or something.”
Aimee lifted her gaze to his. “But you’re not upset?”
He shrugged. “I guess I expected it. Like she said, the relationship just stalled. Neither one of us wanted to marry the other. So the relationship hit a roadblock or just the end of the road. We could have toughed it out, waiting to move forward, but we’d both be unhappy and possibly grow to hate each other. She was right about one thing though.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m attracted to you.”
With her hands in her lap, she averted her gaze. “I don’t think this could work. I mean, you and me. You’re my boss.”
“Come to dinner with me tonight.”
“What? I can’t…”
“Do you have other plans? I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Of course you have something else planned. I’ll just reschedule the dinner.”
Aimee shifted in her seat. “Reservations are already made. You can’t reschedule. Campton Energy is a huge deal.”
“Alan and I are old friends. He’ll understand that something came up.”
She fell silent, still shaking her head. “I’ll go, but it’s not a date.”
Amusement filled him. Aimee became more and more intriguing by the minute. “No, Aimee, it is a date. This is a celebration dinner among friends.” He reached over and held out his hand, palm up. “I would be honored if you came with me. If you don’t enjoy yourself, you don’t have to go to dinner with me next Friday either.”
She snapped her gaze to his, a spark of desire lit within the depths. “You didn’t say anything about two dates.”
“I would have asked you at the end of dinner tonight, and I still will, but it is your choice.”
She glanced down at her hands again and he wondered what had happened in her very private life that made her so timid. Maybe it was just part of her nature?
He would find out now that he could pursue her as he wished.
“Aimee, go ahead and leave early. I know this is last minute and all.”
“Thank you, Mr. McDonnell,” she muttered softly as she stood.
When she reached the door, he called her name again and when she turned, he said, “Call me Kenton.”
She nodded and left his office.
A few moments later Tessa Barnes, one of his partners in the firm, entered, her brows drawn together. “What did you do to Aimee?”
He rolled his eyes. “I asked her to dinner.”
Tessa crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. After a moment, her features fell into a sad, almost pout-like expression. “What happened with Julie?”
Kenton picked up his phone and wiggled it in the air for emphasis. “She left.”
Lifting up one of her red curls in her fingers, Tessa studied him. “Are you going to fire Aimee? Because I could use a good assistant.”
Tamping down on his initial flash of annoyance, Kenton kept his voice as emotionless as possible as he answered. “I’m not firing Aimee just because I want to date her. So you can’t have her.” Perhaps some of his possessiveness threaded through his tone, but he didn’t care.
Tessa dropped her shoulders and sighed in a fake attempt to appear disappointed. “Congrats on the Campton deal, by the way.”
Kenton smiled and eased back in his chair. “Did you have doubts?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, considering you and Alan went to college together and you served as his best man at his wedding.”
“Thank you, Tessa.”
She lifted one shoulder, but smiled. “I’m headed out.”
He looked at the clock— only three thirty. “Why so early?”
She held up a file folder. “Avery bought Lola’s.”
Surprise hit him, making him smile. Tessa’s twin sister, Avery, worked at Lola’s for the past two years as a dancer. The gentlemen’s club found itself under the public’s microscope in the last six months because the owner—apparently now ex-owner—mistreated his dancers and forced a few into prostitution. “How did she manage that?”
Tessa grinned ad if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Well, she still continued to live with
Aimee lifted her gaze to his. “But you’re not upset?”
He shrugged. “I guess I expected it. Like she said, the relationship just stalled. Neither one of us wanted to marry the other. So the relationship hit a roadblock or just the end of the road. We could have toughed it out, waiting to move forward, but we’d both be unhappy and possibly grow to hate each other. She was right about one thing though.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m attracted to you.”
With her hands in her lap, she averted her gaze. “I don’t think this could work. I mean, you and me. You’re my boss.”
“Come to dinner with me tonight.”
“What? I can’t…”
“Do you have other plans? I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Of course you have something else planned. I’ll just reschedule the dinner.”
Aimee shifted in her seat. “Reservations are already made. You can’t reschedule. Campton Energy is a huge deal.”
“Alan and I are old friends. He’ll understand that something came up.”
She fell silent, still shaking her head. “I’ll go, but it’s not a date.”
Amusement filled him. Aimee became more and more intriguing by the minute. “No, Aimee, it is a date. This is a celebration dinner among friends.” He reached over and held out his hand, palm up. “I would be honored if you came with me. If you don’t enjoy yourself, you don’t have to go to dinner with me next Friday either.”
She snapped her gaze to his, a spark of desire lit within the depths. “You didn’t say anything about two dates.”
“I would have asked you at the end of dinner tonight, and I still will, but it is your choice.”
She glanced down at her hands again and he wondered what had happened in her very private life that made her so timid. Maybe it was just part of her nature?
He would find out now that he could pursue her as he wished.
“Aimee, go ahead and leave early. I know this is last minute and all.”
“Thank you, Mr. McDonnell,” she muttered softly as she stood.
When she reached the door, he called her name again and when she turned, he said, “Call me Kenton.”
She nodded and left his office.
A few moments later Tessa Barnes, one of his partners in the firm, entered, her brows drawn together. “What did you do to Aimee?”
He rolled his eyes. “I asked her to dinner.”
Tessa crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. After a moment, her features fell into a sad, almost pout-like expression. “What happened with Julie?”
Kenton picked up his phone and wiggled it in the air for emphasis. “She left.”
Lifting up one of her red curls in her fingers, Tessa studied him. “Are you going to fire Aimee? Because I could use a good assistant.”
Tamping down on his initial flash of annoyance, Kenton kept his voice as emotionless as possible as he answered. “I’m not firing Aimee just because I want to date her. So you can’t have her.” Perhaps some of his possessiveness threaded through his tone, but he didn’t care.
Tessa dropped her shoulders and sighed in a fake attempt to appear disappointed. “Congrats on the Campton deal, by the way.”
Kenton smiled and eased back in his chair. “Did you have doubts?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, considering you and Alan went to college together and you served as his best man at his wedding.”
“Thank you, Tessa.”
She lifted one shoulder, but smiled. “I’m headed out.”
He looked at the clock— only three thirty. “Why so early?”
She held up a file folder. “Avery bought Lola’s.”
Surprise hit him, making him smile. Tessa’s twin sister, Avery, worked at Lola’s for the past two years as a dancer. The gentlemen’s club found itself under the public’s microscope in the last six months because the owner—apparently now ex-owner—mistreated his dancers and forced a few into prostitution. “How did she manage that?”
Tessa grinned ad if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Well, she still continued to live with
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