Page 17 of Playing for Keeps

Aaron left without another word or a glance in either of our directions. He whistled as he pulled the door open and shut it tight behind us. Rhys shook his head and ran a hand down the back of his neck.

“Well then,” he said. “Let’s get the day started, shall we?”

The tension between my new boss and me dissipated quickly. He showed me to my cubicle, introduced me to my new coworkers, then brought me across the hall to our HR department to fill out all my paperwork. We dined together in the cafeteria on the second floor for lunch, and spent ample time throughout the day filling ourselves on the complimentary coffee offered in our break room.

I loved my job. I loved my boss. The people were nice and friendly, from Aaron to every person I met throughout the day. The amenities were better than I could have expected for my first job out of college, and the work Rhys got me started on gave me the challenge I’d craved since I postponed finding a job last year to help care for my brother. I didn't want to believe Kelly when she talked up the company. I couldn't believe the recruiter when they called out of the blue a month ago and offered me an interview. And all the thoughts of my broken heart were set aside as I dug into the spreadsheets and reports that would soon make up my life.

Hope seeped through me. That the job was just what I needed. That I could make new friends and put the past year behind me.

My floor emptied as darkness fell across the city skyline. Though I decided to stay late to make up for the time I missed in the morning, it was more the continued rainstorm darkening the sky than the late hour. I pulled up the train schedule on my computer to check the next departure before shutting down the machine and tossing my cell phone in my purse. I spun in my chair, had my butt halfway off the cushion to stand, when I gasped and fell back into my seat.

“Aaron!”

He had his chin in his hand, elbow on my desk, butt in the chair not three feet from me. And the gorgeous smile on his lips grew as his eyes raked my face. “Good first day?”

“All except for the beginning and the end,” I told him as my heart raced in my chest.

His smile grew wider, white teeth peeking out beneath his lips. “You done for the day?”

“Yeah, just heading out.”

Aaron stood in front of me, holding his hand out before me. “I’m going to take you,” he said, his voice low as he pulled me to my feet.

My head jerked back and my brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

He took a step back, tugging my hand as he went. His lips twitched and he tilted his head to the side. “You wanna get wet?” My shoulders jerked back, but Aaron didn’t let go of my hand. “I mean, you can, it’s fine by me. I just figured I’d do the gentlemanly thing and give you a ride.”

I shook my head as I tried to figure out if he was naive about the way his words came across, or if my mind was just in the gutter like the sewer rat I was. Maybe it was that his good looks and easy-going attitude were so easy to like, but I was as intrigued as I was uncomfortable in his presence. I forced a smile and pulled my purse onto my shoulder.

“I’d love a ride.”

Aaron dragged me out of the building, only releasing my hand to push through the exterior door and open his umbrella. He slid his fingers between mine and kept me close as we walked to the parking garage two blocks away. Inside, he led me to a flashy, white Mercedes coupe that my brother would just die for. It screamed money, and I momentarily wanted to run away screaming. Instead, I got inside when he opened the door for me. The plush leather seat molded to my body and warmth spread across my legs and back seconds after Aaron turned the car on.

He pulled out of the garage and glanced over at me as the street lights cast shadows across our laps. A grin tugged at his lips and his arm extended across the center console, his fingers grazing my knee. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking I don't know much about you, Mr. Bigwig Parker. Tell me, what exactly do you do at Guardian that allows someone as young as you to drive something as nice as this?”

Aaron’s face scrunched up and he turned his eyes toward the road. “I’m Senior Manager of Marketing. But that’s a new title. I’ve had this car for at least a year.”

“Oh.” I looked down at my lap, to where his long fingers were grazing my knee. As if he could feel my discomfort, he removed his hand.

“Rhys was being a dickhead this morning,” he told me. “He likes to give me hell that he started before me and hasn't been given the same opportunities as me.”

“What kind of opportunities?”

“Advancements. Raises. He thinks it’s been given to me because of who I am.”

“And who are you?”

He was quiet for a moment, and I got the feeling he wanted to tell me as much as I wanted my coworkers to know who I really was.

“My father is Jim Parker, the CFO of Guardian.”

“Oh,” was my response. I turned my face to the window to hide my grimace. “Is it true? Do you get special treatment?”

Aaron pulled the car over to the curb and I looked back at him. His finger hooked my jaw, pulling my face closer to him.

“I work my ass off at this job. I do everything in my power to show the world I’m not just my father’s son. I’m not riding the coattails of the CFO. Everything I’ve got is because I’m the best, not because of him.”