I gripped the wheel harder, pushing down on the gas pedal. Every time I glanced over, Eden’s sleek black hair was tossing in the wind as her skin soaked in the sun. She’d arched her neck, exposing the satin skin behind her ear, my favorite little spot. It taunted me, and my body responded. I’d dropped the image of the first time I placed a kiss on the spot into a deep cavernous pit in my memory.

After the race yesterday, Eden was all I could think about. She agreed to a date. A real date. In all that time when we’d snuck off to other cities to be together, she’d never let me take her on a real date.

While I had meant to back her into a corner, I honestly hadn’t thought she would agree to the bet. Now, as the car engine roared and my need heated to a simmer, I wasn’t sure I could control myself the way I needed to.

Get a goddamn grip. It’s one fucking date.

I reached for her, my hand landing on her thigh. She regarded me with a fiery look, licking her lips and biting down on the slick bottom rim of her mouth. My cock strained under my boxer briefs. I pressed on the gas pedal.

“Where are you taking me, Jameson?”

I kept my eyes on the road. “A restaurant I own.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her beautiful smile.

Neither one of us said a word for the rest of the drive. We pulled up to the private gate at JEM, and it opened after a quick wave at the valet. I parked adjacent to the front door. The parking lot remained empty, except for two other cars.

“You own this place?” Eden said, taking it all in. I’d never doubted she’d be impressed, but her tone ticked me off.

“Yes, why is it so surprising?”

“It’s not what I expected.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” My voice sounded coarser than I anticipated.

Eden’s face softened. “It’s not a bad thing. Stop being such a grouch.” She gripped my hand then sashayed over to the front door. “Show me around.”

“Always with that mouth.”

I pulled at the door handle, positioning my palm at the small of her back to lead her inside. Her beautiful silky black hair bounced as we walked past the hostess stand. I wanted to lean in and smell her, but restrained myself. When we reached the top to bottom stainless steel kitchen, she stopped at the end of a large metal island.

“Would you like some wine?” I asked.

Something caught in her throat. She coughed. “Y-yes. Uh, sorry. Yes, thank you, anything would be great.”

“Nervous?” When she didn’t immediately come back with one of her sarcastic comments, I shifted gears. “You do know we’ve already had sex . . . a lot, right?”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious. I was there.”

There she was, the smart-ass woman I loved.

Loved? No. No love.

“Had me worried there for minute, being all nice. I’m not used to it,” I said.

Her brow furrowed a bit. Then she smiled, her playfulness back in full bloom. “Tell me how you managed to close the restaurant today?”

I grabbed two wineglasses from the glass rack. “Anything for you, Miss Black.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Too cheesy?”

Eden batted her eyelashes, taunting me. “Yes. No need to lay it on so thick there, buddy. As you already mentioned, we’ve had sex. And, FYI, it’s not happening again.”

She was pushing my buttons, and shamelessly. I raised an eyebrow. “Our bet only included a date. I wouldn’t dream of assuming there would be more.”

“Sure. Maybe my twenty-year-old self believed your bullshit—”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” I said, miming a cross over my heart.

She smirked. “You won’t need to stick the needle in your eye, though. I’ve got it covered.”

Suddenly nervous, I blurted out, “I had the chef make your favorite.”

She glanced at me from beneath her lashes. Her sapphire-blue eyes were breathtaking, even in the dim lighting. There was darkness to her beauty. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now it put me on edge. Eden tested me at every turn. I couldn’t tell if the look on her face was excitement or curiosity.

I called to the other room, “Cara? Hope? Anyone here?”

A faint voice shouted back, “Coming, Mr. Winthrop.”

A figure rounded the corner, and then Hope appeared at the other end of the kitchen. “Would you please set the table for us while I show Miss Black the upstairs? We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Taking Eden’s wrist, I whispered in her ear, “The real treat is on the top floor.”

“Show me.”

Eden’s pulse throbbed beneath my fingers as I held her hand. We headed up the stairs, her trailing slightly behind me.

“Close your eyes,” I said as we reached the top.

When I had confirmed that she’d shut her eyelids without complaint, I guided her directly to the windows that lined the back wall, her shoes echoing on the hardwood floors of the grand room. By the crinkles around her eyes, I could tell she was squeezing them tight.

