Finally I got this done. Hope you enjoy and the wait won't be as long next
time! Reviews are fabulous!
::Kristen::
"What an idiot!" Chloe growled. Upon leaving Brady's office she immediately threw off her heals and flopped into her chair putting her head in her hands. She was so confused about Brady. She couldn't read him and she didn't know what was going inside that beautiful head of his. She let out a sigh. "I guess I'm just not good enough" She stood up and walked over to a large mirror that seemed to cover half the wall. She stepped up to it, taking in what she saw staring back at her. What she saw didn't impress her. Her hair was pulled back tight into a bun. She smoothed some of the stray pieces behind her ears. Her hands traveled down to the dark circles that shown like a shadow under eyes. Her eyes. They had changed so much over the years. She almost forgot what color they used to be.
"Your eyes." he had said in awe. "It's like looking at the ocean. So clear.so beautiful".
His gray-green eyes had looked into her soul with love and his hand had caressed her cheek. People would say they could see her emotions in her eyes. Whenever Brady looked at her, with his striking crystal blue gaze, she wondered if he could see what she felt inside. His gaze made her feel unsure about herself, her work, everything. It would make her blood burn through her body, and her heart beat like a wild drum. Her cheeks would flush and her skin would get hot. How could she be so effected by a simple stare or look? Especially his stare. It almost reminded her of Philip. When they were in love his glances and touches could do that, but his glances became glares and his touches became slaps. She had vowed to herself after he had died that she would never do that to herself again. And she would Never do that to her daughter. Thank god she doesn't remember him.
Heartache and emptiness stared at her in the mirror. They shown bright and clear as day through pale blue-silver eyes. The light in her eyes had faded the very first time she was thrown to the floor from the force of his hand striking her face.
"You make me sick just looking at you! Can't you do anything right?! Huh?! All you do is sit around and cry, or you go and flounce off to work and screw around like the whore you are! What you need is to be taught who is the boss around here." His hands hadn't touched her, they had violated her. His sweat had burned her skin like acid. She had no where to go. She had been all alone. What had she done to deserve something like that? Had she been so horrible? Did god mean to punish her for a sin she couldn't remember? Maybe she was worthless. She didn't have much to live for now, and she certainly didn't have that light that used to make people want to be around her. Now she was just a young women who looked hurt beyond her years, and with child in tow that she loved more than life itself. Would Natalie suffer from her mistakes?
"Ms. Lane?".
Chloe whipped her head to look at the short brunette calling her from her doorway.
The lady looked into the lost, troubled eyes of the tall brunette. Heartbreak and sadness shined through them like a troubled soul that couldn't find the light. "Um.there is a call from your daughter's school on line one".
Chloe's mind raced and her eyes grew wide with fear. She quickly made way to her desk and picked up the phone.
"Hello? Yes this is she.--"
* * * *
Brady sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn't concentrate. Not with Chloe still on his mind. He had yet to set things straight about his reasons for wanting to talk with her. He assumed she was probably still mad about the whole thing. It had been a good five hours or so since it had happened. He wondered if she was still mad. A second later he was up and walking to his door. Opening it he started down the hall, nodding at smiling employees as he made his way to Chloe's office. Her door was shut so he gave it two swift knocks. All he heard was silence so he moved closer trying to see if he could pick up any signs of life. Still silence. He turned the handle and walked in cautiously. "Chloe?" His eyes traveled over the office in one quick motion. She wasn't there. Had she been so mad that she left? Or even worse had she quit? He ran a hand through his hair. A sign of nervousness he rarely showed. He turned around away from her door.
"Mr. Black?"
Brady looked up at the petite old lady with brown eyes.
"If you are looking for Ms. Lane, I'm sorry sir, but she left in a hurry. Her daughter's school called. On her way out, I asked her where she was going and she said the hospital. Poor dear."
When she looked up at him she almost let out a gasp. His gaze was intense, piercing through her with an emotion she couldn't read. She had always known Mr. Black to be a hard ass and very irritating, but now, he was acting extremely out of character.
"Is there something wrong sir?" She asked worried.
"No, everything's fine" he said quickly and with that he made his way back to his office.
