Chapter Twenty-Three
Out of a need to do something, I pull out the pots and pans, as well as ingredients from the cabinets of the private kitchen. There isn’t much, but my brain needs a distraction. When I was little—before my father passed away—I often used to bake with my mother. I try not to think about those times anymore, but the more time I spend alone in this massive house, the more they plague my mind.
Life wasn’t always hard.
I take a deep breath as the image of my mother, her skin glowing and blue eyes bright and clear, peering down at me, fills my head. Emotions race through my body, and tears threaten to form in my eyes.
Don’t let it get to you.
I swallow the lump in my throat and dig through the rest of the ingredients, opting to make brownies. However, as I set the ingredients out across the counter, it hits me.
I don’t know the recipe. There’s no phone or internet access to help me either.
Flipping around the cocoa powder, I hope for a miracle. Maybe there will be a recipe on the back of it. My eyes scan the backside, and within just a few seconds, I’m left in dismay. I check the others, and while some do have recipes, none work for what I have sitting in front of me.
Unwanted grief fills my chest, and I slide down the counter to the floor, letting it pour out of my body. Sobs rack my chest, and I gasp for air between the gut-wrenching cries. I hope no one can hear me, but at the same time, I’m not sure if I care anymore.
Fuck Aiden for bringing me here.
Fuck my mother for her addictions.
Fuck my father for dying.
The last thought nearly sends me over the edge into a mental breakdown. His death is what started everything. I don’t even want to think about what life might have been like had he not died in the accident all those years ago. Mom was happy back then.
She only married Will out of desperation. I knew that, even as a child. I could see it when they got married. She hadn’t been happy. But Dad didn’t have a life insurance policy, and she thought she was doing what she had to do.
“Sara?” Aiden’s voice breaks through the noise in my head.
I lift my head from where it’s been buried against my knees. Aiden lingers over me, somehow having walked right up to me without my realizing it. I don’t say anything to him, but I immediately wipe the moisture from beneath my eyes.
“Did something happen?” he demands, dropping to the floor beside me. “Did someone do something to hurt you?”
I swallow hard and shake my head. “No.”
He studies my face for a few beats, the silence growing more charged with every second that passes. “Is it me?”
I don’t know what to say to that, considering it partially is him—of course, it is. I’m stuck in a fucking castle of a prison, and there doesn’t seem to be any reprieve in my future. And the lack of an answer from me seems to be enough for him.
His shoulders slump as his palms rest on my knees. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Sahara. I don’t know how to make you understand that I’m doing what’s best for you. This is what we wanted.”
I stare at him, trying to wrap my brain around his words. “How could you say this is what we wanted when it was so long ago? And you know what, I would be happy here, maybe, if you’d just let me see my family. If you’d given me a choice.”
His face twists up in a way that makes me feel guilty. “I’m not…” Aiden’s voice trails off as he looks away, the soft moment reaching me in a way that I wasn’t prepared for. “I’m not trying to keep you from your family. I’m only trying to keep you safe. I’ll let you see your family… Once I know that it is safe to do so.”
I squeeze my eyes shut to stop another flood of tears.
“How is it not safe, Aiden? You’re the one who kidnapped me.”
“It’s not about that,” he says quietly, tugging at my hand. I can’t tell him no, and I let him pull me into his chest. The scent of him wraps around me, and the warmth of his body against mine brings instant relief. I don’t know why it’s still like that, but I welcome it, regardless of everything that’s happened between us.
“Sara,” he murmurs, brushing his lips across the top of my head. “Someone is threatening us, and I don’t know why or who. Until I know the answer, I can’t let you get in touch with your family. But once I know that the danger’s passed, I’ll take you to see them.”
“Okay,” I whisper, no longer feeling the strength to argue. “I’ll trust that you’ll do that.”
“I will, I promise,” he says the words with confidence, his tone taking on the same one that it used to when he would curl up next to me in bed and swear that we were going to get out and be together.
More emotions overflow, and I begin to cry again, sobbing into Aiden. My fear of vulnerability washes away as Aiden wraps his arms around me, holding me against him even tighter than before. He lets me cry without asking any questions or taking offense.
And for some reason, the moment of softness brings forth the love that I had buried deep inside of myself. I do still love Aiden. Even if this entire situation is a mess.
I suck in a deep, ragged breath and lean back from where we sit on the floor. “I was going to make brownies, but I don’t have the recipe.”
He gazes down at me, his eyes alight with love. “I can get a recipe for you, if that’s what you want.”
