Lost then Found Read online

  They’d think badly of me. They’d just see a woman trying to sleep her way into a better job. Which was ridiculous! Sleeping with Aidan certainly hadn’t done my career any favors!

  I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, pulling myself together and opened the door to the executive conference room. I half-expected it to be empty, that Aidan had used the room for his meeting and then gone to his actual office.

  I was wrong.

  There he was, sitting on the other side of the glass conference table, looking exactly as he had the day he left me.

  Except, his face was even more familiar than that.

  I knew that Jack looked liked his father…but now I was staring at Aidan and I suddenly realized they were exactly alike! Their eyes were the exact same shade of hazel, the same almond shape. Their mouths were identical, the same lips that twisted into the exact same mischievous grin. The only difference was their age and the layer of stubble that covered Aidan’s strong jaw.

  Aidan was smiling at me, with the exact same smile that Jack had in the photo on my desk.

  “Hello, Erica,” he said, his voice steady and calm. My heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest, but he wasn’t affected at all.

  Aidan’s cheekbones were more pronounced. Jack had the chubby cheeks of a toddler. Looking at Aidan though, was like seeing a future version of Jack. When Jack got older and lost his baby fat, he’d have those same cheekbones.

  “I wanted to talk to you,” he continued, blithely unaware of the emotional crisis I was going through. Unaware, or uncaring, I wasn’t sure which. I had to clench my jaw to just hold back my anger. How could he just pretend that he hadn’t broken my heart? He knew how I felt about him back then!

  How dare he just pretend that this was normal? Like we were just colleagues with no other history?

  “Did you?” I fumed and now he seemed to catch something in my tone because I could see whatever warmth there had been fade as he looked at me with the cold professionalism that he might look at a hostile competitor. It was like a stab to my heart, seeing my son’s face on Aidan.

  Jack was mine. He’d been mine, just mine, since the second he’d been born. It had always been the two of us! And now, right in front of my face, was the proof that he wasn’t just mine. He was Aidan’s too.

  “Hmm, please, have a seat,” he waved an arm at the row of chairs across the table from him. His starched white shirt had been rolled up, revealing the muscles and veins of his forearm. I pulled back a chair and sat down with a sniff. I wasn’t going to let him distract me. I had things I wanted to say.

  I had meant to come here to, diplomatically, make it known I was annoyed that he’d taken over my meeting. But now I knew that I had to be honest with him.

  “I wanted to…” I floundered. What I had to say him was so big that I didn’t know how to find the words.

  “Is that about your meeting with Kurosawo? He requested that I talk to him, once he learned I was in New York.”

  “I could have still sat in the meeting!” I snapped back. It was easier to deflect, to just avoid what I had to tell him. “That’s not..That’s not what I wanted to say. I wanted to talk about something else.”

  He leaned back in his chair, watching me lazily. My hands were clasped in my lap and now, without meaning to, I started to fidget. My fingers twisted nervously as I tried appear calm and the glass table did nothing to hide my hands.

  There was no easy way to say this. I was just going to have to blurt it out.

  “When you…when we…”

  He watched me, his eyes cold. Jack would never pull a face like that! I soldiered on:

  “I tried to get in touch with you after you left…”

  He nodded with a bored expression on his face. Couldn’t he at least pretend that he hadn’t got my voicemails and my texts?

  “That was a long time ago,” his tone was glacially cold.

  I shrugged. I knew exactly how long it had been. The last time we’d been this close was Jack’s age plus six months.

  Leaning back in his chair, he folded his strong arms over his chest, his broad shoulders making him look larger than ever. His shirt pulled taut against the muscles that I knew were underneath.

  I didn’t want to be affected by him. I wanted to just tell him the truth about Jack and then run away.

  But it wasn’t that easy.

  Being a single mom doesn’t exactly leave me a lot of time to date. The only man in my life was Jack and, while I was totally happy with that, it did mean that it had been years since I’d intimate with anyone.

  Now, here was Aidan, just as hot as he used to be. Sitting there with that same easy dominance that he always radiated. I was taking too long to tell him and I could see him growing impatient.

  “Erica. Have lunch with me later.”

  “I’m meeting a client for a lunch meeting.”

  He shrugged.

  “Arrange for someone else to do it. This is more important.”

  I nodded, lunch would be a better place to tell him about Jack. I’d have some time to figure out how I was going to tell him. I knew that having lunch with Aidan meant going to some fancy restaurant. That’d be a more appropriate place to tell him something this momentous.

  He looked away and I knew I was dismissed.

  I stood up and left, looking back with a lingering glance.

  I turned away and closed the door behind me. I didn’t want to think about him, or what he’d been up to for the last few years. There was no point asking pointless questions, like wondering if he’d missed me at all. Had it been easy for him to just leave? Had he thought of me at all in the years we’d been apart?

  I had a couple of hours before lunch and I was relieved. Maybe that made me a coward. But now I had a few more hours before Aidan found out about Jack. For a little while longer, Jack was solely mine.

  4

  Aidan

  I knew as soon as Kurosawo asked me to re-arrange his meeting with Erica that she was going to come and find me, demanding an explanation. I was looking forward to it.