* * * *
"I'm not sure what caused the fainting, but we are in the process of getting the test results. In the mean time why don't you take her home and make sure she gets a lot of rest."
Chloe nodded and thanked the doctor. She turned and made her way to Natalie's room.
"Mommy!" Natalie squealed in delight as she saw her mother enter the room. The nurse looked up from her reading and smiled at. Natalie slowly walked over to her mother. Chloe bent down and looked at her little girl. "Hey sweetie." She said as she hugged her daughter in a fierce hug. . 'Please lord, don't let something be wrong with my daughter, don't make her pay for whatever sin I have done' Chloe said as she looked up to the sky praying a silent prayer.
"Mommy was very worried about you Nat, but now we're gonna go home, and I'll make you some of that yummy soup you love so much ok?" She tried to keep her voice cool and calm, but she feared it hadn't sounded that way.
Natalie smiled and shook her head. Chloe pulled back and looked at her daughter. So young and full of life. She reminded her of how she used to be. 'Please lord, don't let something be wrong with my daughter, don't make her pay for whatever sin I have done' Chloe said as she looked up to the sky praying a silent prayer. Hand in hand they made their way home. She would be sure to call Brady and let him now what had happened. She hoped he would understand.
* * * *
As he pulled into her driveway, he took in the calm peaceful scene in front of him. It was a small cottage-like house with a nice front yard full of flowers. He walked up the walkway a little nervous. He knew it wasn't the best time to come by, with what happened with her daughter earlier. He hoped everything was OK, but in her rush she had ran out with the Brook files for the new contract they we were working on. He had to have those papers or else they would be behind. He rang her doorbell once and waited.
Chloe heard the door from the kitchen. She wondered who it was. Mimi was supposed to be coming back into town in a few days. She wiped her hands on her apron and made her way to the door. She opened it and came face to face with a shock.
"Mr. Black?" she asked completely caught off guard. And if she thought she looked bad at work, she knew she was just down right disgusting right now. Her appearance fading another thought came to her. Why was he here?
If he thought she was in shock, she didn't know what he could see through his eyes. Her hair was down, and it was beautiful. It was slightly curly from being in a bun all day and she wasn't in her usual working attire, rather now she wore a tight light blue sweater and jeans, with a cute little apron over it. He thought she looked breathtaking.
"Chloe, I apologize for coming here, but I'm afraid you ran out with the Brook files." He explained casually.
She sighed, looking down. Of course he was here to get the papers. She should have known.
"Yes, I have them" she said dryly turning and disappearing inside her house. He stepped in and followed down the hall that led to a spacious living room. A big beige couch sat right smack in the middle, facing a large TV. that was playing.cartoons? No sooner did he hear a delightful stream of giggles. He moved closer to the couch and peered over. There lay a small child wrapped up in a huge blanket laughing hysterically and pointing at the screen. The child looked up at him with innocent eyes and she instantly became curious.
"Hey there Natalie" he said with a warm smile. Her little blue eyes went wide with surprise. "How'd you know my name?" she asked. He smiled even bigger and rested his arms against the back of the couch. "Are you a friend of Mommy's?" she asked with a big grin. He looked down the hall to where Chloe had gone and then returned his gaze to the little girl. "You could say that" he replied easily.
"Really?! Do you want to watch cartoons with me?" He looked into her hopeful eyes. He could see so much of Chloe in them but hers were darker blue and they seemed to sparkle. He smiled and made his way around to sit next to the little girl .
Chloe searched frantically around her room. She had put the file down when she got home with Natalie, but now she couldn't find it anywhere. She had a lot of emotions flowing through her at this point in time. Anger, that he was here. He was in her home asking for these damn papers, after she had been at the hospital all day worried sick. Did he not have any sympathy for other people?! 'You know the answer to that' She sighed and kept looking. 'Mad? Why?' her inner voice questioned.
"Why?! We've already been over why."
