Tall, Dark and Charming (Tall, Dark and Sexy 1)

“Yes, Aiden came to talk to me,” her boss confirmed. “And I’m glad he did, because one look at your face and I see exactly what he’s concerned about. You look—”

“Exhausted,” Daisy finished for her, already knowing what she’d been about to say. Clearly, it was written all over her features and she wasn’t doing a great job of hiding how run-down she felt.

“Yes, exhausted would be a good word. How do you feel?” Sabrina asked, then cut Daisy off before she could reply with her standard I’m fine answer. “And don’t tell me that you feel fine, because I’ll call bullshit.”

That was Sabrina—no nonsense and to the point. But she was also a boss who treated her employees fairly and with empathy when needed. Daisy wasn’t happy that Aiden had talked to Sabrina, but with her boss being so direct and calling her out, she was forced to acknowledge that Aiden might be right . . . that she was ignoring her body’s signals—the extreme tiredness, the moment of light-headedness, and even her emotions being in an upheaval lately, too.

“I just feel like no matter how much sleep I might be getting, it never seems like enough,” she blurted out, and she hated that it could potentially start affecting her job performance.

Sabrina’s gaze softened with concern. “How long has this been going on?”

Now that the truth was out in the open, Daisy kept up the string of honesty. “A few weeks now.”

Sabrina stood up and came around her desk, then sat in the chair next to Daisy’s, giving her the impression that she was about to address her as a friend, and not as her boss.

“I know how important this campaign is to you,” Sabrina said as she placed her hand on Daisy’s arm. “It’s your first big project since your promotion, and I wouldn’t have promoted you to Manager of Design and Development if I didn’t think you could handle the pressure and responsibilities that came with the position. I also know that, as women, we’re always trying to prove ourselves in the corporate world, and sometimes that stress starts wearing on our bodies, and you need to listen to the signs. Trust me, I’ve been there and I don’t want you to get burned out or, worse, make yourself sick,” she added with an understanding smile.

“I need you to do me a favor and humor me,” Sabrina continued, her demeanor more motherly now. “I want you to make an appointment with your physician for a full physical and a complete blood work-up, because whatever’s going on with you sounds like it could be more than you just needing a few extra hours’ sleep. I’m guessing you might be anemic or your thyroid could be off or it could be as simple as a vitamin deficiency. Any of those things can easily be managed with the right medication or treatment, so the sooner you find out what’s wrong, the quicker you can start feeling like yourself again.”

After weeks of ignoring and fighting her body’s numerous symptoms, Daisy felt an overwhelming sense of relief settle over her that she had Sabrina’s support and understanding. Her boss was giving her permission to acknowledge the issue, address it, and get it taken care of—without it affecting her job or new position, which had been one of Daisy’s biggest fears.

She left Sabrina’s office feeling more optimistic than she had in, well, weeks. Now, she was anxious to find out what was causing her exhaustion, light-headedness, and occasional mood swing so she could correct the problem and get her normal energy back.

When she passed Aiden’s door, she didn’t look at him this time, but a few steps away, he called out her name, loud enough that if she kept on walking he’d know that she’d deliberately ignored him. So, she stopped, backed up, and glanced inside his office.

She met his gaze and instantly saw the regret and worry there. “Yes?”

He scrubbed a hand along the neatly trimmed beard along his jaw, giving her flashbacks of how that scruff felt on her skin. “I’m really sorry that I went to Sabrina, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were pissed off at me for doing so.”

“I was,” she admitted, letting a small smile kick up the corner of her mouth. “But after talking with Sabrina, I’m much calmer now.”

“Okay, good.” He nodded, his tense body relaxing in his chair. “I just . . .” His words trailed off for a moment, as if he was hesitant to speak what was on his mind but then decided to do it anyway. “I just care about you, and if something is wrong, then I want to make sure you do whatever it takes to get back to feeling like yourself.”

Emotion seemed to tangle in her throat, because she couldn’t remember the last time someone had worried about her well-being or looked after her, and she certainly didn’t want to get used to Aiden’s attention or concern.

“I understand,” she said, forcing the words out around that tight knot that was still present around her vocal cords. “And thank you . . . for caring.”

He gave her a smile that seemed to grab at her heart. “Of course.”

They were standing at opposite ends of the room, but those seductive lips and whiskey-colored eyes were making her weak with wanting. She worked with Aiden five days a week and saw him on a regular basis, but she legitimately missed him and what they’d shared in San Francisco. Not just the sex, though her body could still remember with clarity the warmth of his touch, the possessive demand of his kisses, and the way he made her feel so desirable—and selfishly wanted a whole lot more of him.

But it was moments like these, when he was so sweet and thoughtful and protective, even, that she knew she could easily lose herself, and everything she’d worked so hard to gain, to a man who’d kept his heart locked up as tight as she did. And that realization scared the crap out of her.

She needed to get out of his office, because she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Three months of resisting Aiden and trying to build those walls back up around her emotions, and in less than five minutes, that caring side to him was threatening to tear them all down.

And she never wanted to be that vulnerable with a man ever again.

Chapter Seven

Daisy shifted impatiently on the exam table, cringing as the paper sheet covering the faux leather seat beneath her stuck to her bare butt and the backs of her thighs. God, was there anything worse than sitting in a cold, sterile room wearing nothing more than a thin cotton gown that tied in the back—but still managed to expose her ass no matter how she shifted the material—and an equally thin paper drape over her bare legs while anxiously waiting for the doctor to arrive? It had been fifteen long minutes since Daisy had changed out of her clothes into the standard examination attire, and she just wanted to get the whole physical—including a pap smear, because she figured she might as well get everything checked out while she was there—over with. Oh, and to find out

what her test results had to reveal.

Two days ago, as soon as she got back to her desk after her talk with Sabrina, she’d picked up the phone and made an appointment with her primary care physician, who thankfully had a cancellation late Friday afternoon. The time frame also gave Daisy the chance to go to the lab to get her blood drawn and have a full panel work-up, along with a urine analysis completed, to identify any potential problems that might be contributing to her numerous symptoms.

While it was clear that something was definitely off in the way she’d felt over the past several weeks, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little nervous—okay, a lot nervous, scared, even—to discover what was wrong. She was hoping and praying that it was something as easily remedied as anemia or a vitamin deficiency or her thyroid being off as Sabrina had suggested, because her greatest fear was that it would be a more serious and complicated issue that would interfere with work or would require time off and compromise her job.

A quick knock sounded on the door, and as soon as Daisy said, “Come in,” her doctor stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.