Tears start flowing down my cheeks at his words. I want to believe every single word he says, but my fragile heart is still too fearful. “What…what if it doesn’t work, Aiden? What if we can’t make it work?” I ask with trembling lips.
“You can’t live your life in fear like that, baby. Life is full of risks. I much rather take a leap of faith with you, than to live with the regret of knowing I didn’t give it my all. I can’t guarantee you we won’t run into any problems, but I promise that I will fight for you till the very end. You mean the world to me, baby. Just let me prove to you what you mean to me.”
He takes my trembling hands in his and places a most tender kiss on the back of each hand. His eyes burn into mine, as he waits for me to respond. I look into his pleading emerald eyes and the depth of love and affection I see in them takes my breath away.
I jerk my hands free from his and watch his face overcome with disappointment. My lips curl into a smile as I quickly hook my hands around his neck and pull his lips to mine. It only takes him a second to get over his shock and devour my lips in a kiss that is so tender it turns my insides into mush. I pour myself into the kiss and try to hell him with my touch, what words fail to describe.
He lifts his head up to touch my wet face and I realize I’m crying.
“Why are still crying, baby?”
“These are happy tears… I just can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have you in my life.”
He wipes my tears away tenderly. “I’m the lucky one, baby.”
I smile through my tears. “No, I’m luckier.”
A wide grin crosses his face. “Okay. I’ll let you win this one, but I missed you more.” He runs his finger in a feathery touch over my bottom lip. “I missed the taste of your lips…” His fingers trail down to the nape of my neck. “I missed the feel of your soft skin… And I missed seeing your beautiful smile.”
He bends down to place a trail of kisses from the tip of my nose all the way down to the hem of my thin tank top. And his touch espouses an explosion of desire in my body.
“Can I take this off?” he asks me, pointing to my tank top.
“Yes,” I respond as I lift my body up so he can remove it. I lie back down when the top is off and he steps back to take an appreciative glance at my naked top.
“You’re so beautiful.... I missed looking at you.”
He takes his time staring down my body, before exploring every inch with his skillful lips and his apt fingers. He shows me with his touch how much he truly missed me, as he brings me to the shores of ecstasy over and over again.
Two hours later, when our bodies are finally sated and our limbs too weak to move, I glance at the clock and notice it’s six in the morning. The time suddenly reminds me what day it is.
“Oh my God! It’s six o’clock. We have to find plane tickets to L.A. You have a meeting today.”
He nozzles his face in my shoulder. “Hmmm… I much rather keep you locked up in this room for the next three days.”
“I do too, but we have to go. This meeting is really important... Let me see what’s the earliest flight we can take.” I reach down and grab my tablet to start looking for tickets, but he takes it away from me.
“We don’t need tickets. I have a plane waiting for me at the airport… I came with the Company plane.”
“What? The Pierson Investments Company plane? How did you manage that?”
“I have my ways,” he says with a wink. “How else do you think I was able to get here in seven hours in the middle of the night?”
“Wow,” is the only thing I can say.
“I told you I would do anything for you. I called Lou and postponed the meeting and arranged for the plane.”
My heart melts as the extent to which Aiden went for me registers. I reach up and grab his face in my hands. “I love you so much,” I tell him before I kiss his lips. “I love you more,” he tells me in between kisses.
We take the private plane and arrive in L.A. just in time for the meeting. Although neither one of us is dressed appropriately, we drive directly to the law firm. We’re both nervously excited as we enter the office. This time feels different than all the other times we’ve been here. We both feel it in our hearts that today won’t involve another assignment.
Lou and Steve greet us with open arms and big smiles.
“Have a seat you two. This meeting will be short,” Steve tells us.
Once we’re comfortably seated, Lou starts. “Aiden–I think you already know that there are no more assignments for you. You are done. Congratulations. Now it is time for us to review all of your efforts and accomplishments and determine where you stand. Yesterday, you emailed us a summary of your efforts with your family. You need to take the test that you took in the beginning of the experiment again today so we can compare your answers to your original ones. Once everything is compiled, we turn the results to a decision making committee pre-selected by your grandpa who will decide the amount of your inheritance… The decision is not ours to make and we don’t know what it will be, but I can tell you from everything that I’ve seen from you this last year that your odds are very good. You did great, Aiden. David would have been extremely proud of you. We all are.”
I squeeze Aiden’s hand under the table and smile at him. He returns my smile and his eyes sparkle with joy.
“We’ll leave the room so you can answer these questions. Once you’re done, please put the paper in this envelope and give it to the receptionist. We’ll see you here in one week for the results... Since the experiment is officially over, you can have the keys to your house and cars back. Your access to your bank accounts and credits cards has also been restored. You’re free to use them all,” Steve tells Aiden, leaving an envelope with his keys and credit cards on the table.
Aiden finishes his test very quickly and walks out with a smile that goes on for miles. His joyous mood is contagious. I immediately feel giddy with happiness when I see his face. He reaches for my hand and brings it to his mouth.
