Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“Me being one of the key executives?” he asked, laughing. “You are aware you know way more than me about any potential deal, and Jared’s right. I need to learn.”
Leaning back in her seat, she swiveled back and forth. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Say that again?” he teased her.
“Oh, shut up,” she muttered, but he saw the half smile on her face.
Her guard was down and he decided to take advantage. He walked to the office door and locked them in, then strode around her desk, came up beside her, and swiveled her chair to face him.
She swallowed hard, her hands clenching the arms on the chair so hard her fingertips turned white. “What do you want?” she asked, a tremor in her voice.
Her heady coconut scent surrounded him as he leaned in close. “I think you know, Brookie,” he said, using her old nickname.
She slid her tongue over her lower lip. Though she had time to argue, she merely stared at him, her breath coming in shorter pants.
She hadn’t moved away nor had she objected, so he leaned in, placed his hands on her hips, pulling her out of her chair and into his arms. Then his mouth came down on hers.
Chapter Fourteen
Brooke was stunned as Aiden’s mouth touched hers, yet every nerve ending in her body came to life. Her heart raced, and her thoughts turned hazy as she parted her lips for him. One of his strong arms wrapped around her body and he slid the other into her hair, using the strands to tilt her head and give him better access to her mouth. Everything between them seemed right, just like when they’d been together before. Only the time and place were off.
That should have pulled her out of the moment, but she’d been fighting him and her feelings for so long. As she kissed him back, the struggle between her mind and her heart was real. But so was he, and she was so tired of the war inside her.
He lifted his head, his brown eyes dark with longing. “Don’t overthink things,” he said, dragging his knuckles down her cheek. “It’s you, Brooke. It’s always been you.”
She swallowed hard. “I want to believe that.” And a part of her did.
“I’m also so damned sorry.” He’d slid his hands to her waist and didn’t release his hold.
“What?”
“I’m sorry for not telling you about my plans to leave before we slept together, and I’m sorry for not handling it well after.”
She blinked, tears forming in her eyes. It was the first time he’d apologized and, in a way, she knew he understood what he’d done wrong, and the sincerity in his voice affected her deeply. So did the sadness and remorse in his dark eyes.
He’d finally cracked open something within her, and she was ready to have the conversation that was long overdue between them.
“I needed to hear your apology,” she said. “But you need to hear how you affected me.”
He nodded, stiffening because he no doubt knew he wouldn’t like what she had to say.
“When you made that announcement to everyone? I felt like such an immature idiot,” she said, remembering the night of Fallon’s party. “You said you had something to say, and I thought you were going to tell them about us.” She paused long enough to let out a humorless chuckle even as she felt the urge to cry. But she’d done that enough over Aiden.
His eyes opened wide. “Brooke, I—”
She shook her head. “Let me finish, please.” She drew a deep breath. “Looking back, I know how stupid that thought was. We weren’t in a relationship; we’d had one night together. There’d been nothing to announce. But I was full of happiness and childish hope, and I’d convinced myself of something you’d never actually said to me.” She took a step back, sending her chair moving away.
“No,” Aiden cut in, his voice thick with emotion. “You weren’t stupid or childish. I led you on. I can see that now.”
She sighed, appreciating the sentiment. “You telling us you were leaving New York was such a shock to me.”
“I think I stunned the whole family,” he said. “I didn’t tell a soul when I applied for the job because I didn’t know if I’d get it, and I was worried everyone would try and talk me out of it.” He stepped away, walked around the desk, and paced across the carpet behind the chairs. “And if I’d been faced with that kind of pressure, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to go through with leaving. Telling everyone after it was a done deal seemed easier.”
She supposed she could understand his reasoning. “But you could have told me privately,” she whispered, her throat tight.
He nodded. “I know that now.” He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “I thought it would be easier to break the news to you at the same time as everyone else.”