Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
HARRISON
THE NEXT DAY
G etting on a plane with the man who fucked your brains out the night before was a new experience for me. One that, a week ago, I would’ve balked at. Okay, two days ago, never mind a week. Thankfully, Aaron and I were still sniping at each other, so nothing had changed.
Surprisingly, he bumped my seat to first class. Not only that, but he arranged it so that I was seated next to him. I got the window; he got the aisle. As to why, it was a mystery, but I was too exhausted to question it. Until the plane started moving, readying for takeoff. Aaron gripped the armrests so tight I’m surprised he didn’t rip them right off the chair. He was an anxious flyer? It was another peek at the man behind the stern-faced CEO. Discovering another one of his hidden vulnerabilities made my stomach swoop. No. No freaking way. It had to be the motion of the plane…
At least I had one surefire way to distract us both.
No, not that.
“I could get used to this kind of luxury. It’s real nice having a sugar daddy,” I teased him as the plane taxied down the runway.
“It’s a seat in first class, not a beach house in Malibu,” he snarked.
“If only. Still, I can’t be bought, Aaron. I’m an independent boy.”
He glared at me, made a rude gesture, and everything was normal again. Personally, I preferred his orgasm face, but his irritated one was almost as hot.
Not long after takeoff, a steward came around to offer us lunch.
“Good afternoon, can I get you or your husband anything?” she asked me with a smile.
“Oh, he’s not my—” Aaron started.
“We’re not married,” I leaned across Aaron’s seat to whisper. “But we did have a dirty weekend.”
“Harry,” Aaron hissed in warning, a gorgeous flush staining his cheekbones.
“We all need one of those once in a while,” the steward chuckled. “I’m Ellie. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Harrison, and the grump sitting beside me is Aaron.”
Aaron’s resulting frown only made me smile harder.
“A pleasure,” Ellie replied. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Espresso, please. Two.”
“I can order for myself,” Aaron bit out.
“Make that two for him, one for me.”
Ellie bit back a grin. “And for lunch?”
I glanced at the menu. “The grilled chicken salad with rosemary focaccia, please and thanks.”
“I’ll have the same, thank you,” Aaron replied stiffly.
“And if you have pastries, we’ll take a plate of that too,” I added. “We burned a lot of calories.”
Aaron made a strangled noise that sounded like choking.
“You alright?” I nudged him with my elbow.
“Fine.” Aaron cleared his throat. “It’s the dry air. I need water.”
“I’ll get that for you right away.”
Ellie gave one last smile and walked off.
“Do you even know what the word ‘discreet’ means?” Aaron grumbled.
I glanced over and noticed that the dark circles under his eyes weren’t as heavy as they were days before. He’d fallen asleep after we’d had sex last night, practically collapsing on top of me like dead weight. I gently rolled him aside, but he hadn’t stirred. Not until I woke him up seven hours later. But sleep obviously hadn’t improved his mood.
“She’s a stranger,” I scoffed. “She doesn’t care.”
“Well, I do.”
I was shit at hiding my flirtation, especially with a man who, for better or worse, had all my attention. Then I remembered that Aaron wasn’t out like me.
“Fuck, I’m sorry.”
Aaron’s eyes softened for a fraction of a second. “It’s alright. I didn’t exactly hide at that nightclub we were in. But still, we need to be careful. It has more to do with our work situation than my being only halfway out of the closet.”
“I get it. And there’s nothing to worry about. You and I are…” I paused, swallowing past the strange lump in my throat. “Done. I’ll save my flirtation for the next handsome man I meet.”
I didn’t miss the way Aaron’s jaw clenched, and then he looked away.
“I’ve got work to do,” he muttered and pulled out his laptop.
I should’ve done the same, but I was tired, so I closed my eyes instead and opted for a power nap.
Unlike Aaron, I’d lain awake until the early hours of the morning, disturbed by the fact that I couldn’t stop staring at his face; at the dark eyelashes that kissed his cheekbones and the soft purse of those lush lips. He was relaxed when he slept, and looked almost like a different person. Sharing the same bed had fucked me up and not in a good way. And even though I should’ve had him out of my system after all that sex, I wanted more. Knowing it wasn’t going to happen made me restless in a way I was not prepared for.
Napping turned out to be impossible, but I kept my eyes closed, until Ellie returned with our coffee and lunch.
Aaron didn’t make any effort to talk and neither did I. I could barely get my salad down, what with my stomach acting funny. And by the time we were done lunch, and everything was cleared, the pilot announced we’d be starting our descent into Seattle. Suddenly, I was the anxious one. Anxious to get off this plane, to get away from Aaron. I’m sure after a proper night’s sleep in my own bed I’d be back to my usual self.
We landed on time to the slow drizzle of rain, gray clouds, and wispy fog, a melancholy atmosphere that mirrored my strange mood.
“Can my driver drop you anywhere?” Aaron finally asked me when we filed out of the plane.
“No, I’ll grab a rideshare, but thanks,” I said, suddenly feeling all kinds of awkward.
Me, uncomfortable? I didn’t like that at all. But surely this feeling was temporary. Right?
Remember this lesson; sex with your hot boss is not worth the headache.
“Well, so, here we are…” Aaron paused. “I’ll see you at the management meeting on Tuesday.”
“Of course. Congratulations again, Aaron.”
“Thank you. And for your help.”
“That’s what you’re paying me for.”
That horrible feeling in my stomach grew stronger. Aaron nodded but he didn’t move away from me. Not until his phone buzzed.
“Goodbye,” he whispered and turned on his heel, walking away.
