Chapter Thirteen
A iden spent his Monday morning calling plumbers.
He made five different phone calls before he found one with an opening in his schedule to come right over.
Offering him double to make time had helped.
That Brooke called him when she needed help meant something, and he wanted to come through for her.
The man had arrived before noon and now Aiden was at Sterling Investments and walking toward Brooke’s office with bad news. He stopped by her open door and glanced inside.
She sat at her desk, her gaze on her laptop screen.
As she read, she tapped a pen on the wooden desk surface, oblivious to his presence, giving him time to study her.
She’d kicked off her shoes, revealing painted red toenails to match her fingers.
A teal-colored dress fitted her curves yet was completely work appropriate.
Whether she wore casual clothes or dressed for the office with a full face of makeup, she was stunning.
He knocked.
She whipped her head toward him, and for the first time, greeted him with a smile. “Hi, Aiden. Come on in.”
He stepped into the office and shut the solid door behind him, appreciating the idea of a few stolen minutes alone with her. The windows provided a view of the city below them.
Though not as big as Jared’s corner suite, which Aiden would take over when the baby arrived, Brooke’s was spacious enough for a large desk, a leather chair, filing cabinets, as well as a couple of seats for clients in front of her desk.
The personal items spread around caught his attention.
A bobblehead of Mr. Met, a team they both loved, sat on the corner of the desk.
Her coffee mug had a logo from the TV show Friends , reminding him of how she’d binged the whole series when they were in college.
Despite claiming it was cheesy, he often found himself on the couch beside her, watching the episodes while he drank a beer and she sipped wine coolers.
Tasteful art hung on the walls, abstract and colorful enough to offset the neutral off-white walls and gray carpeting. The space was comfortable for clients and perfect for Brooke.
“Did you need something?” she asked, and he realized he’d been lost in thought while she waited for him to speak.
“I met with a plumber and it’s not good,” he said, moving to one of the two cushioned chairs in front of her desk.
She groaned, shaking her head. “Break it to me gently.”
“The problem is that a tree root broke through the drainpipe, blocking the flow. He’ll need to excavate the yard in order to fix it.”
“Oh, no.” Brooke frowned. “How long does he think that will take?”
Thanks to some more money thrown at the man? “A couple of days,” he said.
“Oh! That’s not too bad!” Her shoulders relaxed, and she eased back in her seat.
He gritted his teeth at her optimism. “Actually, it is that bad. He can’t start until next week.” He was mid-job and even though he’d moved them up on his schedule, it would still take at least a week. More if he found problems on his current project.
“Seriously?” She lay her forehead down on the desk. “What are Mom and I going to do if we can’t shower or eat at home?” she asked as she straightened in the chair.
Aiden already had her problem covered. The solution just happened to be a side benefit to him. “You and Lizzie can stay at the main house until it’s fixed. I already spoke to Dad.”
As expected, his father had no issue with the women moving in. In fact, Alex’s eyes lit up at the prospect. Aiden had no interest in his dad’s love life, but he definitely understood the man’s reaction.
“Your father is the best. I’ll have to thank him.” Brooke bit her bottom lip, and his cock grew hard at the sight. It was amazing how pretty much anything this woman did turned him on.
He leaned forward, bracing his arms on the desk. “Don’t you think I’m pretty amazing too?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Aiden. You’re amazing. But seriously, thank you for taking care of everything so quickly.”
He preferred to focus on the first part of her statement even if he had forced her to say the words. “You’re welcome.”
What she didn’t know was his plan for where in the main house she’d stay. They had plenty of rooms. All his siblings had had their own bedrooms growing up, but Aiden intended to make sure the one next to his was ready for Brooke when she brought her things over.
Would she be happy about the location? Probably not, but he resolved to change her attitude. He had one week to work on romancing her while he had her staying in the room next door.
A knock sounded on the door, saving him from further conversation that might lead to an argument about where in the house she’d sleep.
