Her Greatest Mistake

by Eve L Mitchell

  “It’s not as bad as we think, and it’s not even midnight,” Aiden sounded surprised.

  “Wow, that’s good though, maybe we weren’t missed?” I said as I got off the desk. I pulled my dress on as I watched him button his shirt.

  “I’m sure your friends are looking for you.” His voice sounded bitter.

  “Hey.” I stepped forward and caught his arm. “What’s wrong?” I didn’t like the frown on his face or the tension in his shoulders.

  “Nothing.” His smile seemed forced. “Quick, we need a bathroom.”

  I checked I had everything and then followed Aiden out of the room. I cast a quick look over my shoulder to the desk and felt a blush. Aiden grabbed my hand as we entered the corridor and then was leading me back through the museum.

  “Here.” We ducked into a disabled bathroom.

  “We’re sharing?” I teased.

  “Just straighten up. We can step out to let the other one do their business when the time comes.”

  “Do their business?” I started giggling. “Are we dogs?”

  “Jemma, are you drunk?” Aiden was looking at me closely. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’re drunk.”

  “No, I’m not drunk, you’re just cute when you’re flustered.” I rose on my tiptoes and kissed him. He hesitated for a second before returning the kiss. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine, let’s just get cleaned up.”

  Trying to hide my frown, I did the best I could with no hairbrush or hairspray. It looked like crows had nested in my hair. I frowned. Aiden took the decision out of my hands by removing the pins and letting my hair tumble down my back. Even pinned in a chignon for a few hours, there wasn’t even a dent in my bone straight hair. He tucked it behind my ear.

  “I like it.” His smile was soft and sexy.

  “It’s not very fitting for the event though,” I protested.

  Aiden shrugged. “I like it, you never have your hair down.”

  Rolling my eyes, I put on some lipstick and thanked God that my eyeliner had remained in place. I turned to him. “Okay, out you go while I attend to my business.” His short laugh made me grin, and I was still smiling even as I flushed bright red and discarded my torn pantyhose in the trash.

  Five minutes later and we were heading back to the main hall. “What time is it now?” I asked.

  “Almost midnight.”

  I pulled on his arm. “Wait.” I could hear them start the countdown—we were in a dark corridor, just the two of us. My fingers interlaced with Aiden’s. “Just wait,” I whispered.

  Aiden looked around and then pulled me into him. His kiss was soft at first, then grew more demanding and insistent. His hand cupped the side of my face as his thumb slipped under my jaw, tilting my head to give him the best access to my mouth. His tongue danced with mine as I clasped my hands around his neck, my fingers curling into his hair. His other hand slid down my back, fingers wrapping around my ass cheek, as he tightened his hold on me. I heard the main room cheering Happy New Year and felt my smile grow as I kissed Aiden. I felt his answering smile as he pulled away, our foreheads resting against each other.

  “Happy New Year,” I said softly.

  “Happy New Year,” he answered me with a soft kiss.

  “And what a New Year’s kiss that was.”

  I jumped at the stranger’s voice, an embarrassed laugh escaping me.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here.” I smiled at her. She was beautiful, tall, red-haired and stunning. Her focus was on Aiden. “Happy New Year,” I tacked on.

  Her eyes flicked to me, her smile predatory. “Yes, isn’t it?”

  Uncertainty swept through me, and I reached for Aiden’s hand, but he had moved away. I glanced at him; he was staring at the woman. “Aiden?”

  He turned to me, and I saw him falter. “Jemma, whatever you hear now, please do one thing and promise to wait until I can explain. Please?”

  “What?” I took a step back.

  The woman started laughing. “She’s delightful, seriously, where did you find her?” Her look was scornful. “Country Bumpkins R Us?”

  “Shut the fuck up, Kat.” Aiden’s tone was harsh and spiteful. “Why the fuck are you here, anyway?”

  “Who are you?” I was looking between the two of them, at the mocking look on her face and the barely concealed contempt on Aiden’s.

  “Me?” She laughed again.

  “Are you a hyena?” I snapped.

  “Jemma,” Aiden warned.

  I glared at him. He was looking at me, and he looked…sorry? Why would he look sorry?

