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Chapter 30: Remember:

Draco missed her already. He felt something akin to pain being away from her. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was. He walked across his office, threw his suitcase in the corner, and sat down at his desk with a heavy sigh. Everything would work out. He had to remind himself of that fact every minute since he had left the resort this morning.

He sat at his desk, and remembered her first day of work, a week ago today.

He was anxious that Monday morning, knowing that she would be there any minute. He even went to wait for her outside of Adrian's office, because she would have to go there first. He stopped two of his employees as they were walking past, to talk with them. He didn't even know their names, and he could care less about talking with them, but still he asked them what they were working on, and they started to talk to him. He paid them no mind. He was waiting for Hermione Granger; he just didn't want to look as if he was waiting for her.

Even he thought that was odd. He hadn't sought out a woman's affection in such a long time. Usually women chased him. Besides, she was going to be his new employee, so he couldn't pursue her. Soon, she would sign a stupid employment contract, stating that they couldn't date, so why did any of this matter anyway? She probably wouldn't want to date him, would she?

He heard the sound of high heels on the polished tile floor. He looked up, as did the other two men. One of them said to the others, "What a dish."

"She's a looker, alright."

Draco turned back toward the men, unsure of what to say to them. He wanted to tell them to keep their eyeballs to themselves, but that would sound mental. She finally noticed him and she smiled - a smile that reached all the way to her eyes. A smile that crossed space and time, reached into his heart, and traveled from his heart to his lips, forcing him to smile in return.

"You look bright and chipper this morning," he said to her. He turned to the two men, and told them they could leave. He wasn't about to introduce her to them. He didn't even want them to know her name. Her name belonged to her and her alone. Well, and maybe to him, too. "You must be excited about the prospect of working with me, huh?" he asked.

She smiled wider and said, "Well, I'm happy about my new job, if that's what you mean."

"But you're excited about working with me," he said again.

"I'm excited about my large new salary, even if I don't know what it is yet, but I'm sure it's grand," she returned.

"Yes, but if you really had to categorize your excitement, it would be working with me, right?" he asked with a gleam.

"I'm excited to wear my new clothes," she yielded.

"And working with me," he countered.

"And my new title," she added.

He leaned closer. "And working with me," he said with conviction.

"And…" that was as far as she got. He actually placed his hand over her mouth. His fingers touched her slightly parted lips. He leaned closer. "And working with me." It was no longer a question. He said it leisurely and deliberately, as if he was stating a fact in which he wanted her to agree, because he was excited to be working with her. His hand slipped from her mouth slowly, his fingers skimming the skin of her face and neck, on its way back to him.

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Remembering all of that, which happened only one short week ago, he knew one eternal truth. Bless his soul; he probably fell in love with her that day. Adrian entered Draco's office, a file in his hand, and he said, "Malfoy, you're back."

"I told you I'd be back on Monday morning. I just got back twenty minutes ago," Draco said while shuffling papers on his desk.

"How did things work out with Granger?" Adrian asked. He sat down in front of the desk.

"Did I tell you to sit?' Draco asked, as he raised one eyebrow.

"Did I tell you, I don't care?" Adrian said back with a laugh. "Now, do I need to find another Director of Marketing and Development, or is Miss Granger coming back?"

"I'll tell you Tuesday," Draco said, standing up and walking around his desk to sit on the top of it in front of his friend.

"Why do I have to wait until Tuesday?" Adrian quizzed.

"That's when I'll find out," he answered back.

Adrian stood up and laughed. He said, "The marriage plan didn't work out did it? I told you it probably wouldn't."

"It was your bloody idea," Draco said pointedly.

"All I said, before you kicked me off your yacht, was for you to find a solution to your problem, so we wouldn't have to fire her," Adrian reminded him.

"No," Draco began, "You said to find a solution to my problem even if I had to marry her, or set her up in a business. Well, I tried to do one of those options, and it blew up in my face, and the other offer is just now on the table."

"I take it she isn't Mrs. Malfoy, so what offer is on the table?" Adrian asked his friend.

"I bought the hotel, and this morning I put it in her name. I was going to retain half of it, but I gave it all to her instead. Last minute decision, really," he answered. He went back to sit down.

Adrian seemed appalled. "MALFOY!" he yelled. "You can't do that! If that resort is under the umbrella of Malfoy Industries, then giving it to her will go against the employment contract! If she quits or is fired, she can't work for any of our subsidiaries either, or in a field that would be in competition with us."

