by Jill Sanders
“I guess I did.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he started walking backward toward the bathroom. When he dipped his head down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, he knew he was officially in trouble. His heart almost beat out of his chest and he felt his legs go wobbly underneath him. Instead of freaking out, he decided to grab hold and enjoy the ride.
An hour later, he stood in the bedroom waiting for her to finish drying her hair. He’d carried his bag down to the trunk of his car and was dealing with a few e-mails on his phone as he waited.
He’d called and left a message for his mom, but he knew she and Eric were probably already at church.
“We can grab some breakfast at the coffee shop downstairs on our way out,” he yelled over her blow-dryer.
“Sounds good. For some reason, I’m starving.” She smiled over at him as she brushed through her hair. “All done.” She turned off the hair dryer.
“I figured we’d make it back downtown in time to hit a couple furniture stores.” He walked over and leaned on the counter next to her. She frowned and he saw something cross her eyes.
“What?” His eyebrows pulled together.
“It’s nothing, really.” She bent down and zipped the bag shut.
“Kristen.” He waited until she stood up again, then took her shoulders and held her still. “I saw that look. What’s wrong with us going shopping for a bed and sofa for you?”
“Nothing, really. It’s just, last time I was at a furniture store, I found out my boyfriend had a wife and kids.” She sighed. “I guess it kind of spoiled shopping for a sofa for me. Kind of like how getting carjacked ruined buying a new car.”
He shook his head and then pulled her face up until their eyes met. “Is this why you still don’t have any furniture?”
“I guess so. I just can’t bring myself to step foot in a furniture store again.”
“Well, that’s because you haven’t gone with me.” He leaned in and quickly kissed her, then dipped down and picked up her bag. “Got everything?”
She looked around and nodded. “Yes, everything.”
“Did you see the view from the living room?” he asked as they were walking by.
She gasped and walked over to the windows. He was right; the view was spectacular. “Yeah, a person could get used to that,” she said.
He had stopped and followed her to the windows to pull her close for just a moment.
“Come winter, I don’t know if I could deal with being snowed in, though.” She sighed, feeling wonderful in his arms.
“I bet we could find something to keep your mind off being snowed in,” he said, smiling into her hair.
She chuckled and reached up to kiss him.
After eating warm blueberry muffins and having cups of coffee, they swung by the hospital one last time.
This time, the visit was more for Shannon than his father, who was not having a good day. It was hard when the old man didn’t recognize him at all today. He actually thought he was a doctor, come to check up on him.
When they walked in, he asked Shannon if he could talk to her for a moment. She nodded, not saying anything, but followed him to the doorway.
“I want to apologize.” He pulled Shannon closer to the doorway. “I haven’t always treated you—”
“No, let me first. I wanted to tell you about your father, but . . .” She looked over to the man who was sitting up in bed watching television. “Gordon can be stubborn.”
He leaned down and kissed her on her cheek. “You’re too good for him. I’m sorry.”
“It was nice of you to drive up here.” She leaned in. “I like your girl, Kristen,” she whispered.
“Me too.” Then he hugged her before he turned and walked out with Kristen.
The drive down the mountain was always peaceful. Even when large semis slowed the right lanes down at the steepest parts, his car hugged the roads and he enjoyed the drive. Kristen looked comfortable enough as they took the last hill and Denver came into view.
“This is my favorite view of the city,” he said. She sighed and leaned forward to get a better look out his windshield. “This and the view at Red Rocks.” He glanced at her.
“I love Red Rocks.” She smiled. “I can’t tell you how many concerts Amy and I have been to there.” She giggled. “Since we lived so close, we used to bike there during the day when we were teenagers.” She leaned back in the seat and he watched her eyes go almost misty with memories.
“I figured we’d hit a few furniture stores downtown first. I have a friend who owns Albert’s.”
“Really?” She turned toward him.
“Went to high school with him. He took over the shop when his grandfather passed away a few years back.”
“I’ve used Albert’s lots of times for some of our higher-paying clients.” She frowned. “But, I don’t think I can . . .”
He stopped her by taking her hand. “Tom owes me a favor. I’m sure he will have something that will work.”
Kristen sighed as she dreamed about the soft cream-colored sofa that sat in front of her. But her insurance check wasn’t enough to buy a doorstop in a place like this, let alone a name-brand, top-of-the-line, one-of-a-kind, soft leather sofa.
She knew that even just dreaming about buying furniture from Albert’s was probably costing her too much.
Aiden walked over to her and smiled. “That’s a beauty.” He sat down on the plush leather. She’d tested it out herself just a minute ago. So far, it was the most comfortable sofa she’d ever sat on and she desperately wanted it. But the insurance check also had to cover a new bed, nightstands, a dresser, and a table and chairs for her dining room.
This sofa was out of her league.
“Oh! Come try it out.” He patted the spot next to him. He was like a kid in a candy store. Ever since they walked through the front doors less than half an hour ago, he’d been sitting on every sofa, lying on every mattress, and opening every drawer on the dressers.
