That Night with the CEO. Karen Booth

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СКАЧАТЬ For her.

      Adam divided the pasta into two bowls and grated fresh Parmesan on top. He set one bowl before her and filled her wineglass then topped off his own. Tempting smells wafted to her nose, relief from her epic hunger in reach. He took his seat, saddling her with a return of nerves. Now that they were shoulder to shoulder again, she was acutely aware of the specter of Adam Langford.

      “Cheers,” he said in a tone still more annoyed than cheery. He extended his arm and clinked her glass with his.

      “Thank you. This looks incredible.” She took a bite. It was far better than her usual Friday night fare, Chinese takeout on the couch. She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. “This is delicious. Thank you.” Quieting her rumbling stomach was wonderful, but they hadn’t resolved the greater issue—she still wasn’t sure he was willing to let her do her job. “Now that we’ve talked through things, are we okay to get to work tomorrow? We need to bury the Party Princess scandal.”

      “Can we put a ban on saying that? No man wants a scandal, but the princess part just makes it worse.”

      “I know it’s awful. That’s precisely why I’m here. I can make all of that go away.”

      “I don’t see why we can’t just ignore it. Aren’t we feeding the fire if we go on the defensive?”

      “If we had a year or more, that might work, but with your father’s illness, there just isn’t that kind of time. I’m so sorry to say that. I really wish that part was for a different reason.”

      “So you know. The timetable.” Adam blew out a deep breath and set down his fork.

      Her heart went out to him. She could only imagine what he was going through, about to ascend to the immensely powerful job he’d likely dreamed of since he was a boy, all because his father’s cancer was terminal. “Yes. He told me in confidence. I think he needed me to understand just how urgent this is. It’s crucial that the board of directors see you in a better light so they’ll approve your appointment to CEO. The scandal needs to be a distant memory by the time the succession is formally announced at the company gala. That’s only a few weeks away.”

      “The board of directors. Good luck with that.” He shook his head, just as his phone rang. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

      “Of course.”

      Adam got up from his seat and walked into the living room. Melanie was thankful for a break from persuading him that she could do this. Even if he cooperated, the pressure of turning around public perception in a month was monumental. She wasn’t entirely sure she could pull it off. She only knew that she had to.

      “I’m so sorry,” he said, when he got off the phone. “Problems with the launch of a new app next week.”

      “Please don’t apologize. I understand.” Melanie got up and took her dish to the sink. She rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. “You should finish your dinner. I’m going to grab my suitcase and get some rest. If you could point me in the direction of the guest room.”

      “Call me old-fashioned, but no woman should have to go out in the rain for a suitcase. I’ll do it.” He held up a finger, just as she was about to protest. “I insist.”

      She watched from the doorway as he braved the rain and wind without a jacket. His hair and shirt were soaked by the time he was back inside. He stomped on the entryway rug and combed his fingers through his dripping-wet hair. Her mind flashed to their night together—stepping out of the shower with him, sinking into the softest bathmat she’d ever felt beneath her feet. He’d raked his hand through his soaked locks, a sultry look in his eyes that said he was ready to claim her again. He’d coiled his arms around her naked waist, pressed his hands into her back, and kissed her neck so delicately that she’d trembled beneath his touch.

      She might faint if she ever saw him toy with his wet hair again.

      “Your room is upstairs. Second door on the right.”

      Adam trailed behind her as she climbed the grand staircase.

      “This one?” she asked, poking her head inside, still a bit light-headed from the memory of the shower.

      Adam reached past her and flipped on the light, illuminating a bedroom outfitted with a beautifully dressed king bed, a stacked stone fireplace and its own seating area. “I hope this will work.” He followed her into the room, placing her suitcase on a luggage stand next to a gorgeous Craftsman-style bureau.

      “It’s perfect.” Melanie turned to face him, his physical presence exercising undue influence on her as he rubbed the closely cropped stubble dotting his jawline. Her brain wasn’t sure how to react to his kindness, but her body knew exactly what it thought. The flutter in her chest returned. Heat flooded her, the memory of his fingers tracing the length of her spine while he had her in a bed much like the one she was standing next to. “Thank you for everything. The room. Fetching my suitcase.”

      “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not the cad the world thinks I am.” He strode past her, stopping in the doorway.

      She wasn’t sure what Adam was, where exactly the truth lay. Maybe she’d find out this weekend. And maybe she’d never know. “That’s good. That will make it a lot easier to show the world the best side of Adam Langford.”

      A clever smirk crossed his face. “You’ve seen me naked, so I’d say you’re definitely qualified to say which is my best side.”

      Melanie’s brain sputtered. Her cheeks flamed with heat.

      “Good night,” he said, turning and walking away.

       Three

      Melanie sat up in bed, half-awake, tugging the butter-soft duvet to her chest. Last night hadn’t gone according to plan, but in many ways, it was a relief to have the whole, stupid, ridiculously hot thing out in the open.

      It’d taken hours to fall asleep. Adam’s reminder that she’d seen him naked had only set her on the course of determining which side was indeed his best. After revisiting their night together...kissing in the limo, unzipping her dress in his living room, peeling the paint off the walls in the shower...she’d decided the front. Definitely the front.

      Too bad she could never see him like that again.

      She threw back the covers and glanced outside at the open vista of the grounds surrounding the house. A creek rushed along the edge of manicured gardens, threatening to breach its rocky banks. Towering pines framed the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond. It was a new day, storms a distant memory. Time to start fresh.

      She retrieved her makeup bag, beelining to the beautifully appointed guest bath—gray granite countertops and silvery glass tile, a soaking tub for two. After a quick shower, she dabbed on foundation and undereye concealer to hide her lack of sleep. A sweep of blush, some eyeliner and a coat of mascara came next. Polished was appropriate, not done-up.

      Finishing with a sheer layer of pale peach lip gloss, Melanie rubbed her lips together and popped them to the mirror. She could hear her mother’s syrupy Virginia drawl. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. She remembered first hearing that when she was a little girl, only six years old. It was the strongest memory she had СКАЧАТЬ