Page 12 of Discretion

“Jasper,” Sloan said, and her tone made it seem as if it wasn’t the first time she’d said my name.

“Mm.” I jerked my attention to her.

She inclined her head toward Halle. “Don’t be shy.”

I tried not to laugh. I was definitely not shy, especially not when it came to the woman standing before me. But I wasn’t sure where Halle and I stood, and I was trying to be professional, when my thoughts were anything but.

“Yes. Of course.” I stepped forward, smiling as I offered Halle my hand when all I really wanted to do was pull her in for a hug.I am so fucked.“Halle. It’s good to see you.” And I meant it.

She placed her hand in mine, a jolt of electricity shooting up my arm. I could smell her signature scent—roses and something warm and grounding, almost like sunshine.Maybe ylang-ylang?I wondered, thinking back to all the scent profiles I’d tested when trying to develop the Huxley Grand signature candle line. The tropical flower had always been one of my favorites.

What was probably only seconds felt like a lifetime, but Irelived so many memories in that moment. Emotions flitting through me like photos in an album. Happiness. Passion. Regret. Longing.

I’d missed her. God, how I’d missed her. Her smart mouth. The way she looked at me.

Well, not how she was looking at me now.

Right now, she was looking at me with something akin to disinterest bordering on disdain. I released her hand, remembering we weren’t alone. Hoping I hadn’t done anything to arouse suspicion. We’d kept our relationship a secret for this long, and I wasn’t going to blow it now.

What would be the point anyway? I clenched my fists at my sides.

We were done. It was over.

She’d made that clear before, and she was making it abundantly clear now. And the fact that she could stand there and face me with no reaction whatsoever merely confirmed it. I inhaled slowly and tried to let it out calmly.

All these months of wondering if she ever thought of me. If she missed me. Still wanted me.

Ha!Clearly, I was the only one still hung up on her.

I turned and headed for my seat, suddenly desperate to be done with this meeting. I couldn’t completely avoid Halle, but I could sure as shit use my own chief of staff to run interference so as to minimize our interactions.

I sighed, remembering that I had no chief of staff and my current assistant was a temp who wasn’t particularly adept at her job. If only I’d been able to convince Darla to return.

Graham joined us via video, and the meeting began. I tried to pay attention. I did. But throughout the meeting, my eyes kept straying to Halle.

She was killing me.Itwas killing me—knowing that she was so close, and yet I’d never felt the distance between us so keenly.

Before our fling, we’d been friends or at least on friendly terms. And every year when I’d gone to London so Sloan could take her annual sailing trip, Halle and I had worked together without incident. But last summer, everything had changed.

Halle gripped my tie, wrapping it around her wrist and tugging me forward until my lips met hers. Her kiss was passionate and needy. And fuck…I was right there with her.

Right. Fucking. There.

She hastily unbuttoned my shirt, her lips swollen. Hair mussed. “Why do you have on so many clothes?”

“Why do you?” I smirked, tugging at the zipper on the back of her dress.

I stripped off my suit jacket and tie, desperate to give her exactly what she wanted. But I also wanted to take things slow. To savor her and what little time we had left together.

It wasn’t enough. I wasn’t sure it would ever be enough. I was in over my head.

She finished with the buttons on my shirt and shoved the material down over my shoulders. I yanked it off and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed. And then I helped her out of her dress.

Fuck me. She was gorgeous. Standing there waiting for me in that sheer bra, her nipples poking through the material. Matching black thong and sky-high black heels.

She moved to kick off her shoes, but I shook my head. “Leave them on.”

Nate cleared his throat,and I jerked my attention away from Halle, feeling as if I’d been caught. Everyone was looking at me expectantly, including Leith.