29. "You could have told me if you wanted me to hold your hand."
I sat alone in the bedroom Aiden and I shared as day turned into night.
He had gone somewhere after receiving a call, and there had been no sign of him since then.
For hours I had been fighting back the urge to call him and check if he was okay.
It was beyond me why it was so hard for me to simply call him.
My gaze wandered to the digital clock in the room, the way it had been for the last several hours. 10:05 pm, and still he wasn't back.
Screw it.
Just as I sprang up from the bed, setting my mind on finally calling him, the door opened and his familiar footsteps sounded from behind.
I sighed in relief, my worrying heart calming down.
But the sight I was met with as I turned around stirred panic within me again.
"Aiden?" I gasped out, my eyes widening. "What happened?!"
A large cut smeared with almost dried blood tainted his left cheek. My heart sank at the sight. His expression, however, was cold and uncaring.
He held a hand up as I moved towards him, stilling me in place.
"I'm fine," he affirmed. "Leave me alone."
I gaped at him as he turned towards the bathroom, then forced my feet to go after him even if he had told me otherwise.
"Aysel." He hissed in disapproval as he realised I was right on his tail.
"Aiden, you're injured," I stated the obvious, following him into the bathroom. "And as a doctor, I'm qualified to provide you with first aid."
I heard him exhale almost in defiance, but in that moment I did not even care if his mood swings struck. Seeing him hurt clawed at my heart, and I had to do something about it.
He turned around, meeting my gaze as he pressed his back to the vanity. I struggled to hide my shattered expression.
"I hate it when people pity me." He said firmly as I teared up. His eyes were darker than usual and ice cold. I felt like begging him to let me in. To be vulnerable with me again. To trust me. To be transparent with me about everything.
"I'm not pitying you, Aiden," my voice broke. "Seeing you hurt, either physically or emotionally, hurts me."
I saw a flicker of curiosity in his eyes as he searched mine, but I broke our eye contact as I reached into one of the cabinets to retrieve the first aid kit.
His eyes followed my actions as I opened the box and took out everything necessary.
"How did this happen?" I dared asking as I cleaned the wound.
He remained silent.
"Did you get into a fight or is it Liam related?" I inquired, feeling his facial muscles tense beneath my touch.
I swallowed nervously, but continued meticulously cleaning his wound.
"Aiden, please," I spoke up after a few minutes of deafening silence. "You know you can talk to me. I need to know or it will keep killing me inside. Who did this to you?"
He still stayed quiet, causing me to go crazy inside.
"I almost had him," he spoke quietly a couple minutes later, his tone reflecting his frustration. My wide eyes stared up into his as they softened ever so slightly. "And then he managed to run away." He sighed in frustration, looking to the side as his features tensed up.
"H-how did you find him?" I asked softly, dabbing antiseptic on his injury. He didn't even wince as I did.
"My men were on it. They found a lead....He was right in front of me, Aysel, and I still couldn't succeed in capturing him." I jumped as he punched the marbled vanity behind him.
I winced imagining the impact on his knuckles, but his face showed no signs of pain, only vexation and defeat.
After I slathered ointment over the cut on his handsome face, I pushed the first aid kit aside and held both of his hands, bringing them up to my face to kiss the calloused knuckles.
His heated gaze watched me with intent as I did. Looking up into his dark brown eyes, I watched his gaze soften a little bit more, his body relaxing just a little bit.
"You'll find him, Aiden," I assured firmly as I held onto his hands. "And you'll take our revenge. I know you will. Don't beat yourself up if that coward managed to get away just this once."
He stayed quiet, and I decided not to comment on the matter further. After I was done taking care of his wound, I left him alone to shower and change into new clothes. His were soiled with mud and streaks of blood.
When he returned from the bathroom with his hair wet, wearing a plain grey t-shirt and black sweatpants, I stared at him wide-eyed, but he went straight to the desk in the room.
I sighed internally as he sat on his laptop, working on it, and decided to give him the silence he probably needed to calm down and reflect.
At some point, I fell asleep.
The next morning, I was roused by Aiden's voice repeatedly calling my name. Springing up, I blinked in panic, worried something bad was happening.
"Relax." He said once he saw my panicked state.
Light flooded the room from the drawn curtains.
"Why did you disturb my sleep?" I complained childishly.
"Have breakfast. After that, we have to go somewhere." He stated.
I blinked at him. "Where? Isn't it unsafe?"
He sighed, walking up to me and giving me his hand. Biting my lip, I took it and let him help me out of bed.
"I need to go to work today. There are matters that require my physical presence. I don't know how long it will take, so I'm not comfortable leaving you here alone." He explained.
"You're taking me to work?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes. Now go use the bathroom while I change. I'll meet you at the dining table." He said, gesturing toward the bathroom.
I nodded, watching as he dropped my hand and left the room.
After using the bathroom, I changed into a top and jeans, and met Aiden for breakfast downstairs. We both finished our food in silence, and then we were out the door and in his car.
