Corporate Affair by Linda Cunningham

business and Gene Palmer. No one with that much energy and drive didn’t burn hot. She was so young to be in her circumstances, and yet she was more intelligent than any woman he had ever been with. He was hobbled by those circumstances now, and it was messing with his mind.
    And then there was last night, when she lay sleeping in his bed, that glorious hair spilling over the pillows, her bare legs curled gracefully, and her feet peeking out from under the comforter. She had such pretty feet, Aiden thought, smiling at the memory of the long, delicately arched feet with the blush-painted nails. The ride to her house had nearly driven him crazy. Even sick, she was beautiful. All he had wanted to do was touch her. He ran his fingers through his hair and skipped up the front steps.
    Susan Noyes looked up from the front desk as he hurried by. “Good afternoon,” she said cordially.
    Aiden managed a smile. “Hi,” he said, and he climbed the stairs to his room. Once in, with the door locked behind him, Aiden lay on the bed, propped himself up against the pillows, and brooded. He wasn’t allowed this reverie for long, though. His cell phone jangled, jarring him, and he knew who it was before he looked at the screen.
    “Hello,” he groaned.
    “Aiden! Where the hell have you been?” his father roared. “I called. No answer. I left messages. No return call. What the hell! What the hell, Aiden!”
    “Are you done, Dad?” Aiden retorted.
    “Tell me what’s going on? Did you make the deal?”
    “One more meeting tonight, and I think it’s a wrap.”
    “Ha ha!” crowed the old man. “Good job, son! Good job!”
    “Well, save the celebrations for now. It’s not a done deal yet.”
    “Give me the details.”
    For the next forty-five minutes, Aiden read the proposal to his father, going over the salient points. The elder Stewart picked and prodded at some of the more lenient concessions, but in the end, he was satisfied with the document.
    “Good job,” he said again, and Aiden breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, get this thing signed and sealed tonight. We don’t want them pulling some fast one tomorrow. Any fuss from Fenton might start a corporate war we’ll wish we weren’t part of. We can’t give a chance for rebuttal.”
    “I’ll do it, Dad. We’ll get it finalized this evening.”
    “Call as soon as you’re finished.”
    “I will. Talk to you later.”
    Aiden clicked off before his father could launch into another tirade. Then he fell back against his pillows. He sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and was soon fast asleep.
    He awoke two hours later with a start, his heart beating. The room was nearly dark. He glanced at the clock; he was to meet Jordan at her office in an hour, and he was starving. Reaching for the phone next to the bed, he punched “1” for the front desk. It would be a miracle if anyone answered , he thought, but he immediately heard Susan’s voice on the other end of the line. “Front desk. May I help you?”
    “Yes, I have a meeting at eight,” Aiden replied. “Is there a place to order a pizza around here?”
    “There is, Mr. Stewart,” she said. “You can call Stoned Pizza. They’re right on your way to ChatDotCom.”
    Aiden eyes widened. How Jordan could remain so mysterious in a town like this was astounding. Or maybe they just looked after their own here. Susan supplied the restaurant’s number, and Aiden thanked her.
    “You’re welcome,” Susan said and hung up.
    Aiden punched the number into his cell phone.
    “Stoned Pizza,” a female voice said.
    “I’d like to order a large pizza. I’ll pick it up in about forty-five minutes. Onions, mushrooms, sausage.”
    “Thanks. Name?”
    Aiden gave his name and number and clicked off.
    A shower was in order. He was feeling stiff and disoriented after the unaccustomed nap. He stripped and stepped into the small shower stall, letting the hot water revive him. Half an hour later, he was in his car, dressed in jeans, a