Jake shuffled a few papers and tried to take his mind off of his misery. But the effort was futile at best. Since returning from Alabama, he’d tried not to think about Dominique. He’d convinced himself that their breaking things off was probably for the best, that she was angry and probably wouldn’t want him back. But the harder he tried to forget her, the more intense were his thoughts about her. And the guilt. Jake remembered the words he’d uttered when trying to convince Dominique that all men weren’t the same, and to give their love a chance. You were with senseless jerks! Now he was the one being insensitive and uncommunicative. Lately, his twin had talked to Dominique more than he had, and Jake knew that wasn’t right. His mother had raised him better than to ignore a woman who clearly deserved to hear from him. Jake threw down the report that he wasn’t reading and reached for the phone.

Dominique was deep in thought as she left the conference room and headed for her office. The meeting with the sales team hadn’t quite gone the way she’d expected. In fact, it had basically gone to hell in a hand basket. When she’d pushed the execs to double their efforts and try for longer contracts and more full-page ads, one of the top producers had responded by tendering his resignation. After the meeting, the sales manager had pulled her aside to assure her that what she’d said had nothing to do with their colleague leaving. The seemingly unhappy employee had been wooed away from Capricious, and was going to work for the new, competing magazine. Dominique only hoped that this was the end of the exodus of good employees, and not the beginning.

“Whew, Miss Dom,” Reggie said as soon as she’d entered their offices. “You look like you’re ready to kick some butt!”

“I could go a round or two and hold my own,” Dominique admitted, walking to his desk to retrieve messages.

“Well, girl, something is getting ready to put a smile on your face.”

Dominique looked up from the papers. “What?”

Reggie’s eyes twinkled. “Just go into your office and find out.”

Jake’s here? Dominique’s heartbeat quickened as she walked toward her closed office door. She opened it, entered her office and looked around. No one. She walked to her desk, and didn’t see anything unusual, saw nothing that wasn’t on it when she’d left an hour ago. “What is he talking about?” she asked aloud as she rounded the corner to where the ten-seat conference table and buffet were placed. That’s when she saw it: a huge, beautiful bouquet of flowers.