Page 73 of Just a Little Tempted

“I think that can be arranged,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

Then his hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck, drawing me toward him, and his lips found mine.

The kiss started soft. Tentative, almost, as if he was giving me one last chance to pull away. But I didn’t want to pull away. I wanted to sink into him, to let the warmth of his mouth chase away the cold ache that had been living inside me since yesterday.

I reached for him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, and the kiss deepened. His free hand found my waist, drawing me closer until I was sitting on his lap and pressed against him with nothing but fabric and forgiveness between us.

This was real.Wewere real.

Not perfect—God knew we weren’t perfect. We’d hurt each other, would probably do so again in smaller ways as we figured out how to navigate this thing between us. But we’d also found our way back. Through the fear and the anger and the devastating words, we’d found each other again.

That had to mean something.

When we finally broke apart, breathless, Simon rested his forehead against mine. His eyes were closed, his expression one of profound relief, like a man who’d been drowning and had finally found air.

“I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.

“Probably not,” I agreed, and felt him huff a laugh against my lips. “But you’ve got me anyway. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Never.” The word was a vow, weighted with everything he’d shown me today. “I promise you, Raina. Never again.”

I believed him. And as he kissed me again—slower this time, deeper, full of promise and possibility—I let myself believe inus, too.

Relationships weren’t fairy tales. They were messy and complicated, full of missteps and misunderstandings. But they were also this: two people choosing each other, over and overagain. Choosing to fight for something good even when it got hard. Choosing forgiveness when it would be easier to walk away.

Simon and I had stumbled. We’d fallen. But we’d also gotten back up, together, and that was what mattered.

Whatever came next, we’d face it side by side. I was sure of it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Simon

As a seriousbusinessman, I lived by my schedule. Meetings and phone conferences and video consultations were planned, every hour accounted for, every variable controlled. But today, I was going rogue.

Alexander worked out of a small office building in Manhattan that housed a dozen other businesses, and I knew from our previous conversations that he was only here two days a week—Mondays and Wednesdays. The rest of his time was spent at Neptune’s Kingdom, walking the grounds, talking to guests, ensuring every detail met his exacting standards. The man was a hands-on manager, and I was certain that had everything to do with the resort’s success.

If this partnership moved forward, if I hadn’t destroyed it completely with the debacle of our last meeting, I would need to ensure any future locations had managers with that same dedication. Assuming, of course, that I’d still be involved in franchising the business at all.

That would depend entirely on how the next few minutes went.

The office was modest, reflecting Alexander’s practical nature. He and Brenda were the only ones who worked here regularly, along with their assistant, a young woman who sat behind a tall reception desk and looked up in surprise as I walked through the door.

I arranged my features into what I hoped was a charming smile. It wasn’t my natural expression, but I was trying.

“Mr. Powers?” She glanced down at the paper in front of her, clearly a printed schedule. “I don’t have you on Mr. Spencer’s calendar for today.”

“This is an unscheduled visit,” I admitted. “I’m hoping Alexander can find time to speak with me. I’m willing to wait as long as it takes.”

Raina had told me this was a crazy idea when I’d mentioned it this afternoon.You can’t just show up at a potential business partner’s office without an appointment,she’d said, her eyebrows climbing toward her hairline.That’s not how things are done.

She was right, of course. It wasn’t how things were done, not in my world, anyway. But I didn’t want to wait for another formally scheduled meeting, or give Alexander more time to reconsider this partnership, or let the memory of Monday’s disaster solidify into a permanent impression. I needed to speak with him now. And if that meant driving upstate to the resort if he wasn’t here, that’s exactly what I’d do.

“Let me check with him,” the assistant said, looking flustered. I could already see the empty time slot on the calendar in front of her, which meant whether or not I got face time with Alexander would depend entirely on whether he wanted to see me.

He didn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge. I was betting everything on that assessment.

She gestured toward a stiff leather couch against the wall. “Please, have a seat.”