  “A hyena?” She smiled at me, and I almost saw pity. “No, honey, I’m his wife.”

  “What?” The room was spinning. “No…”

  “Jemma!” I looked up from the file I had in front of me. Richard was crossing the floor, looking harassed.

  “What’s up?” I asked him curiously.

  “How long did you have that bug for?” He asked me desperately.

  “Bug?”

  “At New Year’s, was it two or three days?”

  I felt the familiar sense of shame wash over me as I thought about New Year’s Eve two weeks ago. “Three days,” I answered him quietly. “Why?”

  “Lily has it, and if she has it, then the boys won’t be far behind.” He ran a hand in frustration through his hair. “Was it bad?”

  I didn’t have a tummy bug. I had a “I had wild sex with a married man” cloak of shame. I couldn’t tell Richard that though, so instead I plastered on a sympathetic smile. “It wasn’t pleasant,” I lied. It had been fantastic, the best sex of my life, and now I felt like a complete bitch. I was Cheryl. Jesus Christ, I had been the other freaking woman.

  “Dammit,” Richard swore.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked again.

  “I was going to surprise them with a week in Aspen, leaving Saturday.” He smiled at me ruefully. “However, I don’t think any of us want that journey if the kids are sick.”

  “Well, it’s only Tuesday, maybe they’ll be feeling well again by the weekend?” I suggested. “And who’s to say the boys will get it?”

  “Lily likes to share with her brothers.” Richard snorted. “Only when it comes to bugs and illness though. Ask her to share her Netflix account or her candy, no go.”

  “She has her own Netflix account?” I asked with surprise.

  “Do not get me started on that,” Richard grumbled. “Anyway, why are you down here? I thought you were due in a meeting upstairs?”

  “Oh yeah, I’m going now,” I said as I stood.

  “Has Aiden been back yet?” Richard asked me.

  “Haven’t seen him.” I forced another smile. Haven’t seen his lying, cheating ass since I ran out of the gala.

  “He’s a nice enough guy, I guess. For a project manager, you would think he would be more hands-on,” Richard said as he looked out the window.

  He’s very hands-on; if I told you what he could do with his hands, you would die. I shook my head to stop my traitorous brain slinking off and thinking of Aiden…and Aiden’s hands. “Maybe he’s on vacation,” I suggested as I picked up a folder. Personally, I was delighted I hadn’t seen his cheating ass for two weeks.

  “Maybe.” Richard was watching me, and I felt myself get nervous under his gaze. “How’s Ben?”

  “He’s good,” I answered in a rush.

  “Well, if he was good, he would have asked you out already.”

  “Oh, it’s not like that.” My face was burning. I knew it was.

  “Which is why I am suggesting Ben’s not as good as he seems.” Richard waggled his eyebrows at me.

  “What do you mean? What did you hear?” Nadine asked from behind Richard. I could feel my stomach sinking.

  Richard turned to Nadine laughing. “Nothing, Jemma’s being so tight-lipped about her boyfriend, Ben, I never get told anything!”

  “Jemma’s boyfriend?” Nadine was staring daggers at me.

&nb
sp; Seriously? Could this conversation get any worse? “I have to go upstairs,” I said hurriedly as I fled both of them.

  Climbing the back stairs to the tenth floor, I tried to calm my nerves. I hadn’t seen Aiden since I left the gala, which was about five minutes after running from the corridor where he had stormed off leaving me standing with his wife. I tried to rationalise it in my head again. He didn’t wear a wedding ring. If Aiden was your husband, you would make sure he had that ring welded on. He was too captivating, mesmerising, drop-dead freaking gorgeous to let him roam around the female population with no warning—or taken—sign. No one, no one had even suggested he was married. I mean, I hadn’t asked, oh God, why didn’t I ask? Because Aiden confused your senses. He was as overwhelming as he was intense. He was the book cover guy… I snorted in derision. I had been captivated by a look-alike of a book cover of a beautiful story where the hero was the perfect man. Only, in reality, the book cover look-alike was a lying, cheating scumbag.