'but you're lying'.She gave another long sigh. She was mad because he was in her house. He was a few feet away, and he looked and smelled too good for her body to take. "Ugh!" She growled in defeat. "Why does he torment me so? Why can't I just get him out of my mind?" He doesn't like you Chloe what don't you get about that? Just face it. You aren't good enough. He deserves someone classy and someone without a child to take care of. Chloe rolled her eyes. People were always telling her she wasn't good enough. What was so wrong with her that she wasn't what they wanted? First her parents, then Philip. She was tired of trying to please everyone else. Was there no one that could except her for who she was? She was feeling so sorry for herself she almost forgot that Brady was waiting in the other room. She looked over at the mirror and noticed the file lying on the desk beside it. Getting up she got the file and then looked into the mirror. "Oh well" she said and made her way back towards the living room.
Walking down the hall she heard loud laughter. It was Natalie's child like giggle, and then.Brady's laughing? She thought it was too good to be true and picked up her pace. Sure enough when she came in, they were both sitting on the couch, laying comfortably next to each other. Smiles on each of their faces as Natalie rested her head against his chest. The scene warmed her heart and a smile rose. She walked by the couch and slipped into the kitchen.
A little while later she came back out with three bowls of soup. She knew Natalie would be hungry, but she didn't know what Brady would think, or if he even wanted to stay for dinner. "I hope people are hungry!" She called in a little hesitantly. "I am!" Natalie shouted brightly. She walked in front of them casually, even thought inside she was nervous as anything. She had hoped her face wasn't red. "I am!" Brady said mockingly, and that right there was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. Her face probably went ten shades redder.
She looked down and laughed placing the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. She sat down on the floor facing them. Brady's eyes met hers over her bowl. "I found the file" she said quickly. He shook his head and looked down at the soup in his hands.
"This is delicious" he said meeting her eyes again. His compliment made her cheeks flush so she looked down, and concentrated on swirling the soup with her spoon.
"Yeah, Mommy!" Natalie agreed and Brady smiled at the little girl beside him. "I had no idea my little secretary was such a fabulous cook!" he said with a sly grin.
"Well.I hate to brag" Chloe said matching his grin "But what you are now eating is what won me first place in the 43rd Annual Smith County Fair" Brady laughed and gave her a sexy smile. "And just how many years ago was that?" Chloe laughed and replied "Seven or Eight, but hey who's counting?"
"So you haven't always lived here then" He stated with curiosity.
"Nope, I used to live in a real small town down south, and I mean small."
"Oh wait let me guess, you were a cheerleader weren't you" Chloe's mouth dropped and before you knew it she bent over in a fit of giggles. "Me?! A Cheerleader! You've got to be kidding" Brady just grinned. The rest of the night flew by in a whirl of events in front of Chloe's eyes. Conversation came easily and they were so comfortable. They talked about their very different pasts and some old memories. They laughed and talked well into the night.
Chloe laid Natalie down gently in her bed and brought the covers up around her. She looked at her daughter, sleeping soundly. She could feel his presence behind her, but just ignored it, and soon he was gone. She ran a hand over the young girl's forehead and then pressed a feather light kiss on her temple.
Chloe walked out and shut the door behind her. She walked down the hall where Brady was standing next to the door. He was busy putting the file in his briefcase. Chloe didn't really know what to say. The whole night had been easy, but then now it seemed tense and she really didn't know what tonight had meant to him. She hoped it meant as much to him as to her. Brady smiled at her, his gaze steady and looking into her eyes. His hand reached out and took one of her smaller ones. He gave it a light squeeze. His hand was warm and rough compared to her soft and cool ones. Her face was getting redder and her heart was pounding faster with every second that flew by.
"Chloe" he all but whispered into the dark hall. The sound of his husky voice caressed her ears like velvet. The smell of his cologne made her want to grab him right there. The street lights from outside slashed his face with lines of gold, and she was lost in him. Once she found her voice she managed a small "yes?".
Hand in hand she watched him slowly take a step closer. His sheer size overtaking her. "About earlier today, at the office" his voice still low and warm touched the base of her neck and tickled her cheeks. Even through the lusty haze she was slowly falling into, warning bells went off in her mind. "About earlier today" he had said. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest.
