We almost drove past this place. Tucker Solar is situated down a long dirt road in the middle of what looks like a freaking forest. It’s a single-story building, white with big windows in the front, though the windows are covered over with blinds. I think it might have been a factory at some point, or maybe a machine shop, but it’s neither of those these days.

The owners are brothers, Peter and Lionel Tucker. I can tell the older brother, Peter, is more interested in what we’re offering than the younger brother is, so I pitch mostly to him the whole time.

The end is where things get tricky.

“Tell us exactly why we should stock these things,” Lionel says finally as I finish up my presentation. “I mean, it all sounds nice and fancy, but why would anyone buy this stuff?”

“It’s better tech,” I say flatly. “The batteries store more, the panels are more efficient, everything is improved.”

“That’s what every manufacturer says,” he answers, waving me away.

“My lead engineer, Riley Hollins, can explain this—”

“No,” Lionel says, eyes locked on me. “I want to hear it from you.”

I hesitate. “She’s the real brain here, I assure you,” I say, and Peter laughs, but Lionel doesn’t crack a smile.

“I don’t care what the girl has to say, I want to hear it from you.”

I can feel the mood shift. I glance back at Riley, but if she’s annoyed, she doesn’t let it show. Peter looks uncomfortable, and he’s about to speak up, but I beat him to it.

“Our panels kick the fucking shit out of all the garbage you sell,” I say to Lionel. “You want a reason to stock it? There’s your reason. You can bitch and moan about overhead and installation costs, and we’ll help with all that. But at the end of the day, the only thing we offer that other manufacturers don’t is a higher quality product.”

I can feel the room go still. I don’t move a muscle. I keep my face completely impassive.

Lionel narrows his eyes. “Prove it.”

“I can’t,” I say. “If you let my engineer talk, she could.”

He hesitates and I can see him struggling. Finally, he grunts his assent. “All right, fine. Let’s hear the girl speak.”

I look back at Riley and nod at her. She stands, steps up in front of the brothers, and doesn’t bother launching into her usual speech. Instead, she starts by asking for questions, and spends the next half hour defending her tech from everything Lionel can think of.

I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder. She’s so fucking beautiful, standing there and speaking her mind, telling them exactly what they need to hear. It’s almost fucking sexy, watching her like this. I keep imagining bending her over this table and fucking her right here, making her moan, making her beg. I want to break her, she’s such a fucking firestorm. As the meeting wears on, Lionel gets more and more frustrated, until finally he throws up his hands. Riley gives him a conceited little smile, almost borderline rude, and I absolutely fucking love it. I’m so fucking hard for her that I can’t stand up when she’s finished and it’s time for me to take over again.

At the end of the day, we get another sale. Peter apologizes profusely, but it’s Lionel that actually signs everything. He nods to Riley as we leave, and I feel elated as we head out toward the car.

“Holy shit,” she says. “I thought we were about to get murdered back there.”

I laugh and nudge up against her. “I did get a distinct Deliverance vibe from those two.”

“God, and the way he kept calling me a girl?” She rolls her eyes and laughs. “What a dick.”

“The world progresses, but some people can’t seem to move on.” I shrug a little bit as we get to the car. I check my watch and glance up at Riley. “I think we have some extra time if you want to take a little walk?”

She hesitates. “I guess we have a long drive ahead. Can’t hurt to look around a bit.”

I nod and stretch my back. “Come on, girl. Let’s go.”

“Asshole,” she says, but laughing this time. We set off into the woods, following a little trail we find about twenty feet from the shop. It snakes through the trees, heading deeper into the wilderness.

Riley strikes out ahead, walking comfortably down the path despite her flats, skirt, and white blouse. I try to keep up in my usual suit, but I’m having trouble matching her pace while trying not to step in any mud puddles.

“Why build a solar panel company out in the middle of nowhere?” she asks me over her shoulder.

“No clue,” I say. “Frankly, nature is disgusting.”

She laughs. “I’m not surprised. You don’t strike me as the camping sort of guy.”

“I like camping, just not in an expensive suit.”

She pauses and looks back at me. “Aw, I’m sorry. Are you going to ruin your pretty suit?”

I glare at her. “Come on, let’s go.” I walk past her and take the lead, and I hear her laughing as she hurries to catch up.

