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Copyright © Alexa Milne 2020. All Rights Reserved, Totally Entwined Group Limited, T/A Pride Publishing.

It had been two years since I’d seen her. Cassandra Forster, there in the flesh, as perfectly turned out as always. Every so often during the meeting, she glanced at me, but gave no indication we’d known each other in the past. Today, she wore a deep purple fitted dress with buttons up the front, a dress that hugged every curve. Shit, those curves. I couldn’t see a line of any sort impacting the smoothness of the fit. The highest of black stiletto heels graced her feet. Her legs were encased, as always, in black. She hated tights, so they were probably hold-ups with those lace panels at the top stretched around her thighs. Wet welled between my legs at the thought of her pale flesh. Her long dark hair, lying straight and loose down her back, shone.

I shut my notebook. “And that’s everything, I think, unless anyone has anything else to add?” I glanced at everyone, hoping no one would say anything. No one did.

“Thank you all for coming. I’m sure the merger will be a success. We’ll set up teams for each section within the next week.” People stood, scraping their chairs back to leave the room, chatting as they exited.

This was my first time in charge of a merger meeting since my promotion to partner in the company. I needed this to go well. The last person I’d expected to appear was Cass, especially in the role of personal assistant to the CEO of one of the companies we represented in the negotiations. Melanie Kneale was renowned for her impatience with subordinates, and I couldn’t see Cass putting up with her style of management for long…unless…

I pushed the thought away and shuffled my papers, waiting for the room to clear, even though I was desperate to get back to my office, away from her, away from our past. Or at least, I told myself I was. Before I’d had to leave abruptly, I’d begun to think that maybe we could have more than what we’d had, satisfying though it had been, but I had no idea whether she’d felt the same.

And now, it would be so easy to get lost in her again. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, watching her leave. I grabbed a mug of black coffee and, once back in my office, closed the door then sat in my chair staring out of the window. After a few minutes, I heard a noise behind me. I swiveled. Somehow, I knew it would be her. She closed the door behind her and stood waiting.

I’m the boss. I’m in charge here. I needed to believe those words. “Hello, Cassandra. Has Ms. Kneale let you off her leash?” Do I sound confident? I need to sound confident. I clutched at the arms of my chair and gazed at her, hoping maintaining eye contact showed strength, but I was drawn to her as always.

Cass shook out her hair. “I told her I’d be back after lunch, so I have an hour. A whole sixty minutes. It’s good to see you, Ronnie.”

No one else called me Ronnie. To everyone else, I was Veronica. I sat up in my executive chair, chin held high and back straight. “I’m surprised to see you here and working for Melanie. She has a reputation for chewing up assistants and spitting them out.”

“She’d certainly never swallow. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her eat anything but those godawful protein shakes full of kale. I’ve never understood a woman who doesn’t like her food. Not like you. Food is too sensual not to experience it all.”

Automatically, I pulled in my stomach.

Cassandra crossed the room. Her heels sent her hips swinging. Without any hesitation, she came around to my side of the desk, pushed back my chair and stood in front of me. Inches separated us.

Say something. Tell her this isn’t appropriate. Tell her to go. The voice screamed in my head. I, of course, ignored it. But I want you to stay. I’ve missed you. I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I had reasons.

She picked up my phone. “Hello, Matthew. Could you hold all Ms. Smith’s calls for the next hour? Thank you.” She replaced the receiver. “So, we have sixty minutes. What do you think we should we do with them?”

“This isn’t appropriate, Cass.” My voice barely managed a whisper. I swallowed, trying to wet my arid mouth then, without thinking, licked my lips. “I have work to do.” Please don’t go.

“Since when has appropriate mattered to me?” She ran a perfectly manicured nail down my cheek, and I had to fight the urge to lean into her touch. “You’re looking well, Ronnie, but you’ve changed your hair. And you’re doing well, judging by this office.”

I nodded.

“Power is such an aphrodisiac, don’t you think?” She took hold of a strand of my hair and twirled it around her finger. So close.

“Is that why you’re working for Melanie Kneale?” I asked, my voice shaking.

She stroked my cheek. “Do I detect a smidgeon of jealousy?”

I waited for her to ask me where I’d been for the last two years, and why I’d left New York so suddenly, but instead she sat on my desk and crossed her long legs.