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)
“Oh, I know. After the first heart attack, he was supposed to slow down, but he still spent way too much time here.” Jared’s head tilted to the side as he studied Aiden. “Actually, you seemed to have a similar mindset about your job until recently. Not that I’m complaining. I’m glad you’re back. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable taking time off.”
Aiden forced a grin. “Happy to help,” he said. What he didn’t disclose was that the timing worked out well.
He’d needed to take a step back from his occupation as a journalist. A familiar unease settled in the pit of his stomach as he recalled the danger that found him, courtesy of his most recent planned article. Trouble wasn’t unusual in his line of work. Hell, he’d been in a vehicle too damned close to an IED once.
But this situation was different. He could feel it deep in his gut. “I just needed a change and your time off coincided with that,” Aiden said, shifting the laptop tucked beneath his arm. “Why don’t we meet up again after lunch? Your little one will be here before we know it, so we’d better pack in my tutoring while we can.”
Jared nodded. “Sounds good.”
They walked out, Jared discussing their afternoon plans to go over the company’s assets, liabilities, and equity. Keeping busy with thoughts of Sterling Investments made it easier to push aside thinking about Brooke and the danger from his latest job.
The future of the company relied on Aiden for now, and he was determined not to let his family down.
Chapter Four
Brooke had seen Aiden watching her. She’d felt his gaze following her path down the hallway, as if such a thing were possible. And though she hated to admit it, she’d dressed for his return.
Her feet were sore since she had on heels two inches higher than she normally wore to the office, but she’d felt compelled to slip into the sexiest pair of shoes she owned. The ones that made her legs look a mile long and did amazing things for her ass.
As she stood at the elevator, pressing the DOWN button and waiting for the lift to come back up from the ground floor, she chided herself for caring. She’d never thought much about what outfit she’d wear until the morning of Aiden’s first day of work.
She had a whole closet full of business casual clothes and sensible low heels, as she preferred her outfits professional and comfortable. In fact, she’d had to dig in the back of her closet to find these damn sexy heels today. And she might have spent a little extra time trying to perfect a smokey eye that matched the plum camisole she’d chosen.
She’d dressed with him in mind, a small part of her hoping he’d notice the extra effort she put into her appearance. She wanted him to eat his heart out, to regret ever hurting and leaving her. Petty? Maybe. True? Absolutely.
Irritated with herself, she let out a huff and shifted her weight, silently willing the elevator to come faster. It was certainly taking its time getting to the tenth floor, and all Brooke wanted to do was get home and soak herself in a hot tub. She might even crack open a bottle of wine. Maybe that would help her forget about the way Aiden’s proximity was affecting her.
Since early this morning, she’d avoided him but after lunch, she’d seen him often. Every time they made accidental eye contact, her heart lurched. When she caught a whiff of his cologne, the same scent he’d always worn, memories swept over her.
Their past had haunted her for too damned long, had impacted every date she’d had, and lately, she’d been telling herself it was time to put it, and him, behind her. Then, when Alex’s health declined and Aiden returned to the city, she was back to being obsessive and emotional over him. It was infuriating.
Light feminine laughter sounded from behind her and Brooke glanced over her shoulder. Two familiar women walked toward her, Lisa, an analyst, and Madison who worked in the treasury department. They were close friends, and Brooke got along well with them, although she considered them to be more colleagues than anything else.
Madison nodded at her in acknowledgement, but Lisa was too busy talking to notice Brooke at all. It didn’t bother her. The woman was well-known for spreading gossip around the workplace.
They paused behind her. “I heard that he’s single,” Lisa said. “It’s kind of hard to believe, considering how good-looking he is.”
“That’s what you used to say about his brother,” Madison mused.
Lisa chuckled. “Yeah, but now Jared’s married and off the market. Aiden, however…”
At her words, Brooke’s stomach twisted in tight knots. It shouldn’t strike her as odd that Aiden was the subject of office gossip, but Brooke didn’t want to hear what other women had to say about him. Even more, she didn’t want to care. But she was stuck waiting for the elevator, which always took forever at the end of the day. And she wasn’t about to take the stairs and walk down ten floors in the stupid heels.