She moved over and sat next to him. The sofa was better the second time around. She leaned back into the crook of his arm and relaxed.
“It’s lovely, but with a price tag like that”—she pointed to the yellow tag hanging off the corner—“I’m better off sticking with my beanbags.”
“There he is now . . .” He nodded toward a tall blond man that was walking their way. His hair was a little long and had a slight curl to it. He looked around their age, and when he approached them, Aiden stood up and gave the man a hug.
“Tom, this is Kristen. Kristen, Tom.” Aiden stood back so she could shake the man’s hand.
Tom’s eyes ran up and down her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to hug her as well. Then he shook her hand and turned back toward Aiden. “I see you’re keeping yourself busy.”
Aiden turned to her and sobered a little. “Kristen lost all her furniture a while back.”
Tom’s eyebrows shot up in question. “Fire?”
She shook her head. “Thieving ex-boyfriend.”
He laughed quickly, the sound vibrating in the large room, then he took her hand in his and stood close to her. “My dear, we’re here to please. What do you think of the Lexington?” He pointed to the cream sofa of her dreams.
She glanced back down at the perfect sofa. “It’s lovely. Too bad it comes with such a big price tag.”
Tom smiled at her and his blue eyes were mesmerizing. She blinked a few times and then looked over at Aiden’s darker ones. Aiden was looking at her, and when their eyes met, she felt the heat of his gaze singe her down to her toes.
Who would have thought that Aiden’s brown eyes and crooked smile could make her knees go weak from a few feet away? Especially while Adonis was holding her hand.
“Well, I think there’s something I can do about that.” Tom smiled and she noticed how perfect his teeth
were. Funny, a few months ago she would have swooned over the man, but now she was thinking how perfect another less-than-straight smile was.
Tom dropped her hand and walked over to the tag, then ripped it off and tore it up. “Any friend of Aiden’s is a friend of mine. Let’s head to my office and talk about what else you need.” He took her arm again and started walking toward the stairs. She glanced back and watched Aiden following them. When he saw her look, he winked at her.
Less than an hour later, they walked out of the store. She was now the proud owner of not only the cream-colored Lexington sofa but a gorgeous queen-sized cherry bed frame with a matching dresser and nightstands, and a pillow-top mattress to boot. Not to mention that she would still have money left over to buy a dining room set. Everything was going to be delivered to her apartment later that week.
“Man, Tom must owe you big time,” she said after Aiden got into the car and started it up.
He nodded. “Yeah. That will teach him to flirt with my sister ever again.”
Kristen smiled. “Which one? Amber or Ashley?”
He looked at her. “Amber. Ashley is only eighteen. If I had caught him trying to kiss Ashley he would have had to give you everything in the store.” He frowned as she laughed.
“He does have flirting down to a science.” She reached over and took his hand as he drove. He smiled at her. “You know . . .” She watched him closely. “A few months ago, I would have fallen for his tricks.”
He glanced at her, his eyebrows shooting up. “Tom? Tom’s your type?” He laughed. The rich sound filled his small car. She couldn’t help it—she smiled hearing it.
“Tall, blonde, blue-eyed, beach-bum look.” She sighed. “Adonis in a suit.”
His smile fell away a little. “Seriously?”
She dropped his hand and crossed her arms over her chest.
“What’s wrong with the type?” she asked.
“Up until a while ago, you would have seen me with a tall, blonde, blue-eyed woman who looked like she’d been on the cover of at least one magazine.”
She hid her frown. She didn’t mind being honest with him, but for some reason, she hadn’t expected his honesty to sting so much.
He reached over and took her hand again. “Hey, but now I can’t even imagine spending my time with anyone other than you.”
She beamed. “I feel the same way.” Even though she’d said it, for some reason just the thought of him with a woman like that hurt.
She knew she wasn’t much to look at. Her caramel-colored hair was plain, and it frizzed every time it snowed or rained. Her green eyes were her best feature, if anyone could get close enough to see them. She’d worked hard on keeping her body toned. Of course, it helped that she walked a lot every day.
Still, she sat quietly thinking the entire way back to her place. When he parked out front of her apartment, he leaned over and pulled her close.
“Pack a bag and come stay with me. At least until your furniture arrives,” he said between kisses.
There was too much for her to think about, and she doubted she could do it with him around. She needed some time inside her own head, to better understand all the new feelings she was having. She couldn’t explain it, but this relationship was far different than any she’d ever been in before. It mattered more to her that she try to understand why that was.
“I . . .” She couldn’t think of a reason, so instead she just shook her head. “I’d better go. Thanks.”
He jumped out of the car and rushed to the trunk and pulled out her bag. When he handed it to her, she was thankful that he hadn’t argued or demanded a reason. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He pulled her closer and kissed her until she questioned why she was heading up to her apartment alone instead of going back to his place and having hot monkey sex all night.