I leaned in. “Open your eyes.”

“Holy shit. Jameson, this is so beautiful. How and when?” Eden clasped her hands over her mouth.

“A couple years ago. I bought the property and built this place, specifically for this view.” I gestured to the panoramic sight of Lake Michigan.

Eden shook her head. “I don’t understand how I didn’t know about this place.”

“I can think of a reason.”

She turned to face me. “Touché. But credit is due where it’s deserved. The view is stunning. I’m glad you brought me here.”

I pressed my palm to her cheek. “I’m glad I did, too.”

“Let’s hope the food is also great.”

I dropped my hand. Dammit. “We can come back up here for dessert, but lunch is served downstairs. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starved.”

“Good.”

The waitresses prepared our table. It had a crisp white tablecloth, upon which were lots of small candles and purple hydrangeas in a vase filled with limes. The smell of fresh fettuccini alfredo and garlic bread permeated the room.

I pulled Eden’s chair out. Her cheeks flushed.

“I think it’s weird when you’re nice.”

I chuckled. “Maybe I’ll stop being nice then.”

Eden rolled her eyes, then sat. “I’m going to need more than one glass of wine to put up with your antics, Winthrop.”

“Antics, huh?”

She bobbed her head up and down. “Yes.”

The tightness in my chest returned in full force. I never stopped being amazed how Eden could evoke this reaction in me with just one glance through her lashes. And then there was her sexy-as-hell sass. She thought I hated it, but in reality, I craved her quick wit more than air. In the half a decade we’d spent avoiding each other, I had never come close to finding someone who triggered a fraction of the emotion Eden provoked.

When I joined her at the opposite end of the table, she asked, “Is this on the usual menu?”

Clever girl. “No.”

“What do you get out of trying so hard?”

“My intention was a non-hostile lunch.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll buy it for now.”

I reached across the table to the basket, lifted the napkin, and retrieved a slice of freshly baked bread. “Let’s make a deal not to talk about work for at least an hour.”

She tapped her pointer finger over her lips as though feigning thought. “I won’t if you won’t.”

I rubbed at my chin. “Can I ask why you’re single?”

Eden pressed her lips into a firm line. “I’ve been focused on work. You know how it is.”

“Yes, I do.”

“My turn to ask you something,” she said.

“Ask away.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you had siblings?”

“Amelia’s my half-sister, so I don’t talk about her much, I guess. I’m a bit surprised you’re so bothered by my omission.”

“I find it extremely odd. When we, uh, dated, it never occurred to you to tell me? I mean, okay, I never asked, but . . .”

“Honestly?” I shrugged. “When we were together I tried not to think about my family.”

She raised her brows. “It’s not an excuse.”

“You’re right, it’s not.”

“So tell me more about your sister.”

“Amelia. She’s a much better person than . . . well, really anyone in my family. I envy her free spirit and her talents in the kitchen. She pushed me to open this place.”

Eden’s brow softened as she started fidgeting with her earring again. I craved nothing more than to kiss her, but I had promised no funny business. Did I honestly intend to keep my promise? When her hooded eyes met mine, I reached across the table. Before I could touch her hand, however, my ringer went off, shattering the intimate moment into oblivion.

Fuck!

I mouthed the word “sorry” and slid my thumb across the screen.

“Hello.”

Nathaniel’s voice crashed through the speaker. I’d know him a lifetime and still called him by his full name. “Are you alone?” he asked.

I cupped my hand over my mouth. “No.”

“Get someplace private,” he whispered like someone could hear him.

Eden stared at me. I glanced up at her, then back at my plate several times, before finally saying, “I need a few minutes. Enjoy the food. I’ll be right back.”

As she picked up her fork, I left the table and headed toward the manager’s office at the back of the restaurant. There was no way he’d mind if I used it for a few minutes.

I closed the door and locked it. “I’m alone. What’s going on?”

“I had a visit from the FBI today.”

Instantly, the air in the room vanished, sucked up like the flipping of a switch. I couldn’t breathe, let alone form a thought. “W-what?”

“They asked me some questions about my relationship with WSquared.”

I slapped my palm to my forehead. “Fuck. Did they mention anything else?”

“Can I meet you somewhere?”

