“Maybe not for you,” she said, her voice losing much of its vigor. “But I don’t regret what happened between us.”
“I can’t say the same.”
“So, if you had to do it all over again?” She spoke slowly as if the weight of the words made the question hard to ask.
“I’d have left you home.” Why deny it? If she hadn’t come, he never would have been sucked into her rebellion. Never would have made love to her. And he certainly wouldn’t feel like a poker player down to his last dollar.
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said, her brisk tone almost masking the throb in her voice. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I came. I’m glad we spent the night together. It made me realize that Tim was right. I have been preoccupied with you ever since we started working together. Without these past two days I would be questioning my decision to quit. Now, I’m confident I made the right decision.”
“You didn’t. We’re a good team.” Sebastian barely recognized himself reflected in her eyes. She was right about him needing to control everything. He liked his life neat and without distractions. Until yesterday, she’d understood. “I’m not giving up on persuading you to stay.”
She looked surprised. “We’ve done nothing but fight.”
“We’re not fighting. We’re on opposite sides of an issue we both feel strongly about.”
“How is that not fighting?”
He lowered his voice. “I don’t want to fight with you.” No indeed. He wanted her in his arms, surrendering to his kisses. The realization infuriated him. He shoved his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching for her.
Her body lost its stiffness. “I don’t want to fight with you, either.”
“How can we come to an understanding?”
“You could let me get on with my career and give me a glowing recommendation.”
“Or?” he prompted.
“There is no or.” Her lips formed the saddest smile he’d ever seen. “I think we both know there’s no going back from what happened.”
While Sebastian grappled for words to change her mind, Missy exited the suite, successfully ending the conversation with the last word.
The cell phone she’d left on the table buzzed. Sebastian pulled the phone toward him and checked the display. Instead of it being someone from the office or a member of the hotel staff about the arrangements, the incoming number belonged to someone named Tim. The boyfriend. Wasn’t he out of the picture?
The call went to voice mail. Sebastian didn’t hesitate before hitting speed dial to listen to the message.
“Hey, babe.”
Babe?
Sebastian couldn’t picture anyone calling Missy by that pet name.
“I just realized I missed your birthday. I know you must be pretty pissed at me, but I want you to know that I still care about you.”
That wasn’t the speech of a man who was done with his ex-girlfriend but one who was covering his bases in case things didn’t work out with the new squeeze. Sebastian deleted the message. An ex-boyfriend unable to make a clean break was only going to distract her. He needed her focused on the leadership summit this week—and on him.
Five
At seven, Sebastian surveyed the transformed suite. Two fully stocked bars awaited guests. Wait staff flanked tables loaded with mouthwatering finger food. The atmosphere was relaxed and elegant.
Missy had come through again. He’d never really doubted that she would.
Even if the scent of her perfume hadn’t reached his nose, the way his nerves began to buzz told him she was close by. Sweetness and sin. An intoxicating blend that made him crazy.
“Everything is exactly as we discussed,” she said from behind him, her crisp tones reassuring Sebastian that his efficient assistant had returned to the fold.
“Good.”
He glanced over his shoulder and saw a goddess. Missy wore a strapless dress with alternating bands of black and white sequins that hugged all her curves and emphasized the fiery brilliance of her hair. She’d pinned it up. The sleek updo emphasized her long, elegant neck and the delicate hollows below her collarbones.