meant so much. This venture deserved his label’s full endorsement and effort. Aileen deserved it.
That particular caveat set his blood humming. Liam fingered a nearby water glass then lifted and chugged the contents absently, thinking. Aileen Brewer. Charismatic, transporting, unbelievably gifted. Totally unaware of how gorgeous she was—inside and out. What an appealing combination of textures.
Liam sucked in a breath. There it was again. That same unexpected push of…OK…he had to admit it, if only to himself…attraction. To Aileen.
Where was this coming from? Lifting from the chair, he prowled the length of his office, feeling caged and restless. What had crawled beneath his skin and stirred such an itch these days? Was it the idea of the group? Was it the history he shared with her? Was it something even deeper?
Oh, heaven help him if that was the case. Aileen Brewer. Romance. A childhood friend. The best friend of his sister.
No. Absolutely, positively not…
Nonetheless, the memory of her soft blue eyes slid along the pathway of his heart. Waves of honey colored hair formed a lush cascade around a face that was open, brimming with sweetness and playful fun. Her smile came alive in his mind and skimmed against the receptors of his skin. He chuckled lightly, picturing the shy dash she had made down the stairs of her apartment the other day when he had shown up to assemble her bedroom furniture. She had returned a short time later, looking quite smashing in her workout gear with skin aglow.
The internal diatribe ended at once.
Liam, get over it. You have a great thing going with Aileen . He shook his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose. Don’t mess things up because of an ill-advised chemical reaction. You’ve always enjoyed a perfect friendship. Openness and a level of affection that’s as deep as it is real.
Resolved, he spun toward his desk and pulled his suit coat from the back of the chair. Time to get busy and focus. First, he’d meet the girls in reception then he’d escort them to the conference room. The rest would be up to God’s hand and will. He shrugged into the garment and aligned the lapels, ready to give Aileen his all from a professional standpoint. He owed her that. Liam froze for an instant and blinked, realizing once again that he was completely focused on her.
He squared his chin. He was being professional, that’s all. Excited by an opportunity. Given what he had seen and experienced at the fundraiser, Liam was on fire to see that all four of the Sisters in Spirit touched lives and moved hearts.
“Have you ever jumped out of an airplane?”
Aileen’s somewhat breathless inquiry made Liam laugh—and he needed a laugh at the moment.
“Can’t say that I have. Why?”
“Because that’s just what I feel like I’m about to do right now. I’m standing at the open portal, being pushed into the atmosphere without possessing one lick of preparation or training.”
Her three comrades giggled at the comment, but he sensed a building nervousness. He strode the hallway toward the company’s main conference room and shot a look over his shoulder as he led the way.
“Wrong.”
“What?” Aileen studied him.
“Wrong. The four of you have all kinds of training. This is what your life at college taught you, isn’t it? Performance? Voice? Dance? Theater? You’re going to be fantastic.”
“Fantastically terrified. I’ve taken a dive and landed way over my head. This is coming at me…at all of us…so quickly.”
Aileen sported flaring black slacks paired with a matching blazer. She accessorized a white, button-down shirt with a long, multi-layer necklace that featured a rainbow of glossy, colored stones. Once again, Liam’s nerve endings twitched with a call toward connection, a need he feared.
“Yes, the meeting came together fast. That’s because we have every indication Sisters in Spirit is going to be a phenomenon.” He nodded toward the
That particular caveat set his blood humming. Liam fingered a nearby water glass then lifted and chugged the contents absently, thinking. Aileen Brewer. Charismatic, transporting, unbelievably gifted. Totally unaware of how gorgeous she was—inside and out. What an appealing combination of textures.
Liam sucked in a breath. There it was again. That same unexpected push of…OK…he had to admit it, if only to himself…attraction. To Aileen.
Where was this coming from? Lifting from the chair, he prowled the length of his office, feeling caged and restless. What had crawled beneath his skin and stirred such an itch these days? Was it the idea of the group? Was it the history he shared with her? Was it something even deeper?
Oh, heaven help him if that was the case. Aileen Brewer. Romance. A childhood friend. The best friend of his sister.
No. Absolutely, positively not…
Nonetheless, the memory of her soft blue eyes slid along the pathway of his heart. Waves of honey colored hair formed a lush cascade around a face that was open, brimming with sweetness and playful fun. Her smile came alive in his mind and skimmed against the receptors of his skin. He chuckled lightly, picturing the shy dash she had made down the stairs of her apartment the other day when he had shown up to assemble her bedroom furniture. She had returned a short time later, looking quite smashing in her workout gear with skin aglow.
The internal diatribe ended at once.
Liam, get over it. You have a great thing going with Aileen . He shook his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose. Don’t mess things up because of an ill-advised chemical reaction. You’ve always enjoyed a perfect friendship. Openness and a level of affection that’s as deep as it is real.
Resolved, he spun toward his desk and pulled his suit coat from the back of the chair. Time to get busy and focus. First, he’d meet the girls in reception then he’d escort them to the conference room. The rest would be up to God’s hand and will. He shrugged into the garment and aligned the lapels, ready to give Aileen his all from a professional standpoint. He owed her that. Liam froze for an instant and blinked, realizing once again that he was completely focused on her.
He squared his chin. He was being professional, that’s all. Excited by an opportunity. Given what he had seen and experienced at the fundraiser, Liam was on fire to see that all four of the Sisters in Spirit touched lives and moved hearts.
“Have you ever jumped out of an airplane?”
Aileen’s somewhat breathless inquiry made Liam laugh—and he needed a laugh at the moment.
“Can’t say that I have. Why?”
“Because that’s just what I feel like I’m about to do right now. I’m standing at the open portal, being pushed into the atmosphere without possessing one lick of preparation or training.”
Her three comrades giggled at the comment, but he sensed a building nervousness. He strode the hallway toward the company’s main conference room and shot a look over his shoulder as he led the way.
“Wrong.”
“What?” Aileen studied him.
“Wrong. The four of you have all kinds of training. This is what your life at college taught you, isn’t it? Performance? Voice? Dance? Theater? You’re going to be fantastic.”
“Fantastically terrified. I’ve taken a dive and landed way over my head. This is coming at me…at all of us…so quickly.”
Aileen sported flaring black slacks paired with a matching blazer. She accessorized a white, button-down shirt with a long, multi-layer necklace that featured a rainbow of glossy, colored stones. Once again, Liam’s nerve endings twitched with a call toward connection, a need he feared.
“Yes, the meeting came together fast. That’s because we have every indication Sisters in Spirit is going to be a phenomenon.” He nodded toward the
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