“Now?” I grumbled. “I’m in the middle of something”

“And I’m at my old man’s place, but how about we meet later tonight?”

“Dammit, Nathaniel.” I hit the desk with my palm. “We need to get all the paperwork finalized on the auction building. I want those sealed files.”

“The lawyers have everything almost ready to go. We can sign in a few days.”

“The sooner the better.” I rubbed my temples. “Let’s meet at DrumBar.”

“Yes. Let’s say eight.”

“See you then.”

I slid the phone into my pocket. Pushing on my temples, I let out a sigh. A meteor the size of a city was about to come crashing down on me. My hands shook, so I clenched my fists. Do not lose your nerve now. How could I finish this date? Eden’s perceptive nature would catch my shift in mood immediately. I couldn’t allow her to know anything about this. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

I turned to head downstairs. As I approached, I noticed she’d finished her glass of wine but had only taken a bite of her fettuccini. She gazed up, her sapphire eyes searing into mine. I unclenched my fists at the sight of her.

“Hey,” she sighed.

I cleared my throat. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Work?”

“Yes.”

“Is something wrong?”

I knew she’d be able to sense it. “No.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”

I chuckled, surprised to find that her cute comment erased the dread I held in my gut. My shoulders were no longer tight. The tension on my chest? Gone.

She pushed the pasta around her plate with the tip of the fork. “Glad you find me so amusing.”

“Funny, smart, a giant pain in my a—”

She burst into one of her full-bodied laughs. “Think you’re funny, huh?”

“You seemed to think so.”

“I won’t lie, I can be a pain in the ass. So yes, it was funny.”

I extended my hand to brush her face. “I’ve missed your laugh more than anything.”

She didn’t pull away. Slowly, she rested her cheek in my palm, letting out a sigh.

“Sometimes I wonder…” I started, and then stopped.

She stilled. “About?”

“Us.”

Eden abruptly got up and walked over to the bank of windows at the rear of the restaurant. “No point in dwelling on the past.”

I followed her to where she stood staring at the glassy water. Her arms were now crossed over her chest. I bent slightly, leaning into her shoulder. “Then let’s forget all of it. Start fresh?”

She closed her eyes. “How? We still work for rival companies. There is no way we could do this . . . ever.”

I moved to stand behind her. “Can I kiss you?”

Eden pivoted to face me. Although she didn’t answer with words, her heated gaze, and the way she twirled her earring, gave away her true wish. Gripping her waist, I lowered my lips to hers. This wasn’t anything like the kiss in my office. This kiss remained slow, unhurried, like we had all the time in the world. Her lips were soft, supple, sweet. She tasted of wine, so I lapped her bottom lip to savor more. Eden groaned as I pulled away.

She watched me, trying to catch her breath. “What are you doing to me?”

“I could ask you the same.”

Before I could blink, our bodies surged against each other. This time we kissed with more urgency. She smelled of honeysuckle, and my length throbbed against her as I slid my hand down, squeezing her ass. She moaned.

Eagerness consumed me. All I craved was to get her naked, tie her up, and fuck her senseless. She bit her lip like she anticipated me devouring her at any second. Nothing would please me more, but I’d promised her this would be just a date.

“You’d tell me if you didn’t want—”

She placed a delicate finger over my mouth. “When have I ever done anything I didn’t want to do with you?”

I gripped her wrist, easing her hand away from my lips. “This date.”

She shook her head. “Maybe it didn’t start off that way, but I want to be here. Seeing you like this . . . it’s reminded me of the old us.”

Before I could form another thought, she covered my mouth with hers and gave me the type of kiss I’d never be able to forget—one that I knew would creep into my soul and haunt me forever.

I didn’t want it to end.

She pressed her hands into my shoulder, putting some space between us. “We should stop.”

“You’re right.”

Eden turned and walked back to her seat, picking up her fork. “The food is perfect.”

“I think you’ll enjoy dessert even more,” I said, taking my place across from her.

She furrowed her brows. “Was that meant to sound as pervy as it did?”

I laughed so hard my chest hurt. “No, it wasn’t. I literally meant dessert. But you’re welcome for that.”

Eden shook her head, smiling.

“You’ll thank me again once you taste this chocolate raspberry mousse.”

