Page 40 of Love to Hate You

I frown then take the plunge and lay my offer on the table. “One night. All night. Just…take care of business.”

“How romantic.”

“I don’t believe in romance,” I say. “Or Fate or Destiny or soulmates. That crap only happens in books and movies.”

“Jaded much?”

“What about you?” I ask, getting defensive.

He shrugs. “Never gave it much thought.”

“Have you ever been in a serious relationship?” I ask, suddenly very curious about his dating history.

“No. I’m married to my work and that’s how I prefer it.”

“At least we see eye to eye on something,” I say.

“On at least two things,” he corrects and smirks. “Just so I’m understanding this correctly– you think we should have a whole night of uninterrupted, hot as hell sex?”

My entire body heats up at his words. “Only to put an end to this…whatever it is that’s distracting us.”

“I can’t lie. You’re distracting the holy hell out of me, baby,” he says, tosses the ball up and catches it.

Baby.He calls me that whenever we’re being intimate, and I am so pissed at myself all of a sudden.

Because I really, really like being called his baby.

15

NASH

After I call her baby, her blue eyes darken. I think she likes it and I know I enjoy calling her the nickname. It feels right on my tongue.

I’m playing a dangerous game, teetering on the edge, and there’s the very real possibility that emotions will get involved. Hell, I think they may already be on my end. Whenever I see Charlie, I want her on a visceral level. But it’s starting to become more than that.

And that’s what scares me.

I squeeze the stress ball, wondering how we’re ever going to make this work.

“I need to think about it more,” Charlie says, toying with the edge of a folder.

I nod and decide to switch the subject before she freaks out and changes her mind. “How’s your presentation coming along for Square?”

“Good. Yours?”

“Pretty good,” I say. We’re both being intentionally vague because we know the weight of Square’s decision is going to affect the board’s ultimate decision on who becomes President.

Probably wasn’t the best subject to bring up.Idiot,I think.

At that moment, Ivy appears in the doorway. “Nash? Do you have a moment?”

Inwardly, I sigh, not wanting to leave Charlie. “Sure,” I say and push up off the edge of her desk. “Don’t leave me hanging,” I say and toss the ball to her. She catches it but doesn’t comment.

Ivy’s been acting as my assistant, and we’ve been getting along well. She’s been working hard and keeping the flirting to a minimum.

“I have a few things for you to sign,” she says as we walk down to what I like to refer to as my “corner closet.”

“Okay,” I say and step into the cramped space. In a weird way, it’s kind of growing on me. I don’t know. It’s cozy or something. Or maybe I’m losing my mind because I swear, I still smell Charlie’s vanilla-scented perfume lingering in here.

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