“All right, then. Good luck working with him. Since he just took over the reins from his father, he’s an unknown element over there at Sykes. Don’t be reluctant to lean on me or any of your senior colleagues for this project.”
“Of course.” She gave her boss another smile.
“All right, then. Thank you for coming in. I’ll let you get back to your work.”
“Thank you, sir.” She stood, brushed off the back of her slacks once and walked out of his office.
Prick.
At her desk, she finished the grunt work she’d been stuck doing the past week. She would have finished it sooner, but from the project list the partners had shared in their weekly office meeting, all she had waiting for her was more scut work she could get done while juggling eggs and listening to her weekly Mandarin podcast. They’d hired her because she was capable and smart, but they treated her like a drooling idiot.
With Roman’s visit and the good news he’d given her over lunch, the day passed quickly. Come five o’clock, she was one of the first to leave the office, nearly jogging in her eagerness to escape for the weekend.
“Oh, Aisha.” As she neared the front desk, Harry, the receptionist, called out to her.
“Hey, I hope you’ll have a better weekend this time,” she said to him.
The thin young man grimaced. “I hope so, but it’s not looking good.” He made a dismissive gesture. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” He pulled a business envelope from a tray on his desk. “A courier dropped this off for you a few minutes ago.”
The envelope was plain white with nothing but her name scrawled across it. “I’m not expecting anything but I’ll take it,” she said.
“Hopefully it’s from a hot man about to liven up your weekend,” he teased with a grin. “That way, I can live vicariously through you.”
“I wish,” she said then immediately thought about Roman and the lunch they’d had, how easy it had been with him both today and the day they’d accidentally had dinner together.
“That look on your face says there’s a distinct possibility.” He winked. “Go ahead, girl.”
Aisha laughed. “I’ll let you know.” She slid the envelope into her bag then waved at him as she headed toward the revolving doors. “I’ll see you next week.”
“See you.”
The envelope was a light addition to her purse but the weight of it felt significant as she walked to the parking deck. Once in her car, she couldn’t wait. She grabbed the envelope and, after taking a quick breath, carefully opened it.
Inside was a one-page letter and a business card.
Aisha,
No time to begin like the present, right? If you’re open to it, let’s begin our research this weekend. Be ready tomorrow morning at seven and dress to get wet.
Roman
The card in the envelope had his name in a simple print, along with his phone number. Before she could find an excuse to refuse him—not that there was any reason in the world why she wouldn’t hang out with him—she programmed his number into her phone and sent him a text.
I don’t plan to get wet for just anyone. See you tomorrow.
A giggle escaped her and she sank back into the leather seat of her little yellow Fiat with a sigh.
Oh, Roman. You have no idea what you’re in for.
Chapter 11
Aisha opened the front door of her house on Saturday morning and almost lost her breath.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t the one who didn’t know what she was in for.
Roman stood on her doorstep with a smile and a large cup of coffee that smelled like French vanilla and cream. The cup he had at his lips was smaller and probably not as delicious as what he’d brought for Aisha.
“I think I might love you,” she said, greedily reaching for the cup.
He laughed and the lines around his eyes spread out like rays of sunshine. “Good morning to you, too.”
The coffee was like the whipped cream on top of the delicious vision he was in his designer waterproof shoes, thin jeans and T-shirt. The shirt was loose, but every time he moved, it draped over some bit of muscle, some graceful line of him, that made her want to sigh like an infatuated teenager.
“Come in,” she said with her hands wrapped firmly around the coffee cup. “I’m almost ready.”
It was 7:06 a.m.
Her cat, Eloise, slinked close to see what was going on, her gold eyes trained curiously on Roman, who gave her a smile.
“Hey, there,” he said her way before closing the door behind him.
Aisha took a sip of the coffee—perfectly prepared with the right ratio of cream and French vanilla flavoring. Oh, God, if Roman was into it, she was so going to marry him.
What else was she going to do with a man who remembered the way she liked her coffee after seeing her order it once?
“Let me just get my shoes.” She wriggled her bare toes against the hardwood floor and then dashed off down the hall to her bedroom. Behind her, Eloise crept closer to Roman with a curious meow.
In her bedroom, she grabbed the socks and shoes she’d already laid out, glorified shoe-liners and her waterproof Mary Janes. A quick look in the mirror verified that the two tight braids she’d re-twisted barely an hour before were still in place. Her yellow T-shirt was plain and she wore her thickest and most comfortable yoga pants that hooked under the arch of her feet like ballet tights. In her opinion, she looked casual and cute, totally ready to be swept off her feet by a yoga-loving CEO.
Aisha laughed softly to herself.
After a stroke of lip gloss, she was all set. Aisha grabbed the waterproof mini-pack that already held some money, her phone and a change of socks. She added her lip gloss, grabbed her coffee off the dresser and went out to meet him.
“I’m ready!”
“Yes, you are.” Roman looked up from the cat purring away in his lap.
Aisha tried not to blush too much from the way he slid his eyes over her, a glow of appreciation in them. “We’re not going bungee jumping, are we?”
