Hot in the City 2: Sin City (26 page)

Chapter Ten

Diana’s jaw dropped.

“Baltimore experienced a computer crash yesterday and everything specific to East Coast advertising was lost,” Adrianna went on. “I’ve officially reamed out everyone in IT who did not have proper back-ups of this material, and I apologize, Miss Marsh, that the brunt of rebuilding it will fall on you and the rest of your department in Baltimore. Richard tells me the department has multiple upcoming deadlines with a number of fashion magazines and relevant newspapers and they need you back if they hope to get the material in place on time for fall advertising. I apologize, too, for putting you in the position of around-the-clock work, first on this project and now on the ad retrieval, but I’ll personally see to it that your hard work and dedication is rewarded.”

Diana barely knew what to say as the ramifications—both professional and personal—began to sink in. The only thing that came to her mind to utter was, “What about the catalog? It’s not done yet.”

“I’ve been following your progress and it’s my belief that you’ve gotten the team back on track. Although I wish you could finish the project you’ve done such excellent work on these past days, you’re simply needed more in Baltimore. And I have faith in our team here to complete the revisions using what they’ve learned since your arrival.”

“All right,” she said, feeling rather adrift and helpless, considering how valuable Adrianna was telling her she was. “Um…when do I leave?”

“I have your plane ticket right here.” Adrianna handed her an envelope. “Your flight is at two, but given that you’ll need time to pack and also get to the airport early because it’s a weekend, I’d recommend you return to the hotel within the hour.”

The whirlwind news had literally left Diana breathless. “Uh…okay.”

“And if you don’t mind, Miss Marsh, I’d like to see you in the hallway for a moment.”

Diana drew in her breath and, without a chance to even contemplate what else Adrianna might have to say to her, she got up and followed her out into the hall, pulling the conference room door shut behind her.

Turning, she found Adrianna peering into her eyes, her blue gaze thoughtful and penetrating. She took both of Diana’s hands in hers. Glancing down, Diana noticed they were as perfectly manicured as usual. “I just want to tell you, Miss Marsh, that I’ve sincerely enjoyed having you here these past few days—both professionally and socially—and I’m sorry you’ll be leaving us so soon. I meant what I said about the quality of your work and how much I appreciate your dedication. You
will
be compensated.”

Still, Diana remained flabbergasted. “Well, thank you, Adrianna. I’ve enjoyed it, too, on both levels. It’s been a pleasure to spend time with the woman who built Adrianna, Inc. into the company it is today.”

Adrianna’s smile was one of the warmest Diana had ever witnessed from her. “Thank you…Diana,” she said, finally using her first name. Something in the gesture touched Diana, making her feel that perhaps she’d advanced beyond mere employee to Adrianna, even past mere sexual liaison, into a place of mutual respect. “And should you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call me personally. I mean that.”

Before Diana could summon a response, her boss turned and walked down the carpeted corridor, away from her.

Exhaustion from the action-packed week finally caught up with her, and she turned to lean back against the wall, releasing a huge breath. She was leaving. Going home. Leaving Marc. Already.

He was the best, most giving, and at the same time most powerful lover she’d ever had. And more than being her lover, their extreme intimacies had also made him something else to her, something she couldn’t exactly put a name on, but she cared for him, and leaving him—now, today—sounded like impossible, heartbreaking torture.

Of course, it was her own fault—she’d known from the start she shouldn’t let herself get too close to him, and she’d done it anyway. She’d let him inside her soul. And now she would pay for it.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and peeked inside. “Marc, can I see you out here?” Damn it, she felt like she was going to cry.

Stop it
, she commanded herself.
You’re a strong, capable woman, and you do not cry over a man you only met in person five days ago.

By the time he stepped out into the hall, she had hold of her emotions.

“So,” he said softly, “this is it. Already.”

She tried for a smile. “My thoughts exactly. I’m not really, um, ready to go.”

He looked into her eyes, his brown gaze deep and intense. “I’m not ready to
let
you go, sweetheart.”

She bit her lip, glanced down at her shoes, forced her eyes back to his dark, handsome face. “Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s up to us. I know you’re probably headed to Paris, but me, I’m a company woman. I intend to have a long, thriving career at Adrianna, Inc., so…that means I do what I have to do to make that happen.”

He took her hands. “Do you know how much I admire that about you?”

She shook her head, swallowed back her emotions.

“It’s something I noticed about you right away, the first few times we spoke on the phone. I could tell you felt passionately about Adrianna, Inc., and…well, I supposed I wished
I
felt that passionately about something. Maybe that’s why I’m going to Paris. To find that one thing, that special something that makes me want to sacrifice myself for it. You inspire me that way.”

She simply gazed up into his eyes, amazed at all he saw in her.

“So even though there’s a part of me that’s tempted to ask you to stay, to even ask you to blow off Bradley and quit caring what your parents think of you, I can’t do it. Because you’re a determined woman and you always know what you want and you always go after it. I’d hate myself if I tried to change that in you.”

Diana couldn’t keep from throwing her arms around his neck and drawing him into a hard kiss. His arms closed around her waist and after the kiss ended, they held each other, long and firm and intense, a hug she never wanted to end.

“Let me take you to the airport,” he said softly in her ear.

But she shook her head. “It’ll be easier if we say goodbye here.”

He didn’t argue, apparently recognizing the truth in her statement.

“Will you tell the guys, and on Monday, Holly, that I said bye? I…just don’t think I’m up for going back in that room right now.”

He nodded, pulling her tight against him again, and she wondered if he was feeling the finality of their relationship the same way she was. A few minutes ago, they were teasing each other about sex, laughing about the idea of putting chocolate on his cock for her, and now she was never going to see him again? It seemed impossible, but it was true.