"This is the first time I'll be seeing your building. I've heard it's a skyscraper." I said as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel. I couldn't help but keep sneaking glances at him. He looked exquisitely attractive and immaculate in his charcoal grey suit.
His reply was simply a hum.
Playing with the fingers on my lap, I spoke again. "What will you say when people ask who I am?"
"Nobody dares to question me." He replied firmly.
Right. Of course. Why would anyone question the mighty Aiden Knight?
It took a while until he finally pulled up into the giant parking lot of his company. I watched the skyscraper in awe through the window. Giant, silver-grey letters glistened at the front that spelled Knight Corporation.
I was too busy gawking the huge building that I did not notice Aiden getting out of the car and walking up to my side. I blushed as he opened the door for me and offered me his hand. Taking it, I stepped out and began walking behind him.
To my dismay, he let go of my hand as we neared the entrance. It was childish of me to feel bad about it, but I did desperately want him to grasp my hand and not let go of it. Just like at the shopping mall.
My heels clicked on the grey marbled floor with specks of gold, as we entered.
As I marvelled at the opulence of the interior, I noticed everyone going stiff at the sight of Aiden.
Everyone dropped whatever they were doing and stood in respect for him (or perhaps fear).
Sounds of 'good morning, Mr. Knight' played around us, to which he didn't give a single reply.
Then I noticed everyone's attention zeroing in on me, causing me to get nervous. They watched intently as I walked right behind Aiden, and I could see the sparks of curiosity and hints of questions in their gazes.
Hating the attention, I averted my gaze to the floor.
Aiden stopped before an elevator, and I stopped right behind him. The elevator doors dinged open the next moment, and he stepped in with me right on his tail.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as the elevator doors closed, and the stares of his employees vanished. The next moment, I was gaping at the number of floors in the building.
"How many departments do you have?" I asked in awe.
"Several." Was his response.
"This—" my sentence was abruptly cut off as the elevator jolted mid-air before coming to a halt.
Damn it. What's it with elevators and us?
My eyes flickered to Aiden's, and they showed amusement instead of irritation.
"Just can't go in an elevator with you without it malfunctioning, huh, little one?" He teased, his face relaxing as he pressed his back to the wall.
I shot him a glare. "Do something! I can't be stuck in here with you."
He rolled his eyes, before pushing a button and speaking into the intercom. "The elevator is stuck. Get someone to fix it. Now." He ordered.
"Mr. Knight, yes sir. We are on it." A response came through.
Without acknowledging it, Aiden went back to leaning against the wall. "Now don't start panicking and hyperventilating like last time. It will be fixed." He said.
I rolled my eyes before sucking in a breath to calm my nerves. Pressing my back to the wall opposite to the one he was leaning on, I diverted my attention to the ground to avoid looking at his magnetic eyes that kept drawing me to them.
A soft gasp left me as he suddenly began walking towards me until I was pressed firmly against the wall, and his body was almost touching mine. I stared wide eyed at his dark brown eyes that gleamed with an emotion I could not decipher.
I shivered slightly as his fingers tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear before gently stroking my cheek. I tried to play cool, as if I wasn't burning in the flames of desire internally.
My eyes widened even more as he pressed his forehead to mine, but yet again, I tried to appear unaffected.
"Getting stuck in elevators is annoying," he spoke, his voice low. "But there's no one else I'd rather be stuck with."
My heart fluttered at his words, my eyes surprised to find honesty in his gaze. "You're too close." I said as if I was complaining.
"I've been closer." He raised a point, a ghost of a smirk lingering over his very kissable lips that I could not stop glancing at.
I gulped, watching his gaze follow my throat.
Turning my face to the side, I tried swallowing my nervousness and ignoring the wanton emotions that flooded my existence, building up like waves of agonising need.
How could I go from once fearing being touched to now craving it so desperately?
"You're making me nervous." I found myself impulsively murmuring as I continued to avoid his gaze.
I gasped softly as he grabbed my hand, making me look his way.
Blinking in surprise, my stomach flooded with butterflies as he placed my hand directly above his heart.
It beat in a rhythm similar to mine, rapid and exhilarated.
"You're doing something similar to me." His voice dropped an octave lower.
"Th-there's no way you get nervous." I stuttered, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
"I don't know if this is nervousness, but it's something. Something that happens only when I'm around you." He uttered, his voice seductively low and gentle.
I took a deep breath through my nose, withdrawing my hand from his hold. "Is that why you dropped my hand earlier?" I ended up complaining, biting the inside of my lip as I heard my own words. Damn it. Why would you say that?
Curiosity sparked in his dark orbs that practically drank me in. "Dropped your hand?"
I bit my lip nervously. "Earlier... in the parking lot.
.. you held my hand and then let go... of course you wouldn't want your employees to think you're involved in any way with me.
" My tone was complaining, and I realised how irrational I must be sounding.
He did not owe me anything, and I had no right to complain about anything.
