by K. L. Ramsey
“I’m fine, Aiden. You do what is right for you and I’ll find a way to deal with the press and the gossip. No matter what you do today, I’ll be alright,” she promised. And, she would be. That was who she was and it wasn’t going to stop now just because some vicious lies were circulating about her and Aiden.
“How did I get so lucky?” he questioned. “I think I’ve waited all my life for you, Zara Joy. You are the perfect woman and the perfect submissive.” Hearing him say those words did crazy things to her heart. She wanted to tell him she felt the same way but he didn’t give her the chance to.
“Come on,” he insisted. “We’re going to have a shower and then breakfast. I’m sure my munchkins will be up and demanding pancakes before we can get our clothes on.” He turned on the shower and cleaned her plug while they waited for the water to heat up.
“What’s on your mind, Zara?” he asked.
“Um, nothing really,” she squeaked. But, that wasn’t the truth. She had questions that were probably none of her business but she still wanted to ask them. Zara knew she might be a little pushy asking him about his ex-wife but she felt as though she needed to know.
“Out with it,” he demanded, pulling her into the shower with him. The hot spray felt like heaven and she almost forgot wanting to play twenty questions with Aiden. He cleared his throat, staring her down and Zara knew she wasn’t going to get out of asking.
“You said that you and your ex didn’t really do the whole Dom/sub thing,” she said.
“Right,” he confirmed. “Allison wasn’t into the whole scene. “Maybe that was why she ended up leaving or maybe I unknowingly pushed her away. Either way, I’m happy with the way things worked out. I would have never met you if she didn’t leave me.” Aiden soaped up her body with his hands and kissed the column of her neck. She leaned back against his big body, loving the way he took care of her.
“You keep this up and you definitely won’t make your meeting,” she sassed. He chuckled and thrust her body under the spray, grabbing her shampoo.
“Get your hair wet and turn around,” he ordered. He worked the shampoo through her long blonde hair and his fingers felt like magic massaging her scalp.
“Mmm, You’re good at this, Aiden.” Zara was pretty sure she’d like to start each day this way.
“Rinse,” he ordered, turning her into the spray of water again. She rinsed her hair, watching him as he lathered up his own body. Everything about the man was sexy and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get enough of him or his bossy nature.
“Did you ever ask Allison for this?” She gestured between their bodies and Aiden shyly nodded, making her instantly regret her question. He was usually so confident and in control, but now she could see his self doubt.
“I did,” he confirmed. “She told me I was a freak.” He laughed at what he said, as if he had told Zara a joke. “I believe the term she used was ‘sexual deviant’,” he said.
Zara reached up to frame his face with her hands. “You are not a sexual deviant, Aiden. You are Dominant and there is nothing wrong with you.”
Aiden nodded and smiled. “And you are my beautiful submissive. You’re pretty perfect yourself, baby,” he said, causing her heart to feel as if it might beat right out of her damn chest again. Zara wasn’t sure what they were doing together or where this thing between them was headed but she was ready to find out. Being with Aiden was like having all her dreams fulfilled and she wasn’t ready to let that go—not yet at least.
Aiden agreed to talk with the press at his office and Rose set up the conference scheduled for ten in the morning. That gave Zara just enough time to get the girls to school and run over to his building. He told her she didn’t have to be there but it didn’t feel right not to be.
He had gone in early that morning to meet with his campaign manager. After their meeting, he ominously texted Zara, “It is done” and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or giggle. She hated how her being in his life was costing Aiden so much, even if he told her she was wrong every time she brought it up.
Zara texted Rose she was going to come to the conference and Rose told her to come up to Aiden’s office using the private elevators for staff to avoid the growing members of the press that had gathered in the building’s lobby. Rose met Zara at the elevator as usual and smiled at her.
“He’s going to be so happy you made it,” Rose said.
“I don’t know about that,” Zara admitted. “This morning he told me not to worry about coming over but how could I not? This mess is because of me and I feel as if I need to be here for him, even if I’m hiding behind the scenes like a coward.”
“The press is watching for you, Zara. It’s best you don’t give them what they want and stay out of sight. They are like a pack of hungry wolves, but this media frenzy will die down—it always does.” Zara wished she could be as positive as Rose, but she had been a bundle of nerves since Aiden left the house this morning.
Rose tapped on Aiden’s door and he barked for her to come in. Zara shot Rose a look, probably something akin to terror and Rose just shook her head and smiled. “Aiden, Zara is here to see you,” Rose shouted back. She opened the door and let Zara pass into the office. Aiden stood and met her halfway.
“Why are you here, baby? Is everything alright?” He pulled her into his arms, not waiting for her to answer. She sighed against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Now it is,” she admitted.
“Did the press see you come in? Did they say something to upset you?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “Rose had me use the employee entrance and elevator and they don’t even know I’m here.”
“Good,” he said. “I don’t want them bothering you and after this conference, I’m pretty sure they’ll leave us both alone.”
