Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
He Didn’t Know
~~Aria~~
Drakos should be given a PhD in the art of sexual pleasure.
Last night and this morning were legendary as far as I’m concerned. I want more, and I’m powerless to resist anything that man does and wants to do.
I wait around, never far from my phone, hoping he’ll call. The team flies out in the morning, and I really want to see him. Okay, I really want to screw his brains out, give him a good send-off.
I should be cleaning out Anna’s storage unit, but I’m not. I’m worthless today. When Noah asks to spend another night with the Bang family, I give my permission. After all, it’s a little hard to have out-of-control sex with a kid’s bedroom sharing a wall with my bedroom.
To distract myself from thoughts and worries regarding Drakos, I put on my big-girl panties and call my father.
I find him easier to talk to than my mother.
Have they been in the dark as I have regarding Anna’s secret Vegas life?
Or have they made any discoveries that things weren’t exactly what she portrayed them to be?
“Hi, Aria.” My father answers, sounding distracted as always.
When he’s working on a research project, which is almost 100 percent of the time, he’s completely disinterested in anything else, including his daughter, but I’m used to it.
In their own weird way, my parents love me.
They’re not demonstrative, and their daughters have never been their priority.
Their work is their passion and their obsession.
I probably inherited my work ethic from them, though I put Noah above any job.
“Dad, I know you’re busy, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
Silence on the other end of the phone. I wonder if he’s even listening.
“I discovered some jarring truths about Anna this past week.”
“Anna’s gone. Why don’t we leave her memory as it is?
No need to dig up dirt, but that’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?
” He’s annoyed, but probably more from me keeping him from his work than anything to do with Anna.
I ignore the dig. Both parents have made it clear to me time and time again that my job with All Hockey News is an embarrassment, and they greatly disapprove of the direction I’ve taken in my life.
“I don’t work there anymore, Dad. I couldn’t write those stories anymore.”
“Well, at least there’s that.” He huffs indignantly.
“About Anna?”
“Your mom told me you accused Anna of fraudulently taking out a credit card in your name and maxing it out.”
“She did.”
He makes no comment.
“I’ve been investigating her finances.”
“You’re just getting around to that now?” His tone is chastising, and I can imagine him thinking that’s normal behavior for me.
“I couldn’t do it before. I guess I was suffering from grief and shock over her death. For Noah’s sake, I’m doing so now. He has every right to her assets.”
“He does.” My dad’s agreeing with me? That rarely happens. “She owns that big house in Vegas and should have life insurance from her work plus ample savings.”
“That’s just it, Dad. There’s nothing that I can find.”
“Nothing?” He sounds puzzled, and I believe I have his full attention.
“Dad, I called the university. She never earned a doctorate there or even a bachelor’s.”
“What?” He’s genuinely shocked. I hear him relaying the information to my mom. “I’m putting you on speaker.”
“Aria, you’d better have solid proof to make an accusation like that against your sister.” My mother has always defended Anna to the point where Anna was rarely held responsible for her actions when we were growing up. My dad was even more of an enabler.
“Mom, call the university yourself. You’ll find out the same information. Furthermore, Anna never worked there in any capacity.”
My parents speak in low tones to each other before returning to the conversation.
“I believe you,” my dad says. My mom is quiet.
“Did you have any inkling that her life wasn’t what we thought?”
“There were…signs. Things that didn’t add up. We had our suspicions.” My mother admitting that Anna wasn’t perfect is a first.
“Do you have any idea what she was doing in Vegas?”
“No. Not at all. We don’t interfere in our children’s lives. You know that.” As usual, my mom can’t resist scolding me.
“I’m not done investigating. I need the truth.”
“You might regret what you find.” Once again, Dad’s the voice of reason.
“I know. I’m afraid of that.”
“Anna, send us the credit card bill. We’ll pay it off.”
“Dad, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re taking care of Noah. It’s the least we can do. Let us know what you discover.”
My dad ends the call. He’s never been one for goodbyes. Considering how my parents, especially my mom, coddled Anna all her life, their admissions are unnerving. They knew something wasn’t right with Anna, but they’re the furthest a person can get from being helicopter parents.
I’m relieved they’re paying off the credit card. It’s one less thing to worry about, and they can afford it. Tomorrow I’ll dive back into my sister’s background with a vengeance. I have to know what she was up to even though I’m not going to like what I find.