“I just wanted a distraction from being alone,” I tell him the truth, my heart aching at my own words.
He nods, his lips turning downward. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you like I should have. I had business to take care of today. But I’ll stay with you for the next few days. I could use a break. I have people to take care of things for me.”
“People…” I echo him, thinking of how many people he employs. Given his house, it has to be a lot of them. “Don’t you feel bad selling—”
“Yes,” he cuts me off before I can even finish the question. “I do. I always have. But it is what it is, and like I said, I’m hoping to get out of it at some point. I’m not hands-on with the product, and I don’t allow for it to be cut, if you know what that means.”
“I want you to get out of it,” I say carefully, preparing for a bad reaction.
He doesn’t argue with me. “Okay, I will.”
I peer up at him, lean forward, and then brush my lips against his jaw. The slight stubble on his face tickles, and I think back to the days when it wasn’t there—when he was still trying to grow into a man. I never would’ve pictured him like this, wearing suits and ties and living in a mansion…
But I’m happy for him.
He’s made it.
Aiden’s grip around me tightens as my lips kiss their way to his earlobe, sucking it gently into my mouth. My fingers slip to the buttons on the front of his dress shirt, loosening his tie.
“Not here, Sara,” he strains, his voice husky. He swoops me up easily into his arms and heads for the stairs. “Anyone could walk in on us, and the thought of someone even getting a peek at what’s mine makes me feel murderous.”
I giggle, my lips pressed against his neck. He groans as he thunders up the stairs, holding me in his arms as if I don’t weigh anything at all. I suck on his flesh, hoping to leave the same kind of marks that he’s left on mine.
“Fuck,” he grunts, squeezing me tighter. He kicks the bedroom door open and then uses his heel to close it behind us. “You’re driving me crazy.”
I laugh. “Haven’t I always?”
His brows raise at the lightness in my voice, as if it’s something different and maybe even special. Then he smiles, dropping me down to the bed. “Take your clothes off.”
I bite down on my lip but reach for the bottom of my white T-shirt, pulling it up over my head. Aiden takes a step back, his eyes trained on my body. I toss the shirt to the side and then go for my sweatpants, pushing them down around my hips. I kick them to the floor and wait, lying there in my black bralette and matching underwear.
Aiden works his tie off and then removes his shirt, tossing it to the floor with my clothes. I watch as he steps out of his dress pants, boxer briefs, and socks, leaving him entirely nude. His cock is erect, and his hand finds it.
“You’re not done,” he says gruffly, nodding to my bra. “I want to see all of you, Sara.”
Without any hesitation, I unsnap the bralette, letting my breasts fall free. His hand begins to move, stroking himself back and forth. The sight turns me on, my pussy clenching as I watch. I want him inside of me, but I also want to watch him…
“Come here,” he demands as he takes in my naked figure. “I want to know what it feels like to put this cock in your pretty little mouth.”
My heart skips a beat, never having done anything like it. “I… I don’t…”
“I’ve never done it either, Sara.” His voice comes out harder than I expected, his hand picking up speed as I walk to him. “I waited for you in all the ways I could wait. And no one has had me but you.”
I nod as his hand lands on my shoulder, pressing me down to my knees. I drop carefully, my mouth aligning with his hips. I take in the sight of his big, beautiful cock, the head glistening with precum.
“Just take it slow,” Aiden instructs, gripping the base of his hard shaft, running the soft flesh of his dick across my lips. It smears the precum across them, and I instinctively follow the trail with my tongue. “Oh fuck, Sara.” His words boost my confidence, and I lean forward, drawing the tip into my mouth until my lips bump against his fingers.
He backs his hand away entirely, and I replace it with mine, giving me a way to brace as I take as much of him as I can. I suck and play, tasting the familiar yet unfamiliar. My pussy tightens with every groan that slips from Aiden’s lips, and I pick up my pace, teasing him as I let his cock bump the back of my throat.
“You’re so fucking good at this,” he growls, his hands finding my hair. He curls his fingers in it but doesn’t guide me one way or another. He’s giving me control, and it feels… powerful. “Just like that, baby, good girl.”
Tears form in my eyes as I allow him to slide down my throat. He grunts as I take every inch of him. My fingernails dig into his bare thighs as he fucks my mouth over and over.
“Oh fuck, fuck, fuck,” his head tips back as he groans gutturally, and he comes into my mouth, the salty taste landing on my tongue. His eyes rake over me as he pulls his cock free. “Don’t swallow. Open up for me.”
