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Astonishment took over guilt. Then, because he couldn’t lie to
Aidan, James rocked back in his seat once more and admitted, “That’s because I’ve never felt this way before.”
Aidan pursed his lips then got to his feet. As he strolled over to James’ side of the office, he folded his arms then perched his ass on James’ desk.
“Then what are you going to do about it? Because I don’t think I can stand another month of you huffing and smashing phone receivers into desks. It’s already driving me crazy, James.”
“I don’t know what to do, Aidan. Hannah’s not letting me do all that much.”
“She’s not answering your calls, I’d assume?”
“Exactly. No matter what time I call, she always ignores it.” Before James could scowl too hard over that pertinent fact, he demanded, “What’s she doing with her time, anyway? I thought she’d quit. She can’t be that busy.”
“She did.” Aidan grimaced. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this but she’s starting her own marketing company. Getting all the information together for her small business is taking its time.”
The news both floored him and pleased him. Then, terror took its place. “Has she gone back to Florida?”
“No.”
“She’s going to run the place from home?” he asked, astounded by the notion.
“It looks like it. Until I throw some work her way, I guess.”
Aidan’s sheepish retort had James shooting a rueful grin at him. “Nepotism. Et tu, Brute?”
“Like you wouldn’t overload her with work to keep her here!” Aidan shrugged his shoulders. “I never wanted her to go to Florida anyway. If starting her own business keeps her here, then that’s for the good. Plus, I researched her old firm, Hayward & White. She wasn’t lying, James. She’s hot shit down there. They’re majorly pissed at her leaving.”
James processed that and said, “Give her the authority to handle press releases. She was eager when we were discussing our equal rights policies. She’d probably love working on stuff like that.”
Aidan’s eyes lit up. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Are you for real?” James demanded. “I want her here too, buddy.”
Aidan grimaced. “This is going to happen, isn’t it? I’m not sure whether to be revolted or simply displeased at the idea of my partner screwing my sister.”
James pulled a face at that but ignored Aidan’s remark to ask, “Is that jackass still here?”
“By jackass, I assume the guy who proposed to my sister?”
At Aidan’s cocked brow, James swore. “The bastard’s just like my father. If she marries him, that’s it…” he warned. “I’ve watched it from inside the circle, Aidan. You know that. I know the game too well to fail to see what’s happening.”
“You only know what she’s told you, and she’s obviously suffered a lapse in judgment if she screwed around with you.”
James flipped him the bird. “So says you, partner.”
Aidan chuckled a little, then stared down at his feet. “He’s still around, but I’m not sure why. She’s still at mom and dad’s, and he’s in a hotel. From what she said, I don’t think she’s altogether happy he’s here.”
“Do you think they’re back together?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t seen that much of her to be able to judge. And because she barely talks about that, I don’t know. The little I do know is what mom has told me. But if you asked her yourself, mom would tell you too. I think, for some fucked up reason, she wants the two of you together.”
James confessed, “She told me she thinks we’d be good for one another.”
Aidan clucked his tongue and made a disgusted sound. “I can’t believe she gave you her approval.”
“Since that first day, you haven’t exactly warned me off her.”
“No, I haven’t, have I?” Aidan rubbed his jaw. “I never liked that Mark dude. He was always too smarmy for my taste.”