Is it possible my sister lied about more than her education and her job?
Drakos may hold the key to the truth, but I’m reluctant to speak to him.
Sure, he relinquished his rights to Noah, but that was years ago.
If he’s changed his mind, would the courts give him any consideration? Could I possibly lose Noah?
If only Drakos would call. This morning, he gave the impression he’d see me tonight.
By 8:00 p.m., I’m a hot mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Drakos hasn’t called or texted. Maybe what we had wasn’t as good for Drakos as I thought it was.
Maybe he’s done with me. He didn’t sound as though he was last night, but daylight often brings clarity while darkness masks those doubts.
A few minutes after eight, my phone pings. Anxiously, I read the text message.
Drakos: Is Noah there?
I smile because it’s obvious why he’s asking.
Me: No, he’s staying one more night with the Bangs.
Drakos: I’m on my way. We need to talk.
His last message seems ominous, but as usual I’m probably reading too much into a simple text message.
Me: I’ll be here.
He doesn’t respond. I hurry to my bedroom and put on a tight sweater that shows ample cleavage and a short skirt with no underwear. I smirk as I imagine the look in Drakos’s eyes when he sees me. We won’t be talking.
Minutes later, I open the door to Drakos.
Immediately I realize something’s wrong.
Instead of a welcoming grin or a deep, tender kiss, he glares at me and rakes his gaze up and down my body.
When he meets my eyes again, he’s broody, even angry.
I don’t understand. Everything was great when he left this morning.
“Is everything okay?” I’m taken aback by the hostility radiating from him.
“Let’s fuck and talk later.”
“Okay, I’m good with that.”
“I need you now.” He advances on me, and I back up a step. For a moment, indecision flickers in his gaze. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No, but your behavior isn’t normal for you.”
“It’s urgent that I be inside you now.” He sounds as if having sex with me is a matter of life and death.
“Then do it rather than waste time talking.”
That’s all the invitation he needs. He yanks my sweater over my head and tosses it aside.
His stormy blue eyes focus on my heaving chest. He roughly takes a nipple in his mouth, and I moan with ferocious passion.
He picks me up and carries me to the living room, where he unceremoniously deposits me over the arm of the couch.
Next thing I know his clothes are in a pile on the floor.
I hear the condom wrapper being opened. He pushes up my skirt with a sharp intake of breath.
“Fuck.” He speaks almost reverently. I don’t want reverence. I want down-and-dirty sex, as that’s what those blue eyes of his promised when he first entered my apartment.
I’m in a frenzy of uncontrolled passion completely at his mercy and enjoying every fucking minute of it. He enters me from behind, and I attempt to wiggle my ass to entice him. My reward is a guttural growl halfway between a man and a wolf. Drakos would make a great wolf.
My eyes roll back in my head as he begins to thrust inside me. Each thrust is harder and rougher than the next, and I’m loving it.
“Harder. Harder. Harder,” I shout at him, and he obliges. Any lucid thought escapes me. This is pure carnal pleasure, and I’m here for it.
We’re both so hot that we come pretty quickly.
Me first, then Drakos shortly after. I shatter into a million tiny pieces that somehow get put back together again.
There’re no words in any language that accurately describe how good I feel.
Drakos collapses on top of me and wraps his arms around me.
I feel his hot breath on my cheek. We’re both panting from the exertion and the intensity of our moment together.
I never want this to end. Or for us to end. Is it possible I’m falling for this man? But Noah, my muddled brain reminds me. It takes me a moment to register the meaning.
Yes, Noah. And Drakos and I need to discuss Noah. The time has come. Is it possible there’s a future for us? If so, Noah’s a huge part of any future involving me.
Does Drakos want something more? Last night I thought he did, but the anger radiating off him when he arrived tonight gives me doubt.
He stands but doesn’t retrieve his clothes, giving me a delectable view. I reposition my skirt and retrieve my sweater, pulling it over my head.
“Drakos, you are the hottest man I’ve ever been with.”
He eyes cloud for an instant before he tenses once again. Something is epically wrong, and I need to ask even if I’m afraid of the answer. A short while ago, I didn’t care what he personally thought of me. Now his opinion of me is vitally important.