Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
“Thorough, as always.” He gives the pages a cursory glance before closing the folder again. “I’ll be able to pay better attention to this in the morning. My age is catching up with me – I can’t pull these long nights and late meetings the way I used to.”
“You’re not that old.”
“Explain that to my body.” He stands and stretches, groaning. He’s clearly not in the mood to be reminded that, for a man his age, he’s in great shape. Hell, he’s in great shape for a man ten years younger than him.
“Why are you smiling?”
I hadn’t realized I was. “I guess I was feeling nostalgic,” I admit, chuckling at myself.
“How so?” He goes to the bar and pours a whiskey, silently inviting me to have one. As usual, I shake my head.
“It’s one of the lessons you taught me early on. Take care of your body so your brain can operate at its peak.”
“I did tell you that. And you took it to heart.” He lifts his glass in a silent salute before downing half of the amber liquid.
“I took a lot of what you said to heart. Most of it, even.”
“I’m glad you did.” He gives me a funny, appraising sort of look. “Is everything alright with you? I’ve been meaning to ask. You’ve seemed rather distant lately.”
He lowers his brow and practically growls. “Tell me she’s not giving you shit over this new assignment.”
No need to ask who he’s referring to. The mere thought of her warms my blood and awakens my yearning. “She gives me a lot of shit over all sorts of things,” I mutter. “That shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
“You realize if I trusted anyone here as much as I trust you, I would keep you here. I can’t imagine working so well with anyone as I do with you.”
Then don’t make me go. I would never say that, because I need him to send me. I don’t enjoy having my balls in a vice and having my choices removed, but it means being with her. I’ll do whatever he says so long as it means I can be with her, even when I know it’s the worst possible scenario for both of us.
No matter how masochistic it makes me. I’ve spent a portion of my life being around her, and I’ve spent it without her; I know which I can live with. Those few days we were apart proved I was not strong enough to say goodbye to her. I might as well say goodbye to my legs and my arms. She’s that much a part of me. A part of me that seems to always make the wrong choice when it comes to her.
“Do you think Nathan is the right choice to replace me?” I ask.
“I think he’s come a long way, if that’s what you’re asking.” He touches his thumb to his nose, and we share a knowing laugh, remembering the punch that broke his nose. “And he’s eager to learn.”
“I wonder if he’ll learn to keep his mouth shut.”
He doesn’t hesitate. “If I need to break his nose again, I will. Although let’s be honest... Most of the time, he’s too nervous to say very much to me. I think he’ll be fine. Don’t get me wrong, nobody could ever replace you, but this is a fair arrangement.”
That’s just the thing. There’s nothing fair about any of this. It’s not fair that I fell in love with my boss’s daughter. It’s not fair that I was already unworthy of her by the time we met. I probably still had my father’s blood under my fingernails the morning I first set eyes on her. I dismissed her as a kid, that’s all, and it didn’t matter much at the time. I had other things on my mind, like whether I’d get away with what I’d done and how I was supposed to live without seeing my mother again.
When he yawns, I snap myself out of it. “I’ll leave you alone. Have a good night.”
“Oh, before you go.” He wears a rueful grin as he holds up a hand to stop me. “Bianca‘s been on my case. There’s one week until Christmas, and she still doesn’t know what to get you as a gift.”
“She doesn’t have to get me anything. I hope you told her that.”
“Of course I did. And, of course, she listened about as well as she always does.” He rolls his eyes, chuckling. “No wonder she and my kid are such good friends.”
“I’ll come up with something, I promise.” On my way down the hall, a laundry list of what I’d like runs through my head. I’d like to get my heart back from the woman who stole it when I wasn’t paying attention. I’d like to turn back the clock and undo so many mistakes. I’d like to be the man Tatum deserves.