by Erika Wilde
“No problem,” Dylan said, though it was clear to Aiden his brother was reluctant to let her go. “I’ll talk to you soon, Daisy.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said, seemingly distracted as she turned around and headed for the door.
Once she was out of the conference room and it was just Aiden and his brother, Dylan turned to him with an incredulous look on his too handsome face. “What the hell, Aiden? Are you deliberately trying to cock block me?”
Aiden reined in his dark glare before it could fully form. “Of course not,” he said, even as he had the thought that if his brother got his cock anywhere near Daisy, Aiden would chop off his dick himself. “Why would I do something like that?”
Dylan shook his head as he slid his laptop into his case, along with the other items he’d brought for the presentation. “I don’t know, dude, but you’re acting fucking weird.”
Aiden shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Okay . . . sure,” Dylan said, not sounding convinced.
Aiden walked his brother out of the Roth Owens offices and to the elevator to see him out, and once Dylan was gone, Aiden went in search of Daisy. He expected her to be in her office, but when she wasn’t sitting behind her desk, he checked the break room and found her there instead.
She was standing at the counter, stirring cream and sugar into a cup of coffee while rubbing her forehead with her fingers, giving no indication that she’d heard him enter. Her shoulders were slumped, and he had to resist the urge to take her into his arms and just hold her because she looked like she could use a bit of comfort.
“Hey,” he said to let her know he was near since she seemed so preoccupied.
She let out a startled squeak and abruptly spun around to face him. Her pale green eyes went wide as she swayed unsteadily on her feet, and what little color she’d had on her face drained away. Fearing that she might faint, he leapt forward and quickly grabbed her arm as she reached for the counter to steady herself. It was the first time that he’d touched her since their trip together, and the awareness between them was instantaneous. Even as she struggled to gain her composure, the longing in her gaze was unmistakable and matched the slow burn of need that chugged through his own veins.
God, what this woman did to him. Three months had done nothing to diminish his attraction to her or the fact that he wanted her—and more than just sexually, he realized.
Despite that intimate moment between them, his concern for her was far more prominent, and he pushed that latent desire aside in favor of making sure she was stable on her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked, unwilling to let her go until he knew she wasn’t going to pass out on him.
She nodded as she exhaled a slow, deep breath. “I’m good. I think I need to eat something,” she murmured.
He studied her for a long moment and eventually released his hold on her arm. His gut told him that whatever was going on, it wasn’t all about putting food in her stomach, because a meal wouldn’t erase the tired lines around her eyes or her obvious fatigue.
“I’m worried about you,” he said gently. “You’re working a lot more than you should or that’s required, and quite frankly, you look exhausted and like you’re running yourself ragged. I know you want to make sure that the Darlington account is a success, but I’m genuinely worried that you’re not taking care of yourself the way you should.”
Smiling softly, she leaned against the counter. “I appreciate your concern, Aiden, but I’m absolutely fine. I skipped breakfast and I’m just a little light-headed. I have a granola bar and some yogurt in the refrigerator, so I’ll take that back to my office, along with my much-needed shot of caffeine that I missed out on this morning, and I’ll be as good as new. I promise.”
She was trying very hard to convince him, except it wasn’t working. Not after watching Daisy the past few weeks and seeing the changes in her that seemed to be getting worse, not better. He knew better than to push any more than he already had, but if she wasn’t going to take care of herself or listen to him, then it was time to bring the issue to Sabrina’s attention. Even at the risk of royally pissing Daisy off.
* * *
“Daisy, Sabrina would like to see you in her office, please.”
Sabrina’s assistant’s voice came through the intercom on Daisy’s desk, and she replied quickly to Nikki’s request. “I’ll be right there.”
It wasn’t often she was summoned to the CEO’s office, and Daisy assumed that Sabrina wanted an update on the Darlington account since it had been almost two weeks since she’d briefed her on how all the latest marketing plans were coming along. At least she’d be able to give her a full report on today’s presentation for the app, and that there were only a few things they needed to address and refine before showing the client the final product.
Knowing she looked as exhausted as she felt—Aiden had confirmed as much earlier in the break room—she reached into her purse and put a bit of powder on her face and under the darker shadows beneath her eyes and added a touch of blush and a swipe of lipstick. But that didn’t change the fact that she still looked tired and the last thing she wanted was Sabrina to worry that she wasn’t on her game to give the Darlington campaign her full focus and attention.
The truth was, despite having overslept for the first time in her adult life and being late for work, her body still felt as though she could crawl back into bed and sleep for another twelve hours. It didn’t matter what she did, she couldn’t shake how sluggish and lethargic she felt lately. No amount of caffeine or sleep seemed to give her back the energy she’d seemed to have a few weeks ago.
She had no flu symptoms. No fever or nausea or muscle aches. Her light-headed episodes were sporadic, and while she felt bloated and her breasts were more sensitive than normal, it was easy to chalk those things up to the fact that she was expecting her period any day now. So, she was doing her best to push through the physical slump in hopes that it would pass. And she was determined to not let her job or anything about the campaign suffer and cause Sabrina to regret that she’d given Daisy the promotion. That would be a personal and professional disappointment she wouldn’t be able to bear.