  All morning I felt a low thrum of arousal in my gut, just in anticipation of seeing her again. I imagined her storming into my office, all fire and spark, her buxom frame wiggling and jiggling in all the right places as she laid into me for taking her meeting.

  I hoped she was still angry for the way that things had ended between us. I wanted her to be angry — because that would a sign of passion, that it had meant something to her. I had never forgotten about her. I hoped that she’d never forgotten me either.

  If she was still angry then she was going to let me know! I remembered times we’d spent together, when she’d get passionate about some work project. She was sassy and bold, ready to speak her mind and she had an opinion on everything. What she cared about most of all was IBA. My Erica was always a firecracker and all that energy of hers was directed towards my family’s company.

  I would have been captivated by that alone. But she was gorgeous too.

  And then, when the attraction between us had grown too strong to be contained and we’d fallen into bed together, I saw another side of her.

  With just a kiss she would melt for me. So submissive and good for me. She was able to take me like no other woman ever had.

  I’m just too much for most women. Too demanding and too dominating.

  I like to be in control, in all aspects of my life.

  No other woman had submitted to me in bed like Erica did. She was always so good for me. My sweet girl.

  Only in bed though. Everywhere else, she was a constant challenge to me, with her sharp mind and her snappy comments. Being with her pushed me to be the best version of myself.

  The conference room door barged open, without even the hint of someone knocking before they came in. There she was, striding into the room. I was completely unprepared to see her again.

  I wasn’t ready for the wave of arousal and nostalgia at the sight of her.

 
She looked just like she used to. Even wrapped up in stifling business attire, I could see the outline of her gorgeous, voluptuous figure. Her tits, impossibly perky and pendulous and the sway of her luscious hips. I’d spent hours running my hands over the smooth skin of those curves.

  There was something about her that just lit up an entire room and couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  I’ve seen a lot of the world. I’ve traveled and I’ve partied. I’ve had women throw themselves at me, once they realize how much I’m worth; models who make enough off their looks that they didn’t need my money, but just wanted to be seen with me to help their career. None of those skinny ass girls held a candle to my Erica.

  She outshone all those women, and she wasn’t even trying.

  “Hello, Erica,” I said. They were such small words, they couldn’t convey how much I had missed her. How much I had sacrificed to keep her safe.

  She pouted and I sat back, preparing to enjoy the sight of her anger over the Kurosawo meeting.

  I watched her lips. Those lips of hers, those big pouty lips. I knew exactly what they looked like as they sucked down my cock. I knew what they looked like stained with my cum as she used her tongue to clean herself up.

  My cock hardened seeing those lips again.

  I needed to concentrate. I’d come back to New York to talk to her. There was something very important that needed to be discussed.

  My father’s ill health meant that things were about to change, for me and for IBA. I wanted Erica to be a big part of that change.

  I’d meant to ask her straight away, but I couldn’t control my body’s reaction when I saw her. I needed to calm down, so I sent her away. I’d have to wait a little longer.

  I’m not a nervous man. I can afford to buy my way out of most problems. It’s rare that things get to me. But this was different.

  Erica’s answer was going to be life-changing for me.

  And, even with all my money and power, there was nothing I could do if she said ‘no’. All I could do was pray that she made the choice that I wanted her to.

  5

  Erica

  “So, Brian said he’d take your lunch meeting, but he didn’t sound very happy about it,” Bethany said nervously, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot as she hovered in my doorway.

  “That’s fine,” I said. “Brian never sounds happy, I’ll make it up to him.”

  “Uh-huh, and you have a reservation at a restaurant marked in your calendar, but I didn’t put it in there. You know about that, right?”

  I frowned, and called up my calendar on my computer. Sure enough, Aidan had blocked out a two hour lunch for us. He hadn’t told me in person, he’d just put it in here. Well, he was the boss.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  “Yeah, cos I looked that place up, and you should probably get going if you want to be there at one.”

  “Shit!”

  I stood up in a rush, grabbing my handbag and hurrying out of the office.

  “Bye, Erica!” Bethany called after me.

  “Bye!” I yelled, not looking back as I tripped slightly in my heels, managing to just catch myself before I fell.

  Ugh, so much for having a chance to prepare myself and get my thoughts straight before I saw Aidan again. I was flustered and my hair went everywhere as I scrambled to get a cab. The restaurant was inside a skyscraper and I had a few minutes in the elevator to get myself together and try and sort my hair out.

  The restaurant was the sort of place that Aidan used to take me, but that I’d never dream of going to by myself. It just screamed of being wildly expensive, the sort of place that didn’t put a price next to any of the food.

  When I told the maitre d’ that I was there for a meeting with Aidan, he bowed slightly. Like he thought I was having a meeting with royalty or something.

  Even in a fancy place like this, where they dealt with the rich all the time, people could be funny about how they treated the really rich.

  Of course, I thought Aidan was special, but not because he was a billionaire!

  I followed the maitre d’ through the restaurant and then out onto the large balcony. From here I could look out across all of Manhattan. Looking down on the city, with the sun in my face, I was struck by how beautiful the city can be.

