Not Strictly Business!: Prodigal Son / The Boss and Miss Baxter / The Baby Deal. Victoria Pade

territory, he thought. Although maybe not. Samantha was coming off a rough divorce. He doubted she was looking for anything serious any more than he was.

      “Serial monogamy,” he said. “We stay together as long as it’s good. No forever, no hurt feelings when it’s over.”

      She batted her eyes. “So you’d be, like, my boyfriend.”

      He chuckled. “If that’s what you want to call it.”

      “Would we get matching tattoos?”

      “Never.”

      “Would we make love?”

      “Almost constantly.”

      She flopped back on the bed. “What makes you think I want you?”

      “Last night you were screaming.”

      Her cheeks darkened with color. “I don’t remember that.”

      “Trust me. You screamed.”

      Her humor faded. “You’ve been really patient with me, Jack. I’ve been so scared about messing up and being taken. I thought it was best to just avoid any kind of relationship. But that’s no way to live. Complicating the situation was my reaction to you.”

      He took her hand in his and rubbed her fingers with his thumb. “What reaction?”

      “You know, mine.”

      “You have to be a little more specific.”

      She sighed. “Look at the situation logically. If I didn’t want to get involved, why didn’t I just stay away from you? Why did I keep coming back for more?” She shrugged. “You’ve always been something of a temptation.”

      He liked the sound of that. “Since when?”

      “Since before. When we were in grad school.”

      What? “You blew me off. You said it was a mistake.”

      “I was scared.”

      “Not of me. What did I ever do wrong?”

      “Nothing. That’s my point. My fears were about me. But even they weren’t enough to keep me away. I was so torn. You were a lot like my father in that whole rich, powerful way and I didn’t know how to handle it.”

      Which meant he was also like her ex-husband. How did he convince her that he wasn’t the enemy? That he wasn’t interested in hurting her?

      “I never forgot that night we shared,” she said, not quite meeting his gaze. “After a while I convinced myself that I’d made it better than it was in my mind. That no one was that good. After last night, I know I was wrong.”

      He wanted to tell her that their incredible time in bed together had a whole lot more to do with chemistry than with him, but it was kind of nice having her think he was special.

      “At least half of last night was about you,” he said. “You’re very responsive.”

      “Not all the time. Pretty much only here. So is this okay? Is this what you want?”

      He nodded. “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

      She laughed. “That sounds nice. I could use a little normal in my life right now.”

      “Normal?” He moved in close and pressed his lips against her ear. “Not normal. I have some very kinky fantasies in mind.”

      “Really? Like what?”

      Samantha finished her speech to nods and smiles. She collected her materials and returned to her seat at the side of the room.

      This had been her first ever presentation to a board of directors and it had been pretty high up on the nightmare scale.

      “Sort of like facing down seven stern principals in school?” David asked in a low voice.

      “Worse,” she whispered. “Do they all have to look so disapproving?”

      “It comes with being on the board. They’re supposed to take things very seriously.”

      “Obviously. I’m just glad I wasn’t trying to do stand-up.”

      She reached for her cup of coffee and swallowed the tepid liquid. When this was all over, she owed Jack a big apology. He’d insisted everyone practice their presentations several times before the board meeting. They had all endured long evenings, perfecting their pitches.

      At the time, she’d thought his anal obsession was foolish. Wouldn’t spontaneity be more interesting? But having just endured the stern expressions and pointed questions, she realized the importance of being prepared.

      “I’m up next,” David said as he was called.

      Samantha leaned back in her chair and did her best to relax. She’d heard all the talks so many times, she knew what to expect and could tune out the words. So she found herself with a little time on her hands.

      She used it to good advantage, turning her head so she caught sight of Jack sitting at the end of the long conference table.

      He looked good—all buttoned up and formal in his black suit. If she didn’t know him, he could have seriously intimidated her. But she did know him—every inch of him. And there were some mighty fine inches.

      She watched the way he listened intently—as if he hadn’t heard every sentence at least a dozen times—and took notes.

      He was a great guy, she thought happily. Smart, caring, funny. The man owned a dog. How was she supposed to resist that? If she hadn’t known about—

      Samantha stiffened in her seat as a single thought flashed through her brain, on and off, over and over again. She wasn’t able to think about anything else, and as she considered the truth of the statement, she wondered what on earth she was supposed to do about it.

      Jack wasn’t just some guy she’d hooked up with. He wasn’t just an old friend or a new boss or a terrific lover. He was all that and much more.

      He was the one who got away.

      The board meeting was endless and three kinds of torture, Jack thought when the presentations finally finished. The board excused everyone but Helen and him. He thanked his team as they left and braced himself for the inevitable confrontation. He’d put it off as long as he could, but there was no going back now.

      Baynes, the chairman, waited until the door closed before looking at Jack. “You’ve pulled the team together. I’m impressed.”

      Jack nodded, but didn’t speak.

      “Obviously our goal is to keep Hanson Media Group alive. Between the bad stories in the press and troubles internally, that’s a challenge. You’re well on your way here. The new programs are very exciting. But we need to do more. We need to provide stability over the long haul.”

      Several of the board members nodded in agreement. Helen shook her head.

      “We don’t have to do anything right now,” she said. “I know where you’re going and it’s too soon. If we simply announce Jack as the new president, it will be seen as a knee-jerk reaction. Let’s think this through.”

      Samantha might sing her friend’s praises, but obviously Helen, like the board, was ready to sell him out if that’s what was best for Hanson Media Group.

      “Helen, it’s necessary. Do you want to see George’s legacy bankrupt, or worse, lost in some mega-conglomerate takeover?” Baynes shrugged. “I don’t. The only way to keep Hanson Media Group going is to announce a permanent president. Jack, I know you’re anxious to get back to your law practice, but we all have to make sacrifices. It’s time for you to make one. I’m asking you to accept the job.”

      Jack looked at the older man. “What sacrifices are being made aside from mine?” he asked calmly.

      “You