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five of us stand to leave the room, the four of them making small talk as we mosey towards the door I can’t get out of soon enough. Emerson leads the way out, followed by Mr. Thompson, Jae, and myself, while Madden brings up the rear. His closeness sends my senses into high alert as I pray he doesn’t speak to me directly again. Just before I step out into freedom, he grabs my hand and pulls me back into the conference room.
    “We’ll be right out,” he informs the other three, who all look back at us curiously before the door closes, separating us from them.
    Startled by the entire chain of events, I’m frozen in place, staring at him with bewilderment.
    “Have dinner with me tonight, Blake,” he demands—not asks—as he turns to face me.
    “Excuse me?” I choke out. I’m not sure I’ve heard him correctly.
    “Have dinner with me tonight,” he repeats, stepping closer to me while still holding my hand in his. He strokes his thumb over my ring finger. “You obviously aren’t married, so tell your boyfriend you have a business dinner. I can pick you up at your office when you get off.”
    Swallowing hard, I shake my head and pull my hand free. “No, I’m sorry, sir. I can’t.”
    “Of course you can, and you will. I’ll let Mr. Thompson know I want to discuss the project with you in more detail. I heard your coworker speak about it plenty today, but I want to hear your thoughts.” He closes what’s left of the gap between us; our chests are nearly touching, and every nerve-ending in my body is begging for contact, despite my brain’s silent plea for him to retreat. Placing his hand under my chin, he lifts my head so I’m staring directly into his eyes. “And it’s Madden. There will be a time and a place you can call me Sir , but we aren’t there… yet .”
    “I’ll pick you up at six. Wear exactly what you have on,” he pauses to tenderly swipe his thumb over the tattered part of my lip, his stare glued to my mouth, “and we’ll discuss this.”
    Then he walks out the door, leaving the room spinning wildly around me as I struggle to find my breath.

M R . T HOMPSON , J AE , AND I walk to his car in silence. I’ve no idea what they’re thinking, but my thoughts are twisting and twirling so rapidly in my mind I’m not sure what in the world just happened. As soon as we are in the privacy of his vehicle, they both turn around from the front seat and look at me inquisitively, waiting for me to say something. I stare back at them blankly, unsure of what exactly to tell them.
    “Well? What did he say?” Jae finally asks. “You can’t just leave us hanging.”
    “Um, well, he said that he wanted to hear more of my thoughts about the project,” I answer, partially telling the truth.
    Mr. Thompson smiles brightly and turns around to start the engine. “Oh, well that’s terrific,” he beams. “I think they were extremely impressed with you two.”
    “Mhmm, I think they were too,” Jae agrees. Her almond-shaped eyes are still fixed on me; her look tells me she knows there’s more to the story than I’m admitting, but thankfully, she doesn’t ask anything else.
    The remainder of the drive back to our office, the two of them discuss how to implement the next phase of development, while I slump against the backseat wondering how in the hell I’m going to get out of this dinner. War breaks out within me as the reasonable and rational part of my brain quarrels with the sensual and carnal side—a portion I thought was all but dead. However, after one simple look, a brush of the hand, and a few spoken words by Madden Decker, it’s apparently alive and well, perhaps just a little dusty.
    By the time we arrive in Burbank, I decide I don’t have much choice other than to go tonight, especially if I want JDT Graphics to stay on as a consultant for Decker Enterprises, but I will view it strictly as a business dinner, and not allow my recently-wakened sexual imagination to run away with me.