Chapter Twenty-Nine
Aidan
I got to the boardroom first, which was in itself a first. The warehouse was farther away than any of the offices, so I usually walked into a filled room. Someone had left a plate of muffins on the table. I took a bite of a blueberry one and knew right away they were from Macy. She was magic.
I pulled out my phone to check Zane's text again. Eleven o'clock emergency meeting in the boardroom. It was five past eleven. Chase was the first to walk through the door. Zane and Trey came in behind him. Trey shut the door.
If it was just the four of us and they were closing the door. It was something big. And from the look on their faces, it wasn't good news.
"Shit," I said as they pulled up chairs. "Who died?"
Trey put his arms on the table and cupped his hands together, reminding me of our old high school vice principal just before he was about to lecture me on truancy.
"You. You died. Or at least the old Aidan that we all knew and loved. Well, mostly loved."
I laughed. "What the hell are you talking about? And if it turns out I'm actually dead and I ended up in heaven or hell or wherever with the four of you, then I want a do-over."
Zane picked up a muffin and methodically stripped off the paper wrapper as he spoke. "You need to go after her."
I looked around at their faces. "What? Is this some kind of romance intervention? She left town. It's done. I'm moving on."
Chase leaned back in his chair. "See, that would be easier to believe if the usual Aidan was back but he's not. Which means you're still thinking about her, which means you love her."
"What the hell are you talking about, the usual Aidan?"
"Not that the usual Aidan is without flaws, because, frankly, he has plenty. But your people came to see us," Trey said.
"My people? Who the fuck are my people?"
"The people who work in the warehouse. They are complaining that you are stomping around with a frown like a big, brokenhearted grizzly," Zane said between muffin bites. "So either figure out a way past this, or go get the girl."
I stood up. "Can't believe you fucking called me over here for this."
"Just trying to show our good buddy the light," Chase quipped.
"Yeah, well fuck you all. I'm doing just fine." I walked out of the boardroom knowing damn well that I was doing anything but fine.
Chapter Thirty
Jane
It was Thursday. I had one more day to decide about the part. I badly wanted to take it, but I was so scarred from the loss of the first part, I couldn't find the courage to tell Russell yes.
Paul Greenstone, the man who ran the corner tobacco shop, came in with his burlap bag of money. He had terrible eyesight, and even though he had counted his cash, I had to recount it. He tended to mix the ones in with the tens. I wondered if it was on purpose. It seemed that no matter how bad his eyes were, he should have been able to recognize George Washington.
I was hunched over the counter flipping through the stack of bills when from the corner of my eye I noticed Tara getting nearly tossed off her stool.
Tara stood with hands on her hips looking rightly shocked and angry at Heather who had shoved Tara off the stool and climbed up herself.
"I'm going to handle this customer because he's a stranger. He looks sort of dangerous." Heather said the word dangerous as if she was saying the word delicious.
I looked at the line and nearly slipped off my own stool. Holy moly, he was even bigger than I remembered. And even more handsome. Aidan looked a little nervous as he made eye contact with me.
"Next customer please," Heather chirped. I hadn't seen her work the customer counter since I'd started at the bank. Not even when we had more than three people in line. She hated waiting on customers. Apparently this particular customer was more intriguing.
Aidan waved to the lady behind him to go ahead. Heather looked pissed.
Aidan seemed to catch her displeasure. "I'm waiting for her." He pointed my direction.
Mom walked out from the back and seemed to understand that something was going on. She looked at Aidan with unabashed suspicion. In a small town, you rarely saw a stranger walk into a bank, and this stranger wasn't exactly ordinary. Before my mom pushed an alarm button, I decided to clue her in.
I waved her over.
"Mom, don't make it obvious that I'm talking about him, but that's him," I whispered.
"Who?"
Both Paul and my mom turned to look at Aidan.
"OK, that might be a little obvious," I muttered. "Mom, if you could finish counting Mr. Greenstone's money, I need to talk to my friend."
