The Ashtons - Cole, Abigail & Megan

that’s his business. Let him find someone else willing to put up with his antiquated ideas about building a company.”
    Morning sunlight slanted through the bank of windows behind Simon’s desk and sketched out tall panels of light on the steel-gray carpet. Dave Healy stoodin one of those slashes of gold, clutching a manila file folder.
    “Never thought I’d hear you say that.”
    “To tell you the truth, neither did I.” Simon straightened up again, planting both elbows on the gleaming black surface of his desk. Even while Dave talked, Simon’s brain wandered. Something he’d noticed happening more and more often lately—since Megan had entered his life.
    The last few days had been hard on her. The papers were full of the latest Ashton scandal and Megan fretted over every headline. Her father’s illegitimate child was news and every reporter in the state was constantly looking for a fresh angle from which to attack.
    He knew she was more worried for him and for his business than she was about herself, and though he appreciated it, he kept trying to tell her she didn’t have to be.
    True, scandals were bad for business, especially when dealing with people like Manfred Peabody—an old coot who would have been much more comfortable living out his life in Victorian England. But it wasn’t as if this scandal actually touched his family. Pearce Industries was safe. Spencer Ashton was an ass, but it wasn’t going to affect Simon. Except, of course, for the effect the old goat was having on Megan.
    And even as that thought slid through his mind, he realized that just a couple of weeks ago, hecouldn’t have imagined feeling that way. But things had changed now. Megan was his wife and he wasn’t going to let old man Peabody—or anyone else for that matter—insinuate that she’d done anything wrong just by being born an Ashton.
    Megan.
    Lately, everything came down to Megan. He hadn’t expected this “temporary” marriage to be anything more than a convenience. But it was quickly becoming so much more than that.
    She was creeping into every corner of his life. And that was something he hadn’t counted on.
    “Simon!”
    “Huh?” He blinked and looked up at Dave. The man was shaking his head and grinning.
    “Where the hell is the steely focus and singleminded concentration that makes Simon Pearce a man to be feared across the mortal globe?”
    A short, sharp laugh shot from his throat as he stood up and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at Dave and admitted, “Hell if I know.”
    His old friend nodded thoughtfully. “It’s about time.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “It means,” Dave said, stuffing the file folder under his left arm, “that you’ve been living for this company for too long.”
    Simon frowned, but didn’t argue. Hard to when the man was absolutely right.
    “You’ve always been eat-sleep-breathe work,” Dave went on. “That’s not healthy.”
    He snorted and walked around the edge of his desk. On the far wall, a sterling-silver clock ticked off the hours until he could go home again. Until he could be with Megan. Damn it, he had lost his focus. He eased himself down and perched on the edge of his desk. “Healthy,” he said. “This from a man who thinks of French fries as vegetables.”
    Dave grinned. “My point is,” he said, ignoring that last little jab, “you’re allowed a life, Simon, and you haven’t been getting one.”
    He frowned. “I have a life.”
    “The company doesn’t count.”
    “It’s all that ever has counted,” Simon said softly.
    “Until now,” Dave pointed out. He took a step closer and slapped Simon’s shoulder. “Megan’s good for you, Simon,” he said. “I’m glad you’ve got her.”
    “Temporarily. Our deal was for a temporary marriage.”
    Dave laughed and turned for the door leading into his own office. He opened the door, then paused to look back at his boss. “Aren’t you the man who’s always believed that deals were born to be renegotiated?”
    Even after Dave left, his words hung in the air, like a…what? Challenge? Suggestion?
    Simon’s fingers curled around the edge of the cold black desk and he stared hard at the clock on the wallwhile his mind raced. Did his marriage really have to remain temporary? Did he want more from Megan?
    He didn’t know.
    All he could really be sure of was that he wanted Megan now.
    Tomorrow was too far away to be worried