“Oh my god, yes.”

After lunch and a dessert, I drove Eden back to her car near Over the Moon. When I pulled away from the curb, the sinking feeling from earlier returned, weighing heavily in my gut.

* * *

DrumBar sat on the eighteenth floor of the Raffaello Hotel. It claimed the title of swankiest bar in Chicago, in my book. Knowing we’d be coming here, I changed after lunch, casual wear didn’t seem fitting for this place. Sporting a fresh plaid navy suit and thin silk tie I headed up in the elevator.

When you walked into DrumBar, the room empowered you with its masculine decor, lush seating, and dark wood. It recalled a time when men in suits would go to private, invite-only drinking lounges. It was like free time travel back to the fifties and early sixties.

Nathaniel and I made our way to our favorite table and plopped down on the leather sofa. After I followed suit, a striking waitress dressed in a fitted vest and tight black pants appeared. “What can I get you gentlemen?”

Nathaniel perked up. “I’ll get a Glenlivet, neat.”

“And I’ll have a Johnny Walker on the rocks.”

“Black or Blue Label, sir?” she asked.

“Blue.”

The waitress smiled at us both. “Very good. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

She strode away. Nathaniel turned his attention back to me. “All right, down to business. Why the fuck do you look like someone crapped on your cupcake? It can’t be just because of…”

I ran a hand over my hair. Where the hell did I begin? The gala? The FBI? Miss Melanie Eden Black? City Net? Uptown? I had never felt so overwhelmed in my entire life.

“Crap on my cupcake would be better than the ton of shit I’m shoveling with a plastic spoon.”

He cocked his right brow. “Is it a chick?”

“That would be an understatement.” I paused. “Remember that conference we went to? In New York, before you met Lauren?”

He narrowed his eyes like he was flipping through the pages of a book in his head. “I think so . . .”

“Remember the girl? From P & L?”

He shrugged with raised palms. “Sure?”

“We had a thing, and let’s just say it ended badly.”

“Man, what does this have to do with today?”

“Here you are, boys. A Glen, neat.” She placed Nate’s drink in front of him. “And a Blue Label for you. Anything else I can get you?”

I reached into my pocket, pulled out my Amex, and threw it on the table. “Open a tab and keep ’em coming.”

She reached down picked up my card, her eyes widening. “Sure thing, Mr. Winthrop.” She sauntered away, hips swaying like a pendulum, a newfound pep in her step.

“You, sir, just made her panties loose with your fucking platinum card.”

I shot him a don’t-fuck-with-me-right-now glare. “Not interested.”

He held up his hands. “Just sayin’. You don’t have to get your panties in a twist. If I weren’t with Lauren . . .” He dropped his hands and smirked at me.

“You’re—”

“Shut up and get back to whatever the hell is bothering you.”

“What’s bothering me is Eden,” I whispered between gritted teeth. “I saw her at the Eco-Developers Foundation gala. Then later that night I unintentionally poached Thompson. He’d called me, and I didn’t know he’d been her client. Anyway, naturally she threatened to take Uptown from us because, well, an eye for an eye. I saw her again Sunday at the regatta. When you called earlier about the . . .” I lowered my voice to a barely audible whisper “. . . Feds. I was with her. It’s a fucking mess.”

He blinked at me in silence; I could tell he didn’t know what to say. Clearing his throat, he picked up the glass and chugged the whiskey. “Fuck.”

I needed to take the edge off, so I downed some liquid courage myself. “Fuck is right.”

“Wait, go back, what happened in New York?”

“Some things should be left in the past.”

He held up his glass, looking for the waitress. “Damn. Where’d she go? Anyway, why haven’t you ever told me about this chick?”

“I don’t know. There’s nothing to tell. We had what I thought was something, but she didn’t give it the same regard. End of story.”

“And you never heard from her again afterward?”

Nate had been there for me through everything, and I felt like a dickhead for keeping this a secret for six long years. I clenched my fists and tried to come up with the right way to spill the beans. “Not exactly.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Back in New York, after we nearly were caught, she told me she couldn’t be with me, so being a twenty-five-year-old immature dickhead, I went after the first client she snagged. And when she found out—”

“Let me guess, she stole one of yours?”

