Scarlett’s POV
Spending the next few days at home proved to be easier than it was. I poked through pictures of art pieces and their cost prices, looking through whatever histories they had, where they came from, and how best to make them even more appealing.Some of the pieces were not even art, I figured after looking through a few pictures the curator sent to the brand new iPad Aiden got me and said I was supposed to work with. I saw pictures of a khopesh, a weapon which looked very similar to a scythe, so much that the resemblance was uncanny. It was to be shipped in from some museum in Egypt, and I was already drawing short presentations on how to make it seem more appealing.What rich people seemed to spend their money on surprised the living hell out of me. There was not only art, but artifacts out of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and even India. There were round stones, jeweled crowns, among other things. I wondered what they’d use some of these arScarlett’s POVThe summer haze was beginning, the heat settling on the world and bringing a warmth that I relished. I thought back to summer mornings in college when I’d take a walk with Callie across the grounds, and I smiled. How life changed in the twinkling of an eye. Here I was, with an expensive white wine in my hand and the clear water of the swimming pool rippling out in front of me. The smell of chlorine was familiar, and it hit my nostrils as the breeze wafted across the grounds. It helped me relax, and for the first time in a while, I felt at home. With just the water and the open air, I was reminded of the times when Dad and I used to go to the community swimming pool and run laps across it. I stepped closer to the edge of the swimming pool and bent to drop the glass and bottle of wine. My distorted reflection rippled back and forth and I reached to let my fingers into the water. Missing the good old days of feeling my mus
Aiden’s POVI never forgot anything. It was a trait I took pride in, but something was just off today. With the opening and commissioning of the galleries fast approaching, everyone at the office had their knickers in a twist. Most especially me. Besides, I was tired from all the cooking and talking I did with Scarlett last night. Of course, it was interesting, but I’d burned my hands so many times that my hands were numb. When I held my pen between my fingers, I couldn’t even feel it. Gosh, I was still regretting my decision to cook dinner. But after last night, it was looking like one of the best nights of my life. I liked the witty banter I had with Scarlett, the soft pout of her lips as she tormented me, the slight sip of the cognac that made her stretch that beautiful column of skin at the base of her throat. Fuck, she was sexy. I’d given Scarlett a job, quite a lucrative one, enough to take care of herself and whatever she might
Aiden’s POVHer body was one with the pool, melding as if they were one entity. She pushed through the water, lithe body cutting through and slashing the waves to ribbons. Then she came up for air at the other end of the pool, popping the bottle of wine. I watched her drift across, fiery red hair sticking out from under her swim cap and gluing to the back of her neck. She was goddamn beautiful. “Where did you learn to swim like that?” I asked, staring at her. I could tell she was surprised from the redness flowing into her cheeks and her slight stutter when she replied. ““Wh- What are you doing here? I didn’t think -“You didn’t think I’d be back home till evening? I didn’t think you’d go skinny dipping either. But here you are.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The swimsuit clung to her body, and I could see her nipples through the almost sheer fabric. God, I wanted to have them in my mouth, roll my tongue over th
Scarlett’s POV“Don’t tell me what to do, Scarlett,” Aiden said, his voice cold and authoritative. For some reason, I liked the way he called my name; the creamy roll of the r, the soft enunciation at the end as if I was the only one who could ever possess that name. We were so close that I could feel the heat of his body, the musky sense of him invading my senses. He leaned in close, and his hand gripped mine. Lust took over my mind with a force I’d never known before, and I moved a little closer to him. “Since I’ve shown you how brave I am, will you teach me? Or will you hold this over my head like a sword and torment me with this all my life?” His mouth was dangerously close to my skin, and his slow exhale fanned over my neck. Heat rocked my pelvis, and I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. I was transfixed at the sight of him: the dipping of his chest, the corded bronze muscles rippling beneath perfect skin, abs like a beating heart.
