Chapter 20 Aiden
AIDEN
The water falls from the shower head like a gentle rainfall, soothing aching muscles and washing away the stress of the day, or more precisely, the stress of leaving Katie so I can go to work. I’m beginning to despise the daily routine of saying goodbye to her.
I had to drag myself away from her just to go on a run and keep some semblance of my old routine before she came along.
I think I broke a new record because the usual hour-long run took me a little under forty-five minutes.
I hit the halfway mark and hauled arse back to her house, almost collapsing as I fell through the door.
She’s finally forgiven me for paying off her mortgage. It required a lot of grovelling that I was all too happy to do. I’d spend eternity on my knees if it meant I got to keep the taste of her on my lips.
We’re edging into dangerous territory now.
She’s getting closer to figuring out what I am.
I think she already knows; she just hasn’t admitted it to herself.
She hasn’t let the thought, that the man she loves is a serial killer, consume her mind yet.
But I can sense her growing suspicions in the way she looks at me, especially when Keane McCarthy joined the two idiots from the Orion on the missing persons list.
It’s not like I’m trying to hide what I am from her. Hell, I admitted it; she just thought I was joking at the time.
Fair enough, I’m not just going to confess over dinner; that might make things a little awkward.
Most people just hear the term serial killer and assume we are all warped individuals with minds that need to be studied.
Like we’re a cancer on society. For some, I’d have to agree that some men are just beasts.
Some women are fucking demented, and everyone in between has their own dysfunctional reasoning for doing what it is they do.
But I will never apologise for who I am. I hurt those who hurt the vulnerable; I don’t see what’s wrong with that.
That’s what Katie thinks I do. Hurt them. Rough them up a bit, she doesn’t seem to have an issue with it. But there is a big difference between accepting that your partner kicks two litres of shit out of sex offenders and abusers and your partner being the one to abduct and flay them alive.
The thing is, I’m in too deep now. I’m no longer fascinated by Katie; I’m downright obsessed. If she doesn’t get it, if she figures it out and can’t handle it, I can’t let her walk away. I can’t kill her. I won’t kill her. But there is no way in heaven or hell that she is getting away from me.
Stepping out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my waist and make my way into her bedroom, halting as soon as I open the door. “I don’t know what this entails.” I grin down at her.
Katie is all but naked, bar some frilly lace underwear. She’s on her back, on the floor, and it takes me several beats to realise that she’s lying on her suki mat. The room is dimly lit, with soft music playing in the background. I barely take any of it in. My gaze is fixed solely on Katie.
“But I’m in!”
I jump over her and land on the bed, pulling myself to the edge so I can peer down at her.
“It works better with no clothes to act as a barrier,” she blushes, then grimaces slightly, adjusting her neck on the spiked pillow to get more comfortable.
I reach down, skimming my fingers along her bare skin, feeling the warmth radiating from her body. “Are you terribly sore, love?” Her poor body is constantly coiled like a spring as a result of her CPTSD. She’s perpetually drained from the tension and pain she carries.
Her heavy-lidded eyes flit up to meet mine. “Not so much anymore.” Her smile is soft and genuine, with a small glimmer of relief in her weary eyes.
Her thighs press together, drawing my eyes to the pink lace covering her delicate skin. I know that twitch. One look at her face confirms it. “Are you thinking about something naughty?”
“No!” She barks a laugh.
“Are you sure?” I cock an eyebrow, kicking free of my towel to better see her reaction. She blushes, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that matches the lace on her thighs. “You look a bit.” I pause, searching for the right word. “Flustered.”
“It’s the mat,” she mumbles, avoiding eye contact. “It’s the pressure of the spikes in my lower back…”
“Ah.” I’ve heard that massage can arouse some people, but I didn’t think a suki mat could do the same. “I should set it alight.”
“What?” She looks at me in surprise.
“It’ll take care of the competition.”
“I’m hardly going to hump the mat!”
“Well, I can’t take that chance now, can I?” Droplets of water fall from the ends of my hair onto Katie’s stomach, between her breasts, and down her sides. “I can’t be seen to be sharing my woman.”
She arches an eyebrow, smirking as I raise her hand to my mouth, kissing her fingertips. “Even inanimate objects?”
“Especially those,” I have so much paperwork to do tonight that I most likely won’t be able to make the drive here afterwards.
I don’t want to sleep without her by my side.
I can’t. I tried three nights ago and spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to find any rest. “Come to Dublin tonight.”
