“I’m flattered, Simon. Really, I am. But it’s just a fantasy,” she said. “You’re only interested because you’re bored. I’m the one woman who’s an actual complication for you. You love solving puzzles. I’m just your latest puzzle. And once you solve it, you’ll be on to the next challenge.”
“Is that what you think of me? You think I’m that cold and detached?”
“Look around,” she said. “You said it yourself: you don’t have time for social obligations. You don’t have friends. Your entire life is devoted to your work. It’s the one constant in your life.”
“You’re saying that all I am is my work.”
“I’m not judging you,” she said. “In fact, I think you’re on to something. I tried having a family. And I screwed it up so badly that it’s broken now. I have to pick up the pieces of what’s left. So I don’t have time to be curious about what we might be. My heart can’t do this. Not after...”
“Not after your divorce?” he filled in for her.
“Right. Not after my divorce,” she said quickly.
Heather lowered her eyes, like she couldn’t stand to look at him another moment. Which he didn’t understand. If her heartache was because of the breakdown of her marriage, why had she kept him at such a distance? Especially last night with her family? He wasn’t her ex-husband. He wasn’t the one responsible for the state of her heart.
“As cold as you might find me, Heather, I don’t regret our time together in my hotel room. Truly I don’t.”
Her face turned pink, and he forced back a smile. No need to embarrass her further, no matter how lovely she looked when she blushed.
“I’m glad.” She stood up. “If this is all you wanted to talk about, I’ll be in my office making phone calls about today’s meeting.”
He gave her a curt nod. “That’s all for now. We’ll keep this to ourselves and I’ll get someone else to evaluate your three-month performance.”
“Thank you, Simon,” she said, her voice full of emotion. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he said.
Heather headed to the door and stepped out of his office.
The silence she left behind was a thunderous roar. Condemning him for being the stubborn, intransigent man that he was. The man Heather knew him to be. She had said as much.
If he was a different man, he would have taken Heather in his arms and kissed her. Kissed her because now he knew that, before she had come back into his life, something really had been missing. It had taken him so long to figure it out, but the walls he had built up made him feel a deep sense of loneliness.
But he wasn’t a different man. Heather had been right about him. He was who he was. And that was never going to change.
Chapter 11
The receptionist at the front desk smiled at them. “Welcome to the Central Cove Hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Diesel.”
Heather’s eyes widened. “What? We’re not together. At all.”
“We have separate rooms.” Simon rubbed his temple. They had only just walked up to the front desk at the hotel, yet he was already on the verge of a headache. The long drive out of Seattle had been without any mishaps, but it had been mentally taxing trying to keep things professional with Heather sitting in the passenger seat beside him.
The receptionist started typing away at the computer in front of her. “It says here that there’s one room for Mr. Diesel and a guest. I assumed—”
“How can there only be one room?” Heather demanded sharply. “I’m the one who made the room reservation. Mr. Diesel and I are here for the conference and we’re supposed to be in separate rooms.”
“I’m so sorry. There must have been a mix-up. It looks like the reservations were made last-minute, which might have added to the confusion.” The poor receptionist’s hands started shaking.
“It’s okay,” Simon said gently. “We’ll just take an additional available room.”
The receptionist went bright red, panic flashing in her eyes. “That’s just the problem, sir. We don’t have any additional rooms. All the rooms are booked because of the conference.”