Chapter 8

Henry

Lust.

Guilt.

Frustration.

Temptation.

Confusion.

I didn’t get even five minutes of sleep. Exhaustion wanted to take hold of my body, but my whirling brain wouldn’t allow it. Eventually I gave up and worked from my laptop. Figured I might as well achieve something and attempt to distract myself at the same time.

I fucking kissed her.

Totally crossed a line.

And what the hell was Aidan playing at? I told him to leave her alone. So, he takes her out to dinner?

When 5am hit, I slipped out of the house and hit the gym, stretching and pushing my body and finishing with a cold shower. Adrenaline now pumped through my veins and I hoped it would see me through the day. I went back to the apartment and fixed myself a large coffee, then grabbed everything I needed for work.

I was just headed on my way out of the door when I heard a key and Mary pushed the door open. She startled.

“Oh, my, Henry. You made me jump.”

Henry? She’d started calling me Henry a few days ago. Things were changing way too fast for me right now. I needed to escape.

“Sorry, Mary. I gotta run. Busy day ahead.”

“It must be if you’re setting off this early. Do you not have time for a quick breakfast, or have you already eaten?” Her brows knitted together with a look of concern.

“Grabbed a coffee, but I have an early meeting with Aidan Hall, so I need to move my ass. I’ll get Ashley to get us some breakfast, as I doubt he’ll have eaten either.”

“You men need to look after yourselves better. You’ll be sending yourselves into an early grave.” She said. Then she looked at me, guiltily. Christ, everything came down to me being a widower. The tragic man who lost his wife young.

And who’s to blame for that? My inner voice chastised me.

“I’ll be back before you leave,” I promised Mary, for reasons I didn’t know.

She nodded, wished me a good day and then I was out the door.

Aiden walked into the office cool as fuck.

“Morning, bro. How’s the corporate world?”

“Yeah, fuck that. What are you playing at with Amelia?”

Aidan had the audacity to smirk. “Why, H, you’re very overprotective about your employee.” He emphasized the word employee. “Sure there’s not another reason why you’re banning me from pursuing her?”

“She’s like family.”

“Stop bullshitting us both, H. You like her. It’s written all over your face. You look like you want to tear me limb from limb and I only took her out on a business dinner. This has nothing to do with her working for you, or her being any kind of family. The way I see it, you want her and she wants you. So what’s the fucking problem? Live your life, H. Date the girl, fuck the girl. Go and do it before someone beats you to it.”

“You’re way out of fucking line.”

“Someone’s got to be. I spoke to her. She might be twenty-three but she’s naive, innocent. She’s working in the world of billionaires; you think one of them isn’t going to take a shine, an interest, in the hot, young, blonde? Get over yourself. You’ve played the suffering widower card long enough. We’ve all had shit in our life, H. All of us. My brother died when I was fourteen.”

My mouth drops open.

“Yeah, you didn’t know that. Motorcycle accident. First thing I did, learned to ride a fucking bike when I was old enough to say fuck you to the universe. Can’t say my mom was thrilled but she said, and I quote, ‘Honey, when the Lord decides it’s your time, he’s going to take you if you’re on a motorbike or a fluffy cloud of cotton wool.” I see a tic beat in his taut jaw. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Aidan this pissed.

“If there is a God up there, he must be pissed with you right now, wasting your precious life. Now I’m telling you, man. Make a move on that woman if you want to, and if not, back off, because she can date who she chooses to date. It has nothing to do with you. You aren’t family. You were married to her sister and barely knew the girl herself. Now are you getting us some coffee and breakfast so we can talk business or do I need to come over there and beat the shit out of you first?”

I sat back in my chair and buzzed through to reception.

“Coffees and a breakfast selection please.”

“Coming right up, Mr Carter.”

I leaned back in my chair.

“I kissed Amelia last night.” I confessed.

“You did what? Why didn’t you say so in the first place? I wouldn’t have made my speech if I’d known you’d already made a move.”

“I told her it was a mistake, and I went back to my room.”

Aidan places his head in his hands. “You fucked up.”

“I was confused. This is all so new to me. I’ve had no proper relationships since Veronica. Just the acquaintances at the club and whatever the hell you’d class the three-way with Tiffany and Brandon as.”

“Well, I personally would class it as you were almost ready to date again but then you wimped out and added Brandon to the mix. Of course, she then went on to fall madly in love with Brandon and you got kicked to the curb.”

“Maybe.”

“What if she hadn’t been interested in Brandon? What if she’d only wanted to see you?”

“I’d have ended it. I was fond of her but it wasn’t love.”

“And are you fond of Amelia?”

“I’m confused as fuck about Amelia. I feel like I’ve known her forever, and she’s changing things. Everywhere she goes, something about my life changes. People are calling me fucking Henry. I’m starting to become approachable and I’ve even smiled at people. I’m becoming a pussy.”

“Or you’re finally starting to live life again? Look no one is putting a time pressure on you. See where things go with Amelia. Start out as friends if you need to. Just don’t hurt her. Like I say, she’s innocent, very innocent.”

There’s something about the way he says that word that sets alarm bells ringing in my head.

“What are you getting at?”

He sighed. “She asked me not to say anything so don’t you dare fucking say this came from me.”

“Spill.”

“She’s a virgin.”

A knock comes on the door and the receptionist enters with our drinks and breakfast before leaving us in peace. It gave me the few minutes I needed to be able to breathe again.

“She’s twenty-three.”

“She says she’s never been relaxed enough to go the whole way.”

“And how the ever loving fuck did this come up in conversation? Were you trying to make a move on her?”

“How many more times? I’m not trying to make a move on Amelia. We were chatting. We get on well. As friends.” He says those last two words to me slowly. “And I intend to stay her friend so you can quit with your macho posturing. Anyway, you need to apologize to the woman for last night. God only knows what a state she’s in this morning. Where is she anyway?”

I type into my electronic diary and tap over onto Amelia’s calendar.

“She’s checking out a new condo development. Oh, fuck.”

“What?”

“The realtor changed. She’s meeting Tiffany.”