“I had another business engagement in Japan.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Japan?”

He nodded.

“Are you working on a merger with a Japanese company?” I couldn’t help but ask, knowing that even if he were he wouldn’t be at liberty to tell me. Things like that were kept private until business insiders were given the heads up. And despite my movement up the ranks within my company, I was definitely not a business insider.

“No. Nothing like that. Not yet anyway. I just took a chance.”

I tilted my head. “A chance?”

He nodded. “I have a suspicion technology will be the wave of the future.”

“In energy?”

“In all fields,” he stated confidently. “I want Townsend to be at the forefront of that wave. I am looking to diversify our assets so we’re in position to grow even stronger once the technological changes come about.”

“You seem confident in your assessment.”

He leaned forward, forearms pressed against the table. “I have no reason not to be. But I’m not interested in talking about Townsend Industries.”

“Oh no? What are you interested in talking about?”

“Us,” came his one word reply, his dark eyes burrowing into mine.

I nearly choked on the water I’d taken another sip of.

He’d said it as if there really was an us.

“There is no us,” I hissed, angrily pressing into the table, my voice going low so no one near our table heard us. The anger I’d felt over the last five years began to rise.

“You’re angry.”

My eyes doubled in size at the casual nature of his observation. “You think?”

He tilted his head and I tore my eyes away from him, hating how great he looked in his obviously tailored suit.

“Because I never contacted you.”

It wasn’t a question but I answered anyway. “Yes!”

“I’m sorry.” It was a simple, albeit sincere apology. But I wanted more.

“You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for.”

That was when he leaned across the table, his large hand covering my smaller one. I hated the fact that that sizzle of electricity whenever we touched ignited yet again. His hold on my hand was firm.

“I’m sorry for rushing off the way I did after our first night together. And for not contacting you afterward.” He paused, glancing around either side of us before moving in closer. “My father had a massive stroke.”

My eyes widened in surprise and I leaned closer as well. I’d heard all of those years ago that Robert Townsend Sr. had had a minor health issue but the news reports had made it seem like it wasn’t that big of a deal, never going into full details of what the issue was.

Robert nodded, acknowledging my disbelief and unasked question. “The day before I left. That was what the emergency call was about.”

“I read about something in the paper but they made it seem like—”

“We did that on purpose. All types of business snakes emerge from the grass when they think their rival has some sort of weakness. Townsend Industries was under immense pressure at the time, due to the oil crisis. Hell, we still are,” he grunted, anger marring his face. “Anyway, we never wanted to show weakness. So I took over running the day-to-day operations at Townsend while he recuperated. It took nearly twelve months just for him to walk without a cane and talk without a slur. He’s still not back to where he used to be.”