Page 27 of Their After Hours Playbook

Just like that, Paige felt as though she’d dropped back down to earth. An age difference of over a decade might not seem like much later in life, but it was significant now. “Are you sure you want to cook for me? This was supposed to be my way of thanking you. I could bring takeout.”

“Paige. I want to make you dinner. Please. And I’m sure I can think of some way for you to express your gratitude.”

Waves of impossible heat radiated through her body. Part of her loved it. Part of her worried she was only going to get burned. “Zach. Come on. We’ve talked through this. It’s not a good idea.” She hated pointing out the problem again—it only made her feel weak—but she also knew that honesty was the best policy with Zach.

“You’ve talked through this, Paige. Not me. I mostly listened and agreed because I didn’t want to argue with you. I always want to be respectful of a woman’s boundaries.”

That gave her pause. He was dead-on about that. She’d dictated everything and had given him very little say. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“But for the record, I think the reasons you’ve given me are silly. Nobody cares that our two agencies have a messy past. Tom has very little involvement in the day-to-day operations of Armstrong, and he’s far more focused on his life with my mom than the company. A heart attack will do that to a guy.”

Paige pressed her lips together tightly. Zach’s rosy view of their situation was due in part to him not knowing the full breadth of her grievance with Tom, but maybe his stepdad really had changed. She knew from experience that traumatic experiences could make a person rethink their priorities. Her mom had certainly changed when she got sick. “How about this? We can talk about it when I come over. What can I bring?”

“A bottle of wine? I’ve already got a whole collection of bourbon. I can even pour you the one you had in Vegas.”

Memories of their tryst during the expo played in her head in a hot and constant loop. Would she be able to have dinner with him at his apartment and keep things platonic? It wouldn’t take much to change her mind—a sexy glance or a flirtatious turn of phrase, which she already knew Zach was more than capable of. “It’s a deal. When?”

“Tonight. Seven?”

Her vision flew to the clock on her computer screen. She was going to have to go home early to get ready. Her hair would need tending, as well as her makeup and of course a bit of perfume. And there was no telling how long it would take her to pick out something to wear. “Text me your address.”

“Will do.”

She took one final deep breath for courage. “Perfect. I’ll be there.”

“I knew you would.”

Eight

Zach was finished getting ready for Paige’s impending visit, but he was also such a ball of nerves that he needed to give himself a pep talk. “Just keep it together,” he muttered as he checked himself out in the mirror. “It’ll be fine. You’ve got this.” He’d gone with tailored gray trousers and a crisp white shirt, no tie. It was a bit more casual than he’d wear to work, but far more polished than what he might wear on a regular evening at home. Paige not only deserved the best version of him, he wanted to impress. He wanted to erase any reason she might have to dismiss him. He only hoped that these carefully chosen clothes ended up on the floor by the end of the night.

He’d had his taste of Paige in Vegas, but after the flight home together, during which they eventually flirted like crazy, he knew that there was something more between them. The spark was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. And who in his right mind would stay away from that? Certainly not him.

He clicked off the bathroom light, wound his way through his bedroom and made one last pass through the apartment. Of course, he’d already done his part to ensure that the evening went smoothly. He’d kept dinner simple. A bottle of wine was at the ready. Every room was pristinely clean and tidy, while the lighting was soft and moody, allowing his stellar view from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the fifty-ninth floor to shine. Outside, the night sky was darkening, the only light coming from the sparkle of the city. This was seduction, Zach-style.

His doorbell rang and his heart jumped into his throat. Paige was there. He hurried to open the door and was instantly overwhelmed by the sight of her. His eyes traveled the length of her gorgeous body and blood coursed through his body so fast it made him light-headed. As much as he’d prepared, he wasn’t ready for a snug-fitting dress the color of cabernet wine, following her sumptuous contours and curves. Her lush blond tresses tumbled over her shoulders in sexy waves. She was the whole package. For him, she was the beginning, middle and end.

A smile bloomed on her face and she held up the bottle of wine she’d promised to bring. “Hi there. I come bearing gifts.”

“Hi there, yourself.” Clearly his brain was too busy processing Paige’s beauty to bother with things like a clever greeting. He took the bottle from her. “Thank you for this. Please. Come in.” He stood back and she stepped past him, filling his nose with her sweet smell and further clouding his thoughts. You’ve got this. Breathe.

“You have a beautiful apartment. I mean, what I can see.” She craned her neck, peeking around the corner.

“Come on. Let me give you the tour.” His instinct was to reach for her hand, but he caught himself for a split second. Was it a good idea? Would he be starting off the evening with rejection? He knew the answer to neither question, but if he didn’t demonstrate his intentions, he’d be mad at himself later. It was time to go for it. Tonight was about romance. This was not a work meeting.

Paige peered down as he wrapped his fingers around hers. Slowly, she raised her chin and delivered a questioning look. “Zach. I thought we were going to talk about this. Are you ready to dive into this subject already?”

“I am.” He set the bottle of wine she’d brought on the side table in his foyer and then stepped a little closer, watching a sexy smile play at the corners of her tempting lips. Having her all alone again was all the fuel he needed to formulate his argument. “I know you’re worried about what people will think. But no one else is here. No one else has to know that we’re together. No one else has to know how I feel about you.”

“And how is that, exactly?”

He scanned her stunning face, feeling as though he had the makings of a dictionary in his head. There were so many words fighting to leave his mouth. “You’re incredible and gorgeous and so damn smart. I’d be a fool not to want to be with you.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it softly, then kept it close to his mouth. “We work well together. We mesh. We learned that in Las Vegas. Don’t you want more of that?”

She inched closer as he kissed her hand again. When he glanced at her face, her eyelids were getting heavy, exactly like they had in the bar in Vegas. It made his whole body draw tight with need and want. “I feel like I should be stronger than this. But I don’t know how to do that around you. You make me want to give in.”

“So give in.” He turned her hand in his and kissed the underside of her wrist, feeling her pulse against his lips, then continued along the tender skin of her forearm.

Paige sighed and took one final step, bringing her within inches of him. “If we do this, you have to promise not to hurt me. I’ve had my fill of that, okay?”

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