Before she could get a word out he continued. "I'm sorry for the way things went in my office. Obviously you had been confused by my actions." His hands tightened around hers and his eyes searched her soul. "The thing is, We've known each other for awhile now, and I have these feelings towards you that I can't really place or explain, but I would like to see where they take us. If you let me" She searched his eyes for sincerity. Hers she were sure showed shock and disbelief. What was he saying? He had feelings toward her? Where would they take them? She was confused and scared, but most of all she was oddly excited. Could this work out or would is turn into another mess she would get herself into. This time she had to think of Natalie. Her fears overriding her wants she broke his gaze. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't want to be hurt by him so she remained silent.
Brady saw the emotions fly across her face. He saw the hurt, the fear. He was sure she would see it too, but he couldn't show her that. Not now. He knew she just needed more time. He knew she was scared, hell he was scared. He didn't really know what he was saying or why he was feeling the way he was. For some reason after everything that has happened, and standing here, feeling her breath against his neck, hearing her soft whispering voice, seeing the pain she had gone through, all he wanted was to take it all away. "What happened to Natalie earlier?" it came out so quickly he hadn't even thought before he asked.
Her eyes flew to his face. She didn't know he had known about it. She wondered if he was mad. "I'm sorry" she said letting her gaze drop again. "I shouldn't have ran out like I did. Her school called saying she had fainted and it be best I take her home." She felt him looking at her. His intense gaze burning into her. Forcing her to look up into his eyes. His thumbs rubbed slow circles on the top of her smooth hands trying to assure her that it would be ok, but could she trust him. She wanted to so badly. "Th.The tests haven't come back yet." She stammered the only sign of the internal war she was fighting inside.
He nodded, taking in all she was willing to give. They stayed like that, for countless seconds, just watching.
"Well it's late, and you need your rest after the day you've had." He said finally, breaking the silence. She nodded and gave him a shy smile as their hands unclasped. He grabbed his briefcase and turned toward her again. "Goodnight Chloe, sweet dreams" he whispered.
Once the door was shut and he was leaving she turned her back to the door. It was unbelievable. She felt so happy she thought she just might cry. She slowly slid down to the floor and hugged her knees. She rested her head on her knees and replayed the earlier events a thousand times in her head. A little while later she made her way to bed with a new light in her eyes. A light of hope.
"What an idiot!" Chloe growled. Upon leaving Brady's office she immediately threw off her heals and flopped into her chair putting her head in her hands. She was so confused about Brady. She couldn't read him and she didn't know what was going inside that beautiful head of his. She let out a sigh. "I guess I'm just not good enough" She stood up and walked over to a large mirror that seemed to cover half the wall. She stepped up to it, taking in what she saw staring back at her. What she saw didn't impress her. Her hair was pulled back tight into a bun. She smoothed some of the stray pieces behind her ears. Her hands traveled down to the dark circles that shown like a shadow under eyes. Her eyes. They had changed so much over the years. She almost forgot what color they used to be.
"Your eyes." he had said in awe. "It's like looking at the ocean. So clear.so beautiful".
His gray-green eyes had looked into her soul with love and his hand had caressed her cheek. People would say they could see her emotions in her eyes. Whenever Brady looked at her, with his striking crystal blue gaze, she wondered if he could see what she felt inside. His gaze made her feel unsure about herself, her work, everything. It would make her blood burn through her body, and her heart beat like a wild drum. Her cheeks would flush and her skin would get hot. How could she be so effected by a simple stare or look? Especially his stare. It almost reminded her of Philip. When they were in love his glances and touches could do that, but his glances became glares and his touches became slaps. She had vowed to herself after he had died that she would never do that to herself again. And she would Never do that to her daughter. Thank god she doesn't remember him.
Heartache and emptiness stared at her in the mirror. They shown bright and clear as day through pale blue-silver eyes. The light in her eyes had faded the very first time she was thrown to the floor from the force of his hand striking her face.
"You make me sick just looking at you! Can't you do anything right?! Huh?! All you do is sit around and cry, or you go and flounce off to work and screw around like the whore you are! What you need is to be taught who is the boss around here." His hands hadn't touched her, they had violated her. His sweat had burned her skin like acid. She had no where to go. She had been all alone. What had she done to deserve something like that? Had she been so horrible? Did god mean to punish her for a sin she couldn't remember? Maybe she was worthless. She didn't have much to live for now, and she certainly didn't have that light that used to make people want to be around her. Now she was just a young women who looked hurt beyond her years, and with child in tow that she loved more than life itself. Would Natalie suffer from her mistakes?
