by Jill Sanders
As he walked toward his office, he heard a soft pounding and looked over to see a half-frozen Kristen standing outside the dark doors of the balcony. She didn’t have a jacket on and there was snow falling on her head and shoulders.
Instant worry flashed through his mind.
He rushed over, yanked open the door, and quickly pulled her into the warm building and straight into his arms.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Everyone has had a handful of awful days in their life. You know the kind. The ones where you should have listened to your instinct and stayed in bed.
This was one of those days. Kristen had stepped in a puddle on her way to the train station and had gotten her left boot soaking wet. She’d lost or forgotten her left glove, forcing her to tuck her hand in her coat pocket the entire walk from the station to work. This had caused her bag to slip and fall off her shoulder, spilling her important paperwork in the gutter, which was filled with melting snow.
By the time she made it into work, her hair was soaked, her left foot and hand were freezing, and her nose was running.
She didn’t need the chance of feeling off for her big meeting tomorrow. The rest of the day didn’t go any better. Bob had called with some minor changes they wanted to make for the grocery store. Minor on his end but major on hers. She’d spent the afternoon making the changes so they would be ready for the meeting first thing in the morning.
She’d lost track of time, and when her cell phone rang, she almost didn’t answer it.
“Hello?” She heard a bunch of static and quickly walked toward the back deck area, where she knew her phone reception was best. “Hello?”
“Hey, Kristy.” She heard Rod’s voice slur a little. “It’s me, Rod.”
She stepped out on the deck and felt anger shoot through her. “What do you want? To come back and finish the job by stealing the clothes off my back?”
“Naw, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.” She heard a burst of laughter in the background of his phone and felt her anger grow.
“If you’re really sorry, you’ll return all my things. Better yet, tell me where you are so I can tell the police.” She knew that the police hadn’t tracked him down because, as it turned out, he’d given her a fake last name.
He snarled. “Can’t return the stuff. I hocked it.”
“You what?” She almost screamed it.
“Had to. I had people to pay off. But it didn’t even make a dent in my debt.”
She rubbed her forehead and was slightly shocked when she realized for the first time that it was snowing. “Why did you call? Short on cash, again? Because if you think I’m going to fall for your tricks . . .” She felt chilled to the bone.
“I was hoping we could be friends, you know. We had something good between us.”
“When hell freezes over!” she exclaimed. Turning around, she walked over to the outer doors and yanked on one, only to come up short. Panic spread through her as she tried the other handle.
“Jeez, you don’t have to be a bitch—”
Kristen didn’t even wait for him to finish talking. She punched the End button on her phone and shoved it into the pocket in her pants. Then she tried opening the doors again a little more frantically.
Her fingers were frozen and snow was quickly piling up on her as she pounded on the doors. Surely there was still someone in the office. She cupped her red, frozen hands and tried to look through the dark glass.
She kicked the doors and was just about to take out her cell phone to call 911 when the door was yanked open and she was pulled inside and engulfed in warm arms.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Aiden growled in her ear. “Trying to freeze to death?” He started to run his hands up and down her bare arms.
“N-n-no.” She glanced at him, trying to pull away.
“You’re frozen. How long were you out there?” He quickly removed his jacket, but instead of putting it over her shoulders, he laid it on the small credenza next to the balcony doors, and pulled her back into his chest and continued to rub her back and arms.
“N-n-not that l-l-long.” She hated that her mouth wasn’t cooperating. And that her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering.
He looked down at her and then reached up and brushed the snow from her hair. When his fingers brushed over her hair for a fourth time, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being touched.
Then she noticed just how hot his body temperature was. Maybe she’d been colder than she’d thought. She found it hard to believe that it had taken her this long to notice how muscular his body was.
His arms kept rubbing her, up and down. When they slowed a little, she let out a moan.
When she opened her eyes, she realized he was watching her. His dark eyes were glued to hers, and before she knew or expected it, his lips were on hers in a kiss that sent warmth to every part of her body.
Kristen had been kissed plenty of times in her life, but nothing could ever compare to the mouth that was covering hers now. His lips were soft, yet as they moved over hers, she felt the power behind them.
When he opened his mouth and used his tongue against her lips, she couldn’t stop herself from enjoying the richness, the excitement, of his kiss. She opened for him, taking just a moment to relax against his warmth. His taste was something she could get used to, fall into, and get lost in.
He pulled back a little and frowned down at her. That’s when she started shaking. Or maybe she had been shaking all along and had just realized it.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.” He started to pull away.
“No.” She grabbed hold of his arms. “Really, I was just out there for a moment. I just need to warm up.” She smiled at the realization that her teeth were no longer chattering.
“Fine.” He continued to rub his hands up and down her arms. “Do they have something hot to drink around here?” He glanced around, looking a little annoyed.