“Yes, but then I took it a step too far and made it my own personal mission to steal her clients. Then she’d do it right back to me.” Now that I’d said it out loud, it seemed so petty and childish.

“I get the point.” He gripped my shoulder and shook his head. “You, my friend, are in deep.”

The thought had never occurred to me. “I just—I don’t know.”

“Damn, she did a number on you.”

I shot him a don’t-you-dare look.

He glanced around, then, in a hushed tone, asked, “Did you bang her?”

I rubbed at my temples. “What does it matter?”

“Do you normally fuck women you hate?”

“Shit.”

Nate gave my shoulder another tight squeeze. “You can pretend to be blind about what’s going on all you want, but I’ve never seen you so . . .” he gestured to me with both hands “. . . so unglued. And when have you ever not been focused on your company?”

Then it dawned on me—every ounce of hate I felt crippled me. She drove me nuts with the way she blew hot and cold, teasing and fighting me at every step, but it was what I relished about our exchanges. I’d missed it. Eden was the personification of a strong, independent, career- driven woman. She was me in the body of the hottest chick in the Western Hemisphere. But we couldn’t be together. Besides the fact of us being at emotional odds, our companies would raise a red flag. It would be a shitshow.

“She’s not like anyone else.”

“Oh boy, someone’s in love. We need more drinks.” Nate flagged down our waitress. “And once we have drinks, we can come up with a plan for you to fix whatever the hell you need to with her so you can get your head back in the game.”

I nodded in agreement, but while that should have calmed me, it made the warning bells in my brain combust.

How could we possibly be together? I couldn’t jump in a time machine and go back six years, and I didn’t know how to maneuver hiding our relationship. We’re far too grown to be sneaking off, and it wouldn’t last long if we did. What would she say if I told her I wanted more than private getaways and secret meetings? She’d slap you—again.

Our waitress sashayed back and replaced our glasses. Before taking my first sip, I inhaled the subtle aroma of the liquor, letting the scents of sweet cream, honey, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon stir my senses. The rim of the glass touched my lips, and the flavors warmed my tongue; the scotch’s essence soothed the day’s setbacks. At least for a moment.

“Let’s talk about your visitors.”

“Two agents came to my office alone. They requested to ask me a few questions. I obliged, of course. Then one of the agents, some bald guy, super tall, whipped out his notepad. I nearly threw up my fucking lunch.”

I waved the waitress over to us for the third time. “I would have.”

“Once he set up the damn pad, the questions came at me like bullets. What is my affiliation with WSquared? How do I know the Winthrop family? Have I ever worked for William? It was crazy.”

Tilting my head back, I grumbled under my breath. “Fuck. Nate, we need to finalize those papers.”

“Tomorrow.”

“We should meet outside the office for safe measure.”

Nate loosened his tie and nodded. “I’ll swing by your place after work.”

When the fresh round of drinks arrived at our table, I raised my glass. “Here’s to not going to jail.”

“Don’t even say it.” He shook his head.

“Could this day get any worse?”

Nathaniel raised his glass to mine. “Cheers to taking down your father.”

Amen to that.

My cell rang, and I jumped at the vibration. When I pulled it out of my pocket, I read the name across the screen. Fuck, this can’t be good.

“Donna, what’s going on?”

“Mrs. Rodriguez has been calling here all day. I finally had to give her an appointment first thing in the morning.”

I slammed my fist down on the table. “Fuck.”

Nathaniel mouthed, “What’s going on?”

I ignored him as Donna’s voice came through the speaker. “Is there anything else I can do, Mr. Winthrop?”

“No. Thank you, Donna. I’ll take care of this.”

“Good night, sir.” She ended the call.

“This woman is going to be the death of me.” I leaned my head back, exhaling the breath I’d been holding in.

“What now?”

“Eden moved in on Uptown. Mrs. Rodriguez called a meeting for tomorrow morning.”

Nathaniel’s eyes practically fell out of his head. “Savage.”

“Sick part is, I love her drive and should have seen it coming. I guess the damn date meant nothing to her.”

Nate glanced down at his watch. “It’s still early. Call her.”

“You’re right, I should. But a few more drinks first.”

Nathaniel slapped my shoulder. “Can’t say no to more drinks.”