"Ms. Lane?".
Chloe whipped her head to look at the short brunette calling her from her doorway.
The lady looked into the lost, troubled eyes of the tall brunette. Heartbreak and sadness shined through them like a troubled soul that couldn't find the light. "Um.there is a call from your daughter's school on line one".
Chloe's mind raced and her eyes grew wide with fear. She quickly made way to her desk and picked up the phone.
"Hello? Yes this is she.--"
* * * *
Brady sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn't concentrate. Not with Chloe still on his mind. He had yet to set things straight about his reasons for wanting to talk with her. He assumed she was probably still mad about the whole thing. It had been a good five hours or so since it had happened. He wondered if she was still mad. A second later he was up and walking to his door. Opening it he started down the hall, nodding at smiling employees as he made his way to Chloe's office. Her door was shut so he gave it two swift knocks. All he heard was silence so he moved closer trying to see if he could pick up any signs of life. Still silence. He turned the handle and walked in cautiously. "Chloe?" His eyes traveled over the office in one quick motion. She wasn't there. Had she been so mad that she left? Or even worse had she quit? He ran a hand through his hair. A sign of nervousness he rarely showed. He turned around away from her door.
"Mr. Black?"
Brady looked up at the petite old lady with brown eyes.
"If you are looking for Ms. Lane, I'm sorry sir, but she left in a hurry. Her daughter's school called. On her way out, I asked her where she was going and she said the hospital. Poor dear."
When she looked up at him she almost let out a gasp. His gaze was intense, piercing through her with an emotion she couldn't read. She had always known Mr. Black to be a hard ass and very irritating, but now, he was acting extremely out of character.
"Is there something wrong sir?" She asked worried.
"No, everything's fine" he said quickly and with that he made his way back to his office.
* * * *
"I'm not sure what caused the fainting, but we are in the process of getting the test results. In the mean time why don't you take her home and make sure she gets a lot of rest."
Chloe nodded and thanked the doctor. She turned and made her way to Natalie's room.
"Mommy!" Natalie squealed in delight as she saw her mother enter the room. The nurse looked up from her reading and smiled at. Natalie slowly walked over to her mother. Chloe bent down and looked at her little girl. "Hey sweetie." She said as she hugged her daughter in a fierce hug. . 'Please lord, don't let something be wrong with my daughter, don't make her pay for whatever sin I have done' Chloe said as she looked up to the sky praying a silent prayer.
"Mommy was very worried about you Nat, but now we're gonna go home, and I'll make you some of that yummy soup you love so much ok?" She tried to keep her voice cool and calm, but she feared it hadn't sounded that way.
Natalie smiled and shook her head. Chloe pulled back and looked at her daughter. So young and full of life. She reminded her of how she used to be. 'Please lord, don't let something be wrong with my daughter, don't make her pay for whatever sin I have done' Chloe said as she looked up to the sky praying a silent prayer. Hand in hand they made their way home. She would be sure to call Brady and let him now what had happened. She hoped he would understand.
* * * *
As he pulled into her driveway, he took in the calm peaceful scene in front of him. It was a small cottage-like house with a nice front yard full of flowers. He walked up the walkway a little nervous. He knew it wasn't the best time to come by, with what happened with her daughter earlier. He hoped everything was OK, but in her rush she had ran out with the Brook files for the new contract they we were working on. He had to have those papers or else they would be behind. He rang her doorbell once and waited.
Chloe heard the door from the kitchen. She wondered who it was. Mimi was supposed to be coming back into town in a few days. She wiped her hands on her apron and made her way to the door. She opened it and came face to face with a shock.
"Mr. Black?" she asked completely caught off guard. And if she thought she looked bad at work, she knew she was just down right disgusting right now. Her appearance fading another thought came to her. Why was he here?
