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
Scarlett’s POV I touched Aiden’s back, and his muscles tensed under my fingers, just as they did minutes ago. I pushed down the new memory of him ravishing me with kisses, running his fingers all over my body. It was useless to think that now. It would never happen again. “Hey, go to her. I’ll be fine.” I said, so quietly that I wasn’t sure he heard it. The tension in the air was writhing, a living thing swirling between them. I could tell they had history and I wanted to know what history was. But Aiden wouldn’t tell me. It only made me more curious about the relationship between them. He turned around to face me, blue eyes large with concern. We were so close that I could see the flecks of white and silver in his eyes, the different layers of the blues, the inky darkness pulsing inside the different hues. It was like a sinkhole, an abyss threatening to pull me in. I wished to let it as I once did, to pull him back into the pull and continue what we started. “I can send her
Aiden’s POV “What the fuck do you want, Odessa?” I said once we got to the study. I was still wrapped in a towel, but she’d stopped looking at me like I was a chocolate bar she wanted to stuff in her mouth. Not that it mattered anyway. I’d choose Scarlett over her anyway. “That’s no way to speak to someone who wants to help you,” she said, slipping into that childish drawl. “I mean, everything you’ve worked for might come crashing down if you don’t hear what I have to say.” A sigh escaped me. With Odessa, she always brought bad news. My personal harbinger of doom. I knew from when I saw her by the side of the pool that something bad was going to happen. And she said it concerned my gallery opening which was sometime around next week. Still, I decided to humor her, play along with whatever she was doing. “Nothing’s crashing down, Dessy. At least, not that I know of. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be in Munich?” “Ugh,” she groaned, sinking into the swivel chair. “Munich is so
Aiden’s POV I sauntered towards the door, and looked back at her one last time. Surprise bloomed across her features, and I looked to the couch. My towel was lying there in a crumpled heap, but my briefs were no longer clinging to my skin like before. Maria would come soon, and the towels would be replaced. Good riddance. “You know the way out,” I said, my hand on the door knob. “Show yourself out, Dessy. And don’t you ever come to my house without a call first. Take care.” “The investors are not going to buy the art,” she said, her voice frantic and filled with fear. That was enough to draw my attention from where I stood in the doorway. I turned around to face her, and knew right away that I’d been caught in her web. She gave me a small smile and sat on the couch after tossing my towel aside. I should have stepped away regardless, but this seemed like important news. I took a few steps back into the study. “Why?” I asked, the word dropping simply. “Because, you lied to t
Aiden’s POV I stared into Odessa’s eyes, those siren eyes I once fell for back in Spain. Or rather, it was otherwise: her wanting to get into my bed, making sure we only had a king-sized bed in the hotel instead of two beds, walking out of the bathroom naked, with water sluicing down her skin and gathering around her in a pool. It had all been a ploy by the master of the art of seduction, and I’d fallen into her net. Her hands closed tighter, and I could feel the blood shift in my body. Heat coursed through me as her body melted into mine, fingers working her wonder. I hated reacting like this, but my body would not be deterred. Being with Odessa was heady, intoxicating, ruthless. She was the perfect similarity to me, only different in terms of gender. It was why we got along so well as children. We were ruthless individuals who would do anything to stay at the top. “Is this how you plan to coax them?” I asked, pleasure coloring my voice. “Sleep your way through all of them.”
Aiden’s POV “You and your delusions of grandeur,” I quipped, shaking my head at her. “Get off your high horse and get down in the mud with the rest of us. Look, if you think you can hold this over me like a sword of Damocles, you can’t.” “What makes you think I can’t?” she asked. “I have all the power here. You have nothing.” “You forget that you’re not the only one with an informant network,” I replied, keeping my voice level. Odessa had to believe that I had something on her even though I didn’t, nor had I thought of her in almost a year or more. But I had a friend, Declan, who owned a communications firm and could help me get whatever information I wanted, no matter how bad it was. “Finally planting your feet in the world, I see,” she said, after remaining quiet. I could see the mechanical gears in her head turning, her mind trying to filter scenarios in her head. Of course someone like Odessa had skeletons in her cupboard. Secrets that she wanted to keep from the world.
Scarlett’s POV I was angry. Anger didn’t seem to encompass how I felt in my heart, but in the absence of any other word to explain my emotions, I went with it. This wasn’t a white-hot anger that bubbled out and lashed like a whip. It was blue-cold, simmering just under the surface of my skin. I was angry at myself for my childish behavior, for letting myself believe that Aiden was human; that he was beginning to see me as a person other than a contract; that maybe, after everything that had happened, these past few weeks, there was some shred of humanity inside of him. But there was nothing. He was vile and ruthless, and full of shit. And I was nothing short of deluded. Back in the pool, I thought maybe he wanted me as much as I wanted him, that he was finally starting to see me as an equal, or something close to that. I felt his body graze mine, and my senses went haywire, my sense of direction going out the window. Seeing that woman stand there and talk to him raked gouges ins
Scarlett’s POV I wrapped the towel tighter around my body, the cold breeze from the air conditioners settling on my skin and making me shiver. I could hear them a little more clearly now as I was very close to the study. The door was ajar, something that never happened when Aiden was around. It had to be the doing of this Odessa woman. She just came into our lives, a life I was starting to enjoy and wrenched it all apart. I was starting to enjoy this attraction simmering between Aiden and I, and some part of me, the useless part, hoped it would go further. I pushed down that part and looked into the study. Bright blue eyes settled on me, and my jaw went slack at the figure before me. Odessa was propped on the table, her legs splayed and Aiden in between her legs. He was still wearing the slightly wet boxer-briefs, and they clung to his skin. I could see the shape of his ass, the tightness under the shorts, the waistband low on his waist and showing some of his bronze skin. His ha
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