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“You had a mancheating on you for months and used the money you made from thebusiness. Yet you’re still hoping to find the ‘one’.”
She nodded, her eyessparkling with laughter. “Precisely.”
“Honey, you’reout of your damn mind.”
“Possibly, butI’m willing to take the chance. ‘It’s better tohave loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.’”She quoted.
“QuotingTennyson isn’t going to take away from the fact you’reout of your mind. I’ve been in love and have lost and it feelslike hell on earth.” He reminded her. “I wanted to diewhen I saw what I saw in that bedroom.”
“It might havebeen ego. Men have a way of thinking of women as possessions.”She grinned at his dark expression. “Just saying.”
“Wait untilit’s your turn.” He warned in a dire tone. “See howmuch you like it.”
Chapter 5
He came back soonerthan expected. The crisis that had been looming on the horizon hadhim flying back home and straight to the office.
"Call the headof the PR and tell her to meet us in the conference room in fiveminutes." He snapped at his assistant. "And bring meGallagher's file." Pressing the button, he disconnected the callwithout waiting for a response.
Sitting behind hisdesk, he stewed for a minute, an ominous expression on his face. He’dheard the rumors and seen the speculations in the press. He was afascination to the public because he was a poster boy for daring tolive the American dream.
His refusal to gopublic about his private life was another fodder for gossip andfascination. Why the hell should it matter to anyone who he wascurrently seeing? He just wanted to live his life in private and goabout his business.
"Then youshouldn’t have become so wealthy." A friend had told himjokingly. "People are fascinated and curious about what happensin the lives of famous people. It makes their own ordinary lives lesstedious."
He didn’t agreewith that reasoning, but it appeared he’d become the latestfascination.
His intercom sounded."They’re set up in Conference Room B, sir."
"Thanks."
"Refreshmentshave also been provided."
"Bring yournotes. I’ll need you in there as well."
"Of course."
Pushing away from hisdesk, he went to the cabinet to pour a cup of coffee and went back tothe desk to take up the files and his laptop before leaving the room.
Allison was nervousbut wasn’t going to let it show. She’d briefed her teamabout the impromptu meeting and told them she would take the lead. "Ihave a feeling I know what this is about."
Now, she was standingin a large conference room with an oblong table surrounded by morethan twenty chairs. A trestle table with coffee, tea, juice, andpastries was pushed up against the window.
It was almost threein the afternoon and three days before Christmas. She, as well as theothers, hadn’t expected him back until tomorrow, in time forthe staff party. People filed into the room and took their seatsafter grabbing something from the refreshment table.
She felt her breathcatch inside her throat as he strode into the room, followed by hisassistant a few feet behind him. He’d obviously come straightfrom the plane to the office and was still wearing a thick sweaterover faded denims, his long legs showing to perfection.
His dark hair wasruffled, a lock of it falling over his forehead, almost giving him aboyish look. Almost. His face was hard, with a frown touching hisforehead.
"Please, sitdown." He waved them back down as they jumped to their feet.Taking his position at the head of the table, he let his gaze flickerover the occupants of the room, only turning his head as hisassistant moved forward to whisper something in his ear.
With a nod ofacknowledgement, he resumed his study of the room, his gaze lingeringon Allison.
"Ms. Simpson,I’m assuming you know what this meeting is about?" Hisvoice was cold and devoid of emotion as he leveled his gaze at her.
Forcing herself notto react to his tone or the wintry look on his face, she rose. "Ido."
"And?"
