Balancing Act by Laura Browning

he’d left her.
    He strode back and knelt down.
    “Don’t cry, Tessa. Please.” Seth reached out to squeeze her shoulder.
    “Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “I can’t afford to lose this job, Seth.”
    He jerked his hand back, horrified. She’d done this because she thought he expected it? He took her slender hand in his and stroked his thumb across the back of it. She gazed at him without flinching. There was no shame in her face–instead he saw hurt, confusion, and a wariness that hadn’t been there before. He’d done that. And she thought she had to do this to keep her job with him. Seth closed his eyes for a moment. That hurt. It hurt a lot more than he wanted to admit.
    “You did nothing wrong,” he reassured her, trying to keep his voice even, unemotional. “Nothing. What happened was my fault. And I would never, never tie what happens between us outside of work hours to your job in any way.” He paused again and raked a hand through his hair. “Your first time with a man should be something meaningful, Tessa, with someone you love. Not a quick hop in the sack.”
    If anything, her expression closed more.
    “And that’s what this was? Boss and assistant engaged in a little celebratory sex. Like the Vikings after a successful conquest?” Her tone was once again the cool, composed voice he’d grown accustomed to at work.
    Seth sighed. He was making a mess of this. “Tessa,” he began again, but she pulled away from him to bend down and pick up her dress. “I’ve already told you this had nothing to do with the job.”
    “I should go to my room. Did you want me to have breakfast sent up tomorrow morning, Mr. Barrett?”
    “Yes. Tessa…” He ground his teeth in frustration and reached to stop her, but she slipped–no flinched–from his grasp.
    “Good night, sir.”
    She hurried from the room, and Seth watched her retreating form with frustration and anger. What an idiot I am! He’d made a complete mess of things. He reviewed what he’d said and cringed at the way it had sounded. He’d implied he had no feelings for her and viewed what had happened as meaningless sex. Seth smacked the heel of his hand against his forehead. For someone who had made his living as a professional communicator, he had thoroughly screwed up.
    * * * *
    Tessa hung her dress in the closet and went to the bathroom to remove her makeup and wash her face. Her actions were automatic. All in all it had been one of the worst days of her life. A small sob broke through her control, but she stamped it out as if it were no more than a bug. She would not think about it right now. That would bring more pain, and she couldn’t handle anything else. Not tonight.
    The last things she did before turning off the light and going to sleep were to call room service to place a breakfast order and the front desk to leave a wake up call. Whatever else, she would never be accused of neglecting her job as Seth’s assistant. To keep Zach, she had to keep the job. All she needed to do now was find some way to balance that with her feelings for Seth.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Seth stared at Tessa for most of the flight home. Maybe it was better if they kept things on a business footing, but not this, not like it had been in the beginning. They were back to Mr. Barrett. She had done everything he had asked her to, but there was no extraneous conversation. She was her usual efficient Tessa, except the mask of cool composure had hardened into one of withdrawn iciness.
    Even now, she sat in her seat near the jet’s window with the laptop open in front of her while she finalized her notes from the Midwest acquisition. She barely looked up when the pilot came on the intercom to let them know they were beginning their descent. She finished what she was working on and packed everything away in preparation for landing.
    Seth offered her a hand to help her down the steps and onto the tarmac, but Tessa ignored it, just as she ignored the hand he