Evelyn stared at Derek, her heart pounding. Quickly recovering from the initial shock, she instinctively clutched her bathrobe closed. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

Derek's grin widened. "May I come in?"

"Certainly not," she snapped.

His eyes glinted mischievously. "You can either let me in, or we can stand here while you're dressed in your bathrobe for everyone to see and speculate about our relationship."

Her eyes darted to the corridor. Gossip was the last thing she needed. Reluctantly, she stepped aside. "Fine, come in."

Derek entered, his presence filling the room. Evelyn closed the door, her mind racing. He couldn't be here. What if Samantha returned? She needed to think fast. "Excuse me for a moment," she said, walking into the bedroom. She quickly texted Maya, asking her to delay Samantha's arrival.

Hearing movement, she turned to see Derek approaching and stiffened. "What are you doing?"

"Here? In your room, your suite, this hotel?" he asked with an innocent smile, his gaze sweeping over her.

She clenched her jaw. "I didn't invite you into my room. It's rude to barge in" She trailed off as he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked, glaring.

"You. And the fact that you think I'm being rude when you did the same thing six years ago—worse, actually. At least I'm not stripping," he said, her cheeks flushing. "Seeing you in a hotel room, in a bathrobe, brings back memories," he drawled.

"I apologize for what happened then. I wasn't myself," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"Like I'm not myself right now?" he said, taking a step closer. She instinctively stepped back.

"Things are different," she said, trying to reason.

"How so? Because you're a woman and I'm a man? You can seduce me, but I can't?" He held her gaze.

"I was immature. I didn't know what I was doing. I acted out of pain and foolishness, and I regret it," she said, silently adding that she regretted only the events leading up to Samantha's birth, not Samantha herself.

"You regret it? Didn't you enjoy it? I remember it differently," he said, his voice low.

She looked away. "Let's stick to business and avoid the past."

He chuckled softly. "But I'm here to talk about the past," he said, taking another step closer.

Annoyed and weary of rehashing the past, she met his gaze, her resolve hardening. "What do you want, Mr. Stone? Are you here to play games or discuss business? If this becomes a habit, I'll move to a different hotel."

Derek raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to be nasty. I came to discuss our arrangement."

"Then let's do so," she said, leading him back to the living area. "What did you want to discuss? Didn't we conclude everything at your office?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as they sat.

"We didn't discuss your return date or working hours," he pointed out.

"I'm resuming tomorrow. The sooner, the better. And working hours shouldn't exceed your usual office hours, should they?" she asked. He paused, studying her.

"I'm glad I came. You're mistaken," he said, and she frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll be spending the next month closely by my side. It's not restricted to office hours. You'll go wherever I go. Weekends included."

"Absolutely not! That's impossible. I have other responsibilities."

"What responsibilities? You're not married, you don't have children, and your boss assured me you're mine for the next month. What else could there be?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Weekdays are fine, but not weekends or travel. I'm sorry."

"So you're backing out?" he asked. She frowned. "Why are you making such a big deal about this interview? Why all these ridiculous rules?" she asked, exasperated.

"Why don't you find out?" he shrugged.

Evelyn took a deep breath. "My weekends are important to me."

"It's just four weekends. To truly understand me, you need to see more than my professional side. You need to spend weekends with me, meet my family, learn about my hobbies and interests."

"It's an interview, not a relationship. I don't need to know everything about you," she said stubbornly.

"That's for me to decide. It's this or nothing. I've drafted an agreement. If you're interested, you can sign it tomorrow when you resume."

"An agreement form?" she asked in disbelief.

Derek rose. "Of course. You have to assure me you'll write objectively, not just your opinions." Evelyn sighed, rising as well. "Anything else before tomorrow?"

"I think that's it. I have to leave—an appointment with a friend," he said, thinking of Samantha. "That's fine, Mr. Stone"

"Please, call me Derek. We're past formalities, aren't we, Eve?" he asked. She forced a smile.

"I don't think so. But whatever you say," she said, escorting him to the door.

"One benefit of our arrangement is covering your accommodation and transportation. I could upgrade your suite if you'd"

"I'm fine," she replied tersely.

"If you say so. I look forward to working with you," he said with a satisfied smile.

She opened the door. "Next time, use the phone. No more unannounced visits." Before he could respond, she closed the door and leaned against it, sighing in relief.

Derek grinned at the door. That went better than expected. He'd just ask his secretary to print the agreement before she arrived. Spending weekends and traveling together would be a great way to seduce her, he thought with a chuckle.