  Sighing, I carried on up the stairs, hoping against hope that he was still gone. I couldn’t face him. I couldn’t do it. I was ashamed of my actions, I was ashamed at how I had cried for two days because he was married. I was so disappointed with myself, with him, with the crappy hand I kept getting dealt.

  Pushing the door open, I donned the high vis jacket and kicked off my boots, putting on the steel toe boots that Ben had found for me. Picking up the hard hat, I cursed myself for having my hair in a ponytail today. Stupid hat didn’t like ponytails. My hair would need to come out, and I grumbled as I pulled the hair tie out.

  “Hey, Jem!” Ben grinned at me as he made his way over.

  “Hi, Ben,” I greeted as I tucked my hair band in my pocket and shook my hair out.

  “Wow, you auditioning for a hair commercial?” Ben teased me.

  “Yup, exactly.” I laughed. “It’s for female construction workers everywhere,” I said playing along.

  “What’s it called? DIY hair care?”

  “No!” I was laughing as we walked to the conference room. “How mundane! It’s called Root Builder Remedies.”

  “That’s even worse than my suggestion!” Ben laughed out loud. “Truly terrible.”

  “Are you joining us or loitering in the corridor?”

  My laugh died and my body froze as Aiden’s smooth, silky voice came from inside the conference room. I looked at Ben, and he grimaced as he went ahead. I didn’t move. I couldn’t go in there. Oh my God, I had to face him. Get a grip, Jemma, you have to face him eventually.

  Ben’s head stuck back out through the door. “Jemma?”

  “Yeah, I’m coming.” Be strong, you did nothing wrong. I took a deep breath. You slept with a married man. Shut up, inner voice. Where were you when he had me on the desk with his hands up my dress? Yeah—nowhere. I walked into the room and fixed my stare pointedly on the chair to the left of the huge presence in the room.

  “So glad you could come,” Aiden drawled.

  My eyes flicked to him, and I almost punched him and his knowing smirk. Say nothing, I warned myself.

  “Who else we waiting for, Ben?” Aiden asked Ben. He was watching me. I knew he was watching me, and if I looked at him, I could challenge him, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

  “Bob the banker,” Ben growled. I caught his look, and he smiled. Ben had been banging heads with the bank manager ever since the project started. It was no secret to all involved that the two didn’t get on, and tensions were always high when they were both in the same room.

  “We can start without him,” Aiden said. I caught sight of his arm moving, and I glanced up automatically as he checked his phone. “I have another meeting after this one at the other end of the city.” He looked up. “I don’t have time to wait.” He caught my gaze, and I hastily dropped my eyes. “Start the briefing,” he ordered Ben.

  The weekly briefings were updates on the progress of the project. They couldn’t start the external repairs in January, but they were making good progress on the internal renovation works. Every Monday, Ben supplied us with a summary email of what work had been done in the previous week, along with a spreadsheet of expenditure and costs. I personally thought the weekly meetings were overkill, but the bank manager had insisted. Because the bank occupied two floors, his costs were twice the other occupiers in the building. He still thought it was a targeted attack and not simple math.

  As the renovation was for all the floors Litton Industries was going to occupy, the costs to the remaining occupiers in the building had so far been zero. I stared at the printed email and spreadsheet as Ben ran over the numbers, and tried with every fibre in my being not to look at the large presence in the room.

  “How dare you start without me!”

  I groaned internally as the bank manager marched into the room and then suppressed another groan as he and Ben immediately went at it. A loud bang made me jump as my eyes flew up to the source. Aiden was staring hard at the bank manager. My breath caught as I looked at him, fully taking in his profile when his attention was elsewhere. I felt the familiar disgust with myself as I ate up his perfect cheekbones with his clean-shaven jaw. His thick brown hair looked so inviting. I remembered well how soft it was between my fingers as I had run my fingers through it as he pinned me beneath him on the desk.

  The room was silent as the occupants looked at Aiden. His anger at the bank manager was evident in his stance, his glare hard.

  “You come into my meeting late and dare to question me?” Aiden crossed his arms, and I realised he was wearing a suit under his protective clothing. “I started on time; the fact you weren’t here is your problem, not mine.” His eyes ran over the bank manager disdainfully. “Now, Ben, continue.”