After putting her purse back in her desk drawer, she stood up and straightened her blouse and skirt, then headed out to see Sabrina. She passed Aiden’s office on the way, and while he was sitting behind his desk, he didn’t glance up like he normally did when she walked by his door. Which was just as well, considering how hard the past three months had been, working with him every day while trying to remain professional and friendly and not think about their one night together that had changed the way she viewed Aiden, and not just sexually—though she’d be lying if she said that her attraction to him wasn’t stronger now than before.
But along with that indisputable desire she had to fight to keep under wraps around him, there was now an emotional component to the way she felt about Aiden, even though she was well aware of how stupid it was to fall for a man who’d made it just as clear as she had that he wasn’t in the market for a relationship. They both agreed that love sucked based on each of their personal experiences, and her stance on that certainly hadn’t changed. She doubted that Aiden’s had, either.
When Daisy arrived at Sabrina’s assistant’s desk, Nikki greeted her with a smile. “Sabrina is waiting for you, so go on ahead into her office,” the pretty young woman said.
Daisy nodded. “Thank you.”
Standing straight and rolling her shoulders back in a display of confidence that hopefully camouflaged how lousy she felt, she walked into the CEO’s domain. Sabrina was sitting behind her glass-topped desk signing some paperwork in front of her. As soon as she heard Daisy enter, she removed her reading glasses and gave her a smile that was warm and friendly and gave Daisy no indication of what this meeting might be about.
“Have a seat, Daisy,” her boss said.
She lowered herself into one of the leather chairs in front of the other woma
n’s desk and folded her hands in her lap. Even in her late fifties, Sabrina was a beautiful woman, with glossy dark brown hair she wore in a stylish, chin-length cut, intelligent green eyes that could be both shrewd and compassionate, and a stunning face that was nearly wrinkle free. Daisy always envied her sophisticated outfits, and today was no different, as she was wearing cream-colored pants and a light blue floral silk blouse that was no doubt as expensive as it looked.
Sabrina leaned back casually in her chair, scrutinizing Daisy for a long, unnerving moment before she spoke. “I heard you overslept this morning and were late for the app presentation for the Darlington account.”
Even though her boss’s words were matter-of-fact and not a reprimand, Daisy’s stomach pitched at the thought of disappointing Sabrina in any way whatsoever. “Yes. I’m very sorry. It won’t happen again.”
The other woman waved away her words. “No need to apologize. It happens sometimes,” she said kindly. “But it’s also been brought to my attention that you’ve been overextending yourself with the campaign with excessively long hours, and it might be catching up to you.”
Daisy stiffened when she realized who that culprit was. “Aiden?” she guessed, trying hard to keep her resentment tamped down even though she was more than a little irritated that he’d go behind her back and report her to Sabrina.
“Yes, Aiden came to talk to me,” her boss confirmed. “And I’m glad he did, because one look at your face and I see exactly what he’s concerned about. You look—”
“Exhausted,” Daisy finished for her, already knowing what she’d been about to say. Clearly, it was written all over her features and she wasn’t doing a great job of hiding how run-down she felt.
“Yes, exhausted would be a good word. How do you feel?” Sabrina asked, then cut Daisy off before she could reply with her standard I’m fine answer. “And don’t tell me that you feel fine, because I’ll call bullshit.”
That was Sabrina—no nonsense and to the point. But she was also a boss who treated her employees fairly and with empathy when needed. Daisy wasn’t happy that Aiden had talked to Sabrina, but with her boss being so direct and calling her out, she was forced to acknowledge that Aiden might be right . . . that she was ignoring her body’s signals—the extreme tiredness, the moment of light-headedness, and even her emotions being in an upheaval lately, too.
“I just feel like no matter how much sleep I might be getting, it never seems like enough,” she blurted out, and she hated that it could potentially start affecting her job performance.
Sabrina’s gaze softened with concern. “How long has this been going on?”
Now that the truth was out in the open, Daisy kept up the string of honesty. “A few weeks now.”
Sabrina stood up and came around her desk, then sat in the chair next to Daisy’s, giving her the impression that she was about to address her as a friend, and not as her boss.
“I know how important this campaign is to you,” Sabrina said as she placed her hand on Daisy’s arm. “It’s your first big project since your promotion, and I wouldn’t have promoted you to Manager of Design and Development if I didn’t think you could handle the pressure and responsibilities that came with the position. I also know that, as women, we’re always trying to prove ourselves in the corporate world, and sometimes that stress starts wearing on our bodies, and you need to listen to the signs. Trust me, I’ve been there and I don’t want you to get burned out or, worse, make yourself sick,” she added with an understanding smile.
“I need you to do me a favor and humor me,” Sabrina continued, her demeanor more motherly now. “I want you to make an appointment with your physician for a full physical and a complete blood work-up, because whatever’s going on with you sounds like it could be more than you just needing a few extra hours’ sleep. I’m guessing you might be anemic or your thyroid could be off or it could be as simple as a vitamin deficiency. Any of those things can easily be managed with the right medication or treatment, so the sooner you find out what’s wrong, the quicker you can start feeling like yourself again.”