  It was just like Aidan to pick a place like this. I remembered how he used to love looking out over the world. He’d had the most fantastic view from his penthouse, right across Manhattan. I could remember, with vivid clarity, evenings spent in his penthouse, sipping expensive wine and looking out across the bright lights of the city below. With a wistful sigh, I wondered if he still owned that place. Not that it mattered to me anymore.

  There was a time when we’d been close enough that I would have teased him for picking this restaurant. But those days were long over. Nowadays, I didn’t want to let myself get distracted by any kind of flirting.

  Up here, the breeze was cool, but there was a heat lamp next to the seat that I was ushered into. The light breeze brought some of noise of the people and traffic below, but otherwise it had faded to a background hum. It was an oasis in the middle of the city.

  None of the outdoor tables were occupied. I wondered if Aidan had booked the whole balcony when he made the reservation, just so that we could have a private conversation. That was the sort of thing that he used to do — reserving a whole restaurant just so that we could be alone.

  Everyone would let him do it, because they knew they’d get reimbursed. He was a generous tipper, when he got his way.

  In fact, he was always generous — as long as he was getting what he wanted.

  I picked up the thick cloth napkin and started fiddling with it. I wasn’t ready for the conversation that I knew had to happen. I had the maddest urge to just leave the restaurant, go to Jack’s daycare and just hug him as tightly as I could.

  And then, there was Aidan, striding towards me, the maitre d’ bumbling along behind him. I still wasn’t used to him being back in New York, to him being back in my life. I couldn’t help watching him, all 6’2” of confidence. I stopped paying attention to everything else around us; the awkward waiters, the empty restaurant, all of that faded away, unimportant, as I watched Aidan.

  The broad sweep of his shoulders were covered in a finely tailored suit that I knew cost more than my car.

  He’d told me once that he preferred to wear suits made from Askovian wool. I’d never heard of it before, apparently it was one of the most expensive materials in the world. It was incredibly soft but hard wearing. The entire world supply came from sheep living on one particular mountain in Askovia.

  Those suits of his had always looked great on him, highlighting the powerful lines of his muscular chest. Tall and cocky, his hair getting tousled by the breeze as he sat down opposite me. I could feel myself blushing. Had he seen me watching him?

  “Hi, Aidan,” I said trying to sound cool and professional. I’m a high-powered businesswoman, I’ve worked my way to the top of an international, multi-billion dollar company. Yet, the way he was looking at me made me feel like I was an awkward high schooler with a crush.

  “Erica,” he said, smiling. Or was that a smirk? God, he had seen me ogling him!

  Well, let him have a moment of enjoying my embarrassment. Once I told him about Jack, he would stop smirking!

  The waiter came over with menus and a glass bottle of water. He was painfully young and clearly trying to be discreet. But it was enough of an interruption that I could look away from Aidan, forcing myself to remember his callousness from earlier.

  It didn’t matter how attractive he still was. It didn’t matter that I could barely focus on anything when he was around. I needed to get this over with. I plucked up my courage, delaying on as long as it took the young waiter to finish pouring the water and walk away.

  But then, of course, not a man to waste any time, Aidan started talking first.

  “It’s good to see you again. You look, well, you look exactly
the same as I remember. The New York office is doing great work.”

  My cheeks felt even hotter.

  The thing is, I’ve always reacted strongly to Aidan complimenting me.

  There are lots of kind people in the world, and it’s easy for them to say nice things. But getting a compliment from them is kinda meaningless. I don’t want to be told that I’m good at my job by someone who doesn’t really mean it, who just says those same words to everyone.

  Aidan’s a billionaire, he can afford the best of the best. So, getting a compliment from him means a lot. He really means it. Not that he’s rude, or anything, he just doesn’t bother saying things that he doesn’t mean. There’s a refreshing honesty in that.

  “We have a really great team,” I said demurely, not able to stop the warm, glowy feeling in my chest.

  “I can tell. The New York office has always been a model of efficiency, and I’m not looking to make any changes. However….”

  I frowned as he trailed off. I had been so consumed by how I felt about Aidan’s return, that I hadn’t even considered why he’d come back.

  “Are there any particular problems with the office that I can help with?”

  “No,” he said slowly, drawing the word out and then picked up his water glass, swirling the water like it was a glass of wine. “Not exactly. Not with the office.”

  Not with the office?

  I hesitated. If there weren’t any problems with the office, then why had he wanted to meet me?

  There was a problem with me then? Was this because of our past relationship? Well, if he thought he was going to fire me without a fight he had another thing coming!

  “Before you start, I should say I wasn’t trying to attack you earlier. About how you left, I mean, how things ended. I was just trying to explain.”

  “Explain?” he said, looking at me in amusement, “What did you have to explain?”

  “I was pregnant when you left.”

  The words just bubbled out of me. I immediately wished I could take them back, that I could somehow snatch them out of the air before they reached Aidan’s ears. I should have laid more groundwork before spilling out the truth. I should have spent more time thinking about words to use. Maybe if I had found the right words, if I’d been less blunt, then I’d be able to guarantee that he’d react well.