I watched as he made his way through the packed terminal. His stride was fast and confident, but the slump in his shoulders told me he was not okay. Why? He got the deal, his father would get off his back, so what was the problem? Not that I should, or did, care.
Did I?
Aaron
I should’ve been ecstatic to finally leave Harrison. Even if the sex was phenomenal, the man grated on my every nerve. But, as I stalked away, I fought the urge to turn around and walk back. What was up with that? It was truly unsettling. I tried to ignore the odd feeling of separation, just like I ignored my phone.
Unfortunately, my phone kept ringing and I couldn’t ignore it forever. It was my father, of course. Any semblance of relaxation I had enjoyed over the past few days withered away. Would this deal finally silence him for good? My gut told me no. It was another test I’d passed, but in my father’s eyes, it was never enough. The suffocating reality I was about to walk back into had me longing to hop on another flight. Anywhere. Which said a lot, considering I didn’t like flying. Harrison’s teasing distracted me, but only for a short time. I couldn’t let him do that anymore. I was dreading my return to the office, but then I reasoned that I was being ridiculous.
The ride home seemed to take forever given the congested traffic. Normally I did work on the way, but I couldn’t be bothered now. My head was all messed up and my stomach felt strange too. I assumed it was due to the lingering nerves from flying but the closer I got to home, the more I was unsure. Something was going on with me and I was afraid to even contemplate that it had anything to do with Harrison.
When I finally arrived home, my housekeeper, Yvonne, opened the door and took my bag.
“Welcome back, Aaron,” she said briskly. “Did you have a good trip? I hope you took some time off to enjoy yourself.”
“Yes,” I replied quietly. “It was…um…very productive.”
If you call fucking your brains out, productive, then yes it was. And shit, just thinking about Harrison had me blushing. Yvonne stared at me questioningly for a moment and then pointed to the hallway, where my black cat, Endor, sat waiting.
“She’s been cranky since you left and has been hiding out in your bedroom.”
Yvonne headed down the hallway with my bag, and I dropped my laptop case by my feet.
Endor slowly padded towards me, her golden eyes narrowed in what I assumed meant ‘where the fuck have you been’? Her mewls and the fact that she swiped at me when I went to pick her up confirmed it. She yowled again but finally settled against my chest as I walked up the stairs to my bedroom. I kissed the top of her head, and she butted my chin in response. Part of my restlessness calmed, but not all of it.
Growing up, I wasn’t allowed pets. Neither my father nor my mother had any affinity for animals. Or people for that matter. Home was just a house, a colossal mansion that, despite the size, was suffocating. No doubt because of my parents arguing all the time. Then after my mother passed, the silence was just as horrible. Despite having so much space, and staff to look after me, I was never comfortable.
When I bought this house, I finally felt like I was home. The place was minimalist but built with local wood that gave it warmth, and floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the bay. It was a three bed, three bath house with a large piece of land for privacy. Not huge by any means and not compared to some of my neighbors or my family. But I liked being here, in this house, in Broadmoor, away from the bustle of the city. By the time I got back from work all I craved was peace. Peace, and a view of the water.
My phone rang again as I entered my bedroom. I put Endor down on the duvet and reluctantly answered the call.
“Yes?”
“Well? What happened?” my father barked.
A headache bloomed at my temples.
“We signed the deal,” I replied with a sigh. “With a few stipulations, but it’s a yes.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Good. Finally. Are you heading to the office now?”
“I just arrived home. I’ll be in tomorrow.”
“You’re the CEO for Christ’s sake. There are no breaks in this job. You should be?—”
“No,” I interrupted. “I’ll be in tomorrow.”
“Reschedule the management meeting and have it first thing in the morning. We can’t wait until Tuesday.”
“Fine,” I bit out. “I have another call coming in.”
Thank God for white lies. I tapped End , sent a note to Patrick to reschedule the management meeting, and began scrolling through my messages. Another howl had me glancing over to find Endor, stretched out on my pillow, making biscuits. I snapped a photo of my beautiful beast, sending it to Shane.
Aaron: She doesn’t like me leaving town. I’ll need another pillow in no short order.
Only, I hadn’t actually texted Shane. I texted the next contact in my list, The Asshole, AKA Harrison, by mistake. Fuck.
Harrison: She’s beautiful. And I don’t blame her one bit.
Aaron: Haha. Forget you ever saw that pic. Or this text.
Harrison: I can’t do that. And I don’t think I want to.
I flushed hot and cold all over. Shit, I was coming down with something.
Aaron: The management meeting’s been rescheduled for tomorrow. See you then.
Harrison: Will your father be there?
Aaron: What do you think?
I was always on guard. But proving myself was getting to be more work than running the damn company. And I was tired of it.
Harrison: You got this
I didn’t need Harry’s words, but for some reason, I really liked them. Knowing that he had my back…fuck, I’d caught a bug alright. A bug named Harrison.
Harrison: What’s her name?
Aaron: Endor
Harrison: Meet Chewie. He’s my best boy.
A picture of a stocky and wild-looking Cairn terrier popped up on my screen, dragging what appeared to be a lightsabre plushie. I didn’t know whether to laugh or be horrified that Harrison and I shared this obsession with Star Wars. Let’s go with horrified.
Aaron: Endor would yank that toy from Chewie so fast he wouldn’t know what hit him
Harrison: No way, he’s a fighter
Aaron: Like his owner?
Harrison: I’m a lover
He certainly was…
Wait. No . Stop texting. Just stop.
Aaron: See you tomorrow
Harrison: Try not to eye fuck me in the meeting
Aaron: Asshole
I had a bad feeling it was going to be challenging for me to do just that.