Scarlett’s POVA whimper escaped my lips as he kissed my collarbone. I pulled him close, felt him push against my legs. His hands pried my legs apart, his hands seeking flesh. I stopped caring about holding back, because more than anything, I couldn’t hold back for Aiden Vilarez. He was the one temptation I couldn’t suppress, and alarm bells rang in my head. And then he kissed me. I felt like I was on fire, and the air turned to molten glass. He tasted like coffee and sugar, and himself, tongue slipping into my mouth. I kissed him with hunger, a desire I’d been thinking of these days when I worked on sales pitches or traveled to Sweden. I could feel how hard he was against my thigh, and he kissed me until the world went out of focus. He cradled me against his chest, and I felt like a person would in front of a fire after spending days in the snow. I melted, inhibitions going out the window. The water lapped around my skin, churning as
Aiden’s POV “Fuck!” I yelled, my erection going soft in the water. I waded through the water, trying to catch my briefs floating around. I turned to see Scarlett fiddling with her swimsuit as she tried to hide her flesh - the very folds of skin I just had my mouth on. Mortification turning her cheeks red - the shade of a tomato. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked, growling. My head was in a complete twist, the desire and lust evaporating as if it were rubbing alcohol being exposed to the air. But I could still taste her skin in my mouth, the heat of her body on my skin. Fuck, I hated being interrupted. “Is that any way to greet a friend? Besides, why are you covering up? It’s not like I’ve not seen it before,” Odessa asked, rolling her eyes. My cheeks flamed, but I managed to keep my face very neutral, no shred of emotion seeping through the cracks. I’d gone on the defensive, just like my grandfather taught me, tightening the cracks, becoming rigid, eyes blazing.
Aiden’s POV Odessa was a master of emotion, knowing how to frame her words and enunciate it at the very right points, to spin them into knives that could poke through whatever exterior you had - hard, soft, mushy, she knew it all. Odessa had a knack of people, and boy, was she manipulative. “Don’t call me that again, Odessa. Or you’ll lose your tongue before you leave.” “Do you have to always be so melodramatic, Auggie?” she laughed, a shrill sound cutting through the crisp morning. “Some things just never change, do they?” She bent to retrieve a champagne flute from the side of the pool and poured herself some of white wine Scarlett brought outside. “If you won’t entertain me, maybe I will,” she said airily, dropping her Yves Saint Laurent clutch purse beside the wine bottle. Odessa was like an idol waiting to be broken. I wanted to break her into a billion pieces, grind those pieces to fine powder and scatter them across the Atlantic. She always came into my life when sh
Scarlett’s POV Shit. That was the only word that came to my head as I stood there, like a deer caught in front of some really powerful headlights. My head spun, embarrassment and shame billowing through me. The air suddenly turned heavy, syrupy, my fingers unable to move. Aiden was right beside me, his naked form shimmering in the light. He looked rather exquisite, naked or clothed, but this was by far better than being clad in expensive suits. I wanted to keep staring at him, long for his heat, his muscular body wrapped around me. I felt the crisp air on my open skin, nudging gently at my exposed boob. My senses clicked back into place as I was yanked into my body. My boob was fucking out of the swimsuit. I mentally facepalmed, my hands shaking as I packed myself back into the swimsuit. The woman still stood there, her figure statuesque. I guessed that she had probably seen him like this before, because her face was still like marble. No emotion, nothing. A feeling of envy
AIDEN’S POVIt felt surreal to me.I never could have conceived the idea that I would one day be getting ready to marry the absolute love of my life.It felt like a little dream come true, a dream that I probably never conceived in my wildest imagination.Yet, I felt nothing but happiness and a sense of fulfillment and happiness as I looked on into the future with a sense of hope and happiness.“I see that you’re having cold feet, Son,” my Dad’s voice came through as he walked into the room.I had been standing right in front of the mirror, trying out solid affirmations and reassuring myself that I had made the right choice for myself and my life.“No Dad. I’m very excited, just a little bit nervous,” I tried my best to say, even though my voice was cracking.“She’s so perfect Dad, what if she’s too good for me? I have always been so selfish, what if I’m not good enough for her and our kids?,” I continued.
