Scarlett’s POV
I kicked my torn panties, a reminder of my shame out of the way as I swung my legs off the bed. Sooner or later, I knew that the maids would come in for cleaning. The embarrassment of them finding the thin fabric in pieces heated my cheeks.I picked up the pieces and stowed them away under the pillow. At least, for now until I decide what to do with them or find a proper way to dispose of them. Maybe I’d go out the back and stuff it deep in the refuse bag before the garbage guy came for it. That would be the best option. I knew the guy wouldn’t go looking for what was inside. It was obviously garbage.‘But what if he did?’ I thought, and humiliation flooded me again. I pushed the thought out of the way, focusing on the positive. No one went looking into garbage bags except racoons. And human beings were not racoons.I clicked on Aiden’s message again and fury burned through my bones again. If rage was like fire, then I was consuScarlett’s POV “Hey,” I said listlessly, trying to downplay the situation. “Sorry I couldn’t get to you on time. I had a lot of other things going on.” Callie’s squeal almost burst my eardrums. “Of course, you have other things going on! You and Aiden Vilarez? How did you bag such a man? I have so many questions that need answering Scar! There’s so much sweet gossip that I can barely feel my toes. And don’t you dare keep anything from me. You know I’d know!” I scoffed at my friend’s childish behavior over this matter, but then it made me smile. “It’s nothing like that, trust me. This is all some big misunderstanding.” “Duh, the media says otherwise. That picture of you two kissing in public and grabbing at yourselves like hungry hyenas? Come on, we both know there’s something deeper than misunderstanding. Everybody is eating the news the fuck up, darling. Sorry for swearing.” I laughed. Callie only swore
Aiden’s POVI already had my fill of people for the day. I cracked my neck and stared at the computer screen. My eyes hurt from the glare of blue light from the screen, and I rubbed the bridge of my nose. It was well past evening, and the sun spread bloody fingers across the skies. After the meeting with the board, I managed to avoid Astrid and get back to my office without further incident. She came in a few moments later for a chat, but Matthew told her that I’d left. After looking through some of the emails I exchanged with my father, I started making notes on a plan to make sure that the disbursed funds got to the right people. At the moment, my plans were scrawled in sticky notes pasted all around my desk. It was best to go personally, not through an NGO, I realized. After finding out the embezzlement and money laundering schemes in my own company, I knew not to trust anyone again. People were capable of far more than we gave them credit f
Aiden’s POV I sounded haughty but confident, someone who knew what he was doing. I knew what I was getting into when I asked Matthew to convene the board members for a meeting, but contesting my decision after it’s been made was nothing short of rude. “Do you think sales won’t plummet when people find out their money is being ferreted away to the farthest corners of the world without their knowledge? It seems to me, son, that you want to run a very large scam. At least, that’s what everyone will think! And that gives a bad reputation to our company.” “And how will they find out, Father?” I said, devoid of any emotion except cold rage. “If this even gets out, the board members lose their shares in the company and go home with nothing. I’ve told them everything. I’m CEO, and I have the largest shares in the fucking company. I’m the board, and they’re all just fledglings who got a chance to sit at the table. Just like I brought them to sit
Scarlett’s POV After calling in the people I know, nightfall was fast approaching. I knew Aiden was a stickler for routine, and would be home soon. Callie called me a few minutes ago, and told me that there were three openings at St Bonaventure. It was a big distance, but it offered several benefits in their payment package. If I wasn’t sitting here at Aiden’s luxury apartment, it might have been my dream job while I pursued getting my MSN degree. Not that it mattered anyway. I was scheduled for an online interview with the head of the HR department in a few days. And I was determined to ace it. It’s what I always wanted. Helping people was what drove me into nursing as a career, and it drove me still. Even when Aiden’s granny came over to the house, I was happy to take a look at her, to make her feel comfortable. Helping people was something innate, something I’d always loved doing since I watched my mother bandage my bruises and scrapes I had as a child. Knowing I could ma
Scarlett’s POV I took a sip of the juice and stretched before the fire, letting the heat course through my bones. My call with Callie cemented what I wanted in my heart. I wanted out. “You couldn’t even bother to say hello?” I asked, trying my best to sound bored. I heard Aiden come in, moving stealthily like a ghost through the shadows. He often did that, hiding for a while and coming out into the light all of a sudden. It used to make me jump, but after getting a hang of his nuances, it didn’t bother me anymore. He stayed silent. I could hear the rasp of his breathing, the feeling of him weighing over me like a dark cloud. The darkness suited him, and he worked well in its embrace. I moved closer to the fire, scooting before the blue and orange flames as they danced over the wood. I stayed silent too, even though words were burning deep in my head. Two could play this game. I wouldn’t give him the chance to seep through the cracks in my defenses, slithering around like
