“This company is very important to me,” George said. “I wouldn’t want your head fogged by Miss Butler while I’m signing this paperwork.”
“What?” Crap. He’d noticed. “I, ah, I assure you that I wouldn’t let a personal matter get in the way of my professionalism. I know Miss Butler in another capacity, but I’ve been careful to keep that relationship out of these negotiations.” I was pretty sure I’d managed it. Dylan had made it easy by making such fair offers. I had a feeling that even if I’d accepted the first thing she’d laid on the table, she wouldn’t have been screwing my client over. Both sides had a vested interest in the success of George’s company.
“Personal matter.” George rolled his eyes. The gesture looked funny on him. “If you stare at her any harder, you’re going to burn a hole in her head.”
Hell. I needed to be more careful. “I’ll set that aside as we finish up. Feel free to kick me if I stare too hard.”
George grinned. “Oh, I will.”
I’m not in the habit of inviting clients to assault me, but I’m also not in the habit of feeling the way I do around Dylan.
She walked back into the room and flashed a professional smile. “Ready?”
“Yes,” George said. “I believe all my concerns have been addressed.” He flipped the paper toward her. “Where do you want me to sign?”
Dylan pointed to a spot on a page. “My boss will be here tomorrow to countersign. I don’t have the delegation of authority to execute this particular document.”
George nodded.
Dylan still hadn’t answered my text. I promised George I’d focus. I tried not to think about how sexy her hands were.
She turned the paper back to George and he signed. I carefully didn’t look at Dylan.
George nodded and looked satisfied. I’d done well by George, even if I had been hot for the woman on the other side of the table.
George took his copy of the contract and waved for me to walk with him on the way out. I wanted to stay and ask Dylan again about dinner, but my client needed to come first. I stole one last look at Dylan as I walked away.
She was looking at her phone, not answering her text. She didn’t look up at me once as the conference room door swung shut behind me.
Chapter 5
Dylan
It was half an hour later, and I hadn’t answered his text yet. My phone was sitting on the table next to my bathtub. It was too late for dinner anyway, I lied to myself.
I’d decided to take a celebratory bubble bath as soon as I’d gotten back to my hotel room. The bathtub in this room was amazing. The senior partners had really splurged on my accommodations here. Good thing I’d be taking a victory back to them.
The bath bomb I’d chosen smelled amazing and the bubbles tickled my skin.
I couldn’t stop thinking about that text. He wanted to take me out for dinner. He wanted to apologize. Maybe he even wanted more. Did I want that? I leaned my head back against the edge of the tub and let my eyes drift closed.
I loved baths. When I’d chosen an apartment in Dallas I’d picked the one with the huge statement piece of a bathtub. It was a freestanding tub with claw feet and big enough to fit three of me. Or me and Cameron. Not that Cameron would ever be in Dallas with me to see it.
Normally I wouldn’t have dared to take a bath in a hotel, but this place was fancy enough to eat out of the ashtrays, so I decided it wasn’t much of a risk. This place was going to spoil me so much that I’d never be able to stay at a cheap hotel again. They even left the expensive Belgian chocolates on the pillowcases, not the cheap bulk kind.
I took a deep breath and inhaled the vanilla candle burning quietly beside my phone. My phone with the text that I hadn’t answered yet.
What did Cameron want? Sex? A relationship? Just to talk? I didn’t know.
I revised that. He hadn’t kissed me like he was only thinking about talking. I sunk deeper into my bath as I thought about that kiss. I wouldn’t mind another kiss like that, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of telling him so.
There was another problem. I wasn’t over him. I’d said I was, but I knew the truth. The memory of him not being there when I’d woken up still hurt. If I went to this dinner with him, I could end up falling right back into bed with him while crossing my fingers and telling myself it would be better this time. That wouldn’t get me anything but more hurt.
I already had hurt in spades. The idea of getting revenge was sweet, but I didn’t see how I could manage it without risking my heart in the process.
What I really needed was closure. I’d never gotten to confront him after that night and ask him why he’d left me. We hadn’t argued about it and discovered what went wrong.