“Only if you want to,” he said.
Very gently, he moved Eloise from his lap and onto the space beside him on the couch. “Later, puss.”
Eloise meowed at him, batting a friendly paw against his thigh and tried to crawl back on top of him. Like Aisha, she obviously couldn’t get enough of Roman.
After an apologetic scratch behind the cat’s ears, he picked up his coffee. “I’ll drive.”
“Of course you will.”
His green truck waited for them in her driveway, gleaming apple-bright in the early morning sun. The sight of it made Aisha smile. Never too far away, a memory of him resurfaced—him walking to the truck the day they’d met, the confident and sexy flex of his butt under those thin pants, that quick smile like a secret between them even while he was rejecting her.
“Oh, this is gorgeous.” Her hands groped the brightly colored curves of the antique truck. “I’d expected a Mercedes or something like that from a CEO.” Although, this beauty was perfect for a Hot Yoga Daddy who fueled dreams she was almost embarrassed about the next morning.
“I haven’t always been a CEO,” he said, opening the passenger door for her. “Besides, a Mercedes couldn’t handle the roads where we’re going.” His eyes twinkled.
Aisha climbed into the roomy truck and buckled her seat belt. Outside, it was all nostalgia and apple pie. Inside, though, it was surprisingly modern. He’d installed airbags and a Bluetooth connection, and, as she wriggled in the seat, the leather was butter-soft and she felt like she was sitting on a cloud.
“How perfect is this truck? Antique and up-to-date at the same time.” She ran her hands over the chrome dash, inhaling the scent of sun-warmed leather and man. A glance toward the driver seat confirmed he was watching her. “From the outside, this sweet ride
is definitely not all that it seems.”
“I’d like to think that goes for more than just my truck.” Tossing her one last look, he started the engine.
Roman navigated the gleaming creature around Aisha’s circular driveway and out onto the main road.
“Well, so far, the appearance of things is fine by me,” she said. And was it ever.
Aisha knew that what she was doing with Roman was stupid. It didn’t have a chance in hell of ending well. Not with the Sykes Prize and his insistence on seeing her as “too young.” But she had every intention of enjoying him as much as she could before things blew up in their faces.
“Good to know” was all Roman said.
They drove for a few minutes, past the streets leading to her mother’s house and then Ahmed’s.
“This area is beautiful,” he said as he skillfully handled the truck along the tree-lined street. “The land is nice-looking, green and so well maintained.” He gave the view an appreciative glance. “I can easily imagine having a yoga retreat here. Lots of space.”
“Glad you think so. This whole area belongs to my family, actually, and we love it.” Aisha explained how Ahmed had bought the large acreage of land years ago and built houses for each of them, creating a large compound that was like their own urban park complete with jogging trails, a pond and the occasional wild animal that wandered in. “We love living so close, but there’s enough space between us that we don’t see each other unless we want to.”
“That’s a nice idea,” Roman said with a touch of envy in his voice. “Nothing that would work for me and Lance, but it’s nice.”
“Why wouldn’t it work for you and your brother?” Maybe because Lance is an ass, Aisha thought then could’ve pinched herself for making snap judgments about someone she didn’t know.
“He likes his houses big and tends to have lots of parties. I prefer walking for miles or skinny-dipping in the pond without worrying about anybody coming around.”
A swift heat rose inside her at the thought of him naked and wet, rising from the water with clear rivulets dripping along his bare body, his muscles gleaming and hard under the sun. “You can always come over here and skinny-dip in our pond, if that’s what you’re after.”
He glanced at her, one hand deftly steering the truck while the other lifted the coffee cup to his mouth. “That’s not exactly what I’m after,” he said. Then a quick look crossed his face, as if he regretted his words.
Before she could think better of it, Aisha brushed a hand over his thigh, intending to soothe him. Then she froze, realizing what she’d done. She cleared her throat. “You can always tell me what you want,” she said instead of the apology she’d hastily swallowed. Her coffee tasted sweet and creamy on her tongue. A dangerous sort of pleasure with Roman sitting so close to her.
Driving onto the highway with easy skill, Roman didn’t take his eyes off the road in front of them. “That seems like the fastest way for me to get into trouble,” he said with a twitch of his lips.
Aisha smiled around the edge of her coffee cup. “Did I ever tell you trouble is my middle name?”
“I don’t doubt that for a minute.”
Roman drove on. During the long ride, they fell into a smooth banter that made Aisha laugh, squirm and tease Roman until he laughed. It was so easy being with him. Before she knew it, nearly an hour had passed.
“We’re here.” Roman pulled the truck into a parking area with a half dozen other cars.
The signs around them said they were near the Chattahoochee River. The sound of the river was a gurgling whisper, soothing Aisha despite the giant cup of coffee she’d basically inhaled on the ride.
Tall trees swayed in the early morning sunlight, a light wind played through the leaves, and the fresh smell was all river water and clean outdoors.
Around them in the parking lot, people wrestled with brightly colored boats that they pulled from their trucks and car roofs. Roman got out of the truck and firmly closed the door. It was only then that she realized he, too, had a boat strapped into the back of his truck.
