by Jill Sanders
She jerked her arm away from him. “This is about friendship, and you’ve made it very clear that all it means to you is dollar signs.” She turned toward him. “Or did you think I wouldn’t find out who you really are? Urban Development.”
“I never hid who I was.” He crossed his arms over his chest, not understanding why it mattered.
“You didn’t come right out and tell everyone,” she hissed in a low tone.
“No.” He took a deep breath. “I didn’t.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I believed you when you said Steven was a friend of your family.”
“He is.” He tilted his head, wanting her to believe him.
“How could you do this to him?” she whispered.
He felt his palms go sweaty and reached for her once more. He didn’t think he would have time now to explain it to her, but if it meant keeping her, he would do everything in his power to hold on to their relationship. Even if it meant cutting his losses with the deal. “You don’t have all the facts, I’m not—”
“I don’t need facts,” she interrupted. “I’ve heard all about the last time Urban Development took over a business.”
He cringed. “This is different.”
“Is it?” She started walking toward their building again.
He took her arm and spun her around. “Yes, it is. This is personal.”
She glared at him and then looked down at his hand, which was holding her arm. “Let go of me,” she said under her breath.
“I can’t,” he whispered.
Kristen was running on pure adrenaline. She’d missed breakfast and had only had a few sips of her coffee. She groaned when she realized she’d left it back in the coffee shop, then glanced back and saw Aiden rushing to follow her.
She’d desperately needed the kick of caffeine before what she could only imagine would be a very uncomfortable meeting.
“Let me walk with you. Everything will be explained at the meeting.” He jogged to keep up with her.
She jerked her arm away again. “Don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter what happens in the meeting. You betrayed my trust.”
He took a step back like she’d slapped him.
“Kristen.”
She shook her head and fought back the tears. She’d cried too much this last week and didn’t want to give him any more.
“We’d better go or we’ll be late for your big meeting.” She turned and started walking and felt him following her.
When she walked into the building, she headed toward the stairs. But he took hold of her arm and started walking toward the elevators.
“Aiden,” she said in a low voice. She felt her breath speed up and her heart rate skyrocket the closer they got to the metal doors.
“Don’t fight it.” He ran his hand down her back, sending shivers up her spine. Why did her body still react this way to him even though her heart hurt so much?
“Don’t . . .” She tried to pull her arm free. “I can’t . . .” She started to feel light-headed.
“At least let me do this for you,” he said next to her ear as the metal doors slid open slowly.
All week long, she’d avoided elevators at all cost. The one she’d been trapped in had been closed down for three days, and now it was back up and running. This time, however, they stepped into a different car and she felt her knees go completely weak.
His arm was around her as he hit the button to their floor. When the doors slid closed, he nudged her until her back was up against the mirrored wall.
“Look at me.” His voice broke through the cloud of fear. Then she focused only on his dark eyes. “Good.” He smiled and she felt the rest of her body melt at the sexy curve of his lips. “Forget everything.” He took a step closer to her, and time seemed to stop completely. Even the need for breathing halted.
His hand came up and he brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I don’t care what happens now. Just know that I love you,” he said before his lips found hers.
She couldn’t stop herself from responding to his kiss as his mouth tilted over hers. His hands were feather light as they ran up and down her back, her arms, pulling her, holding her closer. She felt his pulse jump against her hands that lay on his chest.
She’d been a fool to try and deny the fact that she’d fallen for him. Completely.
When the car slowed down, he pulled back. “Think of this, of me, every time you step into one of these again.” He smiled down at her and ran his hand over her wet cheek. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I hope you’ll give me a chance to explain my actions.”
She hadn’t realized she’d been crying until that moment. All her fears and emotions seemed to spring forward at once. Just the thought that Aiden had betrayed her, her friends, had her eyes burning. Using the back of her hand, she wiped her face dry as they stepped out onto their floor.
“Take a moment.” He nodded to the restroom. “I’ll see you in the meeting.” He turned and walked into the front doors at R&S.
She rushed to the restroom, afraid of what she looked like. Expecting to be pale and frazzled, she went to the mirror and was shocked. Her cheeks were pink, her lips red from his kisses, and her eyes . . . her eyes were completely dreamy looking. Like she’d just been kissed by the man she loved.
She closed her eyes and leaned on the sink and took a couple cleansing breaths.
She washed her face, put on some fresh lip gloss, and straightened her shoulders. She was completely prepared for the meeting.
When she walked into the crowded conference room, Aiden, Steven, and Paul were all standing at the front of the room. Aiden watched her walk in and she couldn’t control her heart from fluttering when she noticed the way he looked at her.
Damn him for playing her. She raised her chin up and met his eyes. She’d typed up her resignation last night, just in case he wanted to go through with his plan of tearing up her friends’ company. It felt wonderful to know that she wouldn’t be his employee and fall into his trap. He may have played her, but that didn’t mean he would win the prize.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Aiden stood next to Steven and Paul and listened as they explained what was in store for the company in the next few months. They told everyone how Aiden had bought them out and that the business was being merged with Urban Development.
