Omar awoke with a start in the middle of the night. He lay under a sheet, different sheets than his own, in some bed that was…

He blinked, focusing on the sleeping figure beside him. Marian. Guilt crashed through him, and he jolted upright. What a blissful dream he’d been in. One where he’d taken a beautiful woman to bed and faced absolutely no repercussions.

But now, in his waking life, that guilt he’d tried to sidestep via martini rushed back to claim its rightful place in his mind. And it was two a.m., according to the bedside clock. He had to get back to his own place, into his own bed, into his own right mind.

Omar rustled through the darkness trying to find his discarded clothing. His body still buzzed from the epic sex, which hadn’t happened once or even twice, but a total of three times in rapid succession. Apparently the both of them had been starving for it, which made him feel like a twenty-year-old again.

He grinned lazily as he dressed, recalling their bedroom romp. Marian was easily his favorite lover; things just felt natural with her. Easy.

A little bit too easy, actually. He felt his way toward the door once he was dressed, leaving as quietly as he could. He winced as he hurried down the hallway, heading for the side door. This was sure to look bad, especially if a night receptionist spotted him. Marian was well-worth it, though.

* * *

Back in his apartment, Omar struggled to fall asleep. Instead, he tossed and turned, tortured by images of the amazing sex with Marian and feeling as if he’d let himself down somehow.

After his wife’s death, he’d made himself a promise: nothing serious for a long, long time. He could have one-night stands when he needed, just for simple physical purposes, but anything beyond that would be inappropriate. The bond that he and his late wife had created during her illness forged a new moral code in him, one that he still struggled to understand. They’d loved each other deeply in the final days, and seeing her rapid loss of health sometimes felt like they’d lived fifty years together in the span of only one. He still grappled with that sense of loss, that intense closeness forged in grief. Two years felt like nothing—and yet an eternity.

The pact had worked—until Marian. She’d only been here for a few days, would only be here for a few more, but the time they’d spent together felt cataclysmic; she’d shaken the foundations of everything he believed in.

And he couldn’t figure out if that was good or bad.

When his alarm finally went off, he rolled out of bed with a groan, his head somewhere between bleary and amped up. He readied for work with a strange pep in his step, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Maybe the impromptu romp the night before would be good luck for their meeting with National Oil.

Omar returned to the hotel at nine a.m. on the dot, finding Marian already downstairs, lingering by the doors. She wore a simple skirt with a conservative button-up blouse, hiding those beautiful breasts he’d held in his hands the night before. A grin filled his face. He couldn’t fight it for the world.

“Hey there.” She swayed a little as she approached him. “Sleep well?”

“Sort of.” He squeezed her shoulder, an automatic response he couldn’t control. He just had to touch her. “I left early so it wouldn’t be scandalous this morning.” He nodded toward the reception desk behind them. “People talk about my family.”

Her brow shot up. “Oh? That’s unfortunate.”

He guided her toward the car, pressing his hand to the small of her back. He caught a whiff of her perfume again.

“Are you ready to win this deal?” he asked as she slid into the backseat of the car.

“I was born ready.”

He stepped to the other side of the car, taking his place next to her. Their knees knocked, and they shared a private smile.

On the ride to National Oil, he fought the urge to hold her hand. It seemed natural, as if maybe she wanted to do the same. Instead of reaching for each other, they covered some of the points of their new presentation again, rehearsing them just to be safe.

When they arrived at the boxy office building, Omar was bursting with confidence. He hadn’t felt this good about the deal ever, and it came strictly from the fact that Marian was at the helm alongside him. They strolled into the building, an assistant leading them back to the same conference room where the blowout had occurred days before. Inside, the same twenty pairs of eyes greeted them. Marian passed out packets of information to each person before sitting down next to Omar.

“Hello again, gentlemen,” Omar began, using the clearest voice he could muster. “We’re here to present our proposed deal on behalf of Almasi-Thomas.”

He went over the bones of the original deal and expounded upon the areas that had been modified since their first meeting. Marian added the data about the poorly performing equipment, gracefully mentioning the business links of both companies that would cause the original deal offered to be a bad deal for all involved.

Omar rounded up the presentation with some strong selling points, reiterating Marian’s links to the outside companies, and when they were done, silence fell over the room.

A few men nodded as they looked around at each other.

“We appreciate your presentation,” one said. “Including the absence of the other man.”

“We appreciate it as well,” Marian said.

“We’ll take some time to look over the information here and have our decision by the end of the day.”

Omar nodded respectfully and then waited for Marian to lead the way out of the room. Once the door shut behind them, they looked to each other with hopeful grins.

“I think we nailed it,” she whispered as they stepped into the elevator. “It went off without a hitch.”

“You’re right. They’ve got to accept it,” Omar said.

“I can feel it in my bones,” Marian said, her heels clicking over the tiled lobby floor.

While they awaited Omar’s driver, a thought occurred to him. “If we won’t get the decision until the end of the day, how about taking a little trip?”

“And skip work?” She feigned incredulity then smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. I’m the foreign dignitary, after all.”

He laughed, slipping an arm around her, bringing her close to him. The move made her inhale sharply, and clarity slapped him in the face. What had gotten into him?

“Sorry,” he said, loosening his grip. “You’re hard to stay away from.”

“That’s what they all say,” she said wryly, pushing at his shoulder. “But you should know I don’t mind one bit.”

“Then it’s decided. We will go on a sightseeing mission. Absolutely part of today’s work itinerary.” The car pulled up, and he helped her into the backseat then joined her. “In fact, I know just the place we’ll go.”

He reached for his phone, excitement thrumming through him. He had a brilliant idea, one that would serve as an early celebration of either success or failure.

“Hopefully we’ll get good news at the end of our field trip,” Marian said.

“I bet we will,” he said, scrolling through his phone for a friend’s number. “This feels like the best day ever.”