When she closed her front door behind her, she rested on the cool wood and closed her eyes. How had she ended up falling for someone like Aiden so quickly?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next week was a very busy one for Aiden. Several times during his workday at R&S, he had to take calls or deal with his own business. Once, he had to ride the bus down to his office and spend his entire lunch break in a meeting with one of his own clients. He had really wanted to spend that lunch time with Kristen instead.
Even though he had a car sitting in the garage, he really enjoyed riding the bus back and forth to the office. He supposed he was doing his part to cut down on emissions. But in truth, he really liked people watching. It helped clear his head and gave him something else to focus on other than work, or Kristen.
He had pulled Kristen into his office several times, but since there was a large window in his half wall, he hadn’t been able to touch her. Instead, he’d talked to her and told her exactly what he wanted to do with her. He’d watched her eyes heat and seen her face flush, causing him to become even more aroused.
He had gotten a few minutes of alone time with her when he’d pulled her into Darren’s small office. He knew that the IT guy had been working in the conference room on the projector. He’d held on to her in the dark office and covered her mouth with a hungry kiss as his hands had roamed over every inch of her he could expose. By the time he let her go, she’d cried out his name and he’d had to help her make sure her clothes were back to normal. He’d even had to help her re-pile her hair on the top of her head in a bun. As she’d walked away, he’d tried not to laugh, knowing that if she bumped into anyone in the next five minutes, they would know exactly what she’d been doing.
The rest of the week flew by. He wasn’t complaining, but he’d really hoped to have more time with Kristen. As it was, she’d been out to the Market Place site several days. By Friday, he was jonesing for some more time alone with her.
She’d talked to him on the phone the entire time the guys were delivering her new furniture. He’d wanted to head over there to help her, but he’d been tied up with a few meetings that couldn’t be rescheduled.
She had understood and told him that Amy had helped her set everything up anyway. Then she’d shown him pictures of the place on her phone the next day. Still, he couldn’t wait to see it for himself.
The weather had turned warmer and he could tell spring was in full season. He’d had a long talk with his mother and Eric and had listened to her explain why she’d kept his father’s recent condition from him. How she had tried to save him from knowing that his father was slowly going crazy the last few years. And, more importantly, why his father had decided to focus on his career instead of raising his son.
Even though he’d tried to understand why his mom had tried to shield him, part of him was still very upset that she hadn’t told him earlier. She’d begged him to forgive her and understand, but he still felt there was a rift between them that hadn’t been there before. She’d asked to see him so they could talk it over, but he’d told her his schedule had been booked solid.
His mother even had Amber call him to try to convince him to meet with their mom, which was a very low blow considering he could never deny his sister anything.
By the end of their conversation, he’d agreed to a family lunch that weekend, and even promised, without Kristen’s knowledge, that he’d bring her. Now he just had to convince Kristen to go along with him.
It was Friday evening and he’d arranged to meet Kristen back at the office since she’d had another late appointment at Market Place. They were going to head over to her place to meet Amy for dinner.
He swung by the R&S office after his own appointment to handle a few items. When he entered the building, most of the lights were off since it was a quarter after six.
As he started walking toward the row of elevators, he heard the alarm buzzing in one of them. Looking around and seeing no one, he punched the button several times.
“Hello?” he called out, knowing that it would be almost impossib
le for anyone stuck in the elevator to hear him. Especially if they were on one of the higher floors.
Two elevators out of the four came down and opened for him. He walked into one of them and picked up the phone.
“Security.” The voice was garbled and hard to hear.
“Yes, this is Aiden Scott with Row and Stein. Someone has set off an alarm in one of the west side elevators.”
“Yes, Mr. Scott. We are aware of the issue. Help is on the way.” The man sounded bored.
“Um, okay. Is someone locked in there?”
“Not that we know. The emergency phone isn’t working in that unit. We’ve called in the repairman and he’ll be there within the hour.”
Spending an hour in a locked elevator was not his idea of a fun way to spend a Friday night. Aiden hung up the phone and punched his floor.
When the doors opened, he could still hear the alarm ringing. He walked into the office and frowned. It was too dark for Kristen to still be here. As he walked by the balcony, he glanced outside, just in case.
Then his heart caught in his chest. He rushed toward her cubicle, and when he noticed it was empty, he rushed back outside to the elevators.
“Kristen?” he called loudly several times. Then he stopped and put his ear to the metal doors and heard the whimper.
Kristen tried to keep it together. But after the first ten minutes, time seemed to slow down. Her watch face blurred as tears formed in her eyes. Her breath hitched as she walked back and forth trying to think of a million things other than the fact that she was locked in a five-by-five space and her air was quickly running out.
Well, okay, maybe she wouldn’t suffocate, but she was definitely going to hyperventilate. What had she done in life to deserve this? Certainly, it couldn’t be just because she’d gone out with a boy on his sister’s birthday. She stomped her foot lightly as she crossed her arms over her chest. When she felt the elevator shake a little, she quickly grabbed hold of the rail and closed her eyes.
