DowntoBusiness by Dena Garson

Chapter One
     
    Leigh Templeton cradled the phone between her shoulder and
ear while she gathered the documents she needed and dropped them into her
briefcase. Her husband, John, was calling in response to her message about
dinner.
    “I’m sorry, hon. I’m going to be here for a few more hours,”
John sighed into the phone.
    “That’s okay. Is Sheridan up in arms again?” Mr. Sheridan,
Leigh’s previous boss and also the CEO of the company John still worked for,
had always been a ball-buster. Especially when his stress level was high. Leigh
remembered he always acted as if he felt the need to share his stress with
those who reported to him. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
    “I wish.” He groaned. “It wouldn’t be nearly as boring if
you still worked in our legal department. For some reason the projects
we worked on together were always much more interesting.”
    Through the phone Leigh heard the sound of John’s chair
squeak. She imagined him leaning back and running his hand through his
sandy-blond hair. It was a gesture she was more than familiar with. Usually, by
this time of the day, most of the gel he used to control his unruly hair was
gone. In a husky tone she reminded him, “Yes, well, I recall you saying that
there are distinct advantages to being married and having me at home rather
than just rendezvousing in the office.”
    “Absolutely,” he said. “God, I still remember working on the
Whitehurst deal with you.”
    Leigh flushed at the memory. “Hmm. So do I.” A pool of
warmth gathered low in her belly. “You were quite…um, passionate about that
deal. I’m surprised someone didn’t walk in on us while we were in the
conference room.”
    “They certainly would have gotten an eyeful if they had,” he
murmured.
    They both fell silent as they remembered. Leigh had always
been surprised by the intensity of their attraction. She had never experienced
such deep sensuality with anyone else. Through her previous mistakes, and those
of her friends, she'd learned that relationships faltered if not properly cared
for, so she made an effort to cherish their time together.
    “Since you can’t make it home, would it help if I brought
dinner to you?”
    “Would you mind? That would save a little time if I didn’t
have to stop what I’m working on and get food. But I hate for you to have to
drive all the way across town.”
    “I haven’t left the office yet, so it’s not a problem to
pick something up. At least we could still have dinner together and you can
keep working.”
    “Have I told you today that I love you?” John asked.
    “Yes. But you can tell me again.”
    “I love you.”
    Leigh’s heart tripped over itself, just as it always did
when she heard those three little words. John wasn’t one to gush
sentimentality, but he did make an effort to tell her that he loved her every
single day. After four years, the words still had the power to make her heart
flutter. She smiled into the phone.
    “I love you too. I’ll see you in a bit.”
    After hanging up, Leigh finished the couple of things she
needed to do before she could leave then called one of the nearby restaurants
to place a takeout order. She might not be able to do anything about how much
sleep John was getting while he was up to his ears in contracts—after all, he
was a big boy and knew his limitations—but she could make sure he got more than
vending-machine food at least a few times a week.
    Despite it being right in the middle of the dinner rush,
Leigh was able to pick up their food quickly. She parked in the visitor parking
in front of John’s building and checked her appearance in the rear-view mirror.
When she got to the glass entrance the security guard on duty recognized her
and, seeing her hands full of takeout containers, got up and opened the door
for her.
    “Did you bring me anything?” the guard asked playfully.
    “Sorry. They were all out of your favorite,” Leigh joked
back.
    “Just my