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"Thanks, you look beautiful too, I… Ia business dinner like my senior prom, and I just told my boss that he looked beautiful Please table, open up and s rin, Jason replied, "I liked the beautiful comment best"

Eht?" She reached for her purse and pulled out a small notebook and pen then looked at Jason expectantly

"Let’s wait on business until after dinner, shall we?" asked Jason "It’s been a very long day, and I could use so the signs of fatigue around his eyes He always y see to wear on hi after he left the office than anyone are

Tenderness flickered to life in her chest as she gently said, "That sounds great; I know youbetter than putting a deal together, but this particular one has co my life I look forward to a much-needed break after this closes"

"When do you think that will be?" asked Claire

"Within the next fewany other last minute issues," replied Jason

"That rean Claire aardly, "I asked Suzy about this weekend and she… already has plans"

Jason smiled as he picked up on the hesitation in her voice and said, "Told you no way, huh?"

A laugh sputtered out of Claire as she said, "You really do know Suzy well don’t you?"

"Yes and I’raphic than you’re letting on"

"After her recent breakup, I don’t think she’s ready to get back out there again yet," said Claire Plus she thinks Grayson is a tight ass and not in a good way

"Grayson does seeuy and will be in the office quite a lot after the er"

With a smile, Claire said, "He see would ever cos have happened so let’s leave it to fate, shall we?" The waiter delivered their lasagna and a basket of fresh bread, and soon they were both enjoying theirit harder to remember this wasn’t a date

~~~

Jason looked across the table at Claire as she laughed and picked the fork up from her lap Mishaps did seem to follow her wherever she went First, she’d arrived for dinner with her toe bandaged and was painfully hobbling towards the door when he reached her in the parking lot and nohen gesturing with her fork while talking, she’d somehow flipped it fro it in her lap

She called it bad fortune; he called it endearing It was obvious she was quite used to the frequent h the years God, she looks so beautiful and sexy tonight He had seldo with color in it and the blue dress she earing seemed to make her sparkle; her eyes were luminous Her tanned shoulders had felt smooth and soft when he had put his arm around the, and he was again grateful for a tablecloth covering his groin

This whole dinner thing was probably awhen he had seen her sitting there at her desk, s up at him with those beautiful soft lips Before he knew it, the invitation had been issued He was daer by now If they could just get the sex out of the way, he would be able to breathe again, to focus They were both adults so hatever was between them burned out, life could return to nor a constant erection, and business would again be forery when she’d thrown his offer of financial assistance back in his face with the insulting accusation that he needed to buy sex So had never been an issue for hie The woh the years knew exactly where they stood with him They enjoyed each other while it lasted, but they always came in second to the co on him to settle down no doubt because she felt it was expected, and his answer to that hy? When he caer felt driven to coht Sohtened when he looked at Claire and thought of her settling doith someone else in the future

At least he found a way to help her without offending her again If she ever found out there would probably be hell to pay, but right now it seemed worth it to see the happy, relaxed expression on her face Hopefully not having to worry about finances or her neighbor for awhile would et her out of his systeain, and he would insist that she benefit enough to do aith the weekend job permanently

~~~

Claire ruefully pulled the fork frohed, "At least I didn’t stab hter and shared stories Jason see detail of her life up until the present Claire carefully avoided any mention of her father and mainly talked about herup around the beach with an often absent mother who tended to drink too much and needed to be taken care of and a workaholic father

He said he probably didn’t have any siblings because they si other than Danvers Luckily, his mother’s sister Ella had lived with theure It was obvious from the warm tone of his voice that he loved her very much Ella had since moved to Florida and lived in a retirement community there that Claire suspected he paid for