Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“And who is this Ryan guy?”
“Let me show you!” I said, probably a little more excitedly than I should have. I pulled out my phone and googled Ryan, then showed Aiden the picture results.
He frowned. “You think I look like this guy?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Um, yes! You’re a dead ringer. Right down to the scruff on your face and the hot bod—”
My words abruptly stopped as I looked at him.
His brow lifted. “The hot what?”
“Nothing,” I said, feeling my cheeks burn.
Leaning closer, Aiden grinned like a wolf about to catch a chicken. “Were you about to say I have a hot body, Emma?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“Am not.”
“Are to. Admit it. You were.”
Glancing around the restaurant, I rolled my eyes. “You’re my boss. I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to say you have a hot body and smoldering eyes.”
My hand slapped over my mouth, and Aiden leaned back in his chair. A smirk spread across that handsome face of his and somehow it made him even sexier.
Gosh darn it, why does he make me feel all crazy?
“Smoldering eyes, huh?”
“I didn’t mean to say that!” I said with my hand still over my mouth. Closing my eyes, I prayed for the ground to swallow me up right that second.
“For the record, you have…” He paused for a moment, as if searching for the appropriate words. “You have an amazing body as well. You’re probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Dropping my hand to the table, I opened my eyes and stared at him. I had to force myself to remember to even breathe.
He tilted his head and locked his eyes on mine. “Don’t tell me your husband never told you how beautiful you are, Emma? You’re stunning. Both inside and out.”
My entire body warmed, and I pulled my eyes from him. “Um…”
It was the only stupid word that came out of my mouth.
“Emma,” he whispered as he took my hand again. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, so I did everything I could to keep them back. “What did he do to you?”
Those six words felt like a knife straight to my heart. All those years, I learned the hard way to hide my feelings from everyone. But it seemed like the moment I’d left Texas my emotions were on full display. Or maybe I was simply tired of hiding. Of lying about how perfect my life was, how perfect my husband was. Both had been so far from the truth.
The embarrassment I felt was immense. For letting myself get stuck in a relationship that was so toxic, there were some days I wished God would take me. For allowing myself to get pregnant with his child, despite knowing what Ben was capable of. That thought alone was enough to make me sick to my stomach.
How did I tell Aiden that I’d allowed myself to get so lost, I wasn’t even sure who I was by the end of my marriage? After the man had turned out to be the devil in disguise, and the one person I should have been able to trust was also the person who’d insisted I stay in my marriage, try to work it out, for ‘security’.
My mother.
So I just stared at Aiden, unable to form words at all.
He lifted his hand and placed it on the side of my face. It was so gentle, yet it said so much. I’m here for you. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. I care about you.
Finding myself leaning into his touch, I quickly moved back. Clearing my throat, I whispered, “The past is in the past.”
It was all I could offer. Aiden pulled his brows in tight and started to speak, when a woman cleared her throat and caused him to drop his hand.
“Well, don’t the two of you look all cozy sitting here.”
There was no need for me to even look up. I knew it was Nancy.
“What do you want, Nancy?” Aiden asked, clearly sounding like he couldn’t even be bothered with her at the moment.
“What do you think Lisa would say if she knew you were sneaking around with the nanny.”
That time I did look up. She was glaring down at me.
Aiden’s voice came out in a hushed but matter-of-fact tone as he said, “There’s no ‘sneaking’ involved. And she’d just be happy knowing that it was her best friend moving in on her husband weeks after she’d died.”
My mouth dropped open, as did Nancy’s.
Finally, she turned to him. “Aiden, I—”
“Don’t have anything you can possibly say to me. Have a good evening.”
Her gaze bounced from Aiden to me, then back to Aiden. “Can we please go somewhere and talk? I promised Lisa I would take care of you,” Nancy said in a pleading tone.
Sighing, Aiden leaned back and gave her a look. “I don’t need taking care of. Least of all by you.”