SCARLETT’S POVI was freaking out!!!!Aiden had asked me to marry him and I had said Yes!Did it freak me out? Of course, it didBut would I pass on the idea of getting married to the absolute love of my life? Not.I was in my room, looking up some of the interior design samples that the decorator had sent to me when I felt his shadow over me.“You need help with that baby girl,” Aiden said, towering over me and leaning in for a kiss.“No, but I may need your help with other things,” I said, smiling and reaching out to kiss him.Every day, I fell more and more in love with this beautiful man.“Oh, I sure know how to help with that,” he said, as he scooped me up and planted a kiss firmly on my lips.I squealed.He lifted me and then dropped me carefully on the bed, all the while kissing me fervently like he was parched and thirsty for me.We had been frequently having
CHAPTER 133AIDEN’S POVI headed down the stairs to make Scarlett the most delicious cup of coffee, although I had some slight reservations about that.Should she be drinking coffee though?Well, whatever. If she wanted coffee, she was going to get coffee.Anything for Scarlett. She was going to get any damn thing she wanted and that was final.I needed to make a few calls because I had to make everything official, the contract mattered very little to me anymore. I wanted her as my wife for real and I needed to make that happen in the realest possible way, and make sure the whole thing was as beautiful as the woman of my dreams.While the pot of coffee was brewing, Donald came inside, I had asked him to take a survey of stores with the most beautiful rings in town, I did not mind custom-made rings and I just wanted anything that was going to be perfect for the perfect woman.“Hey, Donald. Any upda
SCARLETT’S POVI watched as Aiden stood up for himself. Being brave against all odds. We all gasped when he said that he wouldn’t be arresting them any longer, knowing that they deserved that arrest, he had been surprising to all of us and even the agents had looked on in disbelief.“You’re sure Mr. Aiden, because we did receive a call that you needed our help getting some people detained, you’re sure that you’re not being held under duress or something like that?” the agent, the one that looked like he was their leader asked, with a questioning glance, as he looked on each of us suspiciously.“No Officer, thanks for your prompt response; but I just made a wrong call due to some confusing series of events, I’m so sorry about that and I apologize,” Aiden said, while trying to look as apologetic as possible.“Alright then Sir, you can always call our office if you feel the need to, we’re always at your service,” The agent leader said, turn
AIDEN’S POVI would be lying if I said that I was surprised by what Pen said, nothing she did seemed to surprise me that much. I had known her for a while and I knew that she did not play by the rule book, but I was glad to have beat her at her own game, it felt extremely refreshing.“you better start explaining yourself, because I have already called the FBI on you and I’m certain you all are not ready to be arraigned for fraud,” I hoped to God that my eyes were portraying exactly how I was feeling. I wasn’t mincing words and I needed them to know that I had all this under control and they were all collectively going to suffer for even trying to sabotage the security of my company.“You all should better start talking because there was no way I was bluffing,”I could see the look of unbelief in the eyes of Charlie Fox and the bewildered look in Pen’s eyes, followed by the tired look in Scarlett.Scarlett was very tire
SCARLETT'S POVFor the longest time, I thought I still had a glimmer of hope to hold onto; something small but significant, something that excited the senses even if it burned, something that lingers on in your memory even in the darkness. It was all a facade. In reality, I had nothing. Nothing to hold, nothing to have, nothing to remember, it was all empty, void, and meaningless None of it made any sense, none of it was great, it was all just a sad and lonely facade that I deluded myself into thinking that I had... I had nothing… I watched as Aiden tried to lie his way out of what I had just heard. He had thought me to be a fool all these while I couldn't stand the betrayal that came from knowing all of these. I can't believe Aiden spoke about me in a dehumanizing manner to this lady of all people. At this point, I could say I greatly preferred Odessa sneering at me, not this girl who stood in front
AIDEN'S POV "Don't talk to me like I'm a child, " Scarlett said. It took me aback and paused me in my tracks. I had a blend of mixed emotions in that moment and I think what I felt the most was pride. I was beyond proud of Scarlett for standing up for herself, but I took a good look at Pen and I just knew that Scarlett might have bitten a little more than she can chew. "What did you just say? " Pen asked while advancing towards Scarlett. I sensed a lot of drama unfolding. Should I stop it? Maybe I should. But am I going to stop it? I don't think so. I'm going to grab my imaginary popcorn and just watch the whole thing unfold. "I said you should stop talking to me like a child, " Scarlett said, even more defensively. She stood her ground and refused to back down to pressure. She was being resilient and I saw a boldness in her eyes that I
SCARLETT'S POVI watched in utter dismay as the events unfolded in my very eyes. I had felt tremendously nervous to break the news and to top it off, I had to do the revelation in front of all the peering eyes. My nervous radar shot up terribly and I didn't know if I was happy that it wasn't Aiden and I alone, or I was nervous that it was in front of all these people.The whole thing just made me confused and nervous at the same time, I honestly didn't know what to do or how to feel and yet I watched the conversation that ensued amongst them. The back-and-forth that happened between Penelope, Aiden, Odessa, and Charlie Fox was one that I watched with mixed emotions. What truly became of me after they agreed? Did I have anything to win in this situation? I was going to be at the losing end no matter what happened and it just made me wonder what exactly would become of me. However, the e
AIDEN’S POVIt almost felt like I didn’t hear what Scarlett had said for a moment, and for that, I felt lost and utterly alone. I questioned myself on how on earth I had gotten it all wrong.Did I do something I shouldn’t have?Why did she feel the need to lie to me for so long?And why on earth did it feel like everyone else knew except for me?“Scarlett, what did you say?” I proceeded to ask very slowly. “I said I am pregnant,” she repeated.“When did you find out?” I asked in the smallest of voices, I needed to know for how long I had been in the dark. It at least made sense to know for how long I have been in the dark and for how long she has been lying to me.“Aiden, do we have to have this conversation right now?” Scarlett asked with her eyes glistening with tears, she looked like she was about to cry and I didn’t know if I cared as much.I needed the truth and I needed to know how long