Page 39 of His Billion-Dollar Takeover Temptation

He suppressed a smile. He knew she’d been working on curbing that temper of hers, but when it did slip through it sent a bolt of desire straight to his groin.

And it wasn’t just about the sex—although that had certainly exceeded even his wildest expectations.

No, it washer. The passion that motivated her actions, her pursuits and dreams. It aroused him, enticed him, like nothing ever had.

No.

The more he thought of her like that—the more he looked beneath the surface of her incredible body—the more he risked the inevitable hurt that came with opening up to someone. Yes, sneaking out of her bed had been cowardly. But staying and risking getting caught up in something that would end in pain hadn’t been worth it. He’d done the best thing for both of them.

“I did,” he said.

As she walked toward him a blankness descended over her face. It threw him. He’d anticipated anger, that he’d left her bed without a word. But this was unexpected and, as much as he didn’t like it, it bothered him. Had their night together had such little impact?

“My event planner just quit. No notice.”

Everleigh sat in the chair before his desk and crossed one leg over the other. Her skirt rode up, exposing a knee and the barest glimpse of her thigh. If she were any other woman he’d suspect her of deliberately taunting him. But the gaze she leveled at him was disappointingly professional.

“The one I met in New York?”

“Yes. Calandra.” He handed Everleigh his laptop and kept his eyes off her legs. “Very unlike her. She’s worked for me for years. I never would have expected this.”

“It does seem odd. But people are complicated. What are you going to do?”

There.The tiniest undercurrent of anger. She wasn’t impervious to what had happened between them. But instead of satisfaction, he felt regret and that damned longing cut through him. He should have stayed...should have ensured she was all right. He had been her first and, so far, only lover.

The thought of any other man touching her made his fingers curl into fists.

“I can manage almost all of it,” he said. “Calandra kept good notes and confirmed everything before she quit.” He leaned back and steepled his fingers. “But the next event she was supposed to oversee was the Fox party. She has a good assistant. Between her, some other employees, and by bringing the marketing team into the mix, I can make sure the event will go smoothly. Which is why I’ve ‘summoned’ you.” He paused. He knew he was doing the right thing. “I won’t be overseeing the hiring of the new director for Fox.”

Surprise widened her eyes. “You won’t?”

“No. Given recent events, I feel I’m not able to provide an unbiased review.”

The blank façade dropped from her face and a rosy pink hue dusted her cheeks. He knew what she was thinking—could see the memory of him pressing her into the silk sheets as her wet warmth clenched around him reflected in the darkening of her eyes, her parted lips.

“Even if that night hadn’t occurred, Everleigh, given the way we met, and everything that’s happened since, I cannot be the person to choose the new director of Fox. My HR department, led by Benny Alonso, will be conducting interviews in two weeks. I’ve already told him you will most likely be applying for the position.”

“So... I still have a chance?”

“Yes.” He breathed in deeply. “Everleigh, you’re good at your job. Fox’s marketing is excellent, and so is your knowledge of the wine industry. You’re a great candidate. But I cannot be the one to make that decision. If it ever got out that we’d had a previous...encounter it could hurt both of us.”

She stared at him for a long moment and then nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”

Perfect. She’d accepted his reasoning without question—hadn’t given in to theatrics or thrown something at his head. But he could still sense anger and hurt lurking beneath the surface.

Words rose up in his throat. She’d confided some of her deepest secrets to him. Perhaps sharing his own sordid experience would help explain why he’d left her bed, why there would never be anything between them aside from the memory of an incredible night. Was that why he felt so compelled to unburden himself? To tell her his secrets in return?

“I learned the hard way that having a relationship with a coworker always ends badly. Nicole was an employee in our public relations department when my father handed me the reins of Cabrera Wine and told me to make it grow. I knew her only professionally, but she caught my attention on a company retreat to Italy. The façade she presented hooked me.”

Years later and it wasn’t the loss of Nicole that still ate at him. No, it was the shame of being duped—the anger of letting his guard down and giving even a modicum of control to a woman who had ruthlessly used him as a means to an end.

“It was eleven years ago. We dated for six months. She moved to another company, so we could see each other without breaking the no fraternization policy. The first two or three months were enjoyable. She was from a wealthy family, but she told me she didn’t want to be just another spoiled rich girl.”

Everleigh sat quietly, her eyes trained on him. He resisted the urge to shift, to scoot his chair back, further away from those violet eyes that saw far too much.

“One day her phone started beeping incessantly while she was in the shower.” To this day he didn’t know how, but he’d known. “I checked it. She’d been carrying on an affair with a former colleague of mine almost the entire time.”

Everleigh’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh, Adrian. I’m so sorry.”

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