Free A Clandestine Corporate Affair by Michelle Celmer

on it. He spent so little time there, he might as well be living in a hotel. In contrast, Ana’s condo, despite being a mess most of the time, was a home. When they were dating he’d spent most of his free time there instead of bringing her back to his place. The truth was, he never brought women home.
    Recalling the stains on his slacks the last two times he visited Max, this time Nathan opted for jeans and a polo shirt. He was out the door by four, and pulled in Ana’s driveway beside her SUV at four-ten. A gust of cold northern wind whipped around him as he walked to the porch. He knocked on her door, hoping she wouldn’t be angry with him for stopping by unannounced.
    She pulled the door open, Max on her hip, clearly surprised to see him. “Nathan, what are you…” She trailed off, looking him up and down, taking in his windblown hair, his casual clothes. “Whoa. That is you, right?”
    Ana may have been confused, but Max wasn’t. He squealed with delight and lunged for Nathan. Ana had no choice but to hand him over.
    â€œHey, buddy,” Nathan said, kissing his cheek, and he told Ana, “I got out early today, so I thought I would come by and see what you’re doing.”
    She stepped back so he could bring Max out of the brisk wind and shut the door behind them. She was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a sweatshirt, her feet were bare and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Damn, she was pretty. The desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her hello was as strong now as it had been a year and a half ago.
    â€œYou got out early? ” she said. “I thought you were swamped.”
    He shrugged. “So I’ll go in early tomorrow.”
    â€œBut we don’t have a visit scheduled.”
    â€œI wanted to see Max. I guess I missed him. I thought I would take a chance and see if you weren’t busy.”
    â€œOh.” She looked as though she wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. “We sort of have plans. We were going to have an early dinner then go get a Christmas tree.”
    â€œSounds like fun,” he said, more or less inviting himself.
    â€œYou hate the holidays,” she said.
    â€œWho told you that?”
    â€œ You did.”
    Had he? “Well, then, maybe it’s time someone changed my mind.” He paused, then said, “Is that Thai place you used to love so much still around?”
    She folded her arms, eyeing him skeptically. “Maybe.”
    â€œWe could order in. My treat.”
    The hint of a grin pulling at the corner of her mouth said she was close to caving. “Well, I suppose if I’m going to get a free meal out of it…”
    He grinned and handed Max over to her so he could take off his coat.
    Â 
    Ana sat on the couch, listening to the all-holiday music channel on the satellite radio, watching as Nathan set up the Christmas tree in the stand.
    This was probably a really bad idea. She probably shouldn’t have invited Nathan to come tree hunting with them. The more she saw of him, the harder it was to keep her feelings in check, but Max had been so happy to see him, and Nathan had seemed pretty darned happy to see him, too. She just hadn’t had the heart to turn him away. Besides, getting a Christmas tree was supposed to be a family activity. Not that she and Max and Nathan were a family. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. And Max was so little it wasn’t as if he would remember it.
    So, was she doing this for Max, or for herself?
    Good question.
    Max had fallen asleep in the car on the way home and had gone straight to bed, so there was really no reason for Nathan to be here. She was perfectly capable of setting the tree up by herself. So why, when he offered to do it, had she said yes? Why wasn’t she telling him to go?
    Because she was pathetic, that’s why. Because spending the afternoon with him, and going to pick out a tree together, had been