“Aiden, I—” she wasn’t sure what to say next. How did she tell him she thought it was a huge mistake giving up his run for the Senate seat? Was it her place to tell him to run? “You shouldn’t quit,” she whispered.
“We’ve been over this already,” he said. “I won’t jeopardize you or the girls to further my political career.”
“I appreciate that, I really do. But the girls and I aren’t in jeopardy,” she said. “You can’t let them win like this. If you quit now, you’ll be playing right into their hands.”
“What do you suggest I do then?” he asked. Aiden released her and paced his spacious office. “I can’t let the press hound you at every turn,” he growled in frustration.
“You’ve already increased security and you’ve fired your campaign manager. Don’t make any more hasty decisions until you have time to think things through and hire a new manager.” She hoped Aiden saw her point of view. It was getting to be time for the conference and she hated to see him throw everything away.
Rose popped her head into his office, “It’s time, Aiden,” she said.
He gave a curt nod. “I’ll be right there,” he said. She left the office again and Aiden pulled Zara against his body and crushed her mouth with his own. When he broke their kiss, she was panting—not sure if it was due to lack of oxygen or desire.
“Will you be here when I get done?” he asked.
“Of course,” she whispered. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be watching on your television.”
Aiden smiled and walked out of his office and she wanted to stop him, worried she was letting him go off to make the biggest mistake of his life, but she had already done all she could. The rest was up to Aiden now.
Aiden
Aiden faced down the noisy mob that had gathered in his office’s lobby and for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t sure what to do next. He stood at the podium and waited for the unruly crowd to settle and when they were finally quiet, he cleared his throat to begin. He pulled the notes he made from his suit pocket and nodded to the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming today. I wish it was under better circumstances,” he admitted. “The other day,
a story leaked that my new nanny, Miss Zara Joy and I are engaged in an affair. That news is true.” He once again had to wait for the crowd to quiet in order to continue.
“Please, let me finish,” he ordered. Aiden looked up the atrium, as if he would possibly be able to see Zara watching him from over one hundred floors up but that would be impossible. Just knowing she was in the same building gave him the courage to continue.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it an affair since neither of us are married,” he said. “Allison Bentley and I have been estranged for almost a half a year now. I did not meet Miss Joy until a few weeks ago and she has only been my daughters’ nanny for a couple of weeks. I was under the misconception that I needed to keep my divorce a secret or risk ruining my campaign,” he admitted. “The person who made that advisement is no longer with my campaign and from this point on, I will tirelessly work to keep an open dialogue with the press. All I ask in return is for you to give my family the courtesy of some privacy. My daughters and Miss Joy are not running for office—I am. I ask that you leave them out of this campaign and I, in return, will have an open door policy with a promise of no more secrets.”
Aiden looked around the room and paused. This was the point in his speech when he was going to announce he was dropping out of the race but the words felt like they were stuck in his throat. He wondered if Zara might be right and he might be making the biggest mistake of his life by dropping out of the race. He could at least wait until he found another advisor, as she suggested. A few weeks wouldn’t hurt.
“Thank you for your time,” he said and turned to go back upstairs to where Zara was waiting for him. Corbin flanked his side, wearing a goofy grin. “Don’t,” Aiden ordered. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of questions and Aiden ignored them, stepping into the elevator with Corbin. He watched as his security team tried to keep the crowd at bay and he worried he had just made a crucial mistake.
“What have I just done?” he whispered as the elevator doors closed, shutting out the chaos.
“You just took your chance, man. I have to say, I’m pretty fucking proud of you,” Corbin said, slapping him on the back.
“Thanks man. I just hope I didn’t make things worse,” he said. He thought about how the hell he was going to keep the girls and Zara safe and Aiden worried he’d never be able to. He might have taken a chance, but at what cost? Playing with Zara and his daughters’ safety wasn’t a part of the plan.
A month had passed and Aiden was no closer to finding a new campaign manager. For now, he was winging it but he wasn’t sure how much longer that would work. Zara and the girls seemed to be adjusting to life as the family unit they were quickly becoming. They didn’t even hide the fact he and Zara were sleeping in the same room anymore. The girls seemed fine with it all and he had to admit that took a huge weight off his shoulders.
Zara was about to start her last class to finish up her degree and they had worked out a nice rhythm that suited all of them. While Zara was in class or studying, he tried to pick up the slack and when he couldn’t Rose or Connie helped out. It was nice to feel like part of a team again and it was damn nice to feel like he had a partner in life.
Zara stormed into his office and slammed the door behind her. She was beautiful when she was angry and she seemed to be pretty damn pissed about something and he was sure her ire was directed at him. Rose opened his office door, popped her head in to mouth “sorry” to him and quickly retreated—being the smart coward she was.
Aiden sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Zara looked him over and seemed to lose a little of her anger. “You can’t do that,” she grouched.
“Do what, baby?” he asked but he knew exactly what he was doing. He usually tried to deflect her foul mood with sex and now was no different.
“You are using your body to try to make me forget how mad I am at you,” she shouted.
