After a Monday afternoon spent tempting Angelica into bed and watching her gorgeous naked body cross and recross the room, checking email and making phone calls, the Tuesday landscape of the office seems like a prison, colorless and stifling.

It doesn’t help that things have intensified with the merger investigation. If I wasn’t so determined to personally verify that things are being resolved—if I was one of those types who could leave the company in the hands of the CEOs and survive on daily updates—I would be at home with Angelica. Or on one of my yachts somewhere in the south of France.

“They’re asking for more documentation on last year’s partnership ventures,” Connor says from the doorway. He’s been working nonstop since the whistleblower news broke, putting out fires and keeping me posted up to the minute on financials.

“Hand over whatever they want. We’re squeaky clean. The last thing we want to do is give the impression that we’ve got anything to hide.”

My phone rings nonstop all morning. The news has gained traction on the internet, which is wonderful, and the rabid journalists are looking for quotes from anyone who’s ever been near the website.

After the fifth press call, I tell Emily to route any outside requests to the PR department. They can filter out the urgent calls and send them to me if it’s necessary. In the meantime, I’m going to have a new number programmed to represent my office. It gets leaked every so often, and days like today make it perfectly clear when my direct line has become public knowledge.

It’s one thing after another all day.

In the afternoon Connor comes back, his face red, his jaw clenched. “Big problem, Jett.”

I put down the documents I’ve been reviewing as Connor drops into the seat across the desk from me. “Bigger than fraud?”

“Way bigger. While they were investigating they found porn being hosted on their servers.”

I give him a look. “If they’ve got an accounting problem, it’s no surprise that they’ve got other issues beneath the surface. Why are you so shaken up about it?”

“It’s not any porn.” Connor gives me a meaningful look.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake.”

“Yeah.”

“Is PR on it?”

“They’re watching the news release right now.”

“I want us distanced as far as humanly possible from these scumbags.”

“Right now they’re claiming that their servers were hacked.”

“You think anybody’s going to remember that excuse?”

“No.” Connor rubs his hands over his face. “No, I don’t.”

“I want everybody on the management level coached with prepared statements. The press isn’t going to—.” As if on cue, my desk phone rings. I slam my finger down on the button to route the call to Emily. “The press has been sniffing around all morning, and I bet they had an inkling that some shit like this was going to break. Anybody with a public phone number is going to be on their call roster. Including you.”

“I’ll take the message to the PR team on the way back to my office.”

“I’ll be here, trying to salvage something decent from this disaster.”

My stomach tightens as he goes out the door.

I’m not leaving early tonight, and now that this is a mess of epic proportions, I shouldn’t even consider it.

I’m still fielding calls at 5:45 when there’s a soft knock at the door. I hold up one finger and finish the call I’m on. Emily has been doing some of her best work today. I might give her a bonus.

But it’s not Emily at the door. It’s Angelica, a bag of takeout in her arms. She gives me a sympathetic smile.

“Hey, sweet thing.” My chest heats up at the sight of her.

“I saw the news online while I was doing some research for my next package,” she says, coming tentatively into the office and standing next to the two seats situated across the desk from me. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Her usual confidence is muted. “Only an endless stream of phone calls.” I stand up and go around the desk to her, taking her chin in my hands and tilting her head up for a kiss. “I’m glad you came. I’m starving.”

Angelica’s smile isn’t as bright as I would have expected, but it’s probably because she feels a little weird about visiting me at headquarters. My office can be intimidating, or so I’ve heard.

“Have a seat.” I let her have her pick of the two chairs, then go back to the door. “Emily?”

“Mr. Brandon?” she answers from behind her computer, her head tilted so that she can see me. She pauses the furious typing she’s been doing all day for a moment.

“I’m having dinner in my office. Hold my calls.”

Emily smiles at me, her lips pressed tightly together like she wants to hide her glee, but then she nods and resumes typing. I’ve never allowed a woman to come to the office before. She’s probably beside herself thinking of all the possibilities.

I close the door behind me and take the seat next to Angelica. She’s already laid out the food—two cheeseburgers on beds of waffle fries, the toppings slightly off-center from their journey. I crack a huge smile.

“It’s not a five-star place or anything,” Angelica says, a little tremble in her voice, pink rising to her cheeks. “I thought—.”

“You thought right.” I lean over and cover her mouth with mine, kissing her like she’s presented me with the fanciest meal ever served to man.

“Thank God,” she whispers when we come up for air, but a frown crosses her face before she replaces it with an enthusiastic smile. “Let’s eat.”

I pick up one of the steak fries and watch her as she slides the lettuce on her burger back into place, then grabs one of the plastic knives from the bag and cuts it in half.

A late day at work, and Angelica brings me dinner.

Two things hit me at once.

First, I don’t want to spend my life at the office. Not anymore.

And second, I always want Angelica to be by my side.