a disheveled mess, but even she had to admit that she looked pretty hot. Who knows, maybe she would meet someone at the bar tonight. She had wanted to devote her life 24/7 to Max when he was an infant, but he was practically a toddler now, and old enough that she could start thinking about dating again.

If she could just get her mind off of Nathan. She only hoped when she saw him, there wasn’t any of that morning-after awkwardness. Even though technically it was more than four mornings after.

Heart in her throat, she pulled the door open. Nathan stood on the porch, looking windblown and sexy as hell. He usually dressed casually when he came to see Max, but this time he was still wearing his suit.

He looked her up and down, taking in her clingy black cashmere sweater, leggings and knee-high, spike-heeled boots. His eyes widened and he said, “Wow, you look great.”

She both loved and hated the warm glow of satisfaction that poured through her veins.

“Thanks,” she said, stepping back so he could come in out of the cold. Only when he was inside did she realize how tired he looked, as though he’d been up for several days straight.

“Sorry I’m a few minutes late,” he said. “A meeting ran long. I didn’t even have time to go home and change.”

“You look exhausted.”

He shrugged out of his overcoat. “It’s been a long week. We’re about to go into production with a new ad campaign. Everything that could go wrong has. Thankfully we’ll be shutting down for the holidays. I need a break.”

From across the room Max let out a squeal and jumped excitedly as he spotted Nathan.

“Hey buddy.” Nathan crossed the room to greet him, lifting him out of the exersaucer and hugging him. “I missed you.”

Ana’s heart melted. “He had an extra long nap today so he might stay up a little bit later for you. Just make sure he’s in bed by nine. We have to be up early to get ready for breakfast at my father’s house.”