Page 49 of Adam’s Obsession

Tossing himself into one of the conference room chairs, Adamshrugged unrepentantly. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, you know.”

“I don’t care.” Tristan dragged his fingers through hishair. He stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows into the hall. Didn’t Adam seethe danger here? Didn’t he care? When they’d started this company—on ashoestring and a prayer—they’d studied models of success and failure. They knewprotecting valuable assets was essential to their success. And they had agreed.“We can’t afford to lose Katherine. She’s critical to our business plan.”

“We aren’t going to lose Katherine.”

Tristan spun to face his brother. “You don’t know that.Hell. Remember what happened to Levin?”

“That ain’t gonna happen.”

“How can you know?” Their friend had indulged anill-conceived affair with his secretary. It had blown up in his face when she’dfiled a discrimination suit after the relationship ended. By the time it wasall over it had cost Levin his job. The firm had barely recovered from thelosses.

Adam crossed his arms over his chest. “Kat isn’t like that.”

Kat?

Oh fuck.

“She isn’t like that…now. When everything ishunky-frickin’-dory. But when things go bad?”

“Things aren’t gonna go bad.”

Tristan threw up his hands. “I can’t believe those words arecoming out of your mouth. After what you went through with Betsy?”

“Kat isn’t anything like Betsy. Besides, this isn’tmarriage. We’re just having fun.”

“God. I can’t believe you would do this. You, of allpeople.” He paced the room. “Damn it, Adam. All these years, I’ve kept myselfunder strict control because we had an agreement. We had a rule.”

“It was your rule.”

“You agreed.”

“Of course I agreed. I was married. I didn’t have anyintention of fooling around at the office. I was all about work. If youremember correctly, it was my commitment to this company that ash-canned mymarriage.”

Tristan knew that. Betsy hadn’t been shy about sharing herresentment over the amount of time Adam had dedicated to work. Eventually,she’d resented her way right into someone else’s bed. Several someone else’s,in fact.

It was a pity Adam’s marriage had failed. But to be honest,knowing Betsy it would probably have happened sooner or later.

Besides, this wasn’t about Betsy. It was about Adam. And Kat.

“So now here you are, footloose and trolling the office forpussy.”

“Hey! Watch it.” Adam bristled. “Kat’s not just pussy. She’smore.”

Tristan snorted. “They’re always more than just pussy, untilthey are nothing but.”

“Kat is different. This is different. By the way, you can’ttell anyone. She wants to keep this on the QT.”

“Oh. By all means.” Tristan caught the expression thatflashed through his brother’s eyes at his snide tone and his belly clenched. Shit.“Don’t tell me you have romantic feelings for her.”

A strange expression flicked through Adam’s eyes. After asecond or two, he stood, shook off whatever that had been, threw back hisshoulders and snapped, “And how hypocritical is it for you to lecture me whenyou have your own closet office romance going on?”

Tristan blanched, suppressing the rush of irrational guiltthat snaked through him. He had nothing to feel guilty about. Nothing. Hepropped his fists on his hips and growled, “What are you talking about?”

“Who is it, exactly, that’s had you so hot and bothered forall these years?”

What the hell? “I am not hot and bothered.” This, hespat.

“Really?” Adam smirked. “All these years, I’ve keptmyself under strict control because we had an agreement. You said that,less than a minute ago. Who, precisely, were you keeping yourself in checkfrom? I mean, if the rule was a hindrance to your game and all, who did youhave your sights on. Sara? Shannon? Jenny?”