“Thank you for staying with me through all of it. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
I decide to give him a peck on the lips in response. But the kiss automatically deepens. We kiss until we hear someone clear their throat behind us and remember that we’re standing in the reception area of a law firm. We both start chuckling, as we rush outside to the car.
“Let’s go see if my penthouse is still standing,” Aiden says when we’re inside his car.
“Oh, I’m dying to see your bachelor pad.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re walking into the largest most luxurious penthouse I’ve ever seen. It’s two stories on the top floor of a luxury high rise tower. The first floor is just a huge living room and kitchen, with a wrap-around balcony with incredible views. Upstairs, he has three bedrooms that are each more gorgeous than the next. He shows me his master bedroom last. It’s so modern and beautiful that I don’t want to ever leave.
“Wow. You went from living here to living in that crummy old apartment. Now I understand how difficult that must have been for you.”
“Na… You were there and you made it easy.
“I doubt I was able to make it that easy… Do you miss this?” I ask, as I wave my hands around.
“I honestly don’t. This house was made for a lifestyle I’m no longer interested in. I don’t miss it at all. In fact, I feel kind of out of place in here. Let’s go.”
As soon as we’re back in his car, he dials a phone number. The receiver’s voice fills the car through the speakers.
“Bryan Beck speaking.”
“Hey, Bryan. This is Aiden Pierson.”
“Aiden. It’s been a long time. How have you been?”
“Great. Listen, I have a listing for you.”
“Oh, yea. Who’s selling?”
“I am. I want to put my penthouse on the market.”
“Really? I thought that was your dream house.”
“It was, when I bought it. My d
reams have changed since then.”
Bryan chuckles. “So what do your dreams entail now?”
“A three or four bedroom house. Nothing too huge, but with a nice view, and close to UCLA.”
I snap my head around, as the implications of what Aiden is saying registers.
“I’m on it. What price range are you thinking?” My ears hear Bryan ask but I’ve stopped paying attention to the conversation that involves numbers and logistics. My mind is stuck at the white picket fence house with the view, as hopes and dreams take flight in my heart.
THIRTY-SEVEN
ALEAH
I check my dress in the mirror one last time, before I head downstairs. Aiden told me he’s taking me to a surprise romantic dinner. As usual, he didn’t tell me much more than to dress nicely. Knowing we haven’t had a carefree romantic evening together in a while, I took a little extra time with my hair and makeup today. I really wanted to make myself look beautiful for Aiden. As I look in the mirror, I smile. I think Aiden will like the sexy number I’m wearing.
I take the elevator down to the lobby and watch his eyes get big with desire and so much more, as I walk out. He’s holding a single red rose in his hand with a box of the same type of chocolates he gave me when he took me to our first date. I walk slowly up to him and wrap my arms around his neck to give him a head spinning kiss before he has a chance to open his mouth.
“Wow. You look like a goddess and you kiss like one. What was that for?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Just for being you.”
His wide smile is the best sight I’ve seen all day.
We walk to his car hand in hand and he opens the door to usher me in. Then he reaches around to fasten my seat belt, and places a kiss on my temple.
“So I’m taking you to a surprise place and I don’t want you to guess where we’re going until we get there. Do you mind if I place a blindfold on your eyes?”
“Oh, kinky.”
The sound of his loud chuckle warms my heart. “That’s for later, baby. Right now, I just want to make sure you don’t see where we’re going.”
Butterflies start roaming in my stomach as he puts the blindfold on and walks to the other side. My mind goes into detective mode to try to figure out what this could be about. There are hundred scenarios running through my brain, but none compare to the reality when we get there. He takes my hand and leads me up a steep walkway.
“We’re already here. Why can’t I take this thing off?” I pout.
“We’re almost here. You’ll have to wait a couple more minutes.”
I’m dying to know where we are, and try to listen carefully to my surroundings to see if I can guess, but my mind comes up empty. We have walked for about ten minutes when he finally turns me around in his arms and slowly lifts the blindfold. I turn my head around and immediately recognize the location, as a wide smile crosses my face. We’re standing in one of the terraces in the Griffin Observatory overlooking the romantic city lights.
I wrap my arms around his neck. “You brought me to the place we went to on our first date,” I squeal.
He turns me around slowly to face a sea of people standing a few feet behind us. I’m shocked to see Mia and Andrea in the crowd. Music starts playing right then, and my heart stops beating, as the crowd starts doing a flash mob dance to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You.” I cover my mouth with my hands as tears start flowing down my cheeks. When the last verses of the song come on, Aiden puts his finger under my chin to lift it up ever so slowly. Right then fireworks start going off in the distance. When I realize what they’re spelling, my whole body becomes overcome with emotion. Right before my eyes in sparking letters made of fireworks the words “Will you marry me, Aleah?” are spelled.