“I’ll miss you,” she said, thinking it was the understatement of the century. “And…you’ll let me know about Paris, right?”

“Of course. I mean, we’ll still talk on the phone. I’m sure I’ll still have a million questions for you about the catalog and other marketing issues.”

She nodded, yet said, “This coming couple of weeks, though, I’ll be swamped with putting our ad material back together, so…I might not be able to chat, you know?”

He nodded, looking sad.

“God, I hate this,” she told him.

“Me, too.”

And she knew if she stood there much longer, she’d give up everything—her parents, her career, everything that was important to her—just to stay in this man’s arms and bed for a little while longer. So she took his face between her hands, gave him a firm, sweet kiss, and said, “I have to go. Now. I’m sorry,” then turned and practically sprinted up the hallway.

* * * * *

Marc ambled to the refrigerator, only to find that his milk had gone bad. Great. One more little annoyance to add to his fluctuating emotions. God, he was tired. Physically. In his head. In his heart. He swallowed back the pain, but couldn’t deny his sense of devastation after having Diana walk out of his life as quickly as she’d walked into it. He couldn’t believe he was suddenly without her.

He wasn’t sure how the hell such feelings had grabbed hold of him. He’d been having fun with her, a good time, enjoying her company and the sex, and somehow it had turned into this searing pain in his chest now that she was gone.

What day was it? Damn it, with all this work—and play—he’d lost track.

Sunday, he remembered. It was Sunday morning, and one of the reasons he felt so disjointed and out of it was that he hadn’t slept at all, tossing and turning all night. He’d spent last night lying on the couch, watching nothing in particular on TV. There were women he could have called, or guys he could have gotten together and gone out with, but he just hadn’t wanted to. He couldn’t remember a time in his adulthood when he’d felt that way without being physically ill. He was a party guy and it took a lot to keep him down. Guess that meant Diana qualified as “a lot”. To say the least. She was everything he wanted.

When the phone rang, he flinched. Who the hell was calling him this early on a Sunday morning?

Then it hit him. Could it be her? He snatched it up. “Hello.”

“Marc, zis iz Jacques.” His contact in Paris.

He cleared his throat, tried to wake up, or at least sound like it. “Jacques, it’s good to hear from you.”

“Even better, I’ll wager, when I give you ze news. Ze job is yours.”

He felt his eyes bolt open, his skin prickling. He’d practically forgotten about Paris, about the reality of it. It had become like a long series of phone calls that had no end, but now, here it was—and he felt surprisingly empty, blank. He struggled for something to say. “Oh. Wow.”

“We’re very pleased to have you on ze Briolet International team.” Jacques went on to say that Briolet owned a corporate apartment on the West Bank where he could reside until he found his own place. He asked Marc to call him back with an arrival date once he got his affairs in the States in order, adding, “Ze sooner ze better.”

Marc hung up the phone with a knot in his stomach.

What the hell…?

This was what he’d wanted. Wasn’t it?

Lowering himself into a chair at his kitchen table, he couldn’t shake the melancholy surrounding him. He was supposed to be excited about this, yet he wasn’t, not at all.

He couldn’t help thinking that Paris sounded a world away from Diana.

But then again, so was Vegas, now.

He ran his hands back through sleep-rumpled hair, then pushed to his feet. Hell, what was he hesitating for? This
was
what he’d wanted, after all—what he’d wanted for a long while now. As he’d told her yesterday, it was a chance for him to find something he felt passionately about, and what single guy wouldn’t want the chance to live in Paris for a while? It truly
was
a dream come true.

And it was just what he needed to get his mind off Diana.

* * * * *

Diana yawned, wiped her tired eyes, and tried to focus on the notes she was making—what the hell had that ad copy said before it was lost? Something about Adrianna, Inc. being for every woman…
every woman you are
…?

Damn it, she couldn’t remember. Then again, it was Sunday night, darkness had just fallen outside her office window, and that meant she’d spent nearly twenty-four hours, minus one little catnap on the couch in Richard’s office, silently toiling away to rebuild files and reconstruct ad copy and graphics.

But her energy was fading fast. And she was painfully conscious of missing Marc. Despite the strength she’d been so determined to show when they’d said goodbye, she’d cried before ever getting to the airport, and she’d cried again on the plane.

She could barely understand it herself. He was a great guy, sure, but how had she fallen so hard for him so fast? Of course, they’d been getting to know each other for months on the phone, but…God, he understood her so well. He let her be who she was and he seemed to accept the real her—the bad her, the good her, whichever
her
happened to be on display at any particular moment. There was no pretense with him. No trying to be something she wasn’t, like with Bradley.

Maybe he was right and she was making a huge mistake by planning to marry Bradley in order to please her parents. She’d barely thought of Bradley while she’d been in Sin City fucking another man, not to mention a number of the man’s friends. And she hadn’t even bothered to call him to say she was back.

She’d told herself that was because she was so rushed and would be so busy for the next week or two, and also because they were officially broken up at the moment, but she knew in her heart it was really because she’d enjoyed being away from him and just hadn’t wanted to hear his chipper, yuppie voice, the very sound of which somehow urged her to put on an act, be someone she wasn’t.

And maybe…maybe she’d also made a big mistake leaving Marc if she felt this strongly about him.

Maybe…she should call him, tell him—tell him she’d ditch Adrianna, Inc. and come back to him this very minute if he wanted her to.

Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that someone as exhausted as she was couldn’t make rational decisions, she decided she needed a distraction. From Adrianna, Inc.
and
Marc. And what better distraction existed than e-mail? Laying down her pencil, she turned to her laptop and clicked to check it.