"I bought it with my own money, not as a business investment, and the last time I looked, our business doesn't have any resort holdings, so she won't be in competition with us. I was going to buy it, put it in both our names, and let her work there, as CEO, but I decided that I wanted to give it all to her."

Adrian was trying to process everything in his mind when Draco said, "By the way, I had our lawyers draw up papers to change our company's name to DM Industries. It was her suggestion, but I liked it."

"I suggested you remove the Malfoy from our corporation's name in the beginning, but you told me to remove my arse from your office when I did so," Adrian reminded him.

"Yes, well, maybe if you had been wearing a bathing suit when you suggested it, like she did, I might have listened, or was that when we were naked in the spa? I don't recall." Draco looked down at the papers on his desk again, but he immediately looked up when Adrian slammed his hand on the desk.

"MALFOY!" he repeated. "What the hell happened this weekend?"

"I never kiss and tell," Draco said with a laugh. He stood up and said, "But if all goes well, she'll accept the resort as a sideline, accept my hand in marriage forever, forgive me for one tiny, little, outstanding lie, which I have yet to reveal to her, and you won't have to hire another director of such and such, because she'll be my wife. My wife can work with me and not be in breach of contract. Now, go back to work, you slacker."

Before he left Draco's office he said, "What was the one outstanding lie?"

Draco frowned and said, "Well, you remember that older couple I told you that Hermione and I lied to at breakfast the other morning. The ones from the resort? Well, I asked them for a favour, and they were gracious enough to do it for me, except I'm afraid they might have been a bit late with their lie. Yet, all things considered, it might still help me in my quest for Granger."

"Your quest?" Adrian asked. "This isn't just a game to you, is it? I mean, it wasn't just to see if you could conquer her, was it? You do care for her, right? I recall what you said last Tuesday, you know, on her second day of work. You told me that you thought she was a challenge, and it was a challenge you were up for, and I reminded you of the employment contract."

"Get out of my office," Draco said to the other man's ramblings.

"No, Malfoy!" Adrian said. He finally felt as if he was beginning to realize why Draco was after Hermione. "You asked me what she said when she read the contract, and I told you that she hadn't even read it. You smiled, you bastard. Then you said all that rubbish about her being a challenge! Business aside man, are you that caught up in the past, that jealous of her, that you would use her like this?"

"Please, offend me some more, Pucey!" Draco said with spite. "Why don't you call my father a twat, my mother a bitch, and question my legitimacy? That would hurt less." Draco threw his hands up in the air. "Of course, this isn't just a game! I love her, and I don't have a single regret about any of this! I don't know why I love her, since it has been so quick, but I do, and that's why I did all of this! Falling in love with her wasn't even very quick, when I think on it. I've known her for most of my life, so falling in love actually came quite easily. Now, run along and play, Adrian. Some people have to work for a living," Draco said with a wave of his hand.

"And some people might not be you, Malfoy," Adrian snorted. Adrian wasn't happy with Malfoy's declaration. Instead of going back to work, he decided to go back to the resort and talk to Hermione. He had Draco's interest at heart, and the interest of their company in mind. More than that, though, he liked Hermione, and he wanted to make sure that Draco had been completely truthful to her about everything. He was going to find out what the outstanding lie was, and then he was going to make sure Draco's intentions were true. He wouldn't have Malfoy ruin another perfectly good employee because he wanted her. Malfoy couldn't play with her feelings just because he viewed her as a challenge, or a game, and especially not if he lied to her!

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Hermione was having a perfectly wonderful, lazy day. She took Malfoy up on his suggestion, ordered room service, ate on the patio of the penthouse, and had a long bath in the spa-size tub. She was now on the beach, under an umbrella, with a good book in her hand. However, she couldn't concentrate on the book, even though it was a very good book. It was one she had read before, about a young telepath in the southern part of the United States, who tangled with Vampires. One of the vampires reminded her of Draco. He even had blonde hair. It was an interesting story, but she couldn't concentrate on it. She could only think about last night.

Wow, was her response to last night. Wow, wow, wow.

She felt giddy like a schoolgirl. She remembered how she danced around her room on Friday night after only his kiss. Making love with him was so much better, but since she was on the beach, in front of so many people, she had better just do a dance in her head. She didn't want people to think she was crazy.

She was in love. Hermione Granger was in love. Love, Love, Love…all she needed was, love, love, love. She closed the book, turned slightly in the chaise lounge, reached up and closed the umbrella, and put a straw hat on her head. She stretched out her legs, closed her eyes, and basked in the warmth of the sun, and in the memory of their love. Since she was able to do a happy dance in her head, perhaps she could relive each and every second of their lovemaking in her mind, if she gave it enough thought.