Aiden’s POVI burst into laughter. “Terms? Rather foolhardy of you to think you have any say in this.” I watched her eyes shimmer in defiance, the dark green taking on a golden hue from the glow of the fireplace. I was thinking about last night, how those eyes darkened in pleasure. They seemed steeped in rage now, as if she wanted to tear me apart. I saw the shake in her frame, the anger spilling out of her pores. It was just like yesterday when she slapped my face, when only seconds before, it had been raw passion. It was starting to become strange how her moods change like this, like a kaleidoscope. “Foolhardy? What’s that even supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice raspy. “Foolish,” I replied, taking a seat back on the couch. “You want to work?” She nodded. “Yes, I want to.” “No.” “No?” There was a subtle inflection in her voice, coming out like a question and statement at the same time. She
Aiden’s POVI let loose a laugh. Her words really were funny. “Forgive me? Violate you? Come off your high horse, Scarlett. You kissed me because I infuriated you. Like that’s even a thing. It’s just a lie you tell yourself to look like you’re innocent in all of this.” I never expected what came next. Scarlett flinched at my words and took a few steps back. Her eyes glassed over, and tears poured down her face. She turned away from me to face the fireplace. Her body heaved with small sobs, and I immediately wanted to wrap her in my hands, push her hair from her face, and console her. She was a beautiful little thing who deserved nothing but comfort. It was all I was trying to provide for her by putting her here in the house. I guess she didn’t know that she didn’t have to be here, to be close to me. But I wanted it, to watch her body against the sunlight, become her friend, her lover, her husband. “What did I ever do to you to make yo
Scarlett’s POVI was devastated. Watching Aiden leave at that moment was like someone wrenched my heart out and took it away. I knew in my heart that I could run after him, begging him to see reason. If it were someone else, I might have considered it. But Aiden Vilarez was a man whose heart couldn’t be changed. I took one look at his eyes when he spoke, and I made myself believe that he was a human being. I deluded myself into believing that he could feel my pain, my anger. I hated myself for entering this contract in the first place. It hurt that Aiden was right. I entered this deal of my own accord, and now, I was sinking. I could feel something crawling away in my skull, and the walls of the room started closing in on me. Bile rose in my throat, bitter and vengeful. My fingers tingled, and my heart raced. I was left to wander around the house aimlessly, but my legs remained rooted to the spot. I could feel the dread rising in the pit of my
Scarlett's POVAiden approached with the hot coffee in his hand and I wondered if he wasn't going to drop it before finally getting to me.“Well, I'd say I'm interested in both but it depends on you.” He placed the coffee on the slap and pulled me closer to himself. He pulled off my shirt and put his head between my breasts.He had not placed his lips on them but I gasped. My body was ready for his touch and I craved it like an addiction.He raised me and placed me on the kitchen slab and pushed the cup of coffee off. The cup fell and the coffee spilled all over the floor. I just sat down waiting anxiously for him to suck on my boobs.He stood in front of me and pushed his hands through my thigh before pulling me forward to himself. I could feel my body hair standing. His process was slow and it made me anticipate what he was going to do.Aiden licked all around my boobs, I gasped for air and put my hands on his shoulde
Aiden’s POVI did not know what to do to make Scarlett feel better. I was exhausted by the attitude she was putting up. I stretched my hands over to her face and removed her earphones from her ear.She grumbled and frowned at me before she yelled, “What?” She looked so paranoid and I couldn’t understand what all the attitude she was giving me was all about.“What is it again? You’ve been so quiet and I don’t like how you are blocking your ears. I don’t feel like you are here with me and I’m not pleased.” I said to her sternly.“I do not want to talk to you and I don’t have anything to say to you. I just want to go home.” Scarlett did not care to look at me. She just spoke and kept her gaze out the window.“Anyway, I want us to eat out tonight. I know a very nice restaurant that we can go to.” I felt that could make Scar feel better or cheer her up. I mean, who wouldn’t like to eat something nice? “I want to go home. I’m not
Scarlett's Pov I looked at Aiden as he gazed back at me. I could not understand why he would think I would decide to have sex with him. I wondered why he would even choose that. I mean, it's not like I meant anything to him.I began to reminisce on the sex we had in the pool. I snapped out of it and reminded myself of how trashy he treated me. “You mean nothing to him. This is just a contract so get it together,” I said to myself. “I would rather have an implantation. I have no reason to experience sexual excitement. It's just a contract and it should be handled as such.” I said aloud without looking at Aiden.“I can not have my sperm removed from me. I do not want to have to masturbate.” Aiden interrupted me. I looked at him and asked, “So what's that supposed to mean?” “You will just have to have sex with me because I can not masturbate. I won't.” He said firmly and I knew there was nothing I could say to make him change hi
