“What are you doing?” Simon growled.
The emergency bell buzzed urgently, and he reached for the button to release it. She stepped in front of the panel, her body only inches away from him.
“We’re not finished, Simon,” she said. “My father told me he offered you money to stay away, to never set foot in Coral Gables. Are you saying that’s not true?”
“It’s true.”
“But you didn’t take it?”
“No.”
She could barely hear his answer over the ringing. She probably had a few more seconds to get to the bottom of this before someone interrupted them.
“Then why did you end it?” she asked.
Simon looked up at the ceiling and blew out a breath. “Now, Mari? You need to know this right now, when the building management is seconds away from checking on us? This isn’t a short conversation.”
“Then when?” she asked.
“Later today,” he said. His gaze met hers, his eyes softer. “I promise.”
Marianna took a couple short breaths. There was tenderness in these last two words.
When she didn’t respond, Simon leaned forward. He slipped his hand around her to find the emergency button. The buzzing stopped, and the elevator jolted back to life. But Simon didn’t back away. He rested his hand on the small of her back, and their bodies came together. His chest rose and fell in slow, long breaths, and the tension melted from his face. She could feel it, too, the comfort of coming together. How easy it was to find that place again.
“Let’s just focus on how to keep you safe right now,” he said, his voice rough. “We’ll sort out what’s between us when we’re alone.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m going to hold you to that, you know.”
His eyes widened, and then the hint of a smile, a real smile, tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I wouldn’t expect any less from you.”
“Good,” she said and bit back her own grin.
She slipped out of his reach and willed her breaths to slow.
Damn. His smile, with hints of humor and warmth. This was when Simon was truly dangerous. She was going to get in way too deep with this man all over again if she wasn’t careful.
Marianna frowned into the mirrored walls of the elevator and adjusted the neckline of her shirt. The doors opened at the top floor, and Simon shoved a hand through his hair. Were the last twenty-four hours messing with his head as much as they were with hers? He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.
“You ready for this?”
“To talk about Ruiz Imports plans? Or to get the once-over by two guys who probably think the worst of me?”
The corners of Simon’s mouth turned up again. “Both.”
He rested his hand on the arch of her back, and they stepped out of the elevator.
Marianna looked up into his bright eyes, sparkling down at her. “You think I deserve to squirm a little, don’t you?”
Simon chuckled. “You’ll survive.”
There was no frustration in his voice this time, and his eyes were still warm.
Simon nodded at the cute Blackmore Inc. receptionist, and she rewarded him with a smile. Marianna winced. Of course he had admirers. He was stunningly hot if one liked the brooding type. But Simon’s gaze didn’t stay on the receptionist as they headed down the hall toward the conference room.
“They won’t torment you too badly,” he said in a low voice, loud enough for only her to hear. “They’ll save that for me.”
“Why’s that?”
