The flight down to Los Angeles was uneventful, but that didn’t stop Heather from worrying. On the flight, she and Simon mostly kept to themselves. She watched a movie and he was focused on doing work on his laptop.

By the time they got to the hotel by the beach, she was more than a little weary and wanted to flop down on a bed.

Simon’s cell phone rang while they were at the front desk and he answered it. While he spoke to whoever was on the other end, Heather greeted the receptionist and got their room keys. She made sure to check that they had gotten separate rooms. When she was satisfied that they had she turned to Simon, who had just ended his phone call.

“Change of plans.” He put his cell phone back in his pocket. “The CEO of Blue Naught wants us to come down to their offices right now.”

“Oh, I thought we’d be able to get some rest this afternoon,” she said. Then she straightened. “It’s fine. Sorry to sound like a moaner.”

He grimaced. “You must be tired, but afterwards we can entertain the CEO and have a relaxing dinner by the pool. Sorry about this.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “An early introduction will help us all get better acquainted.”

He stared at her for a moment too long. As if seeing her for the first time. “Thank you, Heather. I know that none of this is easy for you.”

She shrugged. “It’s work. Work isn’t supposed to be a walk in the park.”

The bellhop appeared to grab their luggage and headed up the fancy wrap around stairs.

Simon raised an eyebrow as the bellhop struggled to drag her suitcase up the stairs. “How much did you pack by the way?” Poor guy needed the elevator. Which apparently was being serviced at the moment.

“Linda said to be ready for any eventuality,” she said.

“You definitely came prepared.” He chuckled. “Let’s take a taxi over to Blue Naught. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back to the hotel.”

She texted an update to her mother on the drive over to Blue Naught. The drive over was scenic, with palm trees swaying overhead and glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. It felt good to enjoy the sunshine outside of rainy Seattle.

When they got to Blue Naught the CEO, August Spencer, greeted them warmly in the lobby. She recognized him from her recent research. His bright red hair was a tangled mess and his gray sweat suit was slightly oversized. He was the thinnest man she had ever seen. She stifled a gasp when she realized how much younger August looked in person than he did in his photographs. Truth be told, he looked like a high school kid who had just rolled out of bed and wandered into Blue Naught’s corporate office, rather than the company CEO. He looked even younger than Simon, but she remembered she had calculated August’s age the night before. He was in his late thirties, but he didn’t look a day over eighteen.

“Now that you’re here, it would be my pleasure to show you around.” August grinned, and motioned for them to follow him.

August gave them a tour of the facility, finally stopping at the large Olympic-sized indoor pool where Blue Naught divers and engineers tested their underwater technology. As they approached the pool, Heather spotted two swimmers testing some equipment while a group of scientists stood by, monitoring them.

“What are they testing?” she asked, intrigued.

August turned to her. “Today we’re testing a brand-new tracking device. We’re initially testing in the pool for now, but we’ll be doing seawater and freshwater tests soon. We hope to be able to use the tracker on marine animals to make it easier for biologists to track them and hopefully protect the animals. We might also be able to use these trackers on divers.”

“To improve safety,” she said. “Sometimes divers get lost or left behind by accident, so this kind of technology would make it easier to rescue them.”

“That’s absolutely right,” August said with an approving smile. “You’ve done your homework.”

She had. As nervous as she was about this trip, she couldn’t help but be excited about this new acquisition. Blue Naught was doing a lot of important work, and she knew a company like this excited Simon the same way it did her.

Suddenly, Simon’s arm slid across her waist protectively, his hand landing on the small of her back. “Heather is one of our top employees. Your marketing strategy will be in good hands with her.”

His touch was probably inappropriate. Far too familiar for work, but she didn’t care. Her body welcomed it. Craved it. And his compliment sent a tingle through her body.

He was looking right at her. Appreciation and pride flashed in his eyes. He was staring at her as if in awe of her.

She was getting lost in the pools of his blue eyes, her heart fluttering at the way he was gazing at her. Like they were the only two people here.

August cleared his throat softly, making her pivot away from Simon.

They had to look professional. But that was so hard to do while her heart was thudding so loudly in her chest she was sure he could hear it.

“How about we step into my office,” August suggested. “We don’t have to have any serious discussions since I’m sure you must be tired, but I thought I could get you up to speed on what we’ve been working on recently.”

“Sounds great,” Simon said tightly, reminding her that he had never been good at meeting and networking with people.

August led them to his office and they spent the next hour talking about Blue Naught’s most recent developments and accomplishments. Heather tried her best to focus on maintaining a professional air even though she could still feel Simon’s heavy hand burning through the fabric of her blouse.

