Chapter 25 Iris
IRIS
Isleep amazingly well next to Aidan, even with the storm thrashing outside. The next morning, the motel offers everyone a late checkout while the roads clear, and Aidan and I spend the time in bed, eating the complimentary continental breakfast and having more mind-blowing sex.
God, the sex.
After the two sexual encounters we’d previously had, I had no doubt about Aidan being good in bed. No, good isn’t even the right word. It was like he reached into my brain, looked through my fantasies, then acted one out. The way he spoke to me… Fuck. I’ve never heard anything so hot.
Well, it was hot once I’d gotten him out of his head. I know what he was trying to do, what he’s been trying to do ever since he learned the truth about college and Dad. He’s trying to look out for me, to care for me, and it makes my heart melt.
But the last thing I need is for him to see me as vulnerable. I’m not perfect. I get emotional, forget things, make mistakes, but I’m not some helpless little girl. Violet and Poppy told me I need to show him I’m a grown woman who knows what she wants. Hopefully, I’ve made that very clear.
By the time we get back to the city it’s dark, and we decide to go our separate ways to get a good night’s sleep before work the following day.
Part of me worries Aidan is sick of me already, but when he gives me a long, lingering kiss in his car as he drops me home, I push the worries away.
I’m still trying to get my head around everything.
That it’s real. That he feels what I do.
I’m nervous about work Monday morning, and swing by Joe’s as usual, hoping I might run into Daisy so I can update her on the state of my life, but she’s not working.
I could text the group chat, but I feel weird about it.
They were all so nice, but they’re a group of friends already.
I’m an outsider. It feels odd to insert myself into their group.
I take our coffees and walk through the icy air along Fruit Street, my heart flipping as I notice Aidan is already in his office. When I find a coffee and a cupcake from Poppy’s Pantry already sitting on my desk, I can’t stop the grin that stretches across my face.
Then I catch Dani watching from her desk, her eyes narrowed as she glances from the cupcake to me. I look away, suppressing my smile. If ever there was a time to be professional, it’s now.
Clearing my throat, I set the second coffee beside my keyboard and walk purposefully into Aidan’s office.
He’s sitting at his desk with a to-go mug from Joe’s beside him, typing something, ignoring me.
I waver, wondering if he wants me to leave him alone, or if this is his way of appearing professional too.
I can’t work it out, but I’m already in the room holding his extra cup of coffee, so I have to say something.
“Good morning, uh…” Shit, this is awkward. “Mr. Brooks.”
Aidan’s gaze comes to mine, flickering with amusement. “Iris.”
Oof. Just hearing him say my name makes heat swirl through me.
“I, um…” I hold up his coffee sheepishly. “I got coffee, but I see you did the same.”
He nods, glancing behind my shoulder, before rising from his desk to carefully close his office door.
Then he turns back, his gaze burning as it rakes over me.
I’m wearing one of the blouses from The Mariner’s Daughter, which he handed over when he dropped me home last night.
He’d purchased every single item I brought out of the fitting room.
I tried to protest, but he squeezed my leg and said he wanted me to have them.
That every time I wore them, he’d think of this weekend. It was hard to argue with that.
And as his eyes darken now, I’m glad I took them. I’ll wear whatever he likes if it makes him look at me like that.
I glance down at the coffee, wishing I wasn’t holding it so I could wrap my arms around him. The motion seems to remind him why he closed the door.
“You don’t have to get me coffee anymore, okay?” he murmurs. “I feel weird making you do that, since…”
Since what? Since he told me he wants to bend me over his desk and spank my ass until it’s raw?
Fuck. Me.
Heat slams through me, and I do my best to ignore it. Now is not the time.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling. “But as your assistant, I should probably continue to do it. We don’t want…” Now it’s my turn to trail off, too afraid to say the words. We don’t want anyone to find out we’re… What? Sleeping together? Dating? Falling in love?
I’m desperate to ask, but I know better than to do that. The last thing guys want is a woman who’s emotionally needy.
He rubs the back of his neck, nodding. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” A defeated sigh gusts out of him. “But just know I hate it, okay? I should be the one getting you coffee.”
I look down to hide my smile. God. This man.
“That’s sweet.” I set the extra coffee on his desk with a shrug. “I guess you can have two?”
He chuckles. “Like the drafting tables?”
