Free That Night with You by Alexandrea Weis Page A

table. “Ever since we belonged to the same
fraternity in college and discovered we shared a common
interest.”
    “ What interest is
that?”
    Garrett just grinned at her. “How did
you like UT at Arlington?”
    “ I liked it a lot. Good
school.”
    “ I know. Harry and I
graduated from there.”
    Madison sat upright in her chair.
“Hayden Parr went to UT in Arlington?”
    Garrett’s brow furrowed. “I thought
you two knew each other from there. I assumed that was why you
applied here.”
    Madison stared at the man in
disbelief. “Are you saying Mr. Parr mentioned knowing me
before…that he remembered me from UT Arlington?”
    Garrett shrugged his wide shoulders.
“He never said so. I just assumed you two were—”
    Don Worthy’s bellowing voice echoed
about the room, interrupting Garrett. “Okay, let’s get started
everyone.”
    Garrett turned away and Madison
settled back in her chair, her mind reeling from the disclosure. It
was the first hard evidence she had to confirm her suspicions that
Hayden Parr had been the man in the bar. Now what did she do?
Confront him? Bring it up in passing conversation? Or should she
ignore it all together? As Don Worthy’s monotonous voice began to
drone on about quality control issues, Madison debated the proper
course of action to take. However, no matter what she planned,
Madison feared it would likely have the same outcome: unemployment.
And that, more than confronting Hayden Parr, terrified
her.
    ***
    After the meeting concluded, everyone
was filing out of the conference room when Madison spotted Hayden
at the entrance talking to Garrett Hughes. The two men were
laughing when she came toward the door. Hoping for a clean getaway,
she lowered her eyes and quickened her pace.
    “ Madison,” Hayden called as
she passed through the doorway, “do you have a moment?”
    Shit.
    She turned to him. “Sure, Mr.
Parr.”
    His eyes wandered up and down her
plain green cotton dress and black flats. “Good,” he waved down the
hall, “let’s talk in my office.”
    She noted the smirk on Garrett’s face
as he walked away. Going up to Hayden’s side she kept up her
pleasing smile, hoping to hide the abject terror coursing through
her veins.
    A few doors down the hallway, they
came to a modest pair of oak double doors, and Hayden reached for
the handle. “There is something we need to discuss,” he insisted,
opening the doors.
    His office was not as grand as she had
envisioned. With a slew of crammed bookcases, his diplomas, and a
few framed accolades on the faded steel blue walls, it appeared
cluttered and almost plain. The dark blue carpet beneath her feet
seemed to match the sinking feeling in her chest. As Madison
approached his black desk situated before an expansive picture
window, he came up behind her and gently pressed his hand into her
back, guiding her to a black leather chair in front of his
desk.
    The touch of his hand sent a shudder
down her spine. The pit of her gut exploded with heat that shot to
the valley between her legs, making her feel a little lightheaded.
Never before had a man’s touch excited her so. Then, she remembered
that night with him, the way he had held her while dancing and the
white hot surges of desire he had awakened in her.
    Don’t lose it now,
Madison.
    “ Am I in trouble?” she
asked, taking her chair.
    “ No, not at all. Don Worthy
came to me before the staff meeting.” He casually rested his hip on
the edge of his desk. “He was in your office and saw what you’ve
been working on…or should I say what you haven’t been working on.”
Hayden paused and waited for a moment before asking, “Is there a
problem?”
    She sat stiffly in the hard, black
leather chair. “I’m just having trouble finding
inspiration.”
    He leaned back, appearing surprised by
her statement. “You seemed pretty inspired the other day when we
were at the property.”
    “ That was then. Now I’m
desperately trying to find something that will do