Ana came to halt in the doorway as her gaze locked with Eric's. The look in his eyes was almost apologetic; it was only then she realized there were men sitting on either side of him—two to his left, and one on his right.

He cleared his throat as he stood. "Ms. Thompson," he said with a nod. "Please. Come in."

Ana swallowed past the anxious lump that had suddenly formed in her throat as she stepped hesitantly forward. She flinched at the sound of the door closing behind her.

"Won't you have a seat?" Eric requested.

Though he'd posed it as a question, it was clear that his words were a demand. She strode forward and sat down directly across from him. The woman who'd accompanied her up here, Callie, took a seat at the head of the long table; a pad of paper and a pen were already waiting there for her. Ana couldn't help but feel like a lamb who'd just been led to slaughter.

She looked up at him, her eyes following him as he sat back down. He looked to the man on his left and nodded curtly, urging him to begin.

"Ms. Thompson, the reason for our meeting today is to discuss your employment status with Miller Enterprises Holding's," he informed her.

"OK," Ana said cautiously.

"We've decided to disregard your previous contract—"

It didn't take long for his words to register, and Ana's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry," she interrupted. "Am I being fired?"

"No," Eric said firmly.

She turned her gaze to him. "But I don't have a contract," she pointed out.

"You will," he assured her.

Ana's brows drew together in confusion, but before she could voice any more concerns, the same man who'd spoken before continued. "Due the nature of your personal relationship with Mr. Miller, we thought it would be prudent to start anew."

Heat rose to her cheeks, and Ana had to grit her teeth to keep from chewing on her bottom lip. Her palms had been resting on the table, but she pulled her hands down by her sides, her fists clenching and unclenching as she felt her anger rising.

"Of course," she agreed weakly.

"Therefore," the man continued as he slid the contract in front of him across the table until it was in front of her. "We've drafted a new contract. It is identical to the first one you signed, Ms. Thompson."

"Except that it will have today's date on it," Eric clarified.

"It's imperative that you not feel pressured into signing this contract," one of the other men added. "All employees of Miller Enterprises Holdings are here because they've chosen to be, Ms. Thompson, and we want to make it clear that that includes you as well."

Ana's eyes dropped to the contract in front of her; she barely glanced at it before returning her gaze to Eric. "Could we speak alone?" she asked in a near whisper.

"Yes," Eric answered instantly.

"Mr. Miller, I would advise against—"

"Should I need you, you will be right outside the door," Eric cut in harshly. Everyone else in the room rushed to leave, and Ana waited until she heard the door closed to look at him once again.

Eric was surprised by the wounded look in her eyes and realized then how imperative it was for her to understand his position. "Ana—"

His words halted when she stood up and walked slowly toward the windows overlooking the city. She was standing with her back to him, but he could tell from the rise and fall of her shoulders that she was struggling for composure. "For God's sake, Eric," she asked, her voice thick with emotion. "Why didn't you just tell them we were sleeping together?"

He felt his jaw begin to tick as she turned around and settled her accusing glare on him. "But we're not sleeping together, Ana. You made that abundantly clear when you stormed my offices and informed me you'd be seeking prospects for that particular activity elsewhere," he said softly.

"You're just not going to be content until you've humiliated me, are you?" she asked.

"This isn't about you," he informed her.

"Then what is it about?" she demanded, her voice rising with her anger.

"It's about the forty thousand people who work for me," he answered honestly. Her penetrating stare urged him to clarify. "Forty thousand people are going to wake up tomorrow morning, Ana, and they're going to come to work because of me. Families are going to have food on the table because of me. Mortgages are going to be paid because of me, and what I do for my company."

"I don't understand what that has to do with—"

"When you blew into my office, you were obviously appalled at the idea of working for me. You seem to be under the assumption that the only reason you have this job is because I've had you. This meeting today is to rid you of that misconception. To assure you that you've been offered this opportunity because you have the qualifications for it. You may not have the experience, Ana, but you have the degree. And Miller Enterprises Holding's has the tools to help you put that degree to use. The purpose of this meeting, Ana, is to make sure I'm not slapped with a sexual harassment suit somewhere down the line," he said heatedly.

Ana's jaw dropped at his admission. "You think I'd…?" Her voice trailed off as his words fully sunk in.

"Ana, I don't know what to think," he confessed. "I don't know you well enough to make any assumptions." He ran a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath. "The truth is, being around you and maintaining my common sense are not two things that go hand in hand for me. And quite frankly, I find that disconcerting. That's why I have a team of lawyers. When I can't think clearly, I count on them to do it for me. I'm sorry you didn't like this; my intent was not to humiliate you in any way. It was merely a provision to keep my company and all who depend on it safe."

Everything he'd just said had sent her head spinning. He couldn't think clearly around her? The notion was absurd. She thought she'd had the market cornered on senselessness when they were in a room together. Suddenly she felt ashamed. She'd been blaming him for the mistakes she was making as if he should have been the one with the clear head, but he'd just admitted she had the same effect on him.

And when he'd tried to protect his company, everything he'd worked so hard for, she'd thought it was all to embarrass her. When had she become so pompous?

She took a deep breath and swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Do you have a pen?"

________________________________________

Eric had called his lawyers back in when Ana had agreed to sign the contract, and now that the room had cleared again, he slumped in his chair with a relieved sigh.

"Holy fuck," he breathed as he dragged a hand through his hair.

The day had started with him having no idea whether or not he'd ever see Ana again. He'd taken a big risk pulling her in here, but it was essential for her to know that this was on her own terms. He didn't want her to resent him because of the circumstances.

He'd covered all of his bases, of course. His contact at Jackson, Inc. had assured him they'd still be willing to hire Ana if she decided not to sign with Miller Enterprises Holding's after all, and they'd make sure she remained in Seattle as previously agreed.

After spending the last few days reflecting on all of his interactions with her, it was no wonder he made Ana feel the way she did. She was a virgin when he'd first taken her to bed, for God's sake, and he'd been treating her like a blow up doll ever since. Even he found his lack of restraint with her sickening, but this was a problem he hadn't encountered since he was a young man. She drove him absolutely crazy with need, and he found her nearly impossible to resist.

If he had any hope of convincing her he viewed her as more than a casual affair, he was going to have to do something he'd never done before. He was going to have to learn how to date. And damn it all to hell, the only person he knew who could help him was Elliot.

This was going to be a bitch.