Going All the Way by Cynthia Cooke Page A

loved her enough to stay. To be faithful. “So what are you going to do about the company?” she asked, taking another bite as she thought about Ryan and the trouble he’d been having.
    “Beg you to come back.”
    “I can’t,” she said instantly. And she wouldn’t. Not again.
    “Just for this one account. If we lose the Costas account after having lost Pepsi, our stock will plummet. I’m not sure we’ll recover.”
    He must’ve been desperate if he’d hired Ryan’s consulting firm. But even Ryan admitted he couldn’t seem to make it work, to find a campaign that would save this deal.
    “Give it some thought. Just for this one account,” Stu said again. “I know you’d hate to see the company we built go under as much as I would.”
    He had her there. That company had more than her blood, sweat and tears. It had been a creation of her soul. “I’ll think about it.”
    He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “It’s really good to have you back.”
    She stiffened at the touch of his lips. “Thanks, Stu. But I have to look out for myself and Steinhem isn’t the best place for me.” Her words sounded hollow even to her own ears. She could feel herself being drawn back in, even while she tried to cling to the shreds of her newfound fragile bliss.
    “It wasn’t the company that drove you away, it was me. I’m so sorry, Carrie. I was an idiot and a fool, riding high on an ego boost and not valuing what was really important, what really mattered to me. And that was you. I made so many mistakes, and I lost you. Your friendship and your love. I only hope someday you can forgive me.”
    “I do forgive you, Stu.” Did she? Had she really moved past it? She had to admit, she wasn’ t sure. “We were both too young to get married. We felt too strongly about each other…” She couldn’t continue over the lump in her throat.
    “ I still do, ” he said.
    “What?” She looked at him with fear in her heart.
    “Love you.”
    “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “We can’t go there. Not ever again.”
    “All right. I respect you enough for that. But I will make it up to you someday. I promise.”
    She smiled, but it felt weak. Some promises couldn’t be kept.
    “I know I have no right to ask, but if you can spare a minute and do an old friend a favor by looking over the file on this account, I’d really appreciate it. You were always the best and if anyone can save this thing, it’s you.”
    He pulled a folder out of his briefcase held it out to her.
    She stared at it. “You shouldn’t have brought that. You shouldn’t have assumed I’d help you.”
    “I didn’t. I hoped you’d do it for me, for old time’s sake. Look at it, then if something sparks your interest we can talk about it. No commitment.”
    She shook her head, still refusing to touch it. To go back there. “ I don ’t know, Stu.”
    “Listen, I understand you’re not coming back to work. All you’re doing is looking at it. If you happen to come up with a few ideas that my team can run with, I’d be extremely grateful. And if you don’t…” He spread his arms wide. “No harm, no foul.”
    She stared at the file. Ryan had talked about her being in control of the project, the art, the deadlines. Maybe it was possible to rekindle the joy she used to have in advertising. To be a freelancer working on her terms. Maybe Ryan had a point.
    She thought of him and warmed. Except they didn’t stand a chance. Ryan worked for Stu. But maybe if she could help Ryan, it would be worth it. “All right, I’ll look at it.”
    He grinned and handed her the file. “I knew you would.”
    She bristled as she placed the file in her bag. “Oh, yeah? What made you so sure?”
    “I know you, darling. You love the fire. You love playing with it, you love creating it.”
    She sighed. Obviously, he was right. She hadn’t even been home a week and she was already getting sucked back in to Stu’s world. She’d better get her defenses back up or