AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lilly. Lilly Richards. Quite possibly the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. Not done up in some cocktail dress and a face full of makeup like the girls I meet at the bar. No. After the few days I’ve known her, I’ve seen her come to work in jeans and simple blouses. Her hair looks natural—no curling or styling, it simply falls in light waves down her back. And her makeup is simple. Maybe some mascara?
And to my shock, I’ve never wanted someone more.
Conquests have never really been difficult for me. Maybe that’s why this Lilly girl is so appealing. She’s so uninterested. Hostile, even. But fuck, if I could only get her to change her mind …
I shake my head, trying to rid myself of improper thoughts and get my mind back on work. I’ve spent the last few days going through the expense reports and getting a good idea of the overall financial situation of the foundation. So far, it seems pretty standard.
I lean back from my laptop, needing a break from the screen. I glance around the room. Despite what Lilly had suggested, I had not taken the time to remove the various art supplies and furniture from my temporary office. After all, she was right. My stay here is temporary. A few weeks at most, I’m assuming.
Although, I suppose that’s up to Asher in the end.
I see quite a few canvasses piled up against the walls, and a few in the corner catch my eye. Unlike the others, these look painted on. I stand and make my way over to them, pulling them away from the wall to glance down at the front side.
I cock my head to get a better view. Landscapes, by the look of it. But brightly colored and beautifully executed. I frown. Is this the kind of art they teach these kids here? I’ve never been much of an art guy, but even I have to admit that this is stunning. I purse my lips. Maybe Lilly has a point after all. Maybe this foundation really does some good.
Mom would be glad to hear it.
I don’t spend much time thinking about her. It’s hard, in all honesty. Her death was a surprise, and it hit us all hard. The youngest of my brothers, I’d been thirteen when she’d died. And while I obviously know it was hard for everyone, I felt like I’d taken it the hardest. Mom and I had been close. We’d had a special bond. And losing her at that age had killed me.
Dad had grown distant after that, and from then on, no one in our family really discussed her. My brothers and I set up this organization a few years ago in her name, but even then, we rarely discussed her except for the idea of naming the foundation after her.
And now, staring down at the artwork leaned against the floor, I can’t help the flood of memories. I push it back against the wall abruptly and hurry back to my desk. Now isn’t the time for sentimentalities. It’s never the time for that, really. What good will it do? Sitting in sadness won’t bring her back.
Sitting back down in front of my laptop, my mind wanders back to Lilly. Things have been tense since I got here on Monday. She seems pretty intent on disliking me. Why, I’m unsure. Well, I suppose because she thinks I’m here to shut down the foundation. Put her out of a job. I guess that’s a fair reason. Although that’s not my intent. I mean, if I think the foundation is bleeding money with no real added value, I’ll be honest about it with Asher and Alec, but I have no ill will toward it.
I glance down at the time on the bottom of my laptop screen. It’s almost the end of the day.
I spend the next hour going through a few more files, taking notes to go through later.
When five o’clock rolls around, I barely notice it. What I do notice is a flash of blonde hair and the sound of a door shutting. I glance up to see Lilly closing her office door and strutting down the hallway.
Without even thinking, I leap up from my chair and dash to the door, swinging it open into the hallway.
“Lilly,” I call, and she whirls around, a look of surprise painted across her pretty face. “Is it the end of the day already?” I ask with a chuckle, glancing down at my phone.
She snorts. “Yeah. A little after five.” She shifts her bag over her shoulder. “How’s everything going with the reports? I haven’t seen much of you today.”
I warm at the slight interest. At least she’s not trying to run for the hills. Besides, if it were up to me, I’d be seeing a whole lot of her today and every day. I shrug nonchalantly. “Boring. But that’s to be expected.”
She purses her lips. “Yeah, I told you the numbers aren’t what matters here.”
She turns, but before she can take a step, I blurt out, “How do you feel about grabbing a drink?”
She looks back at me, and I can see the refusal bubbling up within her.
“You can tell me more about how the foundation helps all those kids,” I say quickly. And just as I knew it would, that gets to her. Her gaze softens, and I can see her contemplating the offer in her mind. After a few seconds of narrowed eyes, she finally relents.
“Okay,” she says softly. “But just one drink.”
Chapter 4
Lilly
What the hell am I thinking? I pull up to the bar just a short drive from work. Aiden had suggested it, and I’d plugged the address into Google maps. I sit in my car for a minute, waiting for him to pull in behind me. I roll my eyes in exasperation at myself. Why the hell did I agree to this?
Of course I’ve gone out for drinks or dinner with coworkers from time to time. I’m not opposed to the idea of getting to know the people you work with. But there’s something about Aiden King that feels … dangerous? I don’t know. That’s probably an over exaggeration.
But it’s not like we can truly have a casual working relationship. He’s one of the founders of King Tech, where the foundation gets all its money from. And regardless of what he says, I know the only possible reason he’s there is because someone at the company has doubts about the Maria King Foundation. What those doubts are, I don’t know. I’d been infuriated when I’d first been informed of Aiden’s coming to oversee the foundation. It’s an incredible place, and it does a lot.