“No.”
My eyes narrow to slits. “Why?”
She doesn’t look at me. Instead, she pretends she doesn’t hear me. Or she simply doesn’t care about my plea now that she has made up her mind.
“This is about Tracy, isn’t it?” She’s still pissed that my old fuck buddy showed up out of the blue. I can’t say I blame her. I’d have lost my shit if one of Katie’s exes randomly appeared and refused to leave without seeing her.
“No.”
“Liar,” I grin, refusing to let her retract her hand from my grasp.
“I hate Dublin,” she admits, still refusing to look at me.
“And you’re afraid I’ll have more random women showing up like Tracy did.”
Her head snaps in my direction. “Will you?”
I release her hand and fall from the bed with a sigh, catching myself above her and caging her between my arms. She looks delicious.
The murderous look she gets in her eyes when she’s jealous sends a thrill down my spine.
“No, bug,” I assure her, nipping at her neck and tugging lightly on her earlobe.
A soft moan escapes her lips, and I grin against her neck.
“You’re sure?” I watch her throat bob as she swallows nervously. “If any unexpected visitors show up to the house, feel free to hit them with my car.” My lips find that sensitive spot just behind her ear, her breasts graze my chest as she rises into my embrace.
Her fingers slide down my back. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she purrs, her hands gripping my arse and tugging me closer.
She turns her head slightly, her lips brushing against mine.
Katie’s tongue darts out, tracing the seam of my lips before slipping inside my mouth.
“Don’t you have to get ready for work?” She grins up at me, her big doe eyes darkened with desire.
“Nope.” I drop more weight on her, and she hisses, trapped between me and the bed of plastic spikes.
“Aiden,” she groans softly as I grind my hips against her. Her nails dig into my skin as she arches her neck back, exposing more of her throat to me. I take the opportunity to kiss and nibble along the sensitive skin, feeling her pulse quicken beneath my lips. “Becky will be here soon.”
“Good, she can watch.”
Her body vibrates under me, a melodic laugh escaping her. “Off.”
“Not until you agree to come to Dublin tonight.” Snagging her lower lip between my teeth, I pull back slightly and gaze into her eyes. “I want you there with me.”
She groans, throwing her eyes to the heavens. “I hate Dublin.”
“But you love me,” I grin against her lips, the blush spreads across her cheeks.
Katie buries her face in my neck, her warm breath tickling my skin. “That was a slip of the tongue.”
“Doesn’t mean it isn’t true,” The soft music playing in the background is the only noise for a moment.
Katie clings onto my shoulders, embarrassed but unable to hide the smile I can feel spreading across her face. “I can’t go. I don’t have a key.”
“I’ll have one made for you,” I can’t resist rolling my hips against hers, causing her to gasp and tighten her grip on me. “Come to the Orion later, and I’ll have it ready for you.”
The doorbell interrupts us before I can kiss her. Her head tilts back, looking out onto the landing as if trying to figure out who it is, before reluctantly letting go of me. “That would be Becky.”
“If we ignore it, she’ll go away.”
“Aiden!” Her hand slams down on my rear end, causing my hips to snap into hers with a jolt.
“Fine.” I take care to get off Katie without pushing her further into the mat. Snatching the towel from the bed, I wrap it around myself and head towards the door. Yanking it open, her friend looks up from her phone and almost falls down the steps.
Yes, I know. I’m a handsome bastard.
“Becky, I presume?” I drawl, leaning against the door frame. She blushes and stammers out a response, clearly caught off guard by my unexpected presence. “She’ll be down in a minute.”
She nods and enters the sitting room, her cheeks still flushed. I close the door behind her and head back upstairs.
Katie spots me coming and raises an eyebrow. “Did you scare her off?” She struts to the wall overlooking the stairs and leans over. “Becks? You alright down there?”
“Yeah, grand!” She calls back with a forced cheerfulness.
I can’t help but chuckle at her attempt to hide her embarrassment. “I’d appreciate it if your friends didn’t objectify me.” Dropping the towel, I step behind Katie, wrapping my arms around her. “I’m more than a set of nipples, you know.”
She tilts her head back, looking up at me with a mischievous smile. “How you fit that big head through the door is beyond me.” She turns in my embrace, sliding her arms around my waist. “How am I supposed to find you in the Orion later?”
“You’re really coming?” Picking her up by the backs of her legs, I spin for the bedroom. “Baby, I’m goin’ to treat you so good.”