A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

and closed. I put the plate and cutlery away, and stopped to listen.
Footsteps passed the kitchen door before departing up the stairs. I figured people
weren’t keen on meeting me tonight.
    I retreated to my room and switched on the
TV when I heard the slightest knock on the door. I sat up and called, “Come in.”
    The door opened and Aidan peered in,
hesitation visible in his eyes. His disheveled hair stuck out in places, giving
the impression he just got out of bed. But his eyes shone with awareness as he
looked at me. “Hey.”
    Aidan in my room? I switched off the TV, my
heart hammering in my chest as I jumped up, then paused in mid-stride, unsure what
to do. “Hey.”
    He moistened his lips. His fingers grabbed
the doorknob, knuckles turning white, like he was holding on for dear life. “Do
you have any plans for tonight?” His voice was nonchalant, unfazed. My first
impression was wrong. He wasn’t nervous, he probably just needed me to iron his
shirt or fix him a sandwich. When the boss comes knocking, it’s never a good
sign.
    I shrugged. “Nope. No plans.”
    His gaze fell on the photo frame on the
bedside table, and for a second a frown crossed his perfect features. “We’re
going out. I thought you might want to join us.”
    “Ah.” I wavered. Didn’t see that one
coming, but it was definitely much better than a request to clean the
bathrooms. My heart skipped a beat when realization kicked in. An invitation to
go out with him ? “Like a date?”
    Aidan stared at me. Why wasn’t he answering
the question? I figured he didn’t want to hurt my feelings. He was just being
friendly, nothing more. No date, no need to feel guilty. Besides, Cameron
wouldn’t want me to spend my nights trapped in the confinements of my room,
watching TV and staring at the walls.
    “Are you coming?” Aidan raised his eyebrow,
a hesitant smile playing on his lips. My pulse started to race again, my reserve
melting away.
    I nodded. “I’d love to. Thanks.”
    A dimpled smile lit up his face. “I’ll let
you get ready, then. Take your time.”
    I watched him close the door, then turned
to the cupboard, trying to slow down my racing heart. It wasn’t a date, just a
night out with a friend. Just friends. Nothing wrong with being friends with a
hot guy. He wasn’t my type anyway, too cool, too confident, too perfect.
Cameron was confident too, but in a more look-at-me way, and who could blame
him? His education was top-notch. Everyone knew he’d be a high-achiever one
day. In contrast, Aidan seemed like he couldn’t care less what others made of
him. Faced with the choice, I’d take—
    Don’t
go there. I shook my head and changed into a pair
of skinny jeans and a tight, black top, then reapplied my make-up, paying
attention to my best feature: my brown eyes. Eventually, I threw a last look in
the mirror, then grabbed my bag, squeezed into a pair of high-heels and hurried
down the stairs.
    The others were waiting in the hall, Kieran
whispering something to a smiling crowd. But the moment Aidan’s gaze fell on me,
I saw no one else.
    “You look fantastic.” He held my coat. As I
slipped into it, a whiff of his male scent hit my nostrils.
    I nodded, unable to form a clear thought,
when Clare said, “Ready, everyone? Let’s rock this party then.”
    The moment broke and Aidan pulled away from
me, holding the door open for everyone. I kept my eyes on the ground as I
walked past. Two silver SUVs were parked in the driveway. Aidan threw his
brother a pair of keys. “You drive Blake and Clare. Amber’s with me.”
    “You don’t play fair, big brother,” Kieran
said. Clare pulled his arm, grinning.
    Aidan lowered to whisper in my ear, “He’s a
lunatic. Trust me, you don’t want to be in his car when he drives.”
    Kieran called over his shoulder, “I’ve seen
grannies drive faster than you.”
    I smiled and hopped onto the passenger
seat, peering around. This was one big car fitting all of us, and yet he
decided to take only me. I had no idea what to make of it.
    “Don’t take him seriously,” Aidan said as
he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.
    Kieran’s car overtook and sped off.
Suddenly, the narrow space seemed too small. I dropped my sweaty palms on the
brown leather seat, clutching the material for comfort, then focused on the
impressive back-lit board. The interior of the car looked like something out of
a magazine. It even smelled new. How could he afford all of this?