“Come in,” Brooke called out.
The door opened and Jared walked in, shock registering on his face as he saw Aiden there as well. He quickly recovered, his eyes no longer wide, his mouth now shut.
“Well, this saves me from having to talk to you individually,” Jared said. Stepping inside, he seated himself in the chair beside Aiden.
Brooke smiled at him. “What’s going on?”
Jared glanced at Brooke, then Aiden. “I have a project for the two of you to work on together.”
An excited thrill shot through him. Brooke’s attitude toward him was obviously softening, but she was stubborn by nature and tended to overthink things.
The only way he’d convince her to open her heart to him again was with time and persistence.
Living in close quarters and working together on a project would provide both.
Brooke glanced at Jared, her gaze narrowed as she drummed her fingers on the desk, a sure sign of nerves. “What’s the project?” she asked.
Jared extended his feet in front of him, leaning back in his seat.
“There’s a small bank about to go up for sale.
Research shows that over the last three years they’ve suffered from a weak return of assets.
The current owners are looking to cut their losses and thanks to a connection, we have an in before anyone else makes an offer. ”
“That’s great,” Brooke said. “But these deals usually take months to work out.”
Jared nodded. “Exactly. I’ll be out on leave, which is why I need you two to take the lead.”
Aiden knew this was his opportunity to prove to Jared his faith in him was not unfounded. “Looking forward to it,” he told his brother.
Brooke cleared her throat. “This doesn’t necessarily call for two people. I could take lead on it myself.”
Aiden held back any reaction. He wasn’t surprised she’d try to ice him out in order to avoid them working closely together.
For her, it obviously made her uneasy. For him, it was a golden opportunity.
But he’d leave it to his brother to handle her offer.
He had faith Jared would want him in on the deal so he could learn on the job.
Jared met Brooke’s gaze. “I know you can handle it on your own, but we both know it’s a lot for one person to take on. Besides, Aiden is still learning the business, and this is a valuable experience for him.”
Just as he’d thought, Aiden mused.
“No problem.” Brooke forced a smile. She wouldn’t argue with the CEO.
Jared braced his hands on the arms of his chair and rose to his feet. “Great. I’ll send you both an email with the details and documents attached.”
Aiden stood. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this,” he assured his sibling.
Placing a hand on Aiden’s shoulder, Jared said, “I know you do. And I appreciate it more than you know.”
While he had Jared’s attention, Aiden asked, “How’s Charlie feeling?” He knew Jared couldn’t wait for her to go into labor and have their baby.
“She’s amazing. Nesting, or so she says. Apparently, it’s a thing.” He shook his head, but a grin spread wide on his face.
Brooke laughed. “Give her my best,” she said to Jared.
“Will do.” He walked out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Aiden waited until the door clicked shut before speaking. “Worried about working closely with me?”
Brooke shook her head. “Of course not. I just didn’t think it made sense to tie up two key executives while Jared is away.” Her gaze slid from his as she lied.
“Me being one of the key executives?” he asked, laughing. “You are aware you know way more than me about any potential deal, and Jared’s right. I need to learn.”
Leaning back in her seat, she swiveled back and forth. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Say that again?” he teased her.
“Oh, shut up,” she muttered, but he saw the half smile on her face.
Her guard was down and he decided to take advantage. He walked to the office door and locked them in, then strode around her desk, came up beside her, and swiveled her chair to face him.
She swallowed hard, her hands clenching the arms on the chair so hard her fingertips turned white. “What do you want?” she asked, a tremor in her voice.
Her heady coconut scent surrounded him as he leaned in close. “I think you know, Brookie,” he said, using her old nickname.
She slid her tongue over her lower lip. Though she had time to argue, she merely stared at him, her breath coming in shorter pants.
She hadn’t moved away nor had she objected, so he leaned in, placed his hands on her hips, pulling her out of her chair and into his arms. Then his mouth came down on hers.