My hands start trembling as the intensity of the moment hits me. Waves of exhilaration crash through my body. I can’t believe my eyes. I’m so overcome with emotion that I become momentarily unaware of my surroundings. I don’t even notice Aiden kneeling down on one knee in front of me until he grabs my hand. My face instantly turns to him as the music stops and he starts talking.
“It was almost exactly one year ago that we came here on our very first date. I never would have imagined then what a crazy tough and amazing ride the next year would be. I never thought I would be so lucky to have you standing next to me here again in a year. You’ve given me so much in the past year. You’ve shown me what true love and royalty is. You’ve revealed to me what it’s like to fully trust someone. And you’ve taught me about forgiveness and selflessness. You make me want to be a better man just to be deserving of your love. A year ago, I was staunchly against long term commitment. Now I can’t imagine living my life without you… You’ve already made my life so happy. Will you let me spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me? Will you be my wife?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” I squeal. I don’t even wait for him to put the ring on my finger. I collapse on the floor in front of him and crash my lips to his.
And the significance of the moment makes the rest of the world fade away.
I forget that we’re in a public place surrounded by a lot of people. In my world, it’s just me and him and the promise of a lifetime of happiness. I get so lost in the kiss that Aiden has to pull back and hold me steady so I don’t fall back into his arms. He places a tender kiss on my finger before pulling out a box from his pocket and placing the most gorgeous diamond ring I have ever seen on my finger.
I look up and it is only then that I notice the enthusiastic applause and the hollering around us. Seeing so many people take part in our special moment brings a huge smile to my face. Aiden helps me stand up and gently turns me around to face my mom. She wraps her arms around me and weeps tears of joy. My dad and my brothers, Shervon, and Shane, who recently finished his rehab successfully, step forward to congratulate me, and in that moment surrounded by friends and family and standing next to the love of my life, I know that my life is complete.
THIRTY-EIGHT
AIDEN
Aleah and I walk into the law firm exhausted from a long night of late night celebrations with friends and family, followed by an all-night love making at home. Even though our bodies are exhausted, our hearts are so full that we have the biggest smiles on our faces.
I trace the outline of her engagement ring with my fingers, and revel in the certainty that no matter what happens today, my life is full. Even if I don’t get a penny from Grandpa’s estate, I still have everything I need in my life.
Steve and Lou meet us in the reception area, and Lou’s eyes immediately travel to Aleah’s ring.
His face lights up into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen him wear. “Is that what I think it is?”
Aleah’s smile is priceless as she answers him positively. He wraps his arms around her in a tight hug and I have to remind myself that he’s like a father figure to her to hold back my feelings of jealousy.
After greetings and congratulations are exchanged, we’re ushered into a conference room with a large screen. They ask us to sit in the chairs directly facing the screen, and dim the lights. The new arrangement makes me uneasy. Aleah exchanges a look with me to let me know she is puzzled by this set up too, when Steve starts.
“We’ll start today’s meeting with a video. This is a private video for the two of you, so we’ll be leaving the room in a minute. We’ll come back in ten minutes when it is finished.”
With that Steve presses play and walks out of the room, leaving Aleah and I in the room by ourselves. Grandpa’s image fills the screen then and all other thoughts escape my mind.
“Aleah, Aiden–if you’re watching this video, that means Aiden has successfully finished all of the challenges and the two of you are together as a couple. I can’t tell you how much the mere prospect of this scenario makes me happy… Aleah, from the first time I met you, I noticed a concealed spark in you, a fire deeply buried that needed to be fanned, and I realized I had seen that somewhere else before. Your eyes immediately
reminded me of Aiden, making me question if the two of you were kindred spirits. The thought seemed crazy, at first. Outwardly, you and Aiden could not seem more different, but when I looked beneath the surface, I saw the similarities. From that first day, my heart told me that the two of you belong together. That thought was confirmed as soon as I saw you two interact with each other. I knew then that I would have to play my part in bringing the two of you together. It is my biggest dream and highest wish in these last few weeks of my life that the plan I have devised works in bringing you together. Aiden, Aleah is the sweetest most intelligent pure hearted young woman I’ve ever seen. If I had thought of the perfect woman for you, I couldn’t have come up with a better person. Aleah, Aiden is the most loyal, loving, and mature kid I know, and I’m sure going through the experiment has helped him become even a better man. The two of you are perfect for each other, and nothing makes me happier to know that you are together… Aiden, when I sat down to decide what to do with my money, I knew I couldn’t split it up between my kids. I let my money screw up my family enough during my life. I don’t want it to continue messing up with their heads. The only person I could think that might have a vision to use the money for a purpose was you. But I knew there are many important lessons for you to learn before you could handle such a large sum of money. That is why I devised the experiment and made you go through with it. Aiden, Aleah, congratulations! The money is yours. Make the best of it. Now go out there and change the world. You’re destined for it.”
Moisture pools in my eyes at Grandpa’s words. I look over and see a stream of tears flowing down Aleah’s cheