Between conducting meetings, travel, and lots of paperwork, Santiago kept busy all week. Abena had kept her distance, only sending occasional texts to let him know she was thinking about him. The last thing she wanted to do was smother him or add additional pressure. She understood he had a lot on his mind with work, but also needed to sort out his emotions about his father.

It was Friday night. They were the only ones left in the office, and she had a surprise she hoped would alleviate some of the stress. For tomorrow, she’d arranged a seaside couple’s massage at the same spa where she kept a standing appointment for her pedicures.

“Hey there.” She knocked softly on the door and Santiago looked up.

The frown on his forehead cleared. “Hey.”

The warm smile he sent across the room encouraged her. Abena closed the door and crossed the carpeted floor. “How was Atlanta?”

He’d flown out this morning and come back this afternoon.

He tossed his pen on the desk and leaned back in the chair. “Good, actually. I like the space. The size and location is perfect for what Esteban has in mind. Hopefully, this will be my last trip over there.”

“Good.” Abena tapped her fingers on the surface of the desk. “So…what are your plans for tomorrow? Tell me you’re not working.”

“Let me guess. You have an idea for something we can do.”

“I do. How about a nice, relaxing massage? The two of us. Seaside. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

Santiago smiled faintly. “It sounds wonderful, but I have a million things to take care of. Tomorrow’s no good.”

Abena placed her hands on her hips. “You’ve been working hard all week. You have to take some time off.”

“I’m on probation, remember?”

“Esteban is happy with your work. You’re doing a great job. Trust me, you’re not going anywhere.”

“Unless you have insider information, I’m going with my gut and coming in to work tomorrow.”

She wiggled two fingers. “Two hours. That’s all I’m suggesting.”

“I’d love to, Abena, but I can’t.”

“Fine.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not going to cancel my appointment. I’ll see if Nathan in accounting will go with me.”

The playful smile slid from his face. “Was that supposed to be funny?”

“Actually, it was. But I guess you don’t find it amusing.”

“It would be very unfortunate for you to cause Nathan to get his ass kicked.”

Abena laughed shortly. “This is the most interest you’ve expressed in me all week. Was that all it took—mentioning another man?”

Santiago stood. “Does he have a crush on you? Something I need to know about?”

“It was a joke. My goodness, do you have a sense of humor anymore?”

“I have a sense of humor, but don’t find it particularly funny to think about another man spending time with my woman.”

“I’m your woman?”

“Of course you are,” Santiago said irritably.

“I didn’t know. To be honest, I…” Her mouth clamped shut.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She didn’t want to upset him.

“What?”

“You haven’t been yourself ever since the confrontation with your father,” Abena blurted. “I know you’re upset about what he did, but have you considered why it’s affected you so much? Besides wanting a relationship with him, could it be…I don’t know. Do you still have feelings for her—Romina?” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. She hated stating her insecurities out loud, but the thought had plagued her all week. Lack of contact with Santiago only caused the doubts to fester.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Before Sunday, I hadn’t seen her in years. Frankly, she and my father could go to hell as far as I’m concerned.” He picked up a small glass of water on his desk and drank it all in one gulp.

“And you don’t feel anything for her? At all?” Abena asked, paying close attention to his reaction.

“No,” he said firmly, setting the glass on the desk with a quiet thud.

“Then why are you pushing yourself so hard? What are you hiding from?”

He shook his head. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“Why? Because you don’t want to face the truth? You’ve allowed Constantino to not only skew your ideas about love and marriage, you’ve allowed him to control your actions and your schedule. How much longer will you give him so much power? How much longer are you going to work yourself to death for a man who doesn’t care?”

“You think I’m doing all of this for him?” Santiago’s brow wrinkled in anger. “I work hard for me. I want this life.”

“Yes, you want this life so you can throw it in his face. Flaunt your success. Prove to him everything he thinks about you and said about you is wrong. You’re so much better than him. He doesn’t deserve you as a son.”

Santiago laughed softly. He paced to the bookcase against the wall and then turned to face her. “And what if you’re wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if I’m not better than him? What if I’m just as shitty as he is?”

“Is that what you think?”

“Maybe the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, Abena. I’m in the restaurant business. I live alone. I go from woman to woman. Like my father.”

“You’re nothing like him.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

“How?”

“Because…”

“Because what?”

“Because I love—” Abena inhaled sharply and her throat closed, trapping the words. The private admission tore through her. Had he guessed what she’d been about to say?

Color tainted his cheeks and she guessed she saw pity fill his eyes. Pity.

“My career is everything to me. The most important thing in my life right now.” He addressed her almost-declaration without coming right out and addressing it.

She didn’t expect him to drop to his knees and profess his love to her, but had she read him wrong all this time? Misunderstood his intentions and misinterpreted his words? What was she supposed to do with this love he obviously didn’t want?

She wanted to scream, you said I was special!

Perhaps she’d seen what she wanted to see. Hadn’t Marc accused her of forcing his hand? Was she doing the same to Santiago? He never slowed down, except when she forced him to. Forced him to take a break on Saturday, though the official work week went from Monday to Friday. Forced him to volunteer, when he’d much rather be sitting at his desk, poring over contracts, financial statements, and employee reviews.

“I’ll leave you to your work. I certainly don’t want to distract you from the most important thing in your life. And I-I think it’s best if we don’t do this anymore.” Because one of us is in too deep, she thought despondently.

“Don’t do what anymore?” Santiago asked in a sharp voice.

“You and me.” She pointed between them. “You know, before things get too serious and one of us gets hurt.” Before I get hurt any more. Before I fall apart.

He walked toward her. “Abena, listen to me.”

She stepped back and held up her hands. “No, you listen to me. The night after we ran into each other at the pop-up club, you asked me what I wanted, and I told you. And I got it. I spent the night with you. We’ve spent many nights together.” She licked her trembling lips in an effort to retain a semblance of calm. “Now I want something different. And you’ve reminded me you’re not the man to give it me.”

She wanted marriage and a family. He only cared about advancing his career. Their priorities were at odds.

She dropped her gaze to the floor so he wouldn’t see the tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry I bothered you. I won’t do that again.” She headed for the door.

When she reached for the knob, Santiago flattened his hand on the door so she couldn’t get out.

Her fingers tightened on the cool metal of the knob. “Let me out, Santiago.” She couldn’t hold it together much longer. Emotion churned inside her.

“Are you saying we’re done? We’re good together. We understand each other.”

“No, we don’t. We don’t understand each other at all.”

At least, she didn’t understand how a man who expressed such care for his staff and family, could display such indifference when it came to the care of her heart. He didn’t understand her at all. He didn’t understand how much she loved him, and had loved him ever since their late-night talks in Buenos Aires.

“Remove your hand.” Abena spoke to the door and refused to face him.

“We have a good relationship. It doesn’t need to end.” He spoke in a low tone, as if trying to seduce her with the sound of his voice. The familiarity of it wrenched through her.

“Move your hand!” she screamed. The words exploded past her lips, the result of exasperation, anger, and his quiet rejection, packed together as tight as a ball of banku.

Santiago eased back and gave her space.

“Thinking you and I could have a relationship was a mistake,” Abena said.

“I disagree.” His eyes appeared hauntingly bleak.

“We’re not on the same page. We don’t want the same things.”

“You’re wrong!”

“Am I? Then give me an honest answer to one question.”

Quiet fell on the room. He didn’t move a muscle. “What’s the question?”

“Are we moving toward anything? Is there an endgame in mind for our relationship?”

“If you’re talking about marriage, there are plenty of people who don’t get married and are perfectly happy.”

“Good for them. I want to be married.”

She’d hesitated with Marc because she hadn’t wanted to marry him. But Santiago was different. They were kindred spirits—or so she reasoned. Lovers and friends. What she felt for him was so much deeper than anything she’d ever felt before. She couldn’t imagine offering this all-consuming love, passion, and devotion to anyone else. He was the one. The man she wanted to raise a family with, grow old with, spend the rest of her life with.

“I don’t want to get married right now, but I do want that life. Can you see yourself married one day?” she asked.

He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “Abena, you were a virgin. Whatever you think you feel—”

“So the answer is no.” She took a deep, angry breath. “And please don’t insult my intelligence by suggesting that because you’re the first man I’ve been intimate with, I’m somehow confused about how I feel.”

“I was not insulting you.”

“I think it’s best we keep our distance from each other.”

“For how long?” he asked, incredulous.

“For good.”

“We work together, damn it! I’m supposed to act like I don’t know you? That we weren’t lovers?”

“You managed to do a bang-up job this week. Let’s see how long we can keep it going.” Abena yanked open the door and slammed it in his face.

---

Santiago smashed the phone into its cradle. He’d thought letting her walk out of the office was the right decision, but now he wasn’t so sure. He would have followed right after her, but he’d scheduled a conference call with two general managers on the west coast that he couldn’t miss. The meeting ended two hours ago, and every call to Abena since then went unanswered.

His head throbbed. His brain was scrambled. And the middle of his chest hurt as if someone had repeatedly kicked him in the sternum with steel-toed boots. He rubbed the spot that pained him.

Surely she couldn’t be serious about keeping their distance from each other. She’d almost admitted she was in love with him. She stopped herself, but there was no doubt that’s what she’d been about to say.

It was easy to discredit her declaration. He was her first lover. She had nothing to compare their lovemaking to and was emotional because of it. And if she really did think she loved him, she couldn’t cut him off. Her anger would dissipate and then they’d fall right back into their routine.

Santiago ran the fingers of both hands through his hair.

They had to. Because even though they’d barely talked for days, knowing she was nearby, receiving her texts of encouragement, had made a difficult week significantly less so.

He couldn’t lose Abena. He needed her too much.