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?Hey, gorgeous.? He crossed over to her, resting a kiss on her cheek. It occurred to him that they should perhaps have discussed how they would act around each other at work. The last thing he wanted to do was make Anya feel uncomfortable. People knew they were seeing each other, but he hadn?t thought to prepare for it. The truth of the matter was that after their first date at Fat Franco?s they?d spent the whole weekend in her apartment, mostly in her bed. They only went out to hunt down food. Then he?d had to prepare for his business in Dublin.
He rested one hand against the small of her back as he kissed her cheek and resisted pulling her closer. Anya turned her face to his, kissing him directly on the mouth in greeting. Relieved, he squeezed her closer to him.
?Good to see you.? Her eyes glowed.
?Anya told me all about your date,? Lorie said. She had stopped working and had now folded her arms in an expression of mock chastisement. Lorie held the unofficial title of agony aunt for the office, and Warren wondered whether there was any real disapproval underlying her comment. Lorie directed her attention back to Anya. ?You were saying, before the man arrived??
Anya chuckled, and Warren felt for sure he was being wound up here. ?Don?t let me interrupt.? He put his hands up in surrender. He was happy just to look at Anya. Breathing deeply the scent of her perfume, he leaned up against a nearby desk, watching as the women chatted.
Anya rolled her eyes, and picked up some papers from her desk. ?I?m just about to go in and give a presentation. Will you be around for lunch??
?Yes. We?ll catch up then.?
She looked back at Lorie. ?If any calls come in for me while I?m in the meeting just let my voice mail pick them up. Anything urgent, I can deal with it after two.?
Lorie nodded, but she kept staring at him. She did it in the most unsettling way. Warren liked Lorie. She was a caring woman and she held the office together, but he could tell she had something on her mind.
The door to the adjoining conference room opened and one of the senior executives stuck his head out. ?We?re ready for you now.?
Anya nodded, blew Warren a kiss, and headed off.
Lorie sat back in her chair, stretching. ?Well, now, I gather you had quite an impact on our friend.?
?A good impact, I hope.? The scrutiny she addressed him with unsettled him. He wasn?t sure he wanted to know what had been said about the date. Had he rushed her? Had he been too forthright? Women talked about these things. Lorie probably knew more about it than he did.
Lorie gave him a reassuring smile, and then glanced at the conference room door as if to make sure it was shut. ?I?m glad we have a minute alone because I wanted to let you know that Andrew?s been on the phone every day while you?ve been in Dublin. He wants to patch things up with her.?
That one small comment made him feel as if he?d been punched in the gut. Warren turned away, glancing at the boardroom door where she had gone. He had spoken to her every night while he?d been away, and she hadn?t mentioned Andrew or the phone calls. This wasn?t good.
Opening up his documents case he sought out the signed contracts he had to deliver to the head of accounts. Retrieving the file, he slotted it into the appropriate pigeonhole. Glancing back at Lorie, he realized she was still waiting for his response. Right then, he didn?t think he could muster one.
?I thought it was only fair that you knew, so that you can be prepared. I consider you both good friends, and I don?t want either of you to get hurt.?
Warren wasn?t sure he wanted to thank her for the news, but he knew she meant well. He forced a smile. ?I appreciate it. The most important thing is that Anya is happy, whatever the outcome.?
Even as he said the words?and he meant it?he knew that he couldn?t go back to being friends if she made up with her ex. The very thought of it made him feel irrational and angry. Things would never be the same. He?d have to ask for a transfer. It would be easy enough to do, but he also balked at the idea because it meant he would never see her again.
Right from the moment he?d decided to go ahead and ask her out, he knew it wouldn?t be easy because the odds were that she was on the rebound. It was his way to go after things he wanted, full-throttle, but he had never wanted anything as much as he?d wanted Anya. He?d waited and watched until he couldn?t do so any longer, even though he still wasn?t sure. Thinking about it made him want to kick himself. Damn it. He?d just been starting to relax into the situation. Now he wanted to know how long he could possibly make it last. He wanted forever, and that might not happen. If Andrew was still in the picture, he needed to pull back and lighten up, fast.
Whatever time they had together, he wanted to make it special for her. He would never forget her, and he wanted their time together to be a memory she could treasure, too.
Chapter Four
Anya looked at the house on the seashore with curiosity as Warren pulled in and parked the car. The small, low-slung building looked like an artist?s studio, all wood and glass. There was a car in the driveway. She glanced at Warren.
?Somebody lives here?? He hadn?t mentioned that when he said he was taking her to the Norfolk coast for the weekend.
Warren switched off the engine. ?No. The house is mine, a retreat and a bit of an investment. I invited a friend to join us.? He paused. ?I told you, I intend to make all your fantasies come true.?
There was a twinkle in his eye. Anya?s breath hitched, before racing on. He?d informed her several times that he was serious about making her fantasies come true. In particular he?d reminded her about the threesome fantasy, and he?d done so in the dark and across a pillow, between rounds of passionate lovemaking. Whispered erotic scenarios that made her blood pump and her pussy wet. Anya stared over at the car, a sporty black number. Definitely a man?s car. ?Who is it??
Warren ducked in and kissed her before he responded. ?When we were at Fat Franco?s you rued the lack of shellfish on the menu. You said your favorite meal was lobster thermidor. So I organized someone who?d know how to cook it for you.?
?Stop teasing me.?
Warren nodded in the direction of the house. A man had appeared on the wooden deck that jutted out from the door. Dark-haired and solidly built, he wore a loose-fitting pair of khaki shorts with a faded sleeveless T-shirt and deck shoes. Anya stared.
?Joe?s a chef. He?s also an old friend, and he makes the best lobster thermidor you?ll ever taste, I guarantee it. He owes me some favors, so I asked him to come up here and cook it for you.?
