Sitting on the edge of Cole’s bed, I take a sip of champagne and repeat my lines.

“We’ve seen the data, we’ve seen the research. Luxury travelers are voting with their dollars and, as industry professionals, we should listen.”

I look up from my notes at Cole, who’s sitting at the desk by the bed with his laptop, which is displaying the PowerPoint slides for tomorrow’s presentation.

“That’s pretty good,” he says, raising his eyebrows. “I think you’ve nailed it.”

“Awesome,” I say. “I do feel like I’ve nailed it, but then I think I’m also drunk so that may not be my best judgment.” I raise my champagne glass and laugh. I still don’t see how it’s different from a regular wine glass.

“Yes, you may have had too much to drink,” Cole says. He looks so good. Such a gorgeous specimen of a man, alone in a hotel room with me. I wonder if it’s just the lighting from the desk lamp that makes him look so good. So damn good.

“Maybe.” I shrug, completely forgetting about the champagne glass in my hand. I shriek as I almost spill the bubbly drink onto the plush beige carpet.

“It’s alright,” Cole says. “You already know your stuff. If you didn’t I wouldn’t have let you drink.”

“Cool,” I say, raising my glass. “You’re a cool boss, Cole. But, I mean, you’re hot too. Cool and hot. Have I told you that?”

“No, you haven’t. And I appreciate you telling me that.” He chuckles, causing dimples to appear in his cheeks and lines to show up around his eyes.

“Well, you are. You’re awesome. Appreciation is so important,” I say. “Appreciation is the key. You have to appreciate what you have now, or you’ll regret it when it’s gone.”

The smile disappears from Cole’s face. “Okay, fun time is over.” He sighs.

He gets up from his chair and I look up to see him rise to his full height. He looks so tall. I mean, he is tall. I know that from seeing him at the office every day.

But he looks different today, with those khaki slacks that show off his long legs and that blue fitted shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looks taller, more masculine.

I feel the mattress sink as Cole sits beside me.

Hell, everything’s different today.

Of course I’ve always noticed how hot Cole is, but I’ve never seriously entertained the thought of being romantically involved with him. And then today happens.

I was excited to travel because I don’t get many opportunities to do it, and I was excited to attend the conference because it’s good for my career. I never expected my boss to become the reason I enjoy the trip, but he has. I’m actually having more fun than I’ve had in a long time.

First, there was the First Class seat and the funny little encounter with Linda. And then, there were the many big names Cole introduced me to as he kept me by his side the whole time we were at the conference. After that, we had a nice quiet dinner at the hotel restaurant, and now I’m even having fun as we revise the presentation material in his hotel room.

It has been a strange day. In a way, I feel like we’ve had a very long first date.

Maybe that’s not an appropriate way of thinking about my boss, but I’m starting to believe he feels the same way.

He doesn’t have to spend the entire day with me, but he chooses to. He hasn’t left my side at all since we met at the airport in San Francisco this morning, except for when we went into our separate rooms to change our clothes before the conference.

And there’s also the way that he’s looking at me right now. He gazes deep into my eyes, concern reflected in his dark irises. He places one big, masculine hand on my cheek. He feels warm, safe. I feel like I can just melt into his touch.

“Your skin is hot,” he says. “Your cheeks are all flushed.”

I nuzzle my head into his palm and look up into his eyes, and that’s when I see it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it in a man’s eyes, but I can still recognize it. I feel concern and tenderness in his touch, but there’s also hunger within him.

And right there and then, I forget about everything, all my reasons not to date Cole Foster. All I see is that flame in his eyes. At this moment, I just want it to consume me.

I smile, my gaze softening. He leans a little closer and I close my eyes.

This is it, I think to myself.

“Emily.” Cole breaks the tense silence. I blink my eyes open to see him looking at the floor. He pulls his hand away and says, “It’s late. And you’ve been drinking. Maybe you should go back to your room.”

What? You have got to be kidding me.

I frown at him, confusion and anger churning in my head.

“I’ll see you just before the presentation tomorrow, okay? Right by the conference room entrance,” he says without looking up from the floor. He sighs and turns toward me, his lips upturned but his eyes empty. “Just like we discussed, you’ll do the presentation and I’ll handle the questions. Don’t worry. You can do this.”

“Okay.” I place the champagne glass on the desk and walk toward the door. He doesn’t have to tell me twice. And if he doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too. We haven’t done anything and he doesn’t owe me anything. I’m a big girl.

“Emily,” he says. “Do you need help getting to your room?”

