Page 21 of Unfinished
Fine I guess you don’t care who Ty’s new project manager is then
7
Tobias
There is no way. No fucking way. Titus wouldn’t do that to me. He’s my brother. He loves me.
I think.
My employees give me weird looks as I rush past, cutting through the shop before racing out into the hall. I’m not running—technically—but I am moving fast enough a few people have worried looks on their faces.
Probably because the last time I ran through here something had exploded.
Same thing could happen today, except I’m the guy who’s going to end up in pieces.
Everyone I pass gives me a wide breadth, eyes following as I stalk down the halls. The only person who doesn’t seem unnerved by my behavior is Maren, the temp working as our supply clerk. For some reason, she smirks.
But I don’t really have time to ponder what the reason for that might be. Right now I’ve got a one-track mind, and it’s leading me straight to Titus’s domain.
His team takes up a large section of the main building,occupying both individual offices and large co-working rooms. I skip the co-working rooms, assuming what—orwho—I’m looking for will be in one of the offices.
Titus doesn’t keep a space for himself here, but it still exists. A room with a private bathroom and a beautiful view of the pond and fountain flanking one side of our sprawling campus. Since he’s always worked from home—and wants to continue doing so—there’s never been anything or anyone in it.
Until now.
I stop dead in my tracks at the open door, staring into the room at the woman I was fairly certain I’d find.
Brooke stands abruptly, forcing me to take in all her perfection. She was pretty in her twenties, but now she’s fucking stunning. Mind meltingly gorgeous. Her dark hair falls in loose waves around her shoulders, brushing against the silky fabric of her shirt. The high waist of her fitted black pants shows off every curve she’s gained since we went our separate ways.
I would give all the teeth in my head for the opportunity to touch just one of them. She could even pick which one. Hip. Thigh. Hell, I’d be happy with her elbow.
“Tobias.” My name rushes through her full lips. The whispery sound of it so close to something I’ve imagined a few too many times, my body reacts all on its own.
I pull in a deep breath, hoping to calm the blood racing through my veins, but that’s a mistake. Because the air is as filled with her as my thoughts have always been. The scent is sweet. Soft. But carries a hint of something deeper. Darker.
Brooke gives me an uncertain smile, motioning to the basic office chair sitting in front of her desk. “Do you want to come in?”
Yes. More than I’ve wanted anything in a long damn time.Almost as much as I wanted to hold her when I discovered her crying in my parents’ house.
But I can’t. I don’t know what happened to bring her here, but it was likely something big. Something she probably needs time to recover from. I should give her space. I should give her room. I should give her?—
“I do.” I step into the office, closing the door behind me while keeping my eyes on her.
I can’t pull them away. I’m afraid if I do she’ll disappear. That all this will be a hallucination my lonely mind conjured up. That I’ll go back to being alone and miserable. No one to take care of. No one to love.
No one to give me hope.
Brooke clears her throat, hands sliding along the fabric covering her hips like she’s trying to smooth it out. “I’m sorry. I just found out Titus hadn’t told anyone I was going to be working here. He should have?—”
I shake my head, cutting her off. “It doesn’t matter.” I step toward Brooke instead of the chair she pointed out. “How long are you staying?”
I don’t have the right to ask her questions like that, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to stop me. It does make me a little concerned the inability to stop myself might become a trend. Which would be a bad thing. I need to be stopped.
Because if I thought I could pull it off right this minute, I’d be on my knees begging Brooke to be mine. To give me a second chance. I’ve had almost a decade to think about everything I did wrong. And all the ways I’d make it up to her if I ever got the chance.
Now I just have to keep my shit together until I can put all those plans into action.
Brooke takes a shaky breath, her shoulders straighteningthe tiniest bit as she says, “I guess as long as Titus wants to keep me here.” Her dark eyes meet mine. “I don’t want it to be weird for you though, so if you don’t want me here?—”
