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chance of not sleeping with him. And that was the definition of low.
    Hope stared at him and knew she was going to hell for sure when desire simmered through her again. So which one of them was the lowest of the low?
    Damn him for standing there in worn jeans that hugged his hips and legs like a sexy second skin and a shirt he hadn’t bothered to button. Double damn him for showing off the hair-dusted masculine chest she badly wanted to explore again.
    Jake rested his hands on those lean hips. “Look, how about I fix us a drink? We can take a breath and have a civilized conversation—”
    “No.”
    “Which one?” He folded his arms over his chest. “Drink? Or talk?”
    “Both.”
    “You owe me a chance to explain.”
    “That’s a joke, right?” She stared at his expression, not making the mistake of letting her gaze go lower. “You didn’t really just say that I’m obliged to give you the opportunity to justify what just happened because you’re a guy.”
    His eyes narrowed dangerously. “I am a guy. And I won’t apologize for the fact that I want you.”
    Not past tense, she noted. That meant presently he still wanted her. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why that was so seductive, but it was. The spurt of desire dancing through her was proof. The only weapon she had to fight against it was anger.
    She glared at him. “Maybe you should apologize for not telling me you’re involved with someone.”
    “Blair and I are dating,” he confirmed. “But there’s never been a conversation about being exclusive.”
    “Actions speak louder than words,” she pointed out. “Show, don’t tell. The term dating implies some sort ofrelationship and is information worthy of sharing, don’t you think?”
    “You want information? Here’s some. We’re friends. Our paths crossed frequently because her father is Congressman Havens—”
    “The president of the hospital’s board of directors Congressman Havens?”
    “Yes.”
    Hope felt her eyes widen. “The same man who gave you a career-making contract?”
    “Yes, but it’s not how it looks,” he said again.
    “You’re right. This time it’s actually worse, because it looks to me like you used her and you’re cheating on her.”
    With me, Hope thought. That made her a cheater times two. The anger coursing through her was invigorating, sort of satisfying as guilt and grief fused, sparked and exploded, blotting out everything else.
    “There’s no possible way to put a positive spin on that,” she added.
    “For the record,” he said, “before I asked her out, I ran it by her father, because I’d already declared an interest in the position. He assured me that his decision would be based on ability and experience.”
    “And showing his daughter a good time sure didn’t hurt your chances of getting the contract, did it?”
    “I’m not a liar, Hope. I’ve always been up front with Blair. She knows my career comes first and is okay with that.”
    “How wonderful for you. Such an understanding woman is so rare.” She tried to mean that sincerely. Made a valiant attempt to strain the sarcasm from her voice. On both fronts she failed completely and just couldn’t be sorry.
    “Blair is a politician’s daughter. She likes being seen with ambitious, up-and-coming men.”
    “And isn’t that special? What are the odds of finding your female equivalent?” Hope asked. “Wow, a match made in heaven. You both have an agenda.”
    “That’s not what I meant.”
    “What did you mean?” she asked.
    “We have a good time together. There’s been no discussion of taking things to the next level.”
    Hope resisted the longing to believe him. Giving in to that was the last thing she wanted because it would slick the way for her to slide right into caring. Not going there, she thought.
    “Again, I say, show don’t tell. If you’re ‘dating’—” Her tone added air quotes to the word. “There’s every reason for her to expect loyalty