Yes, she had only reconnected with him a week ago…exactly a week ago, yet that hardly mattered. She had known him much longer, and time and love didn't necessarily go hand in hand. Ever since the encounter in the lifts, that first day she went looking for a job, she knew that she wanted more than just a job, and she was glad that she finally had some clarity about that fact.

She remembered that on her first day at the job, she was on her way to meet Adrian to sign all her papers, and she felt whimsical and excited due to her recent capriciousness. Too excited to read the very important employment contract, which was now the bane of her existence, and the reason for this from day one was Draco Malfoy himself.

It all started with an encounter her first day at work.

Hermione was so excited! She was starting her new job. She picked out a new outfit to wear. Tight brown skirt with a thin, pink vertical stripe, a v-neck, silk, pink blouse, and taupe pumps. Her hair was down, and her spirits were high.

She even painted her toenails! She got on the lifts and a sense of pleasure washed over her, as she remembered that day when he grabbed her wrist and stepped on her toe! Who knew that single painful moment would be the start of something so wonderful?

She walked down the hallway toward Adrian's office, her shoes clicking on the floor as she walked. She couldn't help but smile, because she felt happy and alive for perhaps the first time in her entire life. Was her happiness due to her new job? Or was there something a bit more?

She wasn't sure she wanted to examine the other possibility for her happiness. That other reason was currently deep in conversation with two of his employees, right outside of Adrian's office, and his initials were D.M.

No, surely just seeing Draco again wasn't the reason for her happiness. Surely not. Probably not. Maybe not. Maybe? Could be. Probably was.

If nothing else, he was very cute. She wanted to laugh. He said, "You look bright and chipper this morning, Granger." He turned to the other two men he was with, said, "You two need to get to work," didn't bother to introduce them, and then he turned back to her. He said, "You must be excited about the prospect of working with me."

They exchanged a few witty barbs back and forth about the reason for her excitement, though the teasing suddenly stopped when he had the gall to place his hand directly over her mouth, his fingers touching her lips. He said slowly and knowingly, "And working with me." He nodded his head along with each word.

She felt the seconds rush by, as a blush went from her neck to her cheeks. He removed his hand gradually, which was good, because she was afraid if he kept it there a second longer, she might faint. His fingertips traveled feathery soft from her lips, to her cheek, her jaw, her neck, before he drew it away.

What was that all about? She was so obsessed with her thoughts that instead of agreeing with his theory that she was happy to be working with him, (because the truth was, he was right, she was happy to be working with him), all she could think of was that he had probably gotten lipstick on his hand.

For that reason, she said to him seconds later, "You probably got lipstick on your hand." She immediately felt stupid for saying it.

He looked at his hand, and there was a slight tinge of burgundy stained on his second and third fingers, and then he shrugged and said, "Oh well, I was bound to get your lipstick on me eventually."

Before either could say another word, Adrian stuck his head out of the doorway and said, "Miss Granger, would you care to come with me. We have some paperwork for you to fill out, and then I'll show you your office."

She nodded, started to walk into his office and then turned back. Malfoy was still standing there. "Draco, what did you mean by that statement?"

Adrian looked back out and said, "Coming?"

"She's talking to the boss," Draco said. His eyes never left hers. Still staring at Hermione, Draco said, "I'll send her right in."

Adrian rolled his eyes and went back in his office.

Neither said a word for the longest moment. "Malfoy, did you say what I thought you said?"

He reached in his pocket, drew out a handkerchief, wiped his fingers, stuffed the square piece of cloth back in his pocket, and said, "Hurry up in there, because I want to be the one to show your office to you, okay? Just skim through the papers. No reason to really read them, because they're just standard forms, okay?"

She nodded, and turned toward Adrian's office. She leaned back out to watch Draco as he walked down the hallway. He pulled the handkerchief back out of his pocket, and was examining it when he turned the corner, and was soon out of sight.

She went into Adrian's office and hurried through the papers, without reading a single one.

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It was his fault she didn't read the contract, not because he told her to hurry through them, and not because he told her not to read them. She wasn't influenced that easily. It was his fault, because she probably fell in love with him that day, and that was all she could think about at that moment. At least, that was how she remembered it.

Whilst in the middle of her reminiscing and daydreams, she heard a familiar voice behind her.