I didn't see Rylan again at the convention and I wasn't sure if that was how things worked out or if he was intentionally avoiding me. I was fine either way. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn't seen our encounter as some random moment of weakness or a need that had to be met. Did he see it as something more?

I didn't sleep well back in my own bed Sunday night and when I woke Monday morning, it showed. I had dark circles under my eyes and every inch of me looked as tired as I felt.

I was still in my pajamas and on my second cup of coffee when someone knocked at my door.

“Who is it?” I called as I walked over to it.

“Special delivery.” A man's voice replied. “Certified letter you need to sign for.”

I looked through the peep hole and saw a short, stocky, middle-aged man wearing a uniform. I wasn't stupid. That didn't necessarily mean anything. He was holding a thin, legal-sized envelope and an electronic signing pad.

“Who's it from?”

He glanced at the envelope. “Archer Enterprises.”

My eyes widened. Had my night of fun screwed me over with them? Still, I wasn't about to throw open the door. I undid the dead-bolt and the extra lock, but kept the chain lock in place. I put my foot at the base of the door and shifted my weight so that, if the man tried to force his way inside, I'd have the leverage to shove the door back. Not that violent crime happened often here, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

I opened the door a crack. “Here.” The pad came through first and I signed. The envelope followed and if the delivery man thought it was strange that I didn't open the door for him, he didn't say anything. I thanked him as I closed the door and then walked over to the table to sit down and read my mail.

It wasn't a letter ending my contract or a legal document of any kind. It was a job offer. An official offer to come work for Archer Enterprises in the capacity of Head of Security Technology. The letter detailed the perks as well as the yearly salary, which was enough to make me blink and look again, thinking it must've been some sort of mistake. But, no, there it was in black and white. Fifteen thousand more than Rylan had originally mentioned and a guaranteed minimum five thousand dollar raise every year, more depending upon performance.

I put the letter down on the table and leaned back in my seat. Questions swirled in my head. Had Rylan sent me this because he truly wanted me to work with him and thought this was the way to do it? Or was this a pay-off for what had happened the other night? Was he trying to buy my silence? He didn't seem like the kind of guy who worried about whether or not people would notice him having a little fling with someone like me, but what did I know? Maybe he saw it as a reward for services rendered. I felt a grin curving my lips. I was comfortable in who I was, and he wouldn't have been the first man to think he needed to offer payment of some kind. I didn't take it personally. It said more about who they were than who I was.

If he hadn't tried to get me to work for him before, I might've just thrown the letter away and not bothered to answer it, but I knew this offer was legitimate. And I knew I couldn't answer him over the phone or through email. This was something that needed to be done face-to-face, especially considering we worked in the same field. I had to make sure I left things okay between us.

My stomach lurched at the thought of seeing him again. I avoided seeing the men I'd slept with after I left their rooms or wherever it was we happened to be fucking. One of the main reasons I tried to avoid sleeping with anyone I worked for or with. Rule number one… broken.

I ran my hand through my hair. Fuck it. If I was going to see Rylan, I needed to take a shower.

* * *

An hour later, I was standing in the elevator, on my way up to see Rylan. I'd called ahead, expecting I'd be seen later that week. Instead, after a couple minutes on hold, I was told to come in whenever I wished.

As I walked off of the elevator, a man was coming toward it. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't make eye contact. I nodded politely and kept walking. I wasn't sure if it was rude or not, but I wasn't in the mood to make small talk with Christophe. I wanted to know what the hell Rylan was thinking.

He was sitting at his desk, but stood as soon as he saw me. I heard the elevator close behind me as he walked around to meet me partway. The smile on his face was wide, his eyes shining.

“Jenna!”

As hard as I tried, I couldn't deny the way my heart twisted when he said my name. The memory of hearing it under other circumstances was too strong. Fuck it if my panties didn't get wet just thinking about it.

Then he was just a step away and I could smell him, the scent of his soap, of him. Then he was reaching for me and I knew what was coming. It would've been all too easy to let it happen. To let him kiss me and then to let things go further. We could fuck on the floor, in his chair, on his desk. I could picture it dozens of different ways, including a few positions I swore I would never do.

Instead, I took a step back, putting myself out of his reach. I shook my head even as disappointment crossed his face. “You sent me a job offer. I assumed this was a professional meeting. That the offer was genuine.”

He moved back, putting more distance between us. “I meant what I said.” His voice was polite and purely professional. “I want you to work for me. Exclusively. Not contracted out for random assignments.”

“And you always try to kiss someone who's applied for a position?” I kept my tone mild. I didn't want him to think I would yell at him or anything like that.

“No,” he said. The corner of his mouth twitched. “I just assumed–”

“That because we slept together, it was okay.” I finished his sentence.

He shrugged. “It's not exactly out of the realm of possibility.”

“Do you fraternize with many of your employees?”

The hint of a smile that had been playing at his lips vanished. “No.” The word was firm.

That made my decision. “I accept.”

He blinked and I found the idea that I could surprise him to be amusing.

“You what?”

I repeated myself. “I accept your job offer.” I held up the envelope with the offer he'd sent. “All of the terms here are agreeable. I just need to know if I sign these, or if there's something else you want me to sign.”

For a moment, he didn't answer and I wondered if he was trying to decide if he wanted me here now. He had to know I'd asked those questions intentionally, that I wanted to make sure that, if I came to work for Archer Enterprises, this wouldn't happen again. That this past weekend wouldn't happen again.

I felt a twinge of regret at the thought of the sex we wouldn't be having, but then reminded myself that we wouldn't have been having sex if I walked away. This was just my way of making sure a line was drawn between the two of us. Not that there was an “us.”

Rylan extended a hand and I took it, ignoring the charge that sparked at the touch. We’d come to an agreement, silent and otherwise.

From here on out, everything between Rylan Archer and me would be strictly professional.