I part my lips for him to see. He leans down and lifts me up, giving himself a better view. Then he dips two fingers inside of my mouth, coating them with his own release.
“While I love having my come in your mouth, it belongs here.” He dips his fingers between my legs, pressing them into my pussy. “And you’re already wet and ready for me to fill you up again.” He groans as my hips buck, my pussy’s needs almost being met. “God, I love fucking you. Swallow the rest of me.”
I swallow and stand on my tiptoes, pressing my lips to his. He kisses me back savagely, his tongue lapping against mine, and his teeth gnashing. I moan into his mouth as he picks up his pace, his thumb rubbing my clit and his fingers stretching me.
“I’m not going to be easy,” he growls as we come up for air. “I’m never going to be easy, Sara.”
“I don’t want you to be easy,” I whisper as his eyes hold mine, daring him.
“How did you imagine I would fuck you?”
His question comes as a surprise, and I find my cheeks flushing.
“I never...”
“Don’t lie to me, Sara. I know you thought about fucking me. Tell me how you imagined it.” He brushes his fingers along my arms, beckoning me to speak. “I wanna fuck you like that.”
Instead of telling him, I grab his hand and tug him toward the bed. “Sit down.”
He shoots me a wicked smile and does what I tell him, taking a seat. His cock is still erect, and his eyes dance over my body as I climb onto him, my legs straddling him. His fingers brush along the small of my waist as I reach for his cock, aligning myself. On instinct, I glide his thick cock up and down my slit and rub it in my arousal.
“Take the time you need,” Aiden murmurs as I lower myself, adjusting to his girth. “We don’t have to go fast.”
I nod but have no intention of going slow. That’s not how I imagined riding his cock in my dreams. He groans as I take all of him, coming down onto his lap fully.
“Do you like that?” I ask, my voice timid.
“I fuckin’ love it, baby.” He tips my chin and kisses me. “I said I wouldn’t go easy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.”
I bite down on his lower lip, and he sucks in a hard breath as I begin to rock my hips. I don’t want to go easy, and I’d always dreamed of taking Aiden by surprise. I wanted to impress him… I still want to impress him.
However, the thoughts fade as I move up and down, his cock grinding against all the right places. I feel the pleasure begin to build in my core and move with it, grinding until I near the edge.
”Fuck that cock, princess. It”s yours.” His dirty words set every nerve in my body on fire, and I start riding him harder. My breath quickens at the sound of our skin slapping together, and Aiden’s groans are drowned out by my own.
Then I explode.
“Aiden…” I cry out his name, the walls of my pussy pulsing and constricting around his cock. He groans, and in that moment, I realize that he is coming too, his cock aligning with me. We coat each other in our come, and I collapse against him.
He kisses my cheek and wraps his arms around me. “You’re perfect, Sara. You always have been, but this just proves it. I love you.”
The last three words hit me hard, and I bat away the tears that slip from my eyes.
“I love you.” I whisper the words so quietly, I’m not sure that Aiden even hears. It’s a truth that I don’t want to admit, yet I do. I don”t know who I was trying to fool the whole time.
This man could tell me every horrible thing that’s ever happened to him or that he”s done, and I”d still love him anyway.
“Let’s get cleaned up, Sara.” He seems to understand that I don’t want him to dwell on the words I just admitted. “I’ll go start the bath.” He lifts me off him and heads for the bathroom. As he walks away, my eyes land on his cell phone, peeking out of his pants. I slide off the bed and pick it up, intending to sit it on the nightstand, but …
I don’t.
I unlock the screen, surprised there’s no passcode. My heart races as I navigate to the texts. I don’t bother to go through his. I create a new one, quickly typing in Eliza’s number. I know it by heart, and I hope like hell that she’ll reply.
It’s Sara. Are you okay?
I barely hit the send before the thread erupts in messages.
OMG! Sara! Where are you???
Please tell me you’re okay.
Will is losing his mind
Please come home. Please
We need you. I’m scared
I suck in a raspy breath, my worst fears coming true. I quickly type out a reply.
I’ll be there as soon as I can. Don’t text this number back. I love you all.
Then I block her number and delete the text exchange entirely. I know I shouldn’t, but it is exactly as I thought it would be. I choke back a sob as I set the phone down on Aiden’s nightstand.
No matter what feelings I have for Aiden…
I have to get back to the girls—and then hope he’ll understand.