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“Hiding? From whom?” A bark of laughter shot from his throat. “That’s ridiculous.”
She shook her head slowly. “No, it’s not. Ever since your divorce, you shut yourself off from everything.”
Even in the dim light she could see his features freeze up. His laughter abruptly ended, and his mouth flattened into a grim line. “We’re not talking about that.”
“Of course not. You never have.” Forearms braced on the table, she leaned toward him. “This time, though, you don’t have to. I will,” she said with a shrug.
“You’re full of yourself after turning in that resignation,” he said.
She nodded. “That’s fair. Like I said, it’s very freeing.”
He didn’t smile. “Think you can say anything you want, and I suppose you can. But I don’t have to listen.”
Her head tipped to one side. “Hiding again?”
“Not hiding,” he said shortly. “Just not interested in sharing.”
She sat back. Picking up her wine, Sadie took a sip, then asked, “What are you interested in, Ethan?”
“My company.”
“And?”
“And what? That’s it,” he said, and stood up. He carried his plate to the sink, turned around and looked at her. “My family started this business more than a hundred years ago and it’s up to me to keep it at the top. To protect it. And since when do the two of us talk about this stuff?”
“Since I quit and I don’t have to worry about my boss firing me.” Sadie carried her plate to the sink, too, and stood beside him.
“I can still tell you to get out.”
“But you won’t.” She pointed to the baby monitor standing in the center of the black granite island.
He gritted his teeth so hard the muscle in his jaw twitched. “Think you’re safe, do you?”
“Actually, yes, I do.” Turning around, she leaned back against the counter, bracing her hands on the cold, hard edge. She tilted her head to one side and noticed a brief flash of something in his eyes.
“You realize you’re still working for me for the next month...”
“Sure,” she said, “but that’s unofficial.”
“I’m paying a lot of money for ‘unofficial’.”
“I’m worth it,” she quipped, and saw that flash in his eyes again. However briefly it had appeared, it set off a similar flash inside her. Sadie felt heat puddle in the pit of her stomach and then slide slowly south. A deep throbbing began at her core as she stared up into his eyes, and it took every bit of her self-control to keep from moving to try to ease that ache.
“I suppose you are.” His words came in a whisper and his eyes looked suddenly deep, dark and filled with emotions she couldn’t read.
Sadie would have given a lot to know what he was thinking, but in the next moment, she got her first clue.
“It’s strange,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of strange today,” she said softly. “Can you be more specific?”
“Okay. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you out of your work clothes...”
Sadie glanced down. She wore black jeans, a long-sleeved red T-shirt and black ballet flats. Hardly an outfit worth putting that look of interest on his face, but there it was.
“And you’re barefoot, wearing jeans. I didn’t know you owned jeans,” she said. God, he was barefoot. That was sexy, too. Get a grip, Sadie. “It’s the first time we’ve been together when we’re not working.”
“Not true.” He put his hands on either side of her and loomed in close. “There was that trip to Dublin last summer.”
“A business trip,” she murmured, and felt his heat drifting toward her. He was doing this on purpose. Why was he doing this? And oh, she hoped he didn’t stop.
“What about when we had a drink in that pub after the meeting?”
“Still work,” she said, and she had to look up to meet his gaze as he loomed over her. Her brain instantly painted another picture where he would be looking down at her. Where his body would cover hers. Where his mouth would be on hers as they came together in the most intimate way possible.