“Hot chocolate.” She nodded toward the small break area that housed a large fridge, a microwave, and some cupboards full of dishes and supplies.
He leaned over and picked up his jacket, then placed it over her shoulders and wrapped his arm around her as they walked toward the break area.
It was dark in the back part of the building, so he flipped on the lights as they went.
“What are you doing here so late?” he asked as he rummaged through the cupboards, looking for what he wanted.
Her teeth started chattering again now that she’d lost his warmth. “I n-needed to finish up some changes for the Market Place job.”
He glared at her over his shoulder. “Why were you out on the balcony in the snow, without a jacket?” He filled up a cup with water and shoved it into the microwave.
“I had a phone call.” She closed her eyes and remembered the call.
“From?” He turned and pulled out a box of cocoa mix.
“A thief,” she said and chuckled.
He dropped the mix and walked over to her and felt her forehead and then looked at her like she was crazy.
“It’s a long story.” She sighed and leaned back against the wall.
“I’ve got all night.” He smiled.
She rolled her shoulders, trying to get her body to relax a little. “My ex-boyfriend.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, showing her that he wasn’t going anywhere.
She croaked, “I’d like something warm to drink first.” She nodded toward the microwave, which had just beeped.
He busied himself with mixing the drink, then carried it over to the small conference room and set it down on the table. She sat down and took a tentative sip. It wasn’t too hot, so she took another sip. The warm liquid felt like heaven.
“Go on.” He sat next to her and she could tell that he wasn’t going to leave her alone until
he’d heard every detail.
CHAPTER SIX
He listened as she told her story of how her ex-boyfriend had wiped her out. He was taken aback by how trusting and naive she’d been. To date, he’d never allowed someone to sleep over, let alone trusted another person with a key to his place.
“You’re lucky he didn’t murder you in your sleep.”
She finished the mug of hot cocoa, and he noticed that her normal coloring had returned to her hands and face.
“I’ve learned my lesson.” She frowned and looked down at the empty mug. He could tell she was hiding something.
“What?” He leaned forward and waited.
“What?” She glanced up at him through her eyelashes.
He arched his eyebrows. “There’s something else.”
“Actually, I’ve written off all men for a while. Especially after Christian.” She waved her hand like she was shooing away a fly.
“Christian was the thief?” he asked.
She shook her head, so he waited. She sighed.
“Rod was the thief. Christian came after.”
“What happened with him? Was he an abuser, a murderer?”
She groaned. “Oh no, he was a complete gentlemen.” She rolled her eyes. “That was until I bumped into him and his wife and two kids.”
He watched her face closely for hurt, but all he saw was frustration.
“Men are scum,” she said, looking down at her hands.
He chuckled a little. “Sounds like you have a knack for catching the bottom dwellers.” She glanced up and looked at him. “Not all men are thieves or adulterers,” he assured her.
“I’m sure there are some decent ones out there, I’ve just sworn off trying to find them for a while.” She stood up and picked up the mug. “Thanks. For everything.” She turned to go.
He rushed over and took her shoulders in his hands. “What about dinner?” he blurted out.
Her dark eyebrows arched.
“I mean . . .” He was usually smoother than this. “Since it’s late, why don’t we grab some food, that way I can make sure you’re fully recovered.”
She sighed. “Thanks, but I’ve got—”
“It’s just food. We can eat downstairs, if you want.” When she looked like she was going to refuse him again, he added, “Listen, I don’t usually admit this, but I hate eating alone. Since my last meeting ran long and it’s too late for me to make something at home—I’m past starving at this point—I thought we could just grab something together. I’ll buy.”
She bit her bottom lip. “What about that kiss?” she said softly.
He shrugged. “It did the job of warming you up.” He smiled and she smiled back.
Then she nodded. “Fine, but I have to finish printing the changes for our meeting first.”
He agreed. “Fair enough. I need to grab some stuff too.”
Less than half an hour later, they walked into the restaurant downstairs. Her clothes and hair had dried a little. Her hair hung down past her shoulders in a curly mass. He was happy to see that she’d pulled on a large coat over her dress shirt and slacks and had changed into heavy black boots.
“Do you walk to work every day?” he asked after they’d been seated near the windows that overlooked the Sixteenth Street Mall.
She shook her head quickly. “I ride the rail.” She glanced at him over her menu. “You?”
“The bus drops me off in front of my condo. The train? You must live a little south of here?”
“Lincoln Park area.”
He smiled. He had really liked the area and had thought about getting a place near there himself. “I looked at a condo there but chose one just a few blocks from here instead. When the weather is bad, I hop on the Sixteenth Street bus. But in the summer I can walk everywhere.”
She set her menu down. “That’s the nice thing about living downtown.” She glanced up at him and he watched her cheeks turn a little pink. “Do you live alone?”
