Page 2 of Bonus Daddy
My heart lurched. What had I walked into?
Before I could turn and run, she herded me into the office. It was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and filing cabinets, and in the center, a massive mahogany desk that looked completely out of place in this dilapidated building.
Still trying to fit all the pieces of this strange puzzle together, I zeroed in on the man sitting behind the desk.
As I took in his auburn hair and the familiar features, recognition sank in.No way.
When he looked up from his computer screen, I wasn’t sure if it was the beard or the sparkly tiara on his head that startled me the most. Pink and glittery, with turquoise jewels, it was almost as jarring as the face of the man wearing it.
Was it?
No.
“Brian,” Lo said. “This is your new client, Jessica Mosely.”
Between one blink and the next, he was standing and walking toward me, all broad shoulders and rolled-up shirtsleeves, with a serious expression on his face.
“Brian Machon,” he said, holding out his hand.
I froze, studying him. Was I hallucinating, or was this really him?
When I took his hand, large, warm, and strong, I gasped.
“Brian,” I breathed.
His eyes widened as recognition dawned.
But then he made a choked sound and dropped my hand. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”
He skirted around me with catlike movements and darted out of the room, slamming his shoulder into the doorframe and stumbling a bit down the hall. He almost plowed into Sully, who was wearing a look of horror, before he disappeared.
I looked at Lo, who was likewise shocked, then Cal, who lookedamused.Had the boy I once loved just run away from me? While wearing a pink glitter tiara?
The four of us stood silently as the man who’s taken off like a criminal on the run thundered up what sounded like a flight of stairs.
“Okay,” Lo said with a sigh, smoothing down her dark green pants. “That was weird. Have a seat, and I’ll grab the rest of your files.”
She walked away quickly, leaving me in this run-down office with more questions than I could handle. This man, who, although painfully handsome, had run at the sight of me was my best hope?
At this rate, I’d never get out of Jersey.
Chapter 2
Brian
With a long breath out, I shuffled to the sink, where I splashed cold water on my face.
Focus, Brian. Focus.
Why the hell was I having a breakdown over my college girlfriend showing up in my office?
Cal had added the meeting to my calendar as “Yoga Jess.” I had no clue it would be her.
It had been years—no, it had been literal decades—since we’d broken up. Since I’d last seen her.
My body buzzed with adrenaline as I tried to corral my racing thoughts. I was a lawyer. One of the best family law attorneys in the state of New York—and Jersey now too. And she was a client who needed help.
The shock to my system was enough to clear away some of the spiraling thoughts, and the gasp that escaped me when the temperature of the water registered was enough to reset my breathing, allowing me to inhale deeply for the first time in the last two minutes.