He watched the faces in the room and knew that people were scared of some of the changes. Everyone except Kristen, who still looked furious at him. She refused to make eye contact across the crowded room. He knew he could convince her to give him a second chance, since he’d seen the heat in her eyes after they’d stepped out of the elevators. He’d felt the passion in her lips as he’d kissed her.
He wished more than anything that he could have brought her into the fold. He felt terrible when he looked at her and she wouldn’t return his gaze. He never meant to hide anything from her. Seeing the tears in her eyes had broken his heart, but he knew that once he had a chance to explain, everything would be smoothed out. At least he prayed it would be.
When Steven nudged him in the ribs, he realized he’d been called to speak.
“Hi.” He cleared his throat and pulled his eyes away from Kristen and focused on his speech. “Most of you know me already. I want to assure everyone that not much is going to change.”
“Is it true we’re moving?” someone called out from the crowd.
“Yes, in the next few months, we will be migrating everyone to our new offices five blocks away. There’s plenty of room. Plus, no more paying for parking in the garage since there’s free parking at the new location.”
“Whoop!” someone shouted.
Aiden smiled. “Now, there will be some minor changes.” He glanced around the room and spotted the three employees that would not be making the move. It was inevitable that he’d have to let go of a few staff members. He sighed
and then looked back at Kristen. “We hope that everyone will feel very welcome at UD and that this can be the start of something great.”
Everyone clapped as he stepped back. For the next few minutes, he stood by and shook everybody’s hands as they exited the conference room. Steven, Paul, and he answered a bunch of other questions and he was thankful when he noticed Kristen standing at the back of the line.
When she finally approached Steven, he could see tears in her eyes.
“Why?” she said as Steven took her hand in his. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to retire?”
The older man pulled her closer and hugged her. “I know you too well. You would have tried to talk us out of it. Besides, when I ran the idea by your father, he’s the one that suggested I keep it from you.”
He watched her eyes heat. “He did what?”
Steven chuckled. “Oh no, now I’ve gotten him in trouble, haven’t I?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he has an explanation.” She glanced over at Paul. “Will you be heading south too?”
“Nope, Belinda and I are heading farther into the mountains. We’ve decided to make our Winter Park place our permanent residence.”
She smiled. “Well, I know you’ll enjoy retirement.” Then she looked back over at Steven and shook her head. “You, on the other hand, will be bored by the end of the first week.”
They all laughed. Then her eyes zeroed in on Aiden. “Mr. Scott.” She turned and walked out of the room without another word.
“You stepped in it this time, son.” Steven slapped his back.
He nodded and watched her disappear around the corner, toward her desk.
“I should have told her sooner.” He felt his head actually spinning. Funny, he’d heard people use the expression, but until that very moment, he had never experienced it before.
“He’s got it bad,” Paul said beside him. “But, Aiden, we’re grateful you kept your word.”
“Can you blame him? Krissy is a good kid. Fine looking too. She’s made of strong stuff. You don’t stumble upon a woman like that very often.” Aiden was slapped again on the back but wasn’t sure who had done it this time since his eyes were still on the corner where Kristen had disappeared.
“When you do, you do whatever it takes to hold on to ’em.”
The two men shook their heads as they walked out of the conference room. They were right. Of course, he knew they were.
The way she’d responded to him in the elevator told him that he still had a chance. All he needed to do was step up his game. And he knew just the next step to take.
After pulling out his cell phone from his pocket, he called the one person who could help him win Krissy back.
Kristen spent Friday night with Amy at her place. They did each other’s nails and drank two bottles of their favorite wine. By the time she crashed in Amy’s spare bedroom, she had convinced herself that she was better off without men. Any man. All men. Especially men who were tall and had dark hair, sexy chocolate eyes, and an unforgettably dashing crooked smile.
By the time Amy dropped Kristen back off at her apartment, she was once again questioning her own motives. Listening to Steven and Paul talk yesterday in the meeting really made it sound like it had been all their idea.
She knew in her heart that she wasn’t mad at Aiden for helping out a friend of the family. But she just couldn’t get over the fact that he’d kept his true mission hidden from her.
For some reason, the betrayal had stung more than when Rod had stolen all of her stuff. Maybe it was because she had fallen for Aiden completely.
She thought about it as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. When she reached the second floor landing, she was surprised to see Amber leaning against her door.
“There you are!” Amber rushed over to her.
“What? Is something wrong?” Instantly she was on guard.
“Uh?” Amber blinked at her a few times. “Oh, no, nothing that you can’t fix.” She tugged on her arm until Kristen opened the door. Then she reached down and picked up a large black bag that was sitting at the foot of her door.