Aiden chuckled and put his feet up on his desk and she actually growled at him. “This isn’t funny, Aiden,” she yelled.
“Okay, how about you start out by telling me why you are so angry with me,” he asked. Zara threw a piece of paper onto his desk and pointed at it as if it offended her in some way.
“That,” she said. Aiden picked it up and looked it over, grimacing when he read the part, “Paid in full.” He had found her college bill laying on the kitchen counter a few weeks prior and decided to pay it for her. He knew Zara had struggled to pay her college tuition each semester and her bill was nothing for him. Aiden wasn’t one to ever flaunt his money, but he had enough to take care of his family for generations to come. He considered Zara a part of his family now, but he worried pointing all that out might move her from pissed to ready to inflict bodily harm. He needed to tread carefully if he was going to get through this conversation with her and come out unscathed.
“Let me just explain,” he said.
“Yes, I would love to hear how you went behind my back and paid my college tuition for the semester,” she shouted. “You have no right, Aiden.”
“You’re right,” he agreed. “I went behind your back and paid your bill for the semester. Where you are a little fuzzy is the part where you say I had no right to do it. I had every right, Zara because you are mine and I take care of what’s mine.” He stood and rounded his desk, slipping in between it and where Zara stood so she was facing him. She wouldn’t be able to escape looking at him and that was just fine with him. He needed for her to completely understand how he felt about her. Aiden wasn’t a fool—he knew telling Zara he had fallen in love with her would probably send her running for the hills, but he needed her to understand he’d always take care of her. He wanted forever with her, but he’d keep that little piece of information to himself for now.
“You can’t just go around throwing money at my problems to make them go away, Aiden. You and I live very different lives.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled Zara against his body.
“No,” he disagreed. “You and I are now living the same life. You are mine and if I want to give you a gift, I will. If I want to do something to make your life a little easier—I will and if I want to take care of you, I will. You need to accept the fact that you are a part of my life now, Zara and I am a very rich man. I haven’t always been, so I know where you are coming from but I won’t hide who I am now.”
“But—” she tried to protest but he stole her next words with his kiss. He kissed her until he could feel all the hostility she had worked up against him leave her tightly wound body. Zara relaxed into his arms and he chanced breaking their kiss.
“But nothing, baby. You either want me or you don’t,” he said, holding his arms wide as if challenging her to tell him she wasn’t interested.
Zara sighed and finally gifted him with her shy smile. “I want you,” she agreed. “God help me, I want all of you.”
Aiden didn’t hide his smirk, “Thank fuck, baby. I want all of you too. Can we put this behind us?” he asked.
Zara hesitantly nodded. “Yes, as long as you promise from now on before you do something to help make my life easier, we talk about it first. I don’t want to feel blindsided again.”
“Of course,” Aiden agreed. “Any other stipulations?” he asked.
“No, and thank you,” she whispered. “I’d offer to pay you back but I’m pretty sure that will piss you off,” Zara said.
“Damn straight it will. And, you’re welcome,” he said, wrapping her in his arms again. “Now can we get to the part where I distract you with my body?”
Zara giggled, “I have just over an hour before I pick up the girls from school,” she said. “Will that be enough time?” she asked, giving him an exaggerated wink.
Aiden laughed, “Challenge accepted,” he agreed and started stripping Zara out of her clothes. He always loved a good challenge and Zara gave him one at every turn.
Zara
One Month Later
Zara ran into the school hating that she was once again late. The girls’
teachers already thought the worst of her and she wasn’t helping her case, but her doctor’s appointment had run over since the nurse couldn’t seem to find her damn vein. They poked her twice before getting blood and then she had to wait in a line to pay her bill but what choice did she have. She had been feeling sick and rundown for weeks now and had put off going to find out what the problem was. Honestly, she had always been a little afraid of needles and doctors and everything that went along with them. Today was just not her day and being ten minutes late to pick up Lucy and Laney was just the icing on the cake. She knew the little negotiators were going to talk her into ice cream and tonight was the big fundraiser for Aiden and their sort of coming out as a couple party to test the waters. Since he hired a new campaign manager a few weeks prior, she felt more at ease attending functions with Aiden. Still, it took some coaxing on his part to convince her to go with him. There would always be haters and if she wanted to be the woman on his arm, Zara was going to have to suck it up and deal with them.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, breathless from her run in from the SUV.
“You’re not late,” Lucy’s teacher said. She had a fake smile plastered on her face and Zara was sure she wasn’t going to like whatever the woman planned to say next.
“But I am,” she admitted, checking her watch. “I’m ten minutes late. I got stuck at the doctor’s but that’s no excuse.”
“No, you’re not late because the girls were already picked up,” the teacher said.
“Picked up?” Zara questioned. “By whom?” She knew for a fact Aiden had back-to-back meetings all afternoon and Connie was feeling a bit under the weather.
“Mrs. Bentley came to pick up her daughters,” the teacher said. She almost seemed happy about delivering the news to Zara, as if it gave her some perverse pleasure.