The CEO's Little Surprise

Besides, this was about Gage. About whether he’d planted a mole in her company. Whether he’d invented a relationship with her to get his hands on her formula. Whether he’d become a man she could trust.

She scowled. “I wanted to know how it was going from your chair.”

He took in her dark expression without comment. “It’s working. But it’s only been a week and Robbie will be a big part of my life come Monday. So I guess I’m still seeing how things go.”

And somehow, his perfectly legitimate response plowed through her nerves like water torture. “What does that mean? Once you become a dad, you might decide two is enough?”

It would be exactly what she’d been expecting. Sorry, this thing between us has run its course. That’s what she’d prepared for.

His brow furrowed and he abandoned his drink to focus on her. “No, it means it’s a complexity in an already shaky situation.”

“Shaky how?” she whispered. “Do you have something you need to tell me?”

Oh, God, what was she going to do if he came right out and confessed? He was bound to have some kind of rationale, like he’d only planned to use Rebecca to gather information for leverage or he’d say that technically, he hadn’t done anything illegal.

“Cass, you’re trembling.”

Clearly concerned, he tried to grip her hand but she yanked it away, whacking her nearly empty wineglass and sending it clattering across the granite bar. Gage, bless his honed reflexes, caught the stemware before it shattered on the travertine tile below, but the trail of wine across her light brown counters would stain.

Good. Something to occupy her hands while she gained control again. No emotions, she scolded herself. Brazen it out. Don’t let him know what’s going on inside.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said, pleased at how calmly she delivered the statement. And how coolly she wiped up the spilled wine with careful, even strokes. “If our situation is shaky, what’s making it that way?”

“The formula, for one. I was expecting you to tell me to go to hell when I called about Robbie. But you didn’t.” He watched her closely but she refused to meet his all-knowing gaze.

She would never have told him that. He’d needed her. Maybe she should have told him to go to hell twenty times since then, but dang it, she’d wanted to believe in him. In them.

Yes, it meant something that she’d come when he called. She’d been hanging around, thinking she’d hold on to her heart and dip one toe in, but really, she was pathetically, predictably wishing for him to fall in love with her. Just like last time.

But he’d given her no reason to trust him, no reason to believe that could ever happen. Becoming a father didn’t automatically make Gage Branson someone he wasn’t and that’s why he wasn’t suddenly spouting promises and pretty words. Let’s see how things go was code for I’ve found my Ms. Right-Now. Until he got tired of her. Until something better came along. It was all fun and games until someone’s heart got broken.

Or worse, until she found out exactly how good he was at keeping business and pleasure separate. A little thing like corporate espionage wasn’t supposed to get between them while they were burning up the sheets.

Before she could argue the point, he skewered her with those gorgeous hazel eyes and she felt it all the way through her soul. He’d burrowed under her barriers, winding his way through her heart despite all her vows to refuse him entrance. At the end of the day, she was the problem here. Because against all odds, she had started to trust him in spite of it all. And she shouldn’t have.

“You came when I needed you.” He held her gaze and wouldn’t let go. “And we fell into something that I was hoping would continue. I meant it when I said I wasn’t ready for it to end.”

The rawness in his voice sliced through her. She wanted to believe him. Believe in him. The past week had been so amazing and surprising and deep, and sex had only been a small part of that.

When had she lost her “it’s only sex” mantra? When had this become a relationship and not just sticking to a man to learn his secrets?

Unfortunately, she could pinpoint it exactly. It had happened the moment she’d answered Gage’s call and he’d said, I need you.

He’d ruined her for other men—Gage Branson was it for her. She realized that now.

And she had to know once and for all if she could trust him.

“Rebecca Moon,” she blurted out and his expression darkened so rapidly that the rag fell from her suddenly numb fingers.