A small smirk played at his lips as amusement sparked up in his eyes. "You could have told me if you wanted me to hold your hand."
I tried resisting the blush that wanted to taint my cheeks. "I am aware that I'm not in the position to demand anything from you. Especially not something like that. Besides, I don't want your employees overanalysing anything... or worse, gossiping."
More amusement filled up his eyes. "Fun fact, little one: you can demand anything from me. Furthermore, I don't give a fuck about what my employees think."
I blinked in surprise as more butterflies soared in my abdomen, thanks to his words and his proximity.
Looking down, I played with my fingers. "Did they ever see you with Luna?" I wondered.
"I believe they've never seen me with a woman." He replied.
I snickered softly. "Imagine they think you're gay."
More amusement plastered over his handsome face.
My heart almost stopped when he leaned closer to press his lips on my cheek.
My brain malfunctioned as he did, quieting all my queries until all I felt was bliss and all I craved was more.
More touch. More kisses. More words of affection and affirmation.
"Well then, today I have an excellent opportunity to prove I'm actually straight." It was divine and rare. Hearing him sound so normal, and not monotonous and condescending.
My cheeks burned up as blood rose to them. "Stand back." I muttered shyly, putting my hands on his chest in an attempt to push him away.
A gasp left me as he snaked one of his arms around my waist, pulling me to his body. "No way. I know you're scared of being stuck in elevators, so I'm going to hold you close." He uttered playfully.
My cheeks were so hot at that point, I could make pancakes on them. Various sensations tickled at the pit of my abdomen and my core as his warm, muscled body enveloped my small and petite one.
"Y-you're just looking for excuses at this point." I said quietly.
"I am." He agreed, his confession coming off as a little surprise for me.
I let him hold me in his arms as I relished in the warm and comfortable feeling. It was something I had dreamed of as a hopeless romantic, yet something I feared for once being violated of the right to refuse being touched.
I had always wondered if I could ever feel at peace in a man's arms, or if it would bring a sense of insecurity, and now my apprehensions stood answered. I felt relaxed and secure in the arms of the most feared and dangerous man in the country.
It made sense why he built that reputation for himself. Why he surrounded himself with walls made of metal bricks. Why his heart turned cold. Why his emotions died.
It was wrong of the world to label him dangerous. To make it seem like he was the bad guy. He was not the threat they made him appear to be. He was not the evil in the world. It was the cruel, twisted people who had ruined everything for a once cheerful, innocent young boy.
My thoughts were interrupted when I felt the elevator start moving. Tilting my head backwards, I met Aiden's dark brown orbs. "Let go." I said shyly.
He caught me by surprise as he pressed his lips to my forehead.
Then his arms unwrapped from around me, his body stepping back and creating distance between us, making me pine for his proximity again.
I licked my lips and faced the elevator doors, waiting for them to open. A few seconds later, they dinged open, and I stayed unmoving as the opulence of the floor dazzled my eyes. It was more magnificent than what I had seen on the ground floor.
My trance was broken when Aiden wrapped his hand around mine, erupting butterflies within me yet again, and led me out of the elevator. My brain turned off as I walked behind him in a daze.
He's holding my hand. Here.
My daze ended when some people greeted him, even though he replied to no one. I stood awkwardly as I noticed the looks his employees gave us. Those of pure surprise and disbelief. I could feel their eyes looking from him to me, and then to our joined hands.
A woman in black high heels, a blank pencil skirt and a white blouse stopped before us. "Good morning, Mr. Knight. The conference room is ready. Everyone is waiting for you."
He nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Sure, sir. There are also some papers that require your signature. I've left them on your desk." She told him, her gaze briefly dropping to our joined hands.
"I'll sign them after the meetings," He told her. "Wait for me in the conference room."
"Alright, sir." She stared judgmentally at our held hands for another moment, before turning and walking away.
Aiden led me to a room, pushing the door open.
"Is this your office?" I asked in awe as we entered.
It was a large sized office with a big rectangular desk in the centre that held his laptop, some papers and stationery on top, an L shaped couch in the corner, racks stacked with numerous books all around, and a giant glass window that provided a breathtaking view.
"Yes." He replied.
"Wow."
"Stay here while I attend my meeting. Don't go anywhere." He ordered.
"What if I have to use the bathroom?" I raised an eyebrow.
He pointed with his gaze to a concealed door in the farthest corner of the room. "It's right there."
"Oh."
"You can use my laptop to kill boredom if you want. My iPad's in the drawer if you want to use that. Password's 865432. Use the intercom if you want something to eat or drink." He instructed.
I bit my lip to keep my smile back, feeling flattered. "So I can basically pretend I own the place?"
His lip curled up into a lopsided smile. "Sure, why not, little one?"
My heart fluttered. "Okay... go now, and come back fast."
My heart stood still in my chest when he walked up to me and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I won't be long."
His eyes gleamed with affection as he looked at me one last time before walking out of the room.