Page 111 of Floored

A new owner.

A new boss.

I hated change. It made me all twitchy and uncomfortable.

But that was nothing on how I felt when Amy turned back to me and gave me an apologetic smile.

“I was going to do this tomorrow a bit more formally, but I should’ve known your ass would show up before sunrise on your day off.”

“I needed to do inventory,” I murmured, watching as she moved aside, and he filled the doorway.

I almost dropped my friggin’ coffee, which would have been a shame for how little I slept the night before.

Before either of them said another word, I knew.

Honestly, I knew so much about him, it was ridiculous. I knew he was six-three and in his prime fighting days, he weighed in around two forty-five, tiptoeing him into the heavyweight class that he dominated for years.

I knew what it was like to watch him fight because I’d watched every one.

I knew his eyes were dark, and his mouth never, ever curved up into a smile.

I knew he’d retired a couple of years ago, after the death of his wife, in order to care for his daughter.

Amy cleared her throat, and it broke the connection between his gaze and mine.

“Iz, you might as well be the first to know.” She gestured toward me. “This is my gym manager, Isabel. She’s indispensable.”

He took a step toward me, mouth flat but not mean, eyes dark and curious, and when he held out his massive hand, I inhaled shakily before slipping my palm against his.

When our hands touched, his brow lowered and his gaze held on that single connection point. Slowly, I pulled my hand back, hoping he didn’t feel the tremor in my fingers.

“Aiden Hennessy,” he said.

Like I didn’t fucking know his name.

When he opened his mouth again, I almost slapped my hand over those lips because I didn’t want him to say it. But my hand stayed at my side, and he spoke the words anyway, all low and dark, and I felt a shiver of foreboding at how my life was about to change.

“I’m your new boss.”

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