Huh. I really wasn’t paying attention to much this morning, was I? Besides Roman.
“What exactly are we doing out here?” Aisha asked as she eyed the area. Everyone around them looked like outdoor types in waterproof clothes and boat shoes, carrying skinny backpacks. A couple in matching bicycle shorts and tight, long-sleeved shirts carried a boat toward the dock.
“We’re going kayaking.”
Wasn’t that a travel web site or something?
“Are you going to drown me in revenge for challenging you about the prize?” She backed away from the boat as he unsnapped the cords tying it down and pulled it out of the truck. The muscles of his arms bulged and stretched and Aisha wet her lips, unable to look away.
Roman didn’t look like he had any difficulty at all as he put the boat, a bright blue hard plastic thing with room for two, on the ground next to the truck. “There would be easier ways to get my revenge, believe me.” His mouth twisted. “If I were the vengeful sort, which I’m not, by the way.”
“Okay...”
Laughing, he locked up the truck. “Your backpack is waterproof, right?” When Aisha nodded, he tossed the keys her way.
She slipped them into the main compartment and put it on her back. “Okay. Since you seem determined to do this, just tell me what to do.”
“Tell you what to do? Hmm. I could get used to that.”
She tossed a pebble at him.
By the time Roman had gotten through all the instructions, nearly everyone who’d come before them into the parking lot was gone, already sailing down the river that rippled gently under the morning sun. The scene looked very peaceful.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Roman reached into the truck bed and pulled out a pair of bright yellow life vests. “Here. One for you and one for me.”
“I can swim,” she said. “I don’t need one.”
Roman put on his own vest and fastened it. “It’s not about being able to swim. It gets a bit rocky downriver and if you fall out and hit your head, at least you won’t drown before I can drag you to safety.”
The images those words put in Aisha’s imagination made her stomach cramp with sudden alarm.
She reached for the vest he held out and quickly put it on.
He carried the boat to the dock and put it to water. Even though Aisha didn’t have a single clue of how to get in, he helped her make a smooth transition from earth to water.
The kayak glided noiselessly through the river, Roman behind her, being what he called “the anchor” and pretty much doing everything to pilot the boat even though she paddled the way he’d taught her. The river was calm, an early morning mist rising from its surface and diffusing in the air, giving their ride a surreal feel. It was...beautiful.
Except for her four years in a French university, Aisha had lived in Atlanta her whole life. While the city was known for its green spaces and the seamless way the urban and the natural worlds intersected, she’d always been more interested in the city. Skyscrapers. Bright lights. The rush of a thousand pairs of feet across the sidewalks. That was the part of Atlanta she loved.
But she could easily see the appeal of a place like this.
They glided on the glasslike surface of the river, past deep green trees, under a blue sky and cottony clouds.
“My mother loved the water,” Roman said. He continued to paddle. “She loved it up here.”
His voice was a soothing rumble behind her, low and rich, another beautiful part of the landscape and the unexpected perfection of the morning. She paused her paddling to dip her fingers into the water. Aisha shivered at its coolness and sighed.
“I can see why,” she said.
“Lance was never a big fan of the river or even the outdoors.” Roman paused, laughing at what seemed a private memo
ry. “He was always worried about ticks, ever since we watched that documentary about hiking the Appalachian Trail where the guys ended up checking each other over for ticks every night.”
Aisha shuddered. “Should I even ask where they had to check?”
He laughed again. “I’m sure you can use your imagination.”
“Ugh.” She shivered dramatically again and that earned her another laugh from him.
“Even though he wasn’t a fan of the tick-checking part, I know he still likes to camp, just like I do.”
Aisha imagined his brother was more into “glamping” than actually making up a tent and sleeping only two or three pieces of fabric removed from the ground. “When was the last time you went camping?” she asked.
“A couple of weeks ago,” he said, and the rhythm of his strokes in the water briefly faltered. “Though, to be fair, it wasn’t camping in the strictest sense of the word. Just a semi-luxurious night under the stars to clear my mind. I came up here with Merrine to have one last weekend as myself before the responsibilities of being CEO of Sykes swallowed my life.”
She frowned, swept her fingers through the water, back and forth. “Are you that much of a workaholic?”
“Why?”
“Well, I get wanting to have some time to yourself away from this huge job that you have now, but it’s possible to find balance, isn’t it? Not every person in your position is out there having early heart attacks just because they’re rich and successful and have to manage a profitable company.”
“That’s a great thought, and I wish it could be the case. But the only example of that kind of success was my father who was basically married to the job and considered the profits to be his children. The real ones had to mostly fend for themselves.”
Oh. That sounded awful. And lonely for his family. Aisha glanced quickly over her shoulder, nervous about turning around and risking overturning the kayak. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.
“I was sorry to live it. But all that’s over now.”
His paddle moved through the water and she paddled along with his strokes, trying to match his rhythm. Birds sang through the trees. Up ahead, she could see the smooth heads of rocks cresting the water. The river itself, she realized, had gradually begun to run a bit more swiftly.
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