  His eyes flicked to mine and held. I was caught in his stare, and I couldn’t look away. His usually warm chocolate brown eyes were hard, giving nothing away. His eyes raked over me, and I couldn’t stop shifting my feet as my nerves skyrocketed under his appraisal. They immediately plummeted when he turned his attention back to the meeting. I felt breathless. I hadn’t moved more than an inch, and I was reacting like I had run a marathon. I had no idea what Ben was saying, and with enough concentration, I could make out he was still talking. My heart was beating so loudly. Could anyone else hear it? Did anyone else know that I was hyperventilating over here?

  “Jemma, come with me.”

  I had been so busy focusing on my internal meltdown I hadn’t noticed Aiden had moved to stand beside me. I looked up at him quickly and hesitated as I felt his hand on my elbow. I heard Ben pause in his briefing.

  “It’ll take a moment,” he told Ben. “It’s in regards to the back stairs.”

  “Oh yeah, sure.” Ben smiled at me. “I’ll catch you up with the rest later, Jem.”

  I felt Aiden’s hand tighten on my elbow, and then he was walking me out of the room. No, wait! I dug my borrowed boots into the carpet as he walked me to the back stairwell. It didn’t even deter him. Aiden kept walking purposefully.

  “No.” I finally found my voice.

  “Wait until we’re in the stairs,” he told me with his voice low.

  “Let go of me.” I shook my arm, trying to dislodge his hold. “I can walk myself.”

  He removed his hand, and I felt the tightness in my chest ease. Aiden held the door open for me, and I walked onto the back stairwell.

  “What’s happening with the stairs?” I asked briskly. “Why did I need to be taken out of the meeting?”

  “Because I want to talk to you,” he replied softly. His hand cupped my chin and turned my head to meet his gaze. His head dipped down, and his lips covered mine. For a moment—a brief moment—I tasted him before I came to my senses and pushed away.

  “How’s your wife?”

  “Are you going to listen to me?” Aiden watched me closely.

  “Are you still married?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow, you didn’t even hesitate.” I laughed in disbelief as I wiped
my lips with the back of my hand, my stare following the path of the stairs again.

  “Jemma, look at me,” he growled.

  I looked up at him. “What?”

  “Can I explain?”

  “What’s there to explain?” I asked as I crossed my arms. “It seems simple. Are you married? Yes. Discussion over.”

  He watched me for a moment longer. “Okay then.”

  “Is that it?” I looked away from him again. It was too much. He was too much.

  “That’s it.”

  I looked at him in disbelief. “You dragged me here for this?”

  “Sure.”

  I glared at him. “Oh God, did you think you could pick up where you left off?” I felt the horror course through my veins. “Is that why you kissed me?”

  Aiden laughed as he ran his hand over his jaw. “Yeah, that’s exactly it. I thought, I haven’t fucked Jemma since New Year’s. I know, I’ll nail her in the stairwell, she’s so willing to give it up.”

  I slapped him. I would have hit him again if he hadn’t looked at me with such contempt.

  “Fuck this, I’m done.” Aiden turned and walked through the door, leaving me standing in the fire exit stairs, feeling like I had irrevocably upset him.

  I stayed on the stairs for a few minutes more. He was so crass, bastard. Don’t you dare cry, Jemma Leighton, don’t you dare. I sniffled. No. I couldn’t cry. Not again. Not over him. I would go back to my desk and do my job. I had made the mistake, and I had paid for that mistake.

  I recalled standing in the corridor with his wife. Jesus, talk about awkward.

  “I didn’t know…”

  “Really?” Her eyes ran over me with interest. “Well, you don’t look like his usual hookups, so maybe you didn’t.”

  “His usual?” My heart was in my mouth. “He does this to you often?” I was a bedpost notch? Oh my God, the shame. How could I be so stupid?

  “Yeah, he has trouble keeping it in his pants.” His wife smiled humourlessly at me.

  “Why don’t you leave him?” I blurted. You’re not in the position to be judging her right now, Jemma!

  “I wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction.”