The conference room emptied quickly, leaving Maya alone with the man who had been haunting her thoughts for three weeks.
"This is insane," Maya said the moment the door closed.
"Is it?" Alexander loosened his tie slightly, and Maya caught a glimpse of the man she'd known in San Francisco.
"You're buying my company."
"I'm buying a company with strong potential and an innovative social media strategy."
"Alexander—"
"The acquisition is legitimate, Maya. I don't make business decisions based on personal relationships."
Maya stared at him. "Then this is a coincidence?"
Alexander was quiet for a long moment. "I became aware of Zenith Digital's work after our night together, yes. But I wouldn't have moved forward if the company wasn't genuinely valuable."
"You investigated my company."
"I investigate every company I'm interested in acquiring."
Maya felt heat rise in her cheeks. "And you're interested in acquiring my company because..."
"Because you're brilliant, and you're wasted here."
The words hung in the air between them. Maya felt her carefully constructed walls beginning to crumble.
"This is too much," she said. "I can't accept this."
"It's not charity, Maya. It's business."
"Is it?"
Alexander stepped closer, and Maya's breath caught. "If you're asking whether I can separate business from personal feelings, the answer is yes. I've been doing it my entire career."
"And what are your personal feelings?"
For a moment, Alexander's mask slipped, and Maya saw vulnerability in his eyes. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."