I laugh too. “Exactly. You can never have too many.” I gaze at him for a moment longer, biting my lip to stop myself from saying something I shouldn’t, then head for the door. “I’ll be out here if you need me, okay?”
“Actually…” he begins, and I turn back. “I thought you could work here today.” He motions to the new drafting table, and I notice it’s got tracing paper, pencils, and a scale ruler laid out. “On the lighthouse.”
Surprise bursts bright inside my chest. “Really?” I ask breathlessly. “You’d let me work on the lighthouse?”
His eyes sparkle as he nods. “I want you to take the lead on it. You have a better vision for it than I do.”
I give a tiny squeak of excitement, trying to rein myself in. Aidan notices, and his face splits in a grin.
“I love you like this.”
I freeze, heart stumbling against my ribs. Did he just say…
“I mean—” He falters, realizing what he’s said, his cheeks turning adorably pink under his beard. “I just… I love seeing you like this,” he amends. “When you’re excited. Not…”
I stifle a smile, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s okay,” I say, pretending my heart hasn’t taken off at a million miles an hour. “I know what you meant.”
He stares at me hard for a beat, nostrils flaring. I know he didn’t mean it, but sometimes when he looks at me like that, I can’t help but wonder…
A loud rap sounds at the door, and he stiffens. I drop my hand, taking a step back as my father pushes his head in. His gaze moves between us, shrewd and assessing, and my heart catapults into my throat.
Shit. Did he hear us?
But Dad just strolls casually into the office, like he’s got all the time in the world. “Heard the meeting in Wetherly went well,” he says at length.
Aidan bristles. “How?”
“Waterman. Called me yesterday.”
“Right,” Aidan mutters, wiping a hand down his face. “Figures,” he adds, loud enough for only me to hear.
“See? I knew you could handle it.” Dad claps Aidan on the back, and I cringe. It looks good-natured enough, but it’s patronizing as hell. Aidan’s jaw clenches, but Dad doesn’t notice. “Get those plans drawn up this week, Brooks. I want to see them before you present them to Waterman.”
Aidan glances at me, and my stomach plummets. Please don’t tell Dad I’m working on this, I silently beg, and he seems to understand.
“Will do,” he grits out.
I watch Dad go, relief and regret mingling in equal parts in my chest. I think of how good it felt to stand up to Savannah, and before I know what I’m doing, I call out to my father.
He appears in the doorway again, irritation marring his brow. “What is it?”
My gut constricts. It’s one thing to imagine standing up to him, but another altogether to actually do it. I glance at Aidan, realizing he may in fact prefer it if I didn’t tell my father I’m working on this project, but he gives me a small, reassuring nod.
Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, I square my shoulders and face Dad. “Actually, I’m taking the lead on the lighthouse project,” I say, sounding far more confident than I feel.
His brows slash together, and he takes a step forward. From the corner of my eye, I notice Aidan step closer too, as if preparing to physically defend me.
“You’re what?” Dad growls, and I falter.
This is harder than I thought.
“Iris has excellent ideas,” Aidan says evenly. “She’s already talked me through them. You’ll get final approval on everything.”
Dad folds his arms, his jaw working as he looks between the two of us. Aidan isn’t touching me, of course, not in front of Dad, but I can feel the heat of him at my back. I can sense that he both figuratively and literally has my back, and it gives me the strength to look Dad in the eye.
“I can do this,” I tell him firmly.
Dad makes a low, angry sound in his throat. “So help me God, if you fuck this up—”
“She won’t,” Aidan cuts in sharply. Sharp enough for Dad to look at him in surprise. He stares at Aidan for a beat, then storms from the room, slamming the door behind him.
I’m shaking as I turn to Aidan. “God, I’m so sorry. He’s furious.”
Aidan throws his hands up. “Let him be furious. He’ll be singing a different tune when Waterman loves your designs.” I wait for Aidan to smile, maybe kiss me, but he just rakes a hand through his hair in agitation.
“Should I…” I motion vaguely to the drafting table, and he nods, but as I settle in to work, it’s hard to focus. It’s amazing to have Aidan’s support, but the more he stands up for me, the more irritated my father gets with him, and the less likely Dad is to make him partner.
The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. God, how did I not see it?
I knew that if I wanted success like my father’s, it required sacrifice.
He believes he can only have one—love or success—and in this case, he might actually be right. Only, he’s not sacrificing me, he’s sacrificing his career.
And as I sketch ideas for the lighthouse, I wonder… What if being with me costs him too much?