“Having a good time, are they?” Matt asked, placing her cup on the coffee table.
AJ nodded. “They’re in Paris. Who wouldn’t have fun?”
“How did they meet?”
AJ eyed him, tapping the edge of her phone gently on her chin. “He was her boss.”
“An office romance, hey?”
“Something like that.” Emily deserved to be happy. And Zac was perfect for her, despite their rocky start. Clandestine affairs didn’t always turn out well, but theirs... Well, you only had to see them together to know they were completely and totally in love. “Emily planned the perfect wedding and the perfect honeymoon.” She gave a small smile. “She’s such an organizer—unlike me. She likes things just right. She’s a true believer in love and romance and all that ‘hearts and flowers’ stuff.”
“And you’re not?”
AJ shrugged. “Oh, I believe in attraction, in passion. Love, sure. But fidelity? Soul mates?” She shrugged.
He frowned. “That’s a bit cynical. What about the millions of couples who’ve been together and stayed faithful over the years?”
“I didn’t say it doesn’t work. Just not for me.”
“Why not? What makes you so different from anyone else, AJ?”
She scowled. “Our past defines us,” she said tightly. “It makes us into the people we are.”
“So you’re saying you have no free will? That you’ll let an event or person tell you how to think and feel?”
“No!” She scowled. “But people are conditioned for self-preservation. We’re either in pursuit of things that make us feel good or protecting ourselves from hurt. And growing up, it was always the latter. My mother—” She abruptly clamped her mouth shut. That subject was a major mood killer. “Look, are we going to talk about my past or have sex?”
He took her in through hooded eyes as he slowly placed his cup on the coffee table.
She swallowed, realizing she’d said entirely the wrong thing.
“I have some work to do. I’ll probably be up awhile.”
Yep. Wrong thing. Flustered, AJ couldn’t hide her disappointment, yet he didn’t say a word, just pulled his tie free. “I’m leaving for Italy on Sunday.”
“Italy?” she said, trying to ignore the sudden feeling of loss. “Lucky you.”
He shrugged, folding his tie slowly and precisely. “It’s for work. I don’t have time to sightsee.”
“Right.” Work. It would always come first. She’d known from the start she’d have to fit in around his work schedule. But was it foolish to be just a little disappointed?
“Good night, AJ.” He picked up his coffee then turned and strode toward his office.
She glared at the door as he closed it behind him. If that wasn’t a rejection, she didn’t know what was.
It was obvious that he wanted her. So why weren’t they naked on his couch right now?
“Work,” she muttered in the cool, dark silence. “Or the ex.” Really, what other explanation could there be?
She stared at the carpet, hands on her hips. She had no reason to be angry, not when she’d actively pursued this arrangement. Hell, she should be thankful he was so work-focused because didn’t that just make everything easier?
She huffed out a sigh and stared at the closed door. “Cold shower, I guess,” she muttered, then turned toward the bathroom.
* * *
AJ rolled over in bed and stared at the faint light coming under her door. Was Matt still working? She grabbed her phone and squinted at the time. 1:17. Surely the man had to sleep sometime.
As she lay there in the darkness, surrounded by unfamiliar scents and silence, her mind sluggishly kicked in. Pretty soon it was full of too many questions, too many thoughts.
Too many doubts.
With a grunt, she tossed off the bed covers then grabbed her robe. When she eased her door open, the subdued living-room lamp cast shadows across the room, but it was Matt’s office she focused on. She padded across the carpet, then placed her hand on the closed door.
Inside, she could hear his clear deep voice followed by another male voice that was slightly muffled and tinny. Skype? She heard Matt say, “Thanks. See you Sunday.” Then nothing.
The gentle clack of fingers on keyboard punctuated the silence. She grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it.
Matt was at his desk, a laptop open in front of him, the rest of the surface strewn with papers, pens, a file or two. He’d rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing lean tanned forearms sprinkled with dark hair.
“Did I wake you?” he said suddenly, his focus still on the computer.
“I’m a light sleeper.”
He reached for a paper, scanning it with a frown. “You should go back to bed.”
She shoved a hand through her hair. “So should you. It’s late.”
He paused, placed the paper into a folder, then slowly swiveled his chair to face her. “In Rome it’s twenty past five in the afternoon.”
Rome. “Nice to know.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back for our appointment.”
“That’s not what I was thinking.” When he raised an eyebrow, she continued, “It’s Rome. Home of the Trevi Fountain, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican. All that wonderful history and art...”
He studied her, looking all comfortable and relaxed in his office chair, a curious smile on his lips. “You’ve never been to Rome?”
“I’ve never been outside Australia. Too expensive.”
His gaze held her firm, revealing nothing. “Come here.”
She eyed him back. “Why?”
“Why not?”
She took one step forward, then another, until she was standing barely a foot away. He reached out, snagging her robe and dragging her to him until she was trapped between his thighs.
She reached out to steady herself and when her hands met his shoulders, she felt him tense. Like an old motor starting up, her pulse began to pound, but this time it was panic of a different kind.
She waited, heart in her throat as his eyes held hers for long, agonizing seconds. Then, without breaking contact, he slowly, almost reverently, untied her robe, gently peeling it back like he was unwrapping a wonderful new gift. When his knuckles briefly grazed the curve of her waist, her breath stuck and her eyes widened. Then he slid his hands over her hips and glanced down.
He snorted, mouth curving. “Nice jammies.”
“I happen to like Hello Kitty,” she said in mock offense. “And they’re comfy.”
“Yeah, they look it. Very...” His gaze returned to her low neckline, to her breasts barely contained by the soft tank top. “Well-worn.” And then he shocked her by reaching out and gently brushing his thumb over her peaking nipple.
Her breath hissed in. Their eyes met.
“I thought you said we should wait until after our appointment,” she managed to say.
His eyes darkened. “Do you want me to stop?”
The air suddenly became too warm, too thick.
She started to