If he thought she was in shock, she didn't know what he could see through his eyes. Her hair was down, and it was beautiful. It was slightly curly from being in a bun all day and she wasn't in her usual working attire, rather now she wore a tight light blue sweater and jeans, with a cute little apron over it. He thought she looked breathtaking.
"Chloe, I apologize for coming here, but I'm afraid you ran out with the Brook files." He explained casually.
She sighed, looking down. Of course he was here to get the papers. She should have known.
"Yes, I have them" she said dryly turning and disappearing inside her house. He stepped in and followed down the hall that led to a spacious living room. A big beige couch sat right smack in the middle, facing a large TV. that was playing.cartoons? No sooner did he hear a delightful stream of giggles. He moved closer to the couch and peered over. There lay a small child wrapped up in a huge blanket laughing hysterically and pointing at the screen. The child looked up at him with innocent eyes and she instantly became curious.
"Hey there Natalie" he said with a warm smile. Her little blue eyes went wide with surprise. "How'd you know my name?" she asked. He smiled even bigger and rested his arms against the back of the couch. "Are you a friend of Mommy's?" she asked with a big grin. He looked down the hall to where Chloe had gone and then returned his gaze to the little girl. "You could say that" he replied easily.
"Really?! Do you want to watch cartoons with me?" He looked into her hopeful eyes. He could see so much of Chloe in them but hers were darker blue and they seemed to sparkle. He smiled and made his way around to sit next to the little girl .
Chloe searched frantically around her room. She had put the file down when she got home with Natalie, but now she couldn't find it anywhere. She had a lot of emotions flowing through her at this point in time. Anger, that he was here. He was in her home asking for these damn papers, after she had been at the hospital all day worried sick. Did he not have any sympathy for other people?! 'You know the answer to that' She sighed and kept looking. 'Mad? Why?' her inner voice questioned.
"Why?! We've already been over why."
'but you're lying'.She gave another long sigh. She was mad because he was in her house. He was a few feet away, and he looked and smelled too good for her body to take. "Ugh!" She growled in defeat. "Why does he torment me so? Why can't I just get him out of my mind?" He doesn't like you Chloe what don't you get about that? Just face it. You aren't good enough. He deserves someone classy and someone without a child to take care of. Chloe rolled her eyes. People were always telling her she wasn't good enough. What was so wrong with her that she wasn't what they wanted? First her parents, then Philip. She was tired of trying to please everyone else. Was there no one that could except her for who she was? She was feeling so sorry for herself she almost forgot that Brady was waiting in the other room. She looked over at the mirror and noticed the file lying on the desk beside it. Getting up she got the file and then looked into the mirror. "Oh well" she said and made her way back towards the living room.
Walking down the hall she heard loud laughter. It was Natalie's child like giggle, and then.Brady's laughing? She thought it was too good to be true and picked up her pace. Sure enough when she came in, they were both sitting on the couch, laying comfortably next to each other. Smiles on each of their faces as Natalie rested her head against his chest. The scene warmed her heart and a smile rose. She walked by the couch and slipped into the kitchen.
A little while later she came back out with three bowls of soup. She knew Natalie would be hungry, but she didn't know what Brady would think, or if he even wanted to stay for dinner. "I hope people are hungry!" She called in a little hesitantly. "I am!" Natalie shouted brightly. She walked in front of them casually, even thought inside she was nervous as anything. She had hoped her face wasn't red. "I am!" Brady said mockingly, and that right there was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. Her face probably went ten shades redder.
She looked down and laughed placing the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. She sat down on the floor facing them. Brady's eyes met hers over her bowl. "I found the file" she said quickly. He shook his head and looked down at the soup in his hands.
"This is delicious" he said meeting her eyes again. His compliment made her cheeks flush so she looked down, and concentrated on swirling the soup with her spoon.
"Yeah, Mommy!" Natalie agreed and Brady smiled at the little girl beside him. "I had no idea my little secretary was such a fabulous cook!" he said with a sly grin.
"Well.I hate to brag" Chloe said matching his grin "But what you are now eating is what won me first place in the 43rd Annual Smith County Fair" Brady laughed and gave her a sexy smile. "And just how many years ago was that?" Chloe laughed and replied "Seven or Eight, but hey who's counting?"