He tried to hide the smile. “Yes, you?” he asked.
She picked up her menu again and nodded.
“How long have you been in Denver?” he asked, enjoying the way she nibbled on her bottom lip when he asked her a question.
“Almost two years. After I finished school, I moved downtown.” She rested back in her chair and set down her menu.
“Where from?” He leaned a little closer to her, wishing he could feel the softness of her skin again.
“Golden. You?”
“Originally, Littleton. I’ve been downtown for almost five years.” Just then the waiter walked up and saved him from answering any more questions about himself.
After ordering, he asked her where she’d gone to school and how she’d gotten the job at R&S. He hung on to every word and had more questions he was dying to ask her.
He couldn’t explain it, but he wanted to know everything about her. Maybe to help him figure out what was drawing him to her so much.
By the time their dinner arrived, he knew more about her than he’d known about his last five ex-girlfriends combined. He didn’t understand why it still wasn’t enough.
He tried to ask as many questions about her during their meal, without sounding desperate. She had answered every one and had even asked him a few herself. He did notice she had stuck to asking him about work, instead of personal topics.
By the time their meal was over, he still felt like he wanted to know more and didn’t want to let her go just yet.
“The least I can do is walk you to the train station,” he said as they stepped out into the night. The snow had yet to let up and he was thinking they’d have around a foot of fresh stuff by morning.
“Really, I’m all right now.” She tucked her hair into her coat hood.
When she shoved her hands into her pockets, he frowned down at her.
“You should have gloves,” he said as he put his own winter gloves on.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I have a nice new pair that Amy bought me just last week, but I couldn’t find the left one.” She shrugged. “I think I might have left it on the train.”
“With your winning ticket?” he teased. He watched her lips turn downward and noticed the sad look in her eyes.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
“No, it’s okay. I’m over it.” She shook her head slowly, but he could still see the sadness in her eyes.
“You’re not a very good liar.” He chuckled.
Her smile fell away. “Lately, I’m not very good at a lot of things.”
Reaching down, he pulled his gloves off and handed them to her.
“What?” She tucked her hands deeper into her pockets. “I can’t take your gloves.”
“Listen, I have a short bus ride, since I’m only a few blocks down. You have a wait at the train station, and then who knows how long of a walk it is to your place. Take them. Return them if you want. I have a few other pairs at home.”
He nudged the gloves closer to her and she looked down at his hands. Then she sighed and reached out to take them.
“I’ll return them tomorrow. I can stop by the store on the way to work and buy another pair. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned to go.
“I wanted to meet with you a few minutes before we head out to the Market Place site,” he said, feeling the need to say more, to keep her talking until the train came.
She nodded as she slipped his large gloves over her small hands. “I’ll be at the office about an hour ahead of the meeting.” She glanced up at him. “We can head out to the site together from there.”
He turned and stopped walking. “Here comes your train now.”
“Thanks.” She looked back toward him. “For saving me from freezing, for dinner, for the gloves.”
He smiled. “Anytime.”
He watched her
rush toward the train and hop on.
It was funny how a day could start out completely terribly and end on a high note. She remembered the kiss and felt her face heat, then looked down at the soft leather gloves. Her fingers felt like heaven in the warmth of them. Even though they were too big for her, she couldn’t get over how nice it had been of Aiden to lend them to her. And to buy her dinner, for that matter.
She’d enjoyed talking to him and had felt like she’d gotten to know a little more about him. At least she was starting to believe he wasn’t a psychopath or, worse, married.
Still, she couldn’t quite call what she felt for him attraction. At least, not the kind that she’d experienced before.
Sure, he was handsome. But she’d never really fallen for the tall, dark, and in charge kind before. No, what usually got her heart skipping was the blond beach bum.
She frowned as she looked down at the gloves. Maybe that had been her problem all along. What she wanted wasn’t necessarily what she needed.
She thought about the dinner and about Aiden the entire trip home. By the time she walked into her apartment, with two new gloves, she had decided to keep an open mind about Aiden.
Of course, she needed her best friend’s opinion on the matter. So she picked up her phone and dialed her.
“You did what?” Amy sounded like she was running through a tunnel.
“I decided to keep an open mind about Aiden.”
“Who’s Aiden?” She heard Amy ask.
“He’s new at R&S.”
“And? What does he do there?” Her friend’s tone told her she was expecting another bomb to go off.
“Um, well, I don’t actually know. No one does. Only that he’s here on a temporary basis until he’s not.” She realized that he’d been too busy asking her questions during dinner to answer any of the ones she’d directed at him.
“O-kay.” Amy drew out the word. “What does that mean exactly?”
She sighed, feeling like a fool. Nothing like your best friend to make you realize you’d jumped the gun. “It just means that I’ve never gone for a dark-haired, brown-eyed guy before. You know, clean cut, wears a suit.”