“We agree to those terms,” Samuel said, his tone brisk, as though he wanted to keep the meeting from derailing.
At the same time, Parker muttered under his breath, “She’s not going to like this.”
I opened my mouth to ask whoshewas, but the question died in my throat when a flicker of movement outside the conference room grabbed my attention.My focus shifted to the woman walking by and every muscle in my body tensed with shock as I took in the familiar, dark, silky brown hair.The strikingly poised and feminine profile.The same graceful stride I remembered from that night two weeks ago.
My heartbeat stumbled, then found a harder rhythm as I watched Morgan approach.She was wearing a dress, just like the night I met her, but this time it was conservative enough for the boardroom.No sexy cleavage on display, no glittery sash, no trace of the flirtatious woman I had met at the bar.Regardless, there was no disguising her killer hourglass figure.
I hadn’t meant for that night with her to be anything more than a distraction, a few hours of sexy fun to silence the noise in my head after walking out of Noah’s wedding reception.Instead, she’d gotten under my skin in ways that no woman had in years.For the past two weeks, she had randomly popped into my mind and I’d wondered what I had missed out on by leaving before she woke up.I’d even questioned if she and that night had been as mind-blowing as I remembered.Seeing her again, feeling that same visceral pull, I knew that it had been.
That night had been real.The chemistry, the conversation, all of it had been honest and unfiltered.The kind of connection that had the ability to sneak up on you and tear down walls you swore were impenetrable.She’d made mefeelsomething again, and that unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.
I’d watched her sleep afterward, her expression soft, her hand resting against my chest like she belonged there, and that’s when I panicked and freaked the fuck out.
I didn’t do emotional entanglements anymore.Not after Ivy, who I’d given my trust and my damn heart, only to watch her walk away with someone else.Losing her hadn’t just gutted me.It had convinced me that wanting anything deeper than temporary pleasure was a mistake I couldn’t afford to make twice.
So, before morning came, I did what I’d taught myself to do best—I walked away.Before she could mean anything more.
But now, watching Morgan glide toward the conference room in that sleek black dress, my chest felt tight with something uncomfortably close to regret.I’d told myself ghosting her had been self-preservation.Looking at her now, I knew it hadn’t been anything but cowardice.
She hadn’t noticed me yet, even though she’d almost reached the doorway, and I braced myself for a reunion neither of us had ever expected.
CHAPTER SIX
Morgan
Iwalked intothe conference room prepared to meet our potential new investors and came to an abrupt halt a few steps inside.Liam sat at the table with my father and stepbrother, staring right back at me with a look of clear surprise on his handsome face.
Shock rippled through me, knocking the air from my lungs.The sight of him brought that night back to me in a rush.The heat of his body.The intimacy that came after.And then, waking up alone in that hotel bed, humiliation twisting in my gut when I realized he’d ghosted me at some point during the night.
Since then, I’d told myself that it didn’t matter, but that was a lie because I’d felt something real… and I’d let myself believe he had, too.It was a painful reminder that took me back to college, and to James.How I’d stupidly confused sex for something more.
Back then, the rejection had blindsided and crushed me.I thought I’d grown up, that I was smarter now, more careful, that I’d never let myself mistake chemistry for anything more ever again.Yet here I was, years later, realizing I’d made the same error in judgement with Liam.Only this time it cut deeper, because after years of protecting my heart and pushing men away, claiming I wanted fireworks, I’d let my guard down.For one reckless night, I’d allowed myself to feel something like hope.
Now I knew better.I’d been an easy lay for him, nothing more.
So, I straightened my shoulders, fixed my expression, and shored up my defenses because I was clearly going to need every ounce of composure I had to deal with the man I never thought I’d see again.
I’d known Parker and my father were meeting with potential investors today, hoping to hammer out the details of a contract, and I was late because of a call from HR that lasted longer than I’d anticipated.I wasn’t just an employee of GalvaTech.It was my family’s company.I owned shares in the business so this meeting was important to me as well.
Still, of all the investors in the city, of all the companies we could have partnered with, it was insane that the universe decided to throw Liam back into my life, this time on a professional level.It was equally unfair that he looked even more gorgeous now, wearing a tailored navy-blue suit that fit his body to perfection, and those eyes, still the same deep copper color I couldn’t forget.
My father stood to greet me with a warm smile, jarring me back to the present.“Morgan, perfect timing,” he said, sounding happy, which meant the meeting had gone well.“I was just about to call you in to meet our new investors.”
I forced myself to move toward the conference table, to breathe and appear unaffected, to look anywhere but directly at Liam, even as my pulse hammered in my throat.
“Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Morgan.She’s our marketing director,” Dad said, a proud inflection in his voice.“Morgan, this is Liam and Simon Powers.”
Both men stood, forcing me to glance their way.Keeping my expression neutral, I reached out to shake Simon’s hand first.Then, because I had no choice, I turned to Liam and allowed him to slip his hand into mine.His fingers closed around my hand, warm and firm.The contact lasted a few seconds, but that spark of attraction I felt the night we met was still there.I pulled away quickly, refusing to meet his gaze.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said curtly, making it clear with one sentence that we were going to act like we were strangers meeting for the first time.The last thing I wanted was anyone knowing I had slept with this man.
“Likewise,” he said, the familiarity in his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine before I could stop it.
I shook off the sensation.It seemed that I’d come in on the tail end of the meeting because Dad was already discussing signing a contract once our lawyers looked it over.I didn’t know all the details that had been worked out, but I’d find out later.Whatever terms they’d agreed on, there was no denying an influx of capital was needed and would help the company grow.
Parker walked up to me, a small frown furrowing his brows as he searched my expression.“Can I talk to you for a minute?”he asked me.“Privately?”
The request surprised me, but I nodded and followed my stepbrother out of the conference room.Once we were down the hallway and out of earshot, he stopped me with a hand on my arm and looked at me with concern in his eyes.
