Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Another zing of pleasure went through her at his words. He really did care. Well, of course she knew he did. But this felt like a different sort of caring. Protective. Sheltering.
She hadn’t really realized until then that she needed that.
Autumn: Promise.
Brody: Good.
Autumn: Miss you, Brody-bear.
Brody: Brody-bear? I’m not much of a bear.
Sure, he was. He was her cuddly teddy bear. But maybe she wouldn’t tell him that part.
Brody: I’m going to pretend that you think of me as a big, ferocious bear ready to defend his territory and not a cuddly teddy bear. Even though we both know the truth.
Oops. Just as she went to text back, the door to Brad’s office opened and he stormed into the room. He looked terrible. His normally perfect hair was up on end, and the knot of his tie was halfway down his chest. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket and his sleeves were rolled up. He appeared sweaty and impatient.
For the first time since she’d known him, he seemed human.
But what had gone so wrong in the last fifteen minutes from when she’d seen him feeling Laura up in the parking lot to now?
He came to a stop as he saw her standing there. “What are you doing here?”
She blinked. Wow. She wasn’t expecting much of a welcome, but that really took the cake. “You called me, Brad. Asked me to come down here.”
She didn’t know where that cool, confident tone of voice came from, but she was totally rocking it.
Good for you.
Okay, so praising herself was sort of strange. But no one ever claimed she was normal.
He groaned. “Now is not a good time.”
“Fine. I’ll leave. But I’m not coming back, so don’t bother calling me. I’m busy.”
She wasn’t. She didn’t do a lot with her days. She was still living off the money she’d won.
Turning, she walked away. She had to keep her footsteps steady. The urge to run was almost overwhelming.
“Wait! Wait, do you know anything about computer viruses?”
She stilled, frowning. A computer virus? Was that his problem?
“This is perfect. You know our systems. You have to be better than Penny at this stuff, anyway. She’s useless.”
Of course she knew more than Penny. The other woman had always spent most of her time gossiping and online shopping than working.
She heard a woman gasp and she turned to find Penny standing behind her desk. Her make-up was done beautifully as always, and even as she sniffled, tears running down her face, she was gorgeous.
A pretty crier.
Eh, Autumn was a pretty crier too. Her make-up never ran.
Mainly because she never wore any.
“A virus? There’s a virus?”
“Yes, yes,” he said impatiently. “Now, help us fix it.”
“You shouldn’t have a virus. The security systems here are excellent. How could that have happened?”
“I don’t know!” Brad practically screeched. “You have to help! Penny probably did it looking at shopping sites while she was meant to be working!”
Penny ran off, sobbing.
Autumn stared at Brad in shock. He never behaved like this in front of others. She wondered if he’d shown Laura this side of himself.
“Fuck. Fuck.” He moved to the door, slamming it shut.
A dash of nerves filled her, but she reminded herself that she’d dealt with these temper tantrums before and he’d never harmed her.
But she was kind of wishing that she’d brought Brody with her.
Brad was muttering to himself as he paced back and forth, pulling at his hair.
He was losing it, she realized. The great Brad Wentworth was losing his mind.
“I’m sure the virus can’t be that bad.”
“It fucking is! It’s destroyed all of my files. They’re gone. Everything is gone.”
She frowned, wondering why he was reacting so badly. And why he hadn’t called someone from IT.
“Just call Saul, he’ll come fix it.”
“No, I can’t call Saul! He can’t just fix it. There are sensitive files on there.”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
“It’s not just on the work computer, it’s on my home one, too. Everything has gone wrong lately.” He paused, staring at her. “Ever since I saw you again.”
What the hell?
“Are you blaming all of this on me?” She gave him an incredulous look. How could she have done anything?
This guy was really something else, and she was leaving. Knowing that both Brody and her Hero had her back really gave her some confidence.
Not a lot, but enough. Turning, she stormed toward the door. What a douchecanoe.
“Wait! Wait, Autumn! I’m sorry. I apologize. Don’t leave.”
She should go. Ignore him. Leave.
But as she reached the door, she decided she was too curious about what he’d called her here for.
“Why would I stay, Brad?” She glanced over her shoulder at him. He pushed his hair back and she noticed the sweat patches under his arms.
Gross.
Something must have clued him in as to what she was thinking because he dropped his arm, sniffing at himself.