Page 11 of His Surrender

“And that’s all I’m agreeing to.”

“Fair enough.”

For now, a meeting is all either of us needs.

I have no way of knowing that one conversation with the little girl who used to live three houses down is about to change my life all over again.

CHAPTER FOUR

AUBREY

Itap my fingers against the steering wheel as I merge onto the interstate toward Manhattan, the GPS informing me I still have another forty-three minutes before I reach Dean Ledger’s building.

Forty-three minutes to convince myself this is simply a job interview—nothing more.

I let out a nervous laugh.

Who am I kidding? When my dad first mentioned Dean’s name yesterday afternoon, I nearly spit sparkling water all over the dinner table.

Not because I expected to hear from the Ledgers after all these years, but because I’d spent the better part of my teenage years trying very hard not to make it painfully obvious I had the biggest crush on their son.

A very unsuccessful attempt, according to my older brother, Noah.

Noah would make fun of me all the time once we were alone.

He told me I needed to learn to keep my drool inside of my mouth because I looked like someone who had gotten one too many shots of Novocain.

My brain trails back to when I was fifteen.

“Dean’s here,” he’d announce every time one of those expensive sports cars Dean seemed to trade in every other year pulled into the Ledgers’ driveway.

I’d immediately pretend I couldn’t care less. “Oh. Cool.”

Then I’d spend the next twenty minutes changing my outfit, not that it mattered. Dean was twelve years older than me.

When I turned fifteen, he had already built his software company that would eventually make him one of the youngest billionaires in New York. He’d gone from being the cool, older neighbor to the guy whose face occasionally showed up in the business magazines that sat on my dad’s coffee table.

Meanwhile, I was just Noah’s annoying little sister who always seemed to be hanging around.

When I look back, it’s almost painful how obvious my crush was.

Fortunately, Dean never seemed to notice. Or maybe he was just kind enough to pretend he didn’t.

My GPS announces I’ve reached my destination just as I turn onto a quiet street lined with luxury high-rises. The building in front of me looks more like a five-star hotel than someone’s home, all gleaming glass, polished stone, and a doorman standing beneath an oversize awning.

Definitely not the kind of place a girl driving a ten-year-old Toyota Camry pulls up to every day.

I ease my car to the curb and leave it running before climbing out.

The doorman steps toward me with a practiced smile. “Good afternoon, ma’am.”

“Hi.” I offer an awkward wave. “I’m here to see Dean Ledger.”

His expression immediately brightens. “Of course. I’ll take your vehicle. Just let the concierge know when you’re ready, and we’ll have it brought around.”

“Oh.” I blink. “Okay. Thank you.”

As the revolving doors spin in front of me, I stop for the briefest second and draw in a slow breath.