After weeks of ignoring and fighting her body’s numerous symptoms, Daisy felt an overwhelming sense of relief settle over her that she had Sabrina’s support and understanding. Her boss was giving her permission to acknowledge the issue, address it, and get it taken care of—without it affecting her job or new position, which had been one of Daisy’s biggest fears.
She left Sabrina’s office feeling more optimistic than she had in, well, weeks. Now, she was anxious to find out what was causing her exhaustion, light-headedness, and occasional mood swing so she could correct the problem and get her normal energy back.
When she passed Aiden’s door, she didn’t look at him this time, but a few steps away, he called out her name, loud enough that if she kept on walking he’d know that she’d deliberately ignored him. So, she stopped, backed up, and glanced inside his office.
She met his gaze and instantly saw the regret and worry there. “Yes?”
He scrubbed a hand along the neatly trimmed beard along his jaw, giving her flashbacks of how that scruff felt on her skin. “I’m really sorry that I went to Sabrina, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were pissed off at me for doing so.”
“I was,” she admitted, letting a small smile kick up the corner of her mouth. “But after talking with Sabrina, I’m much calmer now.”
“Okay, good.” He nodded, his tense body relaxing in his chair. “I just . . .” His words trailed off for a moment, as if he was hesitant to speak what was on his mind but then decided to do it anyway. “I just care about you, and if something is wrong, then I want to make sure you do whatever it takes to get back to feeling like yourself.”
Emotion seemed to tangle in her throat, because she couldn’t remember the last time someone had worried about her well-being or looked after her, and she certainly didn’t want to get used to Aiden’s attention or concern.
“I understand,” she said, forcing the words out around that tight knot that was still present around her vocal cords. “And thank you . . . for caring.”
He gave her a smile that seemed to grab at her heart. “Of course.”
They were standing at opposite ends of the room, but those seductive lips and whiskey-colored eyes were making her weak with wanting. She worked with Aiden five days a week and saw him on a regular basis, but she legitimately missed him and what they’d shared in San Francisco. Not just the sex, though her body could still remember with clarity the warmth of his touch, the possessive demand of his kisses, and the way he made her feel so desirable—and selfishly wanted a whole lot more of him.
But it was moments like these, when he was so sweet and thoughtful and protective, even, that she knew she could easily lose herself, and everything she’d worked so hard to gain, to a man who’d kept his heart locked up as tight as she did. And that realization scared the crap out of her.
She needed to get out of his office, because she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Three months of resisting Aiden and trying to build those walls back up around her emotions, and in less than five minutes, that caring side to him was threatening to tear them all down.
And she never wanted to be that vulnerable with a man ever again.
Chapter Seven
Daisy shifted impatiently on the exam table, cringing as the paper sheet covering the faux leather seat beneath her stuck to her bare butt and the backs of her thighs. God, was there anything worse than sitting in a cold, sterile room wearing nothing more than a thin cotton gown that tied in the back—but still managed to expose her ass no matter how she shifted the material—and an equally thin paper drape over her bare legs while anxiously waiting for the doctor to arrive? It had been fifteen long minutes since Daisy had changed out of her clothes into the standard examination attire, and she just wanted to get the whole physical—including a pap smear, because she figured she might as well get everything checked out while she was there—over with. Oh, and to find out
what her test results had to reveal.
Two days ago, as soon as she got back to her desk after her talk with Sabrina, she’d picked up the phone and made an appointment with her primary care physician, who thankfully had a cancellation late Friday afternoon. The time frame also gave Daisy the chance to go to the lab to get her blood drawn and have a full panel work-up, along with a urine analysis completed, to identify any potential problems that might be contributing to her numerous symptoms.
While it was clear that something was definitely off in the way she’d felt over the past several weeks, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little nervous—okay, a lot nervous, scared, even—to discover what was wrong. She was hoping and praying that it was something as easily remedied as anemia or a vitamin deficiency or her thyroid being off as Sabrina had suggested, because her greatest fear was that it would be a more serious and complicated issue that would interfere with work or would require time off and compromise her job.
A quick knock sounded on the door, and as soon as Daisy said, “Come in,” her doctor stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.
“Hi, Dr. Jenkins,” Daisy said, greeting the fortysomething woman who’d been her primary care physician over the past three years.
“Hi, Daisy,” she said with a smile. “I did a quick read of the nurse’s check-in notes, and I see you haven’t been feeling up to par lately. That you’re more tired than normal and are experiencing bouts of light-headedness and general fatigue.”
She nodded as the other woman set her handheld tablet computer on the counter and washed her hands. “Yes.”
“Your vitals look good,” she said, which the nurse had taken before leaving Daisy in the exam room. “No temperature and your blood pressure is where it should be, and while you’re up five pounds from your last visit, that’s nothing to be concerned about since it could be water retention.”
Yeah, that’s what Daisy was going with, because she’d started to notice that the waistband of her skirts and pants were getting a bit snug.