"How did you know where I live?"

"Well, I'd love to dazzle you with my brilliance and say it was very complicated and required a great deal of detective work, but actually I just looked you up in the Nassau county phone book."

"Ah. Mystery solved. How long have you been waiting?"

"About an hour."

"And how did you know I'd even come home tonight?"

Something flashed in his eyes. "I didn't," he said softly. "But I hoped you would."

Surely he had to hear her heart beating. She could hear the thump, thump, thump in her own ears. And the rapid puffs of cold vapor emanating from between her lips were surefire giveaways of her uncalm, uncool state.

Commanding her legs to move and her eyeballs to quit gawking at him, she nodded toward the cement path leading to her front door. "Well, I don't want to be responsible for you freezing to death out here, so c'mon in."

A quick grin flashed across his handsome features and he fell into step beside her. "Thanks."

Half a minute later, they stepped into the small, ceramic-tiled foyer. Jilly flicked on a pair of switches that illuminated the front picture window with tiny, blinking holiday lights, and lit up the small Christmas tree set in the corner.

Matt yanked his gaze away from Jilly before he gave into the overwhelming urge to mess up her perfect chignon, and instead focused his attention on the simple, yet tasteful den furnishings. Pale walls, cushy sectional sofa, glass-topped coffee table adorned with a pile of magazines, television and stereo set into an attractive oak entertainment center. Framed photos were scattered on end tables, and several 8x10s hung on the wall, all depicting Jilly with an attractive woman who was clearly her mother, and a smiling man-based on the resemblance, obviously her father.

The room reflected so many of the things he loved about her-it was neat, comfortable, warm and inviting. Beyond the den he saw the unlit eat-in kitchen.

"Nice place," he said with a smile that he hoped didn't announce his nervousness.

"Thank you. It's a great neighborhood, and I was lucky enough to buy the house just before the Long Island housing prices increased from 'insane' to 'completely insane.'" She accepted his coat and hung it in a small closet near the door. "I rent out the upstairs, which helps considerably with the mortgage. My tenant, Mrs. Peterson, is a gem. She's a widow, and I inherited her when I bought the house."

"Did I take her parking spot?"

"No. She's in Florida for the holidays, visiting her son. I really miss her. Having her here makes living alone not so… alone."

"Yeah," he said softly, his gaze roaming over her face, then resting on her beautiful lips. "Alone stinks."

He heard her swallow. Then she closed the closet and nodded at the shopping bag he still gripped. "What's in there?"

"I'll show you in a minute."

"Okay." Her hand swept toward the sofa. "Make yourself at home. Can I get you something?"

His gaze flitted over her no-nonsese black suit, and a dozen things she could get him instantly streaked through his mind. He forced himself to shake his head. "No, thanks."

She moved to the sofa and sat, then indicated he should do the same. He settled himself, leaving several feet between them on the overstuffed cushion, and placed his shopping bag near his feet. Her gaze darted to her watch, and his stomach clenched. "Am I keeping you from something?" he asked. Or someone?

"No. I was just wondering why you were here-and how you managed to arrive before me, especially driving from Manhattan with the crazy Friday-night traffic and all the Christmas shoppers on top of that."

"I left the office early. In fact, I left the office right after I spoke to Adam."

She blew out a long breath. "Pretty unbelievable about 'nurse' Carol Webber pulling in ARC's account, huh?"

"Actually, having been the victim of such underhanded tactics before, I unfortunately find it quite believable. Sickeningly so." Reaching out, he clasped her hand, cradling it between his palms. Her eyes widened slightly at the gesture, but she didn't pull away. Warmth raced up his arm at the feel of her soft skin, and he squelched the urge simply to yank her into his arms and kiss her until neither one of them could think straight. He hoped that would happen. But there were things that needed to be said first.

"I have a confession to make, Jilly. There were times, before our weekend at the winery, when I suspected you might use such underhanded tactics, and I want you to know I'm sorry for that."

She raised a brow. "Actually, Matt, I think there were times at the winery when you thought I might use more than my creativity to land a client."

