She motioned to him, shaking her head. “Jeans?”
“I wear jeans every day,” he said.
“That’s just it—you can’t go into this board meeting looking casual,” she said. “They’re about to accuse you of...”
“Sleeping with my assistant,” he finished in a blunt tone.
Her cheeks turned pink and she lowered her gorgeous hazel eyes. Those bewitching eyes made his heart speed up every time his eyes locked on hers.
“It wasn’t an affair,” she insisted. “We made a mistake, is all.”
“We made that same mistake three times.” He raised his eyebrows and watched her intently.
“Four, actually.” That only made her blush deepen, the tell-tale sign that she hadn’t completely moved past the relationship that almost was. She chewed her lower lip and he forced himself to tear his eyes from her. There were times when he caught himself staring at his assistant. Staring and enjoying every line and curve of her slender body. Mentally peeling away every stitch of clothing she had on.
Walking into this board meeting with a hard-on was probably not the best way to go, so he cleared his throat and took the bag from her. “Fine. I’ll put it on,” he muttered.
She nodded. “I’ll make some calls to reschedule your other meetings in the meantime.”
“Thanks.” He headed into the adjoining private bathroom and started to change.
When he finally had the suit and tie on, he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. If he was the kind of CEO who gave a damn about all those men’s magazines that constantly pestered him for interviews, he’d say he looked pretty damn good. Professional. In control.
But he didn’t care. He just wanted to get this nightmare over with so that he could get back to what he did best. Work. Create. Make obscene amounts of money for the company he’d sacrificed everything for.
He stepped back into his office and found Heather rummaging through her handbag, mumbling under her breath.
It looked to him like her professional veneer might be starting to crack. He cleared his throat and waited for her to notice him standing in the office.
Heather turned her attention to him, eyes wide. “Wow. It fits you perfectly. You look so handsome. Like a celebrity.”
Simon arched an eyebrow. “Sounds like damning praise.”
“It’s a compliment.” She walked over to him and started adjusting his tie.
“Are you saying I don’t look good otherwise?” He averted his gaze, trying not to stare at her as she put her hands on him in the most familiar way.
“Oh, please.” She paused a moment, focused on his tie. “You work out enough to know you look good.”
“I just like hearing you say it.” He grinned.
“Simon, don’t tease.” Her hands slid away from his tie, wandering down his torso.
A jolt went through him. She hadn’t touched him like this in weeks. Ever since the night she had shut the door in his face, they had taken to being friendly while maintaining a professional distance. Hell, they hadn’t even talked about their fling in weeks, until this morning. They had gone on as if nothing had happened.
But there hadn’t been a day that went by that he hadn’t thought about her. Fantasized about her. Every day he spent with her and couldn’t touch her felt endless. The sleepless nights were even worse.
Suddenly, she pulled her hands away. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet.
She was obviously more nervous than she’d let on. And no wonder. Simon wasn’t even sure there was really going to be a meeting. He only had Linda’s panicked text to go on:
The board knows about you and Heather. Apparently it’s been leaked to the press. They’re about to blow the lid on it. Meeting scheduled for this morning. Be prepared.
The problem was that they had almost no time to prepare, and their reputations were now on the line. His company’s reputation and Heather’s. That’s what worried him. Simon hadn’t told Linda anything about his affair with Heather, but he could read between the lines from her text. It was obvious they were going to be hauled up for their indiscretion.
Like a pair of teenagers caught in the gymnasium. Hadn’t that almost happened to them once, too?