Scarlett's PovI followed quietly behind Aiden and several thoughts ran through my mind as I began to doubt if I wanted to proceed. “I do not have a choice anyway. I’m sure he doesn’t care about me. This is what's best for me at the moment.” I said inwardly.We entered the hospital and Aiden approached a nurse. He was farther from me so I couldn’t hear what he said to her. She looked through his shoulders at me and smiled. I approached them with an uncertain look on my face.“You’re welcome. You can come with me to the waiting room while I get the doctor for you.” She said with a warm smile and a great gesture. I wondered why she seemed so happy.Aiden and I followed her into a room that had a nice ambiance. I was not interested in whatever was around. I just wanted to see the doctor and get down to business. “You should take off your earphones.” Aiden tapped my thigh and said to me. I shrugged and arched my brow at him. I
I looked at myself in the mirror one last time to make sure that I at least looked presentable. The makeup was subtle, thank God, I didn’t want to look like some tramp. Sultry, and soft was exactly what I was going for. The dress was a deep burgundy, cinching at the waist and flaring out from there. He knocked again, and I knew I had to hurry up. Aiden didn’t like being kept waiting. I doubted he’d hate it if it were Odessa. I banished the thought from my mind and focused on the task at hand. We were going to the hospital to get this whole thing started. All I had to do was get pregnant.I packed my small purse containing a pad of sticky notes so that if there was anything I needed to put down when speaking to the doctor, I could do it. I also put in a pen, my earphones to listen to music on the way so that I didn’t have to hear him speak and get into my head, a pair of photochromic glasses and my lip gloss. He must have been about to knock, because his
Scarlett’s POVI was unable to sleep last night. Not because I was still livid at what happened in the study, but because of the hurt flashing in Aiden’s eyes when I talked about how I was just a spare. It seemed genuine in the moment, and when I shut the door in his face, I slid down the door and cried. I didn’t know why I was truly crying, but the tears kept coming. It felt like someone stabbed me in the gut repeatedly, then wrung me out and left me to dry. I felt raw, lost, exposed. His frame cast a shadow in front of my door for almost an hour, as if he was still trying to come to terms with what I said to him. I knew that the words were a slap on his face, but I wanted him to feel the anger raging for space in my heart. He deserved it. At least that was what I tried to tell myself. It was what I had been trying to tell myself all day. I knew it was selfish to have ever uttered those words, but I wished for him to feel how it felt to have y
Aiden’s POVI sighed, running fingers through my hair to relieve me of the stress. “Is she in?” Maria nodded. “Yes sir, she’s in her bedroom. I just finished changing the sheets and making sure the room was cleaned.” “Did you notice anything unfamiliar? Or familiar? I don’t even know what I’m saying at the moment.” She shook her head, her eyes going to the bunch of flowers in my hand. “No, no. Miss seemed like her normal self. Is something the matter, sir? Anything you need me to help you with?” “No, no. I just wanted to be sure if this was a good time. Dinner is set, right?” “Yes sir. I made sure the chef kept the covered food in the refrigerator, so it’s easy to heat up. Should I help you with that before I leave for the night?” I shook my head. “I can handle a microwave at least. Thank you very much.” “No problem, sir. I’m just doing my job.” She ambled away quickly, leaving me in the gloom of the living room. Rolling the bouquet in my hands, I went to the kitchen first to
Aiden’s POVDusk settled in the skies like a lover’s kiss, sending golden and purple streaks through a formerly blue sky. I watched the skies change color, the purple deepening like a bruise until it began to turn dark. This was one of my daily rituals - watch the skies, and think of my place in the universe. But only this time, I didn’t think of myself. I thought of a familiar flame-haired woman and her luscious pink lips, peridot eyes and skin like milk. I thought of her long fingers searching for pleasure in my hair, the breath from her mouth hot against my cheek. I’d been thinking of her a lot lately, so much that it threatened to take away my sanity. It was strange how she barreled into my life like a whirlwind, taking control of almost every part of me. It seemed rather beautiful, tempting even. She was a force to be reckoned with, a person with so much control of herself that she started breaking down at my heart, chipping away pieces little by little. I cleared my mind and
Aiden’s POVNow, I was different, a man who only had eyes for one woman. It was strange of me to admit that considering my past, but I wanted only Scarlett now. Not even Odessa could change that. “Leave me alone,” I whispered, trying to keep my cool. “You know, I’m doing you a favor, Aiden. Trying to right your wrong. You should know that means you owe me one.” Fuck. I hated owing favors, especially Odessa. She was a manipulator, a piranha that sank its teeth into your skin and never let go until she pulled flesh from bone. But I guess I didn’t have a choice now. “And let me guess, you want something I won’t be able to give you?” She sidled close to my side, her eyes glittering like jewels. Her body was pressed against mine, a softness I could feel through the fabric of my suit. But it was nothing like Scarlett’s. There was a softness to Scarlett, an intensity, a feeling that Odessa didn’t have. It’s what made her