The path cuts a winding trail through the woods. I have no clue where we are or where we’re going, or if this is even public property at all, but I find that I don’t really care. It’s pretty out today, the sun shining high in the sky, low humidity, nice comfortable breeze cutting through the trees. Birds are singing and I just made a sale, which means Riley is that much closer to her goal.

We come up a short slope and the path dies off into a little meadow. It’s open all the way beyond it, past a short hedgerow. I’m pretty sure it’s a corn farm, or at least a farm of some sort. Riley slips up next to me and leans against a tree.

“End of the line,” she reflects.

“You know, there should be more solar panels on farms.”

She laughs. “Of course you’d say that.”

“I’m just thinking out loud. I mean, imagine how much better it would be, especially when there are basically no trees or other buildings to cast shadows? Sun all day long from all directions.”

She rolls her eyes. “Do you ever stop selling?”

“Nope.” I walk over and lean up against the same tree she’s standing on, just slightly off to the side. “Can’t help myself. But you should be thankful for that.”

She goes quiet as I take a deep breath and let it out.

“What are you getting out of all this, Aaron?”

I don’t look at her. I stare down at the roots snaking into the soil. I dig the toe of my expensive shoes into the dirt and wonder why I give a shit if things get filthy. You can always clean it.

“I get a lot out of it,” I say. “I get to sell your product. I get to make you lots of money.”

“Yeah, I might make money. What about you?”

“It’s my job.”

“This isn’t about work and you know it.”

“What do you want me to say?”

She sighs and I look up at her. She’s staring out across the meadow at the farm in the distance.

“I want you to admit it,” she says softly.

I frown a little bit, a million thoughts running through my mind. “Admit what?”

“You know what.”

“I’m not good at guessing games.”

“That’s not true.” She finally looks at me, a sad smile on her lips. “I just want to hear the real reason you’re on this trip with me.”

I meet her gaze and hold it there for a second, trying to gauge the moment. Just a little bit ago, we were both so elated with the sale, but something’s shifted in her and I’m not sure what.

“Okay, you want to hear it?” I say softly.

“Yeah. Tell me.”

I push off the tree and step away from it. I turn back to face her, closing the distance between us quickly. I put my hands on either side of her above her shoulders, leaning against the tree, my face close to hers. She doesn’t move, doesn’t flinch, just watches me.

“I’m doing this because I want to fuck you, Riley. That’s all there is to it.”

She shakes her head. “No, you’re not.”

I stare at her. “You think I don’t want to fuck you?”

“I know you do. But that’s not why you dragged me out into the middle of nowhere on this crazy sales mission.”

I stare back at her and for a second, I feel my anger peak again. I pull away, turning back toward the farm and crossing my arms over my chest.

“Come on, Aaron,” she says softly. “What’s the deal?”

The truth is, I don’t know what to tell her. There are a million reasons I set this up. I know she hates me, I know she wants me, and frankly, I feel the same. I want my baby, and I want her to want her baby, and I want her to want me, and I want her to stop hating me and looking down on what I do. It’s all so confusing and fucked up and maybe I thought I could solve all of that if she just spent time with me.

“I don’t know,” I finally admit. “I don’t know why I’m doing this.”

She’s quiet for a minute. “Yeah. I think I believe that.”

I turn back toward her and she’s smiling. I smile back, a little uncertain. “What?”

“That might’ve been the first honest thing you’ve said to me.”

“I’ve been honest before.”

“Yeah? When?”

“When I said I wanted to fuck you.” I grin at her. “That was true.”

“Okay, that was true.” She laughs a little bit, shaking her head. “Pretty messed up, isn’t it? We’re out in the middle of nowhere for no real reason.”

“We’re here to make you some money,” I say. “My motives to set it all up don’t really matter in the end.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She shrugs a little. “Guess it doesn’t.”

I step closer to her, eyes roaming her body. She’s so fucking beautiful, especially in the sunlight. She’s smiling now, and for the first time since we started this, I don’t get the sense that I’m some kind of horrendous burden to her. She’s interested, and open, at least for the moment.

And I can’t help myself. I walk right up to her, tilt her chin toward me, and I kiss her.

I expect her to shove me away, but she doesn’t. I kiss her harder, deeper, hands on her hips.

And slowly, she wraps her arms around my neck, and I know I’m not pulling away.