The receptionist at the front desk smiled at them. “Welcome to the Central Cove Hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Diesel.”

Heather’s eyes widened. “What? We’re not together. At all.”

“We have separate rooms.” Simon rubbed his temple. They had only just walked up to the front desk at the hotel, yet he was already on the verge of a headache. The long drive out of Seattle had been without any mishaps, but it had been mentally taxing trying to keep things professional with Heather sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

The receptionist started typing away at the computer in front of her. “It says here that there’s one room for Mr. Diesel and a guest. I assumed—”

“How can there only be one room?” Heather demanded sharply. “I’m the one who made the room reservation. Mr. Diesel and I are here for the conference and we’re supposed to be in separate rooms.”

“I’m so sorry. There must have been a mix-up. It looks like the reservations were made last-minute, which might have added to the confusion.” The poor receptionist’s hands started shaking.

“It’s okay,” Simon said gently. “We’ll just take an additional available room.”

The receptionist went bright red, panic flashing in her eyes. “That’s just the problem, sir. We don’t have any additional rooms. All the rooms are booked because of the conference.”

Heather let out a loud groan. “You’re kidding me.”

“I can offer the room at a very reduced rate,” the receptionist said. “It’s the least we can do after we made such a huge error.”

“I knew something like this was going to happen,” Heather said through gritted teeth.

Simon sighed. “I don’t like this any more than you do, but we’re just going to have to make the best of it. I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.”

Heather jerked back, startled. She narrowed her eyes. “Fine.”

With that, she started to march away from the front desk, leaving him behind to deal with the rest of the arrangements for their room.

When they stepped into their room minutes later, Heather dropped her duffel bag onto the floor at the head of the bed. “I’m calling the bed for now. You can sleep on the couch.”

“That’s what I planned on doing anyway,” he said tightly. “I might not be the most social man in the world, but I still have my manners. The lady gets the bed. The gentleman takes the couch.” He paused. “We don’t have to be happy with this, but we can still be civil toward each other.”

She crossed her arms. Simon forced himself to look away, remembering that the sensation of Heather’s bare flesh beneath his fingertips was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Never to be repeated.

“Am I on the clock or off?” she asked.

His jaw clenched. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you should know,” she chided, her hazel eyes burning with a passion he still craved, “because I’m your assistant. And if we’re going to have to share a room, we need to establish a system here.”

“It’s five-thirty in the evening, Heather, so you’re off the clock,” he muttered. “Watch TV. Do whatever you want. Just go to bed early, because we need to be up at six tomorrow morning if we hope to get breakfast in time for the start of the conference.”

Heather stared. “You want to get up early, so you can get the free breakfast? You’re a billionaire—what do you need free food for?”

“Why would I spend money when I don’t have to?”

“Are you still cheap, Simon?” Her lips twitched. “Because you were cheap back when you were a normal person.”

“I’m still a normal person,” he insisted. If this situation was less uncomfortable he might have found her memory of him amusing. Most people around him hadn’t known him when he was younger. And even if they did, they’d never have the guts to bring up the past to his face the way Heather was now. His wealth had a way of making people hide their true feelings from him.

“No. You’re not. Your shoes cost, like, two thousand dollars,” she said. “And I’m pretty sure your car is some kind of million-dollar prototype that nobody else on the planet owns.”

“How could you know that?” He arched an eyebrow. “Come to think of it, you know a lot about me.”

“Do I?”

“You mentioned tabloid rumors about my...trysts, was it?” He crossed the room and took her small hand in his. Simon didn’t know why he did it. Maybe part of him wanted to soothe her. Make amends. It was clear that having to share a room with him was setting her on edge. Even if they hadn’t slept together, such an arrangement would have been nerve-wracking for any employee. “Have you been reading about me for all these years?”

She let out a breathless laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Heather lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry I got a little agitated earlier.”

“No need to apologize,” he said. “Neither of us wants to be stuck together like this.”

“Being here with you isn’t a punishment, Simon,” she said. “I know things are strange right now, but if I have to be awkwardly stuck with someone I’m glad it’s you.”

His hand cupped her chin, making her look up at him. “You shouldn’t talk like that,” he told her.

“We’re out of town,” she whispered. “Being in this room with you feels like fate. Like it was meant to be.”

“It was an accident. A mistake on the part of the hotel,” he said.

Heather shut her eyes, her body trembling. “Why do I want you? Why do you make it impossible to think clearly?”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we’re out of town,” she said, opening her eyes. “Away from Dover. Away from everyone who would judge us.” Her hand covered his, the gesture making him want more than a simple touch.

“You’re the one who wanted to put an end to what we started,” he reminded her. If he didn’t talk her out of this he was liable to repeat his mistakes. Repeat what they had done just days ago and make things between them even more complicated. More dangerous.

“And I have,” she said. “Put an end to everything. But what we do here won’t count, will it? We’re away from whatever it is that could stop us.”

“Heather, this is crazy—”

“Is it? Why fight it now that we’re alone together, far away from everything? Alone in a way we’ll probably never be again?” she asked. “Being here with you like this makes me want to do things I shouldn’t want to do.” She was breathing so hard that her chest was rising and falling, her breasts heaving.

What he wouldn’t do to get her out of her clothes and have his way with her again.

This was beyond insane. She had ended everything before it could get out of hand. Doing this again would destroy them both.

“We’ve already made this mistake,” he said.

“We have,” she conceded. “And since we’ve already made a mistake, what difference will it make if we make another?” She turned away, her back to him. “If you don’t want to do this, I understand. Crossing this boundary again is so dangerous. But I feel like, no matter how hard I try to keep away from you, everything else forces us together. The truth is, I wasn’t angry because I didn’t want to be stuck in a room with you. I was angry because I wanted it. And I was scared of wanting it.”

