As they cleared their mugs and left the coffee shop, the name Grant Abbot flashed across her phone. Her blood froze. He was supposed to be overseas still, and she’d planned on telling him when he returned that things had changed, and her heart was elsewhere. She took a deep, fueling breath, steeling herself, then answered with a breezy and business-like hello.

“Any chance you would be free for a drink this evening? I find myself in New York City sooner than expected and I’ll be in the mood for a cocktail tonight.”

Casey gulped. A flock of nerves swept through her body. She could hardly believe that three weeks ago she wanted to seduce him, and now the prospect held no interest for her. But she also didn’t want to leave the man hanging. Being upfront with Nate would need to start with Grant. She’d have to let him know they were only in business together, and nothing more. Perhaps, the timing was serendipitous. She’d end things before they started with Grant, then she’d start something more with Nate.

She gave Grant the address for Speakeasy and said she’d see him there this evening. She returned to the office, plowed through work, and finally remembered to respond to Ethan Holmes.

She clicked on his note from nearly two weeks ago, then opened the attachment and read his proposal. He was a smart guy, and it was ironic because he’d suggested something a bit similar to the deal she and Nate were finalizing. Ethan didn’t know about the LolaRing. Joy Delivered was keeping the new toy under wraps until the official launch later this summer. Ethan had, however, suggested the Victoria Hotels start offering The Wild One, a popular toy in the Joy Delivered catalogue, as part of a “Late-Night Sex Toy Menu to satisfy the red-hot appetites!”

He hadn’t quite hit the mark with the brand positioning she’d established at Joy Delivered—discreet, sexy and sensual being the watchwords. Nonetheless, she admired his gumption, so she fired off a quick reply: Love the concept! Really appreciate you thinking of us. There’s so much I like about this proposal, but we are in the process of finalizing a deal with another hotel, so we’ll have to pass at the moment.

Then, because it was always best to leave future partnerships open, she added a final line.

Looking forward to exploring possibilities with you! Drinks soon?

The idea did have some merit though. Maybe not for Joy Delivered, but perhaps for another company. Casey was friendly with one of Joy Delivered’s competitors, Good Vibes, and could envision Ethan’s concept working better for that firm. So she typed once more: I actually have a great idea for this. Let me make some calls and I’ll get back to you.

When she gathered up her purse a bit later to head out for her meeting with Grant, she clicked on her text messages. Laying it on the table with Nate could start with this level of honesty—the one hundred percent kind, so she hit reply on the note he’d sent her before he left.