Meg signed in at the security desk and rode the glass paneled elevator up to the top floor. There she checked in at the receptionist’s desk.
“Please have a seat, Ms. Gracey,” the smiling young woman told her. “Mr. Duncan will see you in just a few minutes.”
Meg sank gratefully into the plush leather sofa in the waiting lounge. She felt like her knees were turning to Jello so she was glad for an excuse to get off her feet. Then she slid forward and perched on the edge with her handbag propped on her knees. Her palms were moist and with each passing moment there was a quickening in the rhythm of her beating heart. Goodness, it was sheer torture sitting there, anticipating their meeting.
“Ms. Gracey?”
At the sound of her name Meg jumped. She looked up and found herself staring into the warm brown eyes of a gray-haired woman in a navy blue suit.
“Yes,” Meg said with a nod, and hopped up off the seat.
“My name is Liz Dobson. I’m Mr. Duncan’s personal assistant.” The woman held out her hand and gave Meg a firm handshake. “Thanks for making yourself available so quickly. I’ll take you to see Mr. Duncan now.” As if sensing her visitor’s nervousness the woman smiled at her again then turned toward the heavy oak door that led to the inner offices.
Meg followed, feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter, but she sucked in her breath, straightened her back and put on her bravest face. Even if she melted inside Drake Duncan must never know.
They walked down a long passage until finally they came to another oak door. Liz gave a gentle tap then pushed it open and stood aside, indicating with a nod that Meg should go in. She nodded and stepped past the woman and onto the plush cream carpet of Drake Duncan’s private office.
And there he was, sitting in the high-backed leather chair, the phone receiver to his left ear, a gold pen in his right hand as he scribbled on a yellow notepad. He looked worldly, powerful, and even more handsome than she remembered. Gone were the hooded sweatshirt and jeans of his campus days. Those had been replaced with a charcoal-gray suit, white button down shirt and wine-colored tie. His hair was different, too. Instead of the crew cut of his youth his dark blond hair now coiled at the nape of his neck, giving him the look of a sexy male model rather than a billionaire businessman. All this Meg saw in a split second. And yet he was not looking at her.
And then suddenly he was. As he reached over to hang up the phone he lifted his head and a smile softened his firm lips. “I’m sorry. Just had to finish a quick call.” He got up from behind his desk and she was reminded of how tall he was. At well over six feet he towered over both of the women in the office. He walked over, his hand outstretched.
“Thank you for coming, Miss Gracey,” he said as he took her hand in a strong grip. “Glad you accepted my offer.”
“Mrs. Gracey,” she corrected, and lifted her head to look straight into his striking gray eyes.
Drake Duncan froze. His grip on her hand tightened and his brows furrowed. “Meg…Donovan?”
Her heart leaped and, to her chagrin, she felt a slight trembling in her lip. She bit down on it. He had remembered. After all these years he still recognized the pathetic little junior who had thrown herself at him. She didn’t know whether to feel elated or dismayed. What she felt was nervous. Would he reject her because of their past encounter?
For the moment Meg could not speak. All she could do was nod.
Shock registered on his face. His brows raised and he sucked in a quick breath. There was an expression on his face that she could not read.
Oh, Lord. What had she done? In coming here had she just made the second biggest mistake of her life?
*****
Drake Duncan could not tear his eyes away. Meg Donovan. She was here, standing right in front of him, looking even more beautiful than when he had last held her in his arms. And his body had remembered her. Even before she’d lifted her face to his, before he’d had a good look at her, he’d known. The moment his hand touched hers an electric charge ran through him, so strong that he’d held her tight. It was either that or whip his hand away from the shock.
Meg, in living color, all five foot five inches of her. Where she used to have wild chestnut curls framing her pixie face, her hair was now swept up in a sleek ponytail that flowed, long and straight, down her back. Her hazel eyes were huge in her face and her lips, those full, soft lips he remembered, now trembled under his gaze. Everything around him disappeared and all he could see was that sweet, innocent girl he had fallen for so many years ago.
Get a grip, Drake. That was another lifetime. And she walked away, remember? In the microsecond it took for Drake to take things in he realized he was still holding her hand. He released her and shoved the offending hand deep in his pocket. But still, he did not look away.
Liz cleared her throat. “May I get you anything, Ms. Gracey? Coffee? Tea?”
It took that interruption for the spell to be broken. Drake stepped away and went to pull out the chair in front of his desk. He pasted a smile on his face and nodded to Meg. “Please, have a seat.”
Hesitantly, she took a step toward him. Then she paused and looked at Liz. “A cup of tea would be nice,” she said, smiling at the woman. “Thank you.” Then she took the two steps to the chair and gracefully sank down into it.
Drake released the back of Meg’s chair and walked around his desk. He took his time getting there. He needed those two seconds to gather his thoughts. Meg had hurtled back into his life, slamming him back against the wall of a reality he thought he’d buried years ago. He’d wanted Meg Donovan from the day he’d seen her at the podium, so small and yet so brave, speaking to a lecture hall of over a hundred of her peers. He’d wanted her even more when they danced at the pre-graduation party. And, after having one taste of her that night, he’d wanted her for life.
And, to his chagrin, none of that had changed. Seeing her again, holding her hand in his, had the feelings barreling into him as if not a day had passed. He wanted this woman just as much as he had from day one. But now there was a problem. A major one. Meg Donovan was married.