Simon reached for her, placing firm hands on her shoulders. He leaned forward, his lips right against her ear. “And I want this, too. That’s the problem. I want you so much I can hardly stand it. Being near you all the time, but not being able to touch you...”

She was shivering. “If you could have me one last time, would you take me?”

Simon shut his eyes. Then cursed himself for the one word he was about to say. “Yes.”

Heather’s hands were already reaching towards the zipper at the back of her dress. “Get me out of this.”

He tugged at the zipper, pulling it down until her back was exposed to him. Her pale skin was so inviting. So enticing that all he wanted to do was kiss across the expanse of her creamy skin. “Is this what you want?”

“You?” She inhaled sharply. “Yes. You are what I want. Right here. Right now.”

Simon knew that she meant it. Heather was only interested in being with him in the moment. Afterwards, she’d push him away again. End things. Maybe even act like nothing had happened. This hot and cold between them should have infuriated him, but it only intrigued him. Made him crave her like a drug. The tabloids might have thought he was mysterious, but it was Heather who was the real mystery. The real puzzle that couldn’t be solved, because it wasn’t meant to be.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her tightly as he planted a kiss on her neck.

A soft moan escaped her throat and she leaned back against him. Slowly, he kissed down her neck until he came to her shoulder. There was too much between them. He needed her out of her clothes.

He pulled his arms from her and started to slide her dress off, the fabric pooling at her feet.

Heather glanced over her shoulder at him, biting her lip coyly. Seductively. She was so demanding, and yet still so innocent. It was that combination that drove him wild.

Stepping out of her dress, she turned to face him. She kicked her shoes off, now down to nothing but her underwear. And her glasses.

He paused, stopping to gaze at her. There it was again. That combination of sensuality and prim innocence. Simon pulled off her glasses and stared deep into her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she breathed.

He swallowed. “If you could see what I see, you’d never want to leave this room.”

Her full pink lips curved up into a smile, hot desire burning in her golden eyes. “Then you’ll have to keep me here as long as possible.” She reached to unhook her bra and let it fall away.

But before he could get a good view of her breasts she undid her bun, letting the auburn waves of her hair cascade down her shoulders and cover her chest.

That brief glimpse of her pink nipples wasn’t going to be enough for him. He needed to see her body. And he knew he would never get tired of seeing every line, every curve. Just looking at her was a pleasurable experience.

Looking was only made more pleasurable as she slipped out of her panties, the red lace sliding down her long legs.

His heart was pounding so fast it felt like it might actually explode out of his chest. “Can you see me without your glasses?”

“I can see you perfectly,” she said. “I just can’t read without them, but we’re not going to be reading, now, are we?”

“No, we aren’t,” he forced out. He set her glasses down on the night table by the bed. Simon watched as she climbed onto the bed. And then, with her hazel eyes locked on his, she wantonly spread her legs.

The sight of her glistening, bare flesh turned his mind to a fog. The erotic sight was going to ruin him before he even had a chance to touch her. He groaned. “Heather—”

“Come here,” she commanded. “Get into bed with me.”

He was one of the most powerful men on earth, yet here he was, at the mercy of his assistant. All he wanted to do was worship her. Reward her for awakening something in him he thought had been put to sleep years ago.

Wealth and his work made him powerful but handing over control excited him. He was rock-hard and all he wanted to do was bury himself inside Heather. “Let me get my clothes off,” he choked out.

“No. Forget about your clothes.” she said sharply. “There are condoms in the side pocket of my duffel bag. Get one and put it on.”

Fuck. Had she been planning to seduce him this whole time? Lust was already overriding good sense. The alarm bells going off in his head didn’t matter.

Without a second thought, Simon reached into the duffel bag to retrieve the condom and moments later, unbuttoned his pants, whipped out his throbbing erection and put on the condom.

When he got into the bed with her she let out a breathy sigh. “Are you ready for me?”

“Yes.” He reached up to rub her supple thigh, enjoying the sensation of her silky skin underneath his fingertips. “Are you ready for me?”

Heather licked her lips. “You know I am.”

As he got into position between her legs, his heart squeezed at the sight of her. She was going to be totally naked under him while he still had on all of his clothes. This was crazy. He was so desperate to have her that he didn’t even give a damn if he had all his clothes on.

Her long legs wrapped around his hips and she guided him into her. When he thrust into her wetness, the pleasure was so overwhelming he thought he might climax right then and there.

He rocked into her, a cry escaping her throat.

She held on to him, her hands gripping his hair as he pounded into her.

Heather moaned. “Yes.” Her grip on his hair tightened as he pleasured her, and her wanton response to him made him thrust into her harder. Faster.

Pleasure slammed through him so hard he fisted the sheets. There was a whole world beyond this room, but he didn’t give a damn about any of it. Heather was the only thing he craved. The only thing that sustained him.

A long, ragged groan escaped his throat and each powerful stroke into her brought him closer to euphoria.

He could feel her spasming around him. Heather was already on the edge and he was going to send her over it. Give her the same pleasure she was giving him. With her entire body writhing beneath him, he thrust into her until her breathless moans turned into desperate whimpers. When she let out a cry he knew that she had climaxed, and he went right over the edge with her, the orgasm taking away what was left of his breath.

His lips brushed against her damp forehead as he kissed her. “You are perfect.”

She laughed softly. “So are you.”

He rolled off her and closed his eyes for a second, fighting his exhaustion because he wanted to talk to her. Wanted to tell her how good she made him feel. But it was too late. The darkness crept into his vision, and he was already falling into a sleep filled with dreams of Heather.