Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
That night, when I got back to the apartment, I tossed and turned, not getting as much sleep as I normally did.
Then things got worse the next morning when I climbed into my car to drive to work, and the engine wouldn’t start. I turned the key in the ignition, and it gave the telltale sputter of a struggling battery. I kept trying, willing it to spark to life, when there was a soft rap on the window. Jumping, I looked out and saw Jonathan standing there, gazing down at me in his suit, a dark winter coat on top. He said something, but I couldn’t hear, so I rolled down the window.
“Pardon?”
“Car trouble?”
I sighed. “Yes, looks like it’s the end of the road for my poor battery.”
I mentally calculated the cost of having a new one fitted and decided it would take maybe three or four weeks before I could afford it. Great. Public transport, here I come. I was about to ask Jonathan the location of the nearest train station when he said, “Come on. You can ride with me.”
I glanced at the Porsche idling a few spaces away with his driver, a good looking, thirty-ish guy with brown hair, sitting in the front seat. “Are you sure? It’s a lot farther than your office.”
“Ben will drop me off first then continue to Pinebrook Lodge. I’ll have him collect you this evening as well since you probably won’t have time to get your car fixed by then.”
“That’s very generous, thank you,” I said, taken aback yet again by his kindness. He’d been so cold and dismissive the first time we’d met, so it was always difficult to reconcile him being nice.
Jonathan opened the door and motioned for me to get out. “Come on. It’s freezing out here.”
I exited the car, hit the locks and then followed Jonathan to his Porsche. My breath hitched very slightly when he softly placed his hand on my lower back as I climbed in, immediately hit with a blessedly warm interior. Must be nice having a driver to heat your car up on frosty mornings. The smooth hum of the engine filled my ears while the scent of leather and Jonathan’s spicy cologne hit my nose. The car smelled like him, and combined with the warmth, it had a heady effect on me.
Ben pulled out of the apartment complex while I peered out the window. Jonathan was on the phone, speaking to his assistant, Therese, it sounded like. A minute later, he hung up, and I glanced across the seat to find him studying my profile.
“So,” he began, giving me his full attention, which was honestly a little too intense first thing in the morning. He was far too handsome, especially in such a confined space. “How did the quiz go?”
“We lost, sadly, ending a two-time winning streak.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you for calling to check on me. I really appreciated it. Next time, I’ll let you know when I’m not going to be home.”
“Of course. It’s no problem.”
We fell into silence, and I rubbed at my knee. It ached a little due to my poor sleep.
“Everything okay?” Jonathan asked, noticing the movement.
“I’m fine, just didn’t sleep very well.”
He frowned like the news troubled him. “No? Is it the bed or the mattress? Because I can—”
“It’s not the bed. The bed is amazing, actually. Last night just wasn’t as fun as usual. Cathal was at the quiz. You know, my ex?” Jonathan nodded, listening quietly. “Well, he basically accused me of being rude to his girlfriend because of some imagined jealousy on my part, which is ridiculous. I simply had to reprimand her for applying nail polish because it isn’t allowed for carers. I was actually pretty nice about it, all things considered, but she went ahead and told Cathal, who now believes I have it out for her.”
Jonathan’s expression was thoughtful before he spoke, offering his opinion, “In my experience, people often take criticism, even the constructive kind, too much to heart when it comes from a superior. This woman might also be oversensitive, given you used to be in a relationship with her current partner.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, throwing my head back against the luxurious leather seat. “I don’t want emotional complication. I just want to do my job. Besides, I don’t get why this is all coming up now since the three of us have worked together for years without a hitch.”
“Well, what’s the changing factor in the dynamic?”
I glanced at him and worried my lip because the answer to that question was obvious. It all started after Jonathan began turning up at Pinebrook. First Cathal had come to my office when Jonathan had been there with a flimsy excuse to talk to me; then, last night, he’d pulled me aside to express his so-called concern for my fictional inheritance.