He kisses the tip of my nose. “If you have to ask, we may have to do this all over again because I don’t think I made it clear enough.”

“It was the best,” I answer, honestly. Not for one second did I feel used … I just felt love and desire.

“Same for me.” I watch the water hit against his back. I think about what it would be like to do this every morning with him. To have a guy who worships me, who understands my tough exterior only hides a damaged soul.

He knows what I need and when I need it.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE never going to pick up your phone,” Mallory says when I call her back after twelve missed attempts on her part.

“I’m on a work trip. It’s not like I’m sitting on the beach sipping pina coladas.”

“How are things going?” she asks, cutting the meaningless bullshit short.

“Not too bad so far. I mean … the trip has had a few ups and downs, but nothing I can’t handle.” I sit up, pulling the sheet up over my breasts. Pierce left a few minutes ago to prepare for the meeting we have this afternoon.

“Have you seen him?” she says, quietly.

“Yes,” I answer back, the emotion I felt when I saw Blake creeping up in my voice. “When you said he was here, I didn’t want to believe you.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you about something like that.”

I pause, thoughts whirling in my head. The one that’s plagued me the most is the one I can’t let go of. It’s more a question than a thought, and the answer scares me to death. “Why did he take the job?”

“He’s been in hiding for months. I think he was just ready to get back to a somewhat normal life. He’s been working on himself … he’s been working hard to become the man he used to be before Alyssa.”

My heart clenches every time I hear her name. Her end ripped two men apart, and like an earthquake, there are lingering aftershocks. “Did he know I’d be on the project? When he took it, I mean.”

She breathes heavily in the phone. “He loves you, Lila. He may not show it. He may not say it. But he loves you, and he wanted to make sure you were okay.” She pauses, and I don’t know if I want her to continue. She’s said enough in the last thirty seconds to complicate my life as it is. “He called me … last night, and that’s how I know he’s grown. As much as he wants you, he wants you to be happier even more than that.”

“Stop!” I yell, feeling the tears welling in my eyes. “He can’t do this to me. I just started to put myself back together, Mal. I … I can’t do it.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. If I’d known before he signed on, I would have talked him out of it. Are you going to stay on the project?”

I wipe the moisture from under my eyes. “Yes, I worked too hard on this to walk away. Pierce tried to put an end to it, but as of right now, we’re still on.”

“Pierce is a smart guy.”

I smile even though a tear slides down my cheek. “He’s a really smart guy. I, um, I told him I’m falling for him.”

“Holy shit! Are you serious?”

“Yes, and I meant it. You should see the way he is with me. He told me he loved me, but it wasn’t necessary. He tells me in everything else he does.” Thinking about him momentarily wipes Blake from my mind. Pierce should be the only guy who resides there.

“Wait, did you sleep with him?”

“We slept, we made love, he fucked me. We’ve done everything, and I still want more.”

“So, Blake has no chance?” she asks, voice low.

“He lost his chance months ago. I can’t open myself up to that kind of hurt again.”

She sighs. “I get it.”

Glancing at the clock, I realize I only have twenty minutes before we have to leave for the meeting. I should at least attempt to go in better shape than I did this morning. “Look, I have to run. We have another meeting this afternoon.”

“Call me later if you get a chance.”

“It might be tomorrow morning if that’s okay. Pierce changed our flight home to tonight. I think he’s had enough.”

She laughs. “Can’t blame the guy. Look at you—smart and sexy.”

“Shut up.”

“Awe, love you, too. I can’t wait to see you in a couple months.”

“I already have that night marked off so we can order Chinese and curl up on the couch with a movie.”

“Add some wine, and I’m in. Bye, Lila.”

“Bye,” I answer back before ending the call and throwing the phone onto the center of my bed.

Today is the day I present to the group, and I need to look sure of myself … sure of my work. I pull on a pair of cropped black pants that hug my curves in all the right places. The waist is higher than I’d usually wear, but they work perfectly with the sleeveless black and white striped blouse I tuck into it. After taking a quick glance in the mirror, I unbutton the top three buttons, leaving just a peek of cleavage. I top it off with the simple diamond pendant necklace my parents bought me for the wedding that never was.

With little time to spare, I use my curling iron to add a few light waves and comb my fingers through it. Some powder, mascara and lip-gloss are all I need to finish the look.

As I am pulling on my black heels, someone knocks on the door. Pierce and his perfect timing, I think to myself.

He whistles as soon as the door opens. “Wow. Are you sure you don’t want to skip this meeting, fly home early, and spend the rest of the night wrapped in my bed? I think that sounds really good right about now.”

I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him. “Meeting first, wrapping later,” I whisper against his lips.

His arms circle around my back, hugging me to his body. “At the rate we’re going, we may not even make it home. Thank God for private jets.”

At the rate we’re going, we’ll be lucky if we make it out of this room.

I pull back enough to look up into his dark gaze. If there’s any question how much he wants me, it’s answered in his eyes. “Let’s get this meeting over with. The sooner we’re done, the sooner you get me alone again.”

He squeezes me so tightly that my feet leave the floor. “God, I’m lucky.”

He’s perfect … absolutely perfect.

My overactive nerves make the ride go by quicker than I would’ve liked. I repeat the basis for my design over and over in my head, hoping that when tons of eyes are watching me, my mind won’t go blank.

“You ready for this?” Pierce asks as our car pulls in front of Wade’s building.

I’m as green as they come, and I’m about to present to a group of professionals who’ve all been in the business for years. I’ve never been one for public speaking, but it’s not for lack of confidence in what I do—it’s the fear that the wrong word is going to spill out. That someone might ask me a question, and I’ll freeze up. That even though I love everything about this design, they’ll hate it, and my misread will cost Pierce millions.

His hand cradles my cheek, caressing my skin with the pad of his thumb. “It’s flawless. Your whole design … the concept. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”

Closing my eyes tightly, I lean into his touch. His words, the tone of his voice … calm me instantly. I open my eyes, finding myself staring right into his. “I’ve got this,” I say with a genuine smile.

He kisses me, letting his lips linger on mine just long enough to slow my racing heart a little more. He’s good at that.

When we break apart, he climbs from the car taking the mood board with him. As usual, he holds his hand out to me, but instead of letting it go, he grips it tightly in his as we make our way inside. He doesn’t let up in the elevator or on the long walk down the hallway that leads to the conference room.

He lets go to open the door, and I inhale deeply. No going back, now. Like a zombie, I walk across the room. My eyes survey the people crowded around the table, but I’m looking through them, not at them. Pierce pulls a chair out for me, and I take it grateful there’s an open one next to it for him.