Mom looked somewhat alarmed as I walked out of the security door. But the wide-eyed look on her face was nothing compared to the stunned expression Heather was wearing.
I walked up to him. "Why are you here?"
"I needed to make a deposit, and my own bank doesn't have cute tellers like this one. I came here to tell you that I missed you, even knowing that you might just send me away. I was willing to risk my dignity in front of all the bank customers." He glanced around at the mostly empty bank.
"Believe it or not this is rush hour." I could feel my mom and Heather's stares on my back. I took hold of Aidan's hand and led him outside to the sidewalk.
Aidan took hold of both my hands. "Those two women were from work. They stopped by to visit. Bonnie had stepped in gum. That's why her shoes were off."
I nodded. "Can you forgive me for jumping to all the wrong conclusions? I was in such despair about losing the part, I wasn't thinking straight."
"I forgive you." He glanced up and down the quiet street. "This really is in the middle of nowhere. Any chance I can talk you into coming back with me? My coworkers all hate me now. They say ever since you left I've been grumpy and mean."
I laughed. "Well, we can't have that. I know for a fact there is nothing worse than a grumpy boss."
Aidan wrapped his arms around me. "Jane, I want you in my life. I will help you get back on your feet. If you need a job . . ."
"Actually, I've been offered a smaller role in that same movie, and I was trying to decide if I should take it."
"Well, what did you decide?"
"I'm thinking I might just go for it." I pressed myself against him. "Take me home, Aidan."
"I drove three hundred miles to do just that." He lowered his mouth over mine.
More from Tess Oliver
Loved Role Play? Ready for more? Keep reading for a FULL BONUS book from Tess’s sexy Silk Stocking Inn Series ~ Red Velvet.
Plaything Series:
Easy Come (Trey’s story)
Sweet Spot (Chase’s story)
In a Bind (Zane’s story)
Role Play (Aidan’s story) Available 4/20
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Copyright© 2016 by Tess Oliver & Anna Hart
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All Rights are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Chapter One
I nibbled absently on the rubbery pizza and made the firm decision to stay away from frozen, gluten-free pizza in the future. I dropped the slice back onto the microwaveable dish. The pizza bounced like one of those elementary school pink erasers.
Squeaky wheels and a towering stack of sodas rolled into the break room as I sat back with my bottle of green tea. A handsome face peered around the tower of boxes to check for obstacles in the path leading to the vending machines.
With a disappointing lunch in front of me and a long, dull board meeting to follow, I let myself have the luxury of watching the unexpectedly hot delivery man load up the drink machine. He dragged out an impressive collection of keys from his faded jeans, a pair of nicely worn denims that wrapped perfectly around his tight ass.
He flashed a pearly white smile over his shoulder. “How’s it going?” His voice was even deeper than I’d expected.
“Well, lunch was a bust, but the entertainment is looking up.”
The man spun around and leaned casually against the machine. He leaned his dark head to the side to gaze boldly beneath the table. “Nice legs. I bet they’d look even better wrapped around me.”
I pushed the chair back, stood confidently and sashayed over to him. His scent was a mix of aftershave, man and cola. “What are you suggesting, sir?”
“Sir? I like that.” Again, he lowered his head to the side to drag his hungry stare down my body. “Lose the panties, beautiful, and let’s see if we can shake up the sodas in this machine.”
A breath caught in my throat, and a delicious ache pulsed between my legs.
“What’s your name, baby?”
“Jessi,” I said on the breath I’d been holding.
“Jessi” he repeated, but his voice was no longer deep. “Uh, Earth to Jessi.” Long, well-manicured fingers snapped in front of my face. I shook myself out of the daydream.
The delivery man was bent down into the machine filling it with cans. I wasn’t standing in front of him, breathlessly waiting for him to relieve me of my panties. About the only thing that hadn’t been my imagination was his very fine ass.