Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Leaving Billie to her research, Aurora went into her office and made some business calls. Several hours passed and she was getting ready to leave so she could stop home before she picked up Leah, when Facetime rang on her phone.
She glanced at the corresponding screen on her laptop, shocked to see Nick’s name. She immediately accepted the call and his face appeared.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
Her body warmed at the name. “Hi, yourself.” She’d intended to be cool to him and treat him as casually as he’d treated her but one glance at his handsome, clean-shaven face and she knew there was more going on than she’d realized.
He looked tired. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot and the crinkle lines around them were more pronounced. Despite feeling forgotten earlier, she couldn’t help but worry about him now. It made it hard to keep an emotional distance when she wanted to reach through the screen and rub the frown lines away.
“Where are you?” he asked. “I don’t recognize the background.
She glanced behind her desk at the large water color she’d chosen for the wall. “In my office at Future Fast Track. It’s the charity I run.” They hadn’t talked much about the parts of her day-to-day life that didn’t involve Leah.
“Tell me about your work there,” he urged.
She shook her head, knowing now wasn’t the time. “Nick, you look exhausted. Is everything okay out there?”
He groaned. “I’m having some staffing issues. I had to fire the manager and I’ve been working around the clock to put things in order. I’m still not sure whether I want to hire from within the company or bring in someone from the outside.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she murmured.
He shrugged and ran his hand through his thick hair. “I’m much more interested in your life than the shit going on here. I already know Leah’s doing well. I talk to her every night. Tell me about the work you do with your charity.”
Since that was an easy question and something she was passionate about, she dove into the answer, explaining the reason she’d created FFT, what its purpose was and Billie’s new angle. Nick asked questions, she answered them, and before she knew it, she’d been talking for almost half an hour about her job. She trailed off, suddenly embarrassed.
“Wow. That was a lot. I’m sorry. I’m sure you simply asked to be polite. I tend to get carried away when it comes to this subject,” she said, feeling the heat in her cheeks.
His gaze bore into hers. “I think you’re pretty damned amazing, giving back the way you do.”
His admiration made her feel good. “It’s so rare for someone like me to ever be in this position, going from rags to riches. I need to give back.”
He nodded in understanding. “You told me Linc came to Florida. How did he find out about you?”
She stilled. She couldn’t believe how much she’d already confided in him, but something about the distance between them made it easier for her to open up. But talking about this? It was beyond humiliating, something she’d hidden in her mind. She wasn’t sure she could admit it out loud.
He leaned forward, as if to see her better, and she focused her gaze on his lips, which only served to remind her the man knew how to kiss. God, she was so conflicted about him. Not about their attraction but about her ability to trust anyone after what had been done to her.
“Aurora, come on. Talk to me.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “Okay.”
* * *
Nick had had it with this extended trip. How the shit going on in this hotel had gone unreported was beyond him. He’d thought he’d simply fly in to fire the manager, expecting the assistant manager to step up and take over, or at least buy him time to hire someone more qualified. Only it turned out the lack of good leadership at the managerial level had trickled down to all aspects of the hotel. He’d spent hours meeting with employees in all of the departments and he was exhausted.
Although he’d made time to speak to Leah every night while she had dinner, he knew in his gut he’d been neglecting speaking to Aurora alone. He’d wanted to call her each night but his family business kept him busy. Dirty Dare Vodka, though Asher’s baby, was something each sibling looked after. Investors needed wining and dining and since Nick was in town, Asher had asked him to handle it.
He had a free hour now and he’d called her, hoping they could catch up. He hadn’t expected things to turn so personal. Maybe some distance was what they’d needed for her to feel comfortable enough to talk to him. And if that meant he’d make headway with the emotional walls she’d erected, he’d take it.