Should I duck out the back door?

I was almost finished, and the relief was overwhelming. If I hadn’t been in some strange man’s private office, I probably would have laid on the bed and taken a nap. Of course I couldn’t, plus I had to get Zoe from Hazel’s house. It sure was tempting, though. My breasts still ached, and I was exhausted. But I did feel a little better now that I’d pumped an enormous amount of milk.

Another few minutes and I was done. I packed everything back in my tote and gingerly put my bra and dress back on. My chest was still sore, but it was manageable now, unlike before.

Again, I took another long look at the door beyond the kitchenette. It had to lead to the hallway. But I couldn’t do that. That man had offered me his own personal space. He hadn’t had to do that. I’d barged into his personal space. Hard to believe that the vast room over there was someone’s office, but I’d always known that Hollister Holdings was a very profitable and successful company—that’s why I’d wanted to work here. I guess they could afford to provide upper management with palatial offices and private suites.

It would be rude to sneak out without thanking him. Rude, yes, but easier. It had been so humiliating before. To stand there almost naked in front of him. No man had seen my body in over a year, and no one except my doctor had seen it since I’d given birth. During my half year at home with Zoe, I’d exercised regularly, though I still didn’t look like I had before I got pregnant. Briefly, I flashed on that gorgeous white gown I’d worn at the ball. My waist would likely never be that small again. I remembered the way Zorro had put his hands above my hips, his fingers nearly touching, thanks to the tight corset.

Thoughts of him always filled me with longing, and I didn’t have time tonight. I needed to thank that man out there and then go pick up my baby.

Resolutely, I moved to the door and pulled it open, dodging instinctively when a hand shot out toward my head.

“Sorry!” he said, drawing back quickly. “I just wanted to see if you were okay. Almost knocking you out was not my intention.”

“I’m okay,” I said, staring at the ground, the doorframe, the knuckles on his hand he’d been about to knock with. Anywhere but his face. I couldn’t look at him, not after he’d seen me like that before.

A blush rose on my cheeks again—or perhaps it had never left as I stared down at his shiny black shoes. In my humiliation before, I hadn’t been focused much on his appearance, but now, for some reason, my brain was reminding me of how good he’d looked in his dark suit. Only the lower half was visible, but even his long legs looked good.

But was I being rude, not looking at him, right? After his initial shock, he’d been kind, and I shouldn’t repay that kindness with rudeness now. So I should try, at least, to look him in the eye. And—okay, maybe I was a little curious to see what the rest of him looked like again.

I looked up at him. And up, and up. Wow, he was tall. When my gaze settled on his face, with the endlessly deep brown eyes peering down at me, the stubble lining his jaw, and the hint of a smile tugging at a corner of his mouth, the full effect hit me. The man was gorgeous. And trying not to grin. “What is it?” I asked.

“I’m not having the best luck opening doors tonight. I may need to install peepholes if you’re going to stick around, Ms. Jenkins.”

So he’d looked me up. Now he had a name to match the face—as well as other assorted body parts he’d seen of me. A flush warmed my face. This hot-as-hell man had seen me practically naked. Which made it ridiculous that he was calling me by my last name. “It’s Penny.”

“Blake,” he said. His grin widened. “If I say it was nice to meet you, I’d probably get in trouble for being inappropriate in the workplace. So how about this: welcome to the company.”

“Thank you,” I said. Mortification still pervaded my every cell, but there was no getting around the fact that he was incredibly nice to look at. Yeah, I was probably staring, but it was my turn. He’d done enough staring earlier. Try as I might, I couldn’t keep from noticing the way he filled out his suit. His biceps strained the fabric of his suit coat, and the few inches of bare skin I could see at his neckline promised to lead to a very chiseled chest.

Pulling my eyes away, I looked beyond him at his office. A blue tie was wadded up on his desk. Somehow I liked that. He wore that suit like an Italian fashion model, but it was endearing that he’d shed the tie as soon as he’d gotten here. But admiring this devastatingly handsome man was definitely not what I was supposed to be doing. Hazel was amazing with Zoe, but it had been a long day. She must be getting tired, especially since my little girl seemed to get an extra burst of energy this time of the day.

“Thank you, Blake. For letting me use your suite. I don’t think I could have made it all the way to the lactation room.”

A quick frown passed over his features, and then a pleasant, professional smile returned to his face. “I’m glad I could help.”

“I’ve got to go pick up my daughter now, but it was very nice to meet you.”

“You too, Ms. Jen—I mean Penny.”

God, I loved the way his deep, rumbly voice said my name. But I’d already embarrassed myself enough in front of him tonight—standing here drooling over him was probably not the best career move. Still, I took an extra twenty seconds. He was clearly high up in the company, and in a different department. Who knew when I’d see him again? So I took a mental snapshot—several actually—thanked him again, and left.

I was eager to cuddle my sweet baby, eager to spend two whole days with her, eager to enjoy the weekend after a long first week at work.

But as I left, I had to be honest with myself. I couldn’t quite get the image of Blake out of my mind… and I couldn’t help wondering when I might see him again. Not that I was interested. He was clearly upper management at the company where I worked. He was gorgeous and completely out of my league. And most importantly—he wasn’t Zorro, the man I longed for with all my heart.

Still, throughout the evening as I chatted with Hazel and cuddled my baby girl, I couldn’t help the way the image of Blake flashed across my mind.

More than once.