She kept reminding herself that all she had to do was focus on work. Focus and get through the day. Even if her body kept reacting to being so close to Simon after all this time apart, she was determined to get through the day without falling for his charms.

~~*~~

BY THE TIME THEY COMPLETED their business at Blue Naught headquarters, it was early afternoon. Simon invited August back to their luxury hotel to unwind and they ordered lunch by the hotel swimming pool.

The hotel was crawling with the rich and famous, and many of them were tanning themselves by the pool. With so many celebrities around, Simon knew he had no reason to fear being recognized. In L.A., the press wasn’t going to pay him one bit of attention. Not when movie stars and pop stars were running around.

While they ate their salmon, Simon watched as Heather chatted with August. Despite her shyness, she had always been good at connecting with people when the occasion called for it. She was doing brilliantly. Taking an interest in August’s work, telling him jokes, showing off how smart she was. He marveled at her ability to put powerful people at ease.

Linda had been right to suggest her, and he was glad he had managed to convince Heather to come. This would be a major boost for her career. The board might not like her presence in California at the moment, but he was confident in her abilities. If she kept up the good work, she’d change Everett’s mind in no time.

“So, Simon, how are things in Seattle?” August asked. “I’d love to know a little bit more about how Dover’s board operates.”

Simon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had stormed out of the conference room the day before and hadn’t heard a word from any of the board members. But he hadn’t told Heather about that. It wasn’t that he was deliberately keeping it from her. He just wasn’t sure how to broach the subject with her. Not to mention, even if he did explain the board meeting, he’d have to reveal that he was so in love with her he had basically threatened to let Dover crumble.

He still planned on winning her back. The only person who could stop him from that goal was Heather herself. And considering how she literally jumped when he touched her earlier in the afternoon, he knew that he had to be careful. If he went too fast, he was liable to scare her off. However, California was the perfect place to rekindle a romance with her and he wasn’t going to let the chance go.

“Well, the board is like most boards,” Simon said diplomatically.

“Stubborn and unreasonable?” August laughed.

“They definitely don’t see Blue Naught’s potential the way we do,” he said.

“Well, we’ve got Heather on our side. I’d say that’s a promising start.” August smiled at her, and she blushed in response.

Simon narrowed his eyes. He liked August, but he was going to like him a hell of a lot less if he kept looking at Heather that way. Jealousy wasn’t his style, but when it came to the woman he loved he could imagine himself punching August’s lights out.

She was going to be his, even if it killed him. Nobody but Heather could deny him his chance to have her. Not Dover’s board. Not Everett. Not the press. And certainly not August Spencer.

“It’s getting late,” Simon said, keeping his tone even. “We don’t want to keep you away from work any longer than we already have.”

August glanced at his watch. “You’re right, Simon. How about we meet at Blue Naught tomorrow morning? We can hammer out the last-minute details of the acquisition and Heather can share her ideas for the marketing campaign.”

“That sounds good,” Simon said. “I’ll call you before we leave, to confirm everything.”

“Excellent.” August got to his feet.

“Oh, August, let me show you out,” Heather said, reaching for her handbag. “I can make sure you get a taxi back to your office.”

August flashed her a smile. “That’s really nice of you, Heather, thanks.”

“I can show August out,” Simon offered. He didn’t want to reveal that he didn’t want August spending time alone with her. That would just make him look like he was out of his mind. Which he was. Realizing that he loved her had made him even more protective of her, if such a thing was possible.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll show August out and then I can go upstairs to get some rest. You can get a head start and go check out your room in the meantime.” She shoved her hand into her handbag and pulled out a room card and a slip of paper. “That’s your key and your room number. See you later.” With that, she walked away from the pool, laughing loudly at one of August’s jokes.

Simon’s hand balled up into a fist. This jealous reaction couldn’t be healthy. Deciding he needed to take a walk to shake off his annoyance, he got up and headed to the beach beyond the swimming pool.

The salty ocean air woke him up. Reminded him that he was going to fight for Heather even if the odds were against him. He was determined to show her that he was truly sorry for not trusting her. And if he was going to show her that he trusted her, he couldn’t go flying off the handle because some guy was flirting with her.

When he was sufficiently calm, he stepped off the beach and headed up to his room. The best thing to do now was take a shower and relax. Maybe as the evening wore on, he’d invite Heather to do something casual. If he played his cards right, he’d be able to thaw some of the ice around her heart.

With renewed optimism, he took the elevator upstairs and found his hotel room. He slid the key through the slot and swung the door open.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he spotted Heather dressed in nothing but a tiny towel.

She shrieked when she saw him and, suddenly, her towel slipped off.