"So you haven't always lived here then" He stated with curiosity.
"Nope, I used to live in a real small town down south, and I mean small."
"Oh wait let me guess, you were a cheerleader weren't you" Chloe's mouth dropped and before you knew it she bent over in a fit of giggles. "Me?! A Cheerleader! You've got to be kidding" Brady just grinned. The rest of the night flew by in a whirl of events in front of Chloe's eyes. Conversation came easily and they were so comfortable. They talked about their very different pasts and some old memories. They laughed and talked well into the night.
Chloe laid Natalie down gently in her bed and brought the covers up around her. She looked at her daughter, sleeping soundly. She could feel his presence behind her, but just ignored it, and soon he was gone. She ran a hand over the young girl's forehead and then pressed a feather light kiss on her temple.
Chloe walked out and shut the door behind her. She walked down the hall where Brady was standing next to the door. He was busy putting the file in his briefcase. Chloe didn't really know what to say. The whole night had been easy, but then now it seemed tense and she really didn't know what tonight had meant to him. She hoped it meant as much to him as to her. Brady smiled at her, his gaze steady and looking into her eyes. His hand reached out and took one of her smaller ones. He gave it a light squeeze. His hand was warm and rough compared to her soft and cool ones. Her face was getting redder and her heart was pounding faster with every second that flew by.
"Chloe" he all but whispered into the dark hall. The sound of his husky voice caressed her ears like velvet. The smell of his cologne made her want to grab him right there. The street lights from outside slashed his face with lines of gold, and she was lost in him. Once she found her voice she managed a small "yes?".
Hand in hand she watched him slowly take a step closer. His sheer size overtaking her. "About earlier today, at the office" his voice still low and warm touched the base of her neck and tickled her cheeks. Even through the lusty haze she was slowly falling into, warning bells went off in her mind. "About earlier today" he had said. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest.
Before she could get a word out he continued. "I'm sorry for the way things went in my office. Obviously you had been confused by my actions." His hands tightened around hers and his eyes searched her soul. "The thing is, We've known each other for awhile now, and I have these feelings towards you that I can't really place or explain, but I would like to see where they take us. If you let me" She searched his eyes for sincerity. Hers she were sure showed shock and disbelief. What was he saying? He had feelings toward her? Where would they take them? She was confused and scared, but most of all she was oddly excited. Could this work out or would is turn into another mess she would get herself into. This time she had to think of Natalie. Her fears overriding her wants she broke his gaze. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't want to be hurt by him so she remained silent.
Brady saw the emotions fly across her face. He saw the hurt, the fear. He was sure she would see it too, but he couldn't show her that. Not now. He knew she just needed more time. He knew she was scared, hell he was scared. He didn't really know what he was saying or why he was feeling the way he was. For some reason after everything that has happened, and standing here, feeling her breath against his neck, hearing her soft whispering voice, seeing the pain she had gone through, all he wanted was to take it all away. "What happened to Natalie earlier?" it came out so quickly he hadn't even thought before he asked.
Her eyes flew to his face. She didn't know he had known about it. She wondered if he was mad. "I'm sorry" she said letting her gaze drop again. "I shouldn't have ran out like I did. Her school called saying she had fainted and it be best I take her home." She felt him looking at her. His intense gaze burning into her. Forcing her to look up into his eyes. His thumbs rubbed slow circles on the top of her smooth hands trying to assure her that it would be ok, but could she trust him. She wanted to so badly. "Th.The tests haven't come back yet." She stammered the only sign of the internal war she was fighting inside.
He nodded, taking in all she was willing to give. They stayed like that, for countless seconds, just watching.
"Well it's late, and you need your rest after the day you've had." He said finally, breaking the silence. She nodded and gave him a shy smile as their hands unclasped. He grabbed his briefcase and turned toward her again. "Goodnight Chloe, sweet dreams" he whispered.
Once the door was shut and he was leaving she turned her back to the door. It was unbelievable. She felt so happy she thought she just might cry. She slowly slid down to the floor and hugged her knees. She rested her head on her knees and replayed the earlier events a thousand times in her head. A little while later she made her way to bed with a new light in her eyes. A light of hope.