“No. I said I’m okay.” I walk back to grab my bag from the desk. Damn drunk brain. I look straight at Cole and give him the politest, most formal, most business-like smile I can muster. “See you tomorrow.”

I march toward the door, eager to get out of Cole’s hotel room, which suddenly feels so constricting.

“See you, Emily,” he says softly as I close the door behind me.

What was that? What on earth was that?

He was definitely about to kiss me, right? It has been a while for me, but it hasn’t been that long. And yes, I’m tipsy, but not to the point where I can’t recognize a man who obviously wants to kiss me.

The beautifully decorated hallway, with its mood lighting and its textured wallpaper, passes in a blur. When I reach the elevator waiting area, I mash both the buttons to go up and down. I just need to get out of here before Cole sees me, not that I’d expect him to come chasing after me after that display of indifference in his room. But just in case. I don’t want him to catch me in distress, or worse — crying.

I don’t actually feel like crying right now, but I’m definitely in danger of doing just that. It was just so embarrassing, what just happened. And it happened with my boss, who I still have to work with. It’s not like I can just quit and find another job either, considering how long it took me to find this one.

I hurry inside when the elevator arrives. I feel suffocated, like the walls are closing in on me. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go to my room. I need some fresh air.

I press the button for the ground floor and head straight to the swimming pool.

It’s quiet, now that it’s late and all the conference attendees have gone home. There’s just one couple relaxing on the lounge chairs on the deck, three empty cocktail glasses resting on the small table between them. The swimming pool looks so inviting, the water glowing bright blue in the dark.

I drop my bag onto the wooden pool deck and sit down. I take my ballet flats off, then dip my feet into the pool. The cool water soothes my skin. It feels a little chilly out here, even though I’m wearing a cardigan. But a part of me is grateful for the cold. It wakes me up a little.

Maybe that was nothing? Could it have all been in my head? I have been drinking.

But then why would Cole suddenly act so aloof and distant? And why would he ask to meet just before our presentation? That’s right after lunch. Based on how things have been today, I was hoping to spend all day with him again.

But maybe he’s legitimately busy tomorrow morning? He is the CEO of a hotel chain, after all. Maybe there’s a secret CEO meeting that underlings like me aren’t invited to.

God. I can’t believe I almost kissed my boss. It’s just what Alice told me not to do. Well, she’s right. Again. I should’ve listened to her.

I take my phone out of my bag. Maybe chatting with Alice will make me feel better. I definitely don’t plan on telling her about almost kissing Cole, but it would be nice to just talk. I’ll decide how much to tell her when I’m sober. I’m not really in the mood for listening to one of her lectures.

When I open the messaging app, there’s already one message from Alice.

Alice Webb: How’s Seattle?

Emily Webb: Dunno

Emily Webb: Spent the whole day indoors at the conference

Alice Webb: Oh good you’re ok

Alice Webb: I haven’t heard from you since you landed

Alice Webb: Got a bit worried

Alice Webb: But there’s no plane accidents on the news

Alice Webb: So I know you should be fine

Alice Webb: :D

I smile to myself. Oh, Alice. She annoys me sometimes and I’ll never admit this to her, but there are times when it’s nice to know someone cares that much about me.

Emily Webb: Don’t worry

Emily Webb: I’m still alive

Alice Webb: How was the presentation?

Emily Webb: That’s tomorrow

Alice Webb: Good luck!

Emily Webb: Pffttt

Emily Webb: Don’t need luck when you’re this good

Emily Webb: XD

Emily Webb: What are you up to?

Alice Webb: Just relaxing with a book

Alice Webb: In my pajamas

Alice Webb: Drinking camel toe tea

I read the last message twice, then throw my head back in laughter. Alice really needs to do something about the autocorrect on her phone. I know she means chamomile tea because that’s what she often drinks at night to help her sleep.

Camel toe tea. Ew.

Just as I’m about to type a reply to Alice, the pool lights shut off. It takes me by surprise, and my drunk brain forgets about the phone in my hand. Before I know it, it slips out of my grasp and plunges into the swimming pool with the faintest, least dramatic splash.

Damn.

I sit there by the dark pool for a few dazed seconds, knowing I can’t rescue that phone but at the same time feeling like I can’t just leave it there at the bottom of the pool.

Sighing in defeat, I finally decide to let it go and just go back to my hotel room.

It has been the strangest day ever. I flew First Class for the first time, I attended an industry conference for the first time, I almost kissed my boss for the first time… It almost makes perfect sense that I’d drop my phone into a swimming pool for the first time at the end of the day.

Maybe tomorrow will be more normal.