Trade Off by Cheryl Douglas Read Free Book Online Page A

commanded her attention.
    She reached for a napkin and pushed the sandwich aside. “Come in.”
    “Hey,” Aiden said, pausing in the doorway. “Does that invitation still stand?”
    “What are you doing here?”
    She started tidying her desk, needing something to do so she could avoid ogling him. The man standing before her today was even more gorgeous than the boy he used to be. His dark, longish hair was stylishly cut, enhancing the expressive green eyes that had always told her what he was thinking and feeling. The tall, lean boy she remembered had grown into a well-built, muscular man who obviously took good care of himself so he could remain at the top of the game he loved for as long as possible.
    “I was hopin’ we could talk.”
    Her eyes drifted up, traveling from the well-worn boots to the lightly faded jeans. “Um, if you want to rehash the past, I really don’t have time—”
    “No,” he said, taking the seat across from her. “I’m here to talk business.”
    “Business?”
    “I’m lookin’ for a house. Think you can help me with that?”
    Sela knew developing a working relationship with him would be emotional suicide, not to mention that her husband would go ballistic. “I’d be happy to refer you to another agent in my office.”
    “I don’t want another agent. I want you .”
    The weight of those last few words settled over her, delighting and distressing her at the same time. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
    He smiled. “We both know the market’s taken a hard hit the last few years. Your office must’ve felt it too, right?”
    They barely met their monthly expenses, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting as much. “What’s your point?”
    “At the risk of sounding like an arrogant ass…” He grinned. “My pockets are pretty deep. It could be a nice sale for you or for the office down the street. It’s up to you.”
    Failure wasn’t an option for Sela. Her business was the only thing she had left in her life to warrant getting out of bed in the morning. She’d never borrowed a dime from her husband or parents and she vowed she never would, no matter how dire things seemed at times. She’d worked her way up from a struggling new agent, saving every extra cent from her commission checks so she could open her own office. They’d only been in business a few months when the global market started to soften, taking their tiny office down with it.
    “What’s your budget?”
    “I don’t know. I’m thinkin’ five to seven mil, but I’d be willin’ to go higher for the right property.” He shrugged when her mouth fell open. “I don’t have a lot of the vices some of the other guys have. I’m not into sports cars, I don’t have any expensive hobbies…” He rubbed his hand over the dark stubble covering his tense jaw. “I’ve reinvested most of what I’ve earned. In some cases, I’ve managed to double or triple my money.”
    If he was trying to impress her, it was working. The boy she used to know only cared about getting that coveted ice time and how he was going to make the most of it once he was out there. “Okay, well, it would take me some time to see what’s out there.”
    “Does that mean you’re willing to work with me?”
    The commission on that one sale could keep her business afloat for several months. What choice did she have? “I suppose so, as long as you understand that the past is off limits.” She offered her hand to seal the deal. “And so is my marriage. This is about me helping you find a house, nothing more. Agreed?”
    He took her hand and looked her in the eye. “We used to be friends. Remember what that was like?”
    She’d only spent the past eight years trying to forget. “I said I don’t want to talk about the past.”
    He leaned forward, still holding her hand. “This is the only thing I’ll say about it, I swear.” He propped his elbow on the desk and brought her hand to rest against his