Page 18 of In Bed with the Enemy

"Right," I said, not sure how to pull this information out of her. "And, uh, did we talk about anything while I was in that state?"

"I don't really take the things drunk people say seriously," she said, running a hand through her unruly blonde hair.

"Maybe you should. It's usually the only time people have the courage to be honest."

"Is that so, Mr. Greene?" she asked, giving me an intense look.

I shrugged, realizing I needed to pull back. "I guess so. I don't drink much, so I wouldn't really know."

"Your performance yesterday seemed to indicate otherwise."

"Yes, well, a mistake I will not soon be repeating."

Amy leaned back. "I don't believe in mistakes."

"You should probably talk about that with a therapist," I joked, trying to put some distance between us.

She just shrugged.

"Well, Ms. Reid. I think I've imposed on you for long enough. I better get going. Will I be seeing you at this morning's breakfast before the conference ends?"

She shrugged again and this time didn't look up at me. "Maybe."

"Well, alright then," I said, carrying myself out of her hotel room as fast as possible without another word. I made my way to the elevator as my heart pounded fast. By the time I'd made it up to my own hotel suite, I was leaning against the wall to try and catch my breath.

I was falling for Amy Reid at a dangerously fast pace. I wasn't an idiot. I knew I'd let things slip last night that I shouldn't have. There was no other explanation for me waking up in her hotel room. In my blackout state, I'd likely decided to go to her and admit all of the wrongs that I'd made. I probably also decided to tell her about all of the troubles Standard Energy was having developing and implementing their own renewable initiatives.

Basically, I probably said all of the things that a CEO of a company should not have said to a competitor. Especially not after said CEO publicly embarrassed said competitor.

And yet.

And yet.

She hadn't tried to rub it in my face. I'd even given her the opportunity to shove it all back at me, but she hadn't taken it. She'd just said that she didn't believe things that drunk people said, essentially brushing it all under the rug.

I rubbed my hands across my face and sighed.

I really hadn't meant to come to Chicago and fall for a girl.

But, Amy Reid was making things very difficult.

I forced myself to calm my breathing and made my way over to the window. Pulling back the curtain, it was clear that the storm had intensified overnight.

"And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we conclude this year's conference. Let's all give a special thanks to our host, Standard Energy, and for all of the speakers and attendees," the announcer said. I smiled from my seat on stage and stood up to join the crowd in the applause.

"Now," the announcer continued. "We wish everyone safe travels. We understand that there is a very severe storm outside and a good deal of flights have been canceled, so please, be safe and we hope you all get home safely."

The noise level in the room increased as everyone started talking about the storm. My assistant had called me to tell me that the pilot for my private jet had indicated it was not safe for him to fly, either, even though it was significantly easier to de-ice the wings of the smaller craft. The visibility was just shot to hell with the way the storm was moving.

That was fine. I had no problem staying in Chicago for a few more days while everything blew over. In some ways, I actually didn't mind it. Returning to the New York office where I was based wasn't something I actually looked forward to.

I waited for the crowd to clear out. I was in no rush and I really just didn't feel like fighting anymore. I made small talk with a few of the other hosts and when finally the room was clear, I made my exit, intent on heading back upstairs for a quiet, relaxing rest of the day.

As I made my way through the lobby and towards the elevator, I spotted bright blonde hair over near the receptionist's desk. From the way she was speaking and the movement of her hands, she was clearly having an issue.

I knew I should have just left it alone. Continued to head towards the elevators and up to my room. Amy Reid was very dangerous for me. This entire conference had shown me that. From the way she'd burst into my room that first night to the way I'd burst into her's last night, I'd felt completely off balance.

I made my way over to the desk, knowing that I shouldn't, but helpless to stop myself.

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