“I need your help.” Amber walked into Kristen’s apartment and looked around. “Nice place.” She turned back toward her.
“Thanks.” Kristen frowned. “What’s all this about?” She set her purse down.
“Like I said . . .” Amber placed her arms on her hips. “I need your help.” She walked over and sat down on the edge of her sofa. “Since you pretty much canceled on my brother for tonight’s big party”—Amber looked up at her with her soft blue eyes—“he convinced me to tag along with him.”
Kristen’s heart sank a little more. She’d been looking forward to going to the event. She now understood that Steven and Paul had actually wanted Aiden to take over . . . and that Aiden had been told specifically by her two friends not to tell her about the merger. Everything had changed. She really felt like she owed Aiden the chance to explain his actions. As Kristen came out of her thoughts she realized Amber was still talking to her.
“But I couldn’t tell him that I already had plans with a certain man whose name I can’t mention at the moment.” She winked at her and Kristen knew she was talking about Tom. “Anyway, I figured since you got me into this mess, you simply had to get me out of it.”
“What are you talking about?”
Amber smiled, then reached down and pulled out an armful of emerald-green silk. When she held it up, Kristen realized it was a very sleek evening gown.
“You had that wadded up in that bag?”
Amber giggled. “It’s supposed to look wrinkled. See.” She shook it out and sure enough, the material looked gorgeous crushed. “It goes perfectly with your eyes.” She walked toward her, holding it up.
“Oh no!” She held her hands up as she backed up a few steps. “I’m not going any—”
“You simply have to. I can’t cancel on T—on my date.” Amber blushed. “And I can’t tell Aiden why I won’t be showing up at the party.”
“I’m not going. Besides, I said some pretty mean stuff to your brother yesterday. I’m sure he doesn’t—” Kristen felt her heart fall. She hadn’t realized how deeply she felt about him, until now.
“If he could forgive Ash and me for replacing his deodorant with Icy Hot when we were kids, then I’m sure he can forgive you. Besides, everyone in the family knows how crazy he is about you and how crazy you are about him.” She smiled and held up the dress in front of her.
It was perfect. The long flowing material hung around her ankles. There was a sexy slit up one side that would go to just above her knees. The shoulder straps were thin and went down the back in a sexy V.
“I have something else . . .” Amber pushed the dress into Kristen’s hands then rushed back to her bag and pulled out a pair of cream-colored heels.
Kristen shook her head. “I . . . I can’t . . .”
“Sure you can. You’re really saving my butt here. Come on . . .” She started tugging on her hand. “I’ll help you get ready. The party starts in less than an hour.”
Forty minutes later, Kristen stood in front of her mirror and blinked a few times. Amber knew more about hair and makeup than Amy and she combined. For that matter, more than anyone she’d ever met before.
Her long hair was piled up on top of her head and long ringlets fell around her face. Her makeup, well, she’d never seen herself look so good before. She felt like Cinderella after her fairy godmother had come to her rescue.
“Perfect.” Amber stood back. “Too bad you don’t have some pearls.”
Kristen shook her head. “Everything I had was stolen.”
“Aiden told me about that.” She glanced down at her watch. “Oh my, you’re going to be late.” She turned Kristen around and hugged her. “I’ve arranged for a car to pick you up. It should be here by now.” Sh
e rushed to the window in the living room. Kristen followed her.
“It’s down there. Thank you so much for doing this.” She hugged her again.
Kristen laughed. “I don’t know how you talked me into it.”
“Now you know how Aiden felt growing up. Except there were two of us convincing him.”
Kristen started walking toward the door.
“Oh wait.” Amber rushed back to her bag.
“What now? Do you have a mouse that’s going to turn into a footman in that thing?”
“No, but I do have a clutch that goes with the dress.” She handed her a small green purse.
“You think of everything.”
“Not everything. If I had, you’d have a string of pearls around your neck and wrist.” She smiled and hugged her again. “Have fun. I’ll flip the lock when I leave.”
Kristen looked at her and then nodded when she decided she really did like the girl.
When she stepped off the last stair, she almost fell face forward when she saw the car that Amber had been talking about. The long black stretch limo was parked right in front of her building.
She started walking toward it, expecting the driver to jump out and open the door for her. She’d never ridden in a limo before, but she’d seen plenty of movies and knew how it all worked.
But instead, the back door flew open, and she watched in shock as a very sexy Aiden stepped out. His black suit fit him perfectly, giving him a James Bond look. His hair was slicked back a little, showing off the angles of his perfect face.
He held a single white rose out to her as his smile grew. Even in the fading light of dusk, she could see the heat in his eyes as he looked her over.
CHAPTER TWENTY
She was perfection. There was no other way to describe the way Kristen looked as she walked toward him. The setting sun flashed in her hair, causing the highlights to almost sparkle.
The long, slender dress fit her like a glove. Every curve was on display for him.