"You're right. But I learned very quickly that I was dead wrong. In fact, I learned a great deal last weekend. Would you like to know what?" Her pulse jumped beneath his fingers, giving him hope that she was not as calm as she appeared.

"If you'd like to tell me."

"Oh, I would. When I started at Maxximum, I immediately pegged you as the person to beat. You were talented and beautiful, and I buried my instant attraction-an attraction I refused to admit even to myself-by thinking of you as an Ice Princess. And my rival. I realize now that I was subconsciously trying to win back what was stolen from me at my previous job."

He shook his head at his own foolishness. "But I learned during our weekend away that I couldn't have been more wrong. In an industry filled with vipers and sharks, you restored my faith that there are still people who possess integrity and a sense of fair play." He brushed his thumbs over the back of her hand. "I also learned that you have the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I learned that I could laugh again and trust again. I learned that it's somehow possible for a woman to not only possess beauty and brains, but a wicked sense of humor, the softest skin I've ever imagined, a killer throwing arm, and for her to smell better than anyone on the planet."

A shaky smile pulled up one corner of her mouth. "How can you say that-have you met everyone on the planet?"

"I don't need to. I just know. In here." He laid one hand over his rapidly beating heart. "I learned that the last week without you was torture, and that the thought of facing another day, let alone another week, like this past one is just impossible."

Jilly's breath caught at his softly spoken words. Clearly Matt wanted to pick up their affair where they'd left off. This was exactly what she wanted-right? Yeah. She should be turning cartwheels. Except for that huge brick wall looming on the horizon labeled The End of the Affair into which she would eventually crash. Still, he'd been honest about his misconceptions about her, and she owed him nothing less than the same.

Drawing a bracing breath, she said, "I also have a confession to make. While I'd admired your talent from day one, I'd labeled you the sort of bossy, take-charge kind of guy who raised my hackles and whom I've always avoided like a case of the hives. But I learned that there's a difference between taking charge and being thoughtful-that just because you wanted to do something for me didn't mean you were trying to take over."

"Seems like even though we knew each other for a year, we didn't find out the important stuff until last weekend." He brushed his fingertips over her cheek, and she had to grit her teeth to keep from purring like a kitten at his touch. "Jilly, Adam told me what you did-turning down the Millenium Airways account, telling him to offer it to me instead."

She cleared her throat. "I thought Adam would keep that information to himself."

"That was probably his intention. He didn't tell me until after he'd offered me the account and I turned it down and deferred it to you."

Good thing her jaw was permanently attached to her face or it would have plunked right onto the floor. "You turned down the chance to head up the new Millenium Airways campaign? Are you nuts?"

"That's an odd question from someone who did the exact same thing."

His dark blue gaze searched hers with such intensity, she had to press her thighs together to keep from squirming. "Well, I had my reasons," she said.

"I'd love to know what they were."

Because I love you and I wanted you to have the account. "Because I honestly believe, with your previous airline campaign experience, you're better qualified to handle the account." Yeah, that, too.

He shook his head, clearly bemused. "Your generosity amazes and humbles me." Again his gaze probed hers. "Is that the only reason, Jilly?"

"Yup." At least it was the only one she was willing to share at the moment. Something that looked like disappointment flashed in his eyes. His thumb brushed over the back of her hand, and she battled to ignore the tingles dancing up her arm. "Me declining in your favor makes sense due to your prior experience," she said, "but what possible reason could you have for bowing out and recommending me instead?"

"Because I think you're brilliant. Creative. The epitome of professionalism. Because I respect and admire you. You've been at Maxximum longer than me, and I think you deserve it more than I do. And I wanted you to have the opportunity you deserve."

Warmth spread through her at his praise. "You're going to make me blush." No sooner had the words passed her lips than she felt heat suffusing her cheeks.

He reached out and touched his fingertips to her flaming skin, chuckling softly. "That's amazing. You say you're going to blush, and it happens as if on cue. Like the Disney animators were standing by, paintbrushes in hand."

His words only served to heat her face further. "Sorry. I can't help it."