His to Command

“Kate, I didn’t lie to you. I brought you here to discuss investing in your company.”

“Really?” She was almost afraid to believe him. After the wild roller coaster of emotions she’d been through over the past twenty-four hours, she didn’t think she could cope with another shock. “But … why? I mean, how did you even know I needed an investor?”

“A few months after you left me, I heard you’d moved away from New York and set up a business somewhere else. When I saw you at the mall recently, I wondered how you’d been doing. I asked around and found out you were looking for an investor.” He shrugged. “I wanted to help.”

“I realize you own Facts and Figures Inc., but what does the board of directors think about you investing in my company?”

“Actually, I’m investing personally. I thought you’d prefer that to being partners with a corporation.” He shrugged. “I just made it look like they were the interested party because if you knew it was really me, I’m sure you wouldn’t have agreed to come.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You said you hadn’t lied to me.”

He grinned. “Well, not in any way that was important. So are you still interested?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Good.” He pushed away the covers and stood up.

She dragged her gaze from his nakedness. They were going to be discussing a business relationship. She shouldn’t be drooling over his sexy, masculine body. Damn, how could she become partners with a man she’d been so intimate with? A man she’d drop to her knees for on command?

She drew in a breath, her fingers clenched around the sheets covering her. She’d find a way. Because she simply had to make this work.

He pulled on his pajama pants and turned to her. “So tell me, Kate, how are you?”

Actually, she felt incredibly refreshed. Once they’d made love, she’d fallen into a deep sleep, feeling warm and protected in his arms. Not that she would tell him that.

She gazed at his unsettling blue eyes. “I’m fine. A little hungry.”

He grabbed something from his zippered bag and tossed it to her. A granola bar. “It’s either that or leftover lasagna. I’d planned to have food delivered, but with the weather, that won’t be possible.”

“This is fine.” She unwrapped it and took a bite.

“But what I meant is, how are you doing? Living here in Connecticut for the past two years?”

“Oh, it’s a beautiful place to live. I have a nice apartment, friendly neighbors. I like to go biking in the fresh air. There are a lot of great parks and bike paths.”

“So you like it here?”

“Yes, of course”—she gazed at the bar in her hand—“but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss living in New York City.”

* * *

The wistfulness of her words haunted Matt. She missed her old life. She never would have left the city if she’d had a choice. If circumstances hadn’t forced her to move.

And he’d had a role in that.

“You have an apartment. You didn’t want to buy a place?” he asked.

Pain lanced across her features. “No. I didn’t want to fall in love with a place again and chance losing it. Maybe later, when things have settled down with my business.”

She glanced at him, then down at her granola bar, and took a bite. The sadness in her eyes flooded him with guilt.

“What about you? Did you ever buy that big house you were looking at?”

“Yes, I did,” he said, struggling to keep his voice emotionless. “I live there now.” But he’d hoped one day Kate would live there with him. “From everything I’ve seen, your business is doing well. Why is your partner pulling out?”

* * *

Kate glanced at him in surprise. She was sure Matt would have found out all the details before he considered investing. “He got a great job offer in California.”