Chapter Fifteen
My mouth feels dry when I wake up. The sun is streaming through the window. I don’t have to look at a clock to know that it’s already afternoon. I’ve slept all fucking day—all the while my family is probably wondering what happened to me. Or what happened to Ron. My stomach lurches at that.
Why won’t he let me just call my mom? Or at least have my cell phone?
I squeeze my eyes shut and roll over toward the place where Aiden should be, even though I can already sense his absence. He’s not there. My heart jumps into my throat, my brain filling with the thought of running away again. But truthfully, I know it won’t work.
After Aiden went silent on me, I couldn’t help but want to stay around to solve the puzzle he’s created. Was I not good enough for him in the woods the other night? My eyes flick back open at the thought, and I shove myself upward. The cuts are still sore on my legs, but none are bad enough to require bandages.
Sighing, I flip the covers back and head for the closet. I have on pajamas that Aiden had bought for me, and while I might be touched by the sentiment, I don’t really feel it at the moment. I flip through the clothes on the rail and pull on a sweater and a light-washed pair of jeans. I don’t know what the temperature is like outside, but I feel cold internally. And that’s enough to warrant a sweater.
I pull my hair up into a ponytail and head out of the room, my bare feet padding silently across the floors of the hallway. I don’t know where Aiden is. I don’t even know what he does for work other than he runs a business. The thought of Aiden doing such a thing is surprising to me, but it makes sense. He was always smart—he just never applied himself.
“Good afternoon,” a voice startles me as I arrive in the living room. “Mr. Hewitt told me you might sleep late, so when I heard you moving around upstairs, I made you a late brunch.” A slender, gray-headed, woman smiles at me while I stand there awkwardly, taking in the sight of her holding a tray of fruit, toast, and what looks to be a parfait.
“Um…”
“I’ll just set the tray on the coffee table. I’m , by the way. I’m here Monday through Friday, cooking and cleaning—you know, just a regular maid,” she adds with a laugh and smile. “Mr. Hewitt rarely makes a mess around here, but I think he enjoys my cooking.”
I nod. Mr. Hewitt. “Oh, that’s nice.” I barely choke the words out as I glance back down to the tray of food. My stomach growls, but I’m still leery. “Where is Aid—I mean, Mr. Hewitt?”
She burst into a fit of giggles. “I don’t think you have to call him Mr. Hewitt, dear. You are his fiancée, after all.”
I’m sorry. What?
“He’s at work, I’m sure. He works a lot. That ecommerce business of his has really taken off.”
Ecommerce. Noted.
“Right,” I say, as if I already know what she’s telling me. “Well, thank you for breakfast, Ellen. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. If you need anything, just let me know. I’m usually in the west wing—across the courtyard. It seems like a long way, but it’s not too far of a walk really.”
“Thank you,” I say to her again as she hurries off. I am surprised. I never would’ve pinned Aiden to be the kind of man who has a maid, but I also never expected him to kidnap me either.
He wouldn’t have had to.
“Shut up,” I whisper, shaking my head. I take a seat in the small sitting area and begin to pick at my breakfast. It’s nothing extraordinary, but the fruit is fresh, and the toast is crisp without being burnt. I guess I can’t complain.
I sigh as I finish up, wishing I had a phone. I just want to make sure the girls are okay. I know they’re going to be worried about me—or mad. They probably think I saw that Ron was dead and took off to find my freedom. I wouldn’t do that.
There’s not just one monster in that house—there are two. Maybe they’re different types of evil, but they’re still living there, and the girls need to be protected.
So does my mom.
I stare at my feet for a few moments, trying to decide what to do now. I should get up and take the tray to the kitchen, but part of me doesn’t want to run into anyone right now—unless it’s Aiden. Even then, I question why. Things haven’t been that great between us, and after the night in the woods, I feel more conflicted than ever. I’m still angry…
But I want more of him.
“Damn you, Aiden,” I mutter as I get to my feet. Just as I do, the house alarm sounds, the shrill shrieking sends me catapulting sideways. Eyes wide, I glance around, scanning the luxurious sitting room. I don’t see anything from where I’m sitting, but the alarm continues to blare. I don’t even know how to stop it.
I head toward the staircase, and in doing so, I pass by the glass windows that look out into the courtyard. My breath catches as my eyes land on a dark hooded figure.
What the fuck?
Something in me shifts. I know it’s not Aiden. The figure is too wide and too short, which leaves me feeling panicked. Where is Aiden? I sprint for the stairs, choosing not to continue checking out the situation. I’ve clearly proven I don’t handle conflict well.
I take the stairs two at a time, and my breath picks up as I make it to the top. I can’t see the courtyard anymore, but the sound of the alarm is still ringing. Will the cops come? And if they do, what do I tell them?
I make a beeline for the bedroom and shut and lock the door behind me, sliding down to the floor and resting with my back against the door. The alarm hasn’t stopped, and I wonder why Ellen hasn’t intervened. Surely, she knows the alarm code, right?
Covering my ears, I try to drown it out, humming the tune to Happy Birthday and wishing away the sick feeling in my stomach. I can’t stop thinking of all the bad things that could be happening right now—like Aiden getting murdered. My heart sinks at the thought, and regret starts tugging at me.
Maybe I should’ve been easier on him. He’s always just tried to protect me. Maybe I should’ve just asked him why he left instead of avoiding the subject out of spite. Wouldn’t the truth be better? Maybe he had a good reason…
The handle of the door jiggles above my head. I go still, wondering who’s on the other side. As I drop my hands away from my ears, I realize the alarm has stopped ringing. When did it stop?
“Sara,” a deep voice calls on the other side of the door. Instant relief flows through my body.
Aiden.
I scramble up from my seated position and unlock the door, whipping it open.
“Where the hell were you?” I take in the striking sight of him in a navy-blue tailored suit and tie, something that I haven’t ever seen before. Damn, he wears it well.
“Were you trying to run again?” he growls with suspicion in his stare, ignoring my question and taking a step toward me. “Do I really have to keep punishing you?”
My eyes widen. “I was… I wasn’t trying to run. There was someone in the courtyard.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Ellen didn’t see anyone.”
“Aiden, I swear.” I hold my hands up in surrender, the disbelief in his face more troubling than him forcing me out of my house and into his car. “I saw someone.”
“We have a groundskeeper,” Aiden says flatly. “He comes to take care of the courtyard a couple days a week.”
“Maybe it was just him. Maybe he set off the alarm…”
Aiden purses his lips, and I can feel that he still isn’t buying it. “Why were you up here with the door locked? Are you trying to torture me?”
“Why are you acting like my being here is anything other than a sign that I was scared?” I shoot back at him, emotion cracking my voice. “I saw someone in the courtyard after the alarm went off, and I ran up here to hide. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Because I don’t know that you’re the same Sara anymore.” His words are cold and flat. “I don’t know what you might do.”
My mouth falls open, shock pulsing through my body. “What? Of course, I’m not the same Sara, Aiden. You left me years ago. I had to grow up and change. I’m sorry I wasn’t fucking good enough in the woods. I’m sorry that it wasn’t what you wanted.” My voice breaks as the tears spill from my eyes.
Years of heartache bubble up to the surface, and I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe.
“Sara,” Aiden’s voice softens, sounding just like he did when we were younger, and lying in my bed, wrapped up in each other. “Don’t cry.” He reaches for me and pulls me in, the scent of his cologne is so different, yet so familiar still. “It’s not like that. That feeling of not being good enough, that sense or worthlessness—they are things I know all too well. I”d never want to make you feel that way. I just had something different in my head. I wanted you to kiss me…”
I grow stiff in his arms, but I tip my head back. His face is full of raw emotion, and I can see the hurt there as well, nestled in the hues of his eyes. I hurt him. Part of me wants to jerk away and tell him it’s not fair, but that thought disappears as I see the younger Aiden, trapped inside of this Aiden’s face. I see the boy I fell in love with, and suddenly, my heart rips in two.
What happened to you? I want to ask, but I don’t get the chance as his forehead presses to mine, and his lips brush my mouth. He hesitates, but only for a moment…
And then Aiden Hewitt lets me in.
His tongue slips through my parted lips, caressing me and tangling with me in a way that’s so much softer than I imagined. A surge of lust burns all my senses. I want to be closer to him, pressed against him, just to be one with him. His hands rake over my sides, not stopping until they’ve slipped up inside my sweater, warm against my bare skin.
”Stop running from me, princess.” His words unleash a war of emotions inside me. A groan leaves his lips as he cups my breasts. “I’ll show you how I wanted it to be, Sara,” he whispers as we catch our breath. “There are times I want to fuck you so hard it hurts. But this time, I just want to do it the way you’re supposed to.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. The sincerity, the softness of his touch—this is the Aiden I imagined in my head when I was younger. He threads his fingers through my hair again, his cock hard against my lower stomach.
We stumble backward as he divests me of my clothes, and I rip his off him. I forget about the alarm that just went off. I forget about the man I saw in the courtyard. All I can think about is Aiden and the way his body feels as it looms over mine.
“Just like this,” Aiden murmurs as his lips leave mine, trailing down my jaw. He makes his way down my neck, collarbone, and then finally slows as he reaches my breasts. He groans, cupping them firmly in his hands, his fingers kneading the soft flesh with a mixture of tenderness and roughness.
“Oh God,” I cry out as he slips his fingers between my legs, feeling how soaked I am for him.
“I’m dying to taste you,” Aiden says, burying his face in between my legs, planting soft kisses on my inner thighs. “I swear I’ll worship your fucking body forever.”
I can’t make a sound as he suddenly drops lower, his mouth replacing his hand. I”ve never been kissed there before, and I buck against the sensation. He’s hesitant, and in his hesitancy, the realization hits me…
Has he never been with someone like this, either?
I can’t imagine that being the case, but as his tongue laps against me, I forget about the thought, pleasure dousing my ability to think about anything other than him. I rock against his face as his hands glide upward, squeezing my breasts with his whole hand.
“Aiden…” I moan out as he squeezes my nipple so firmly that it sears with pain. However, the pain seems to lead to a shock of electricity straight to my pussy, and I ride it out, grinding as the sensation heightens. An orgasm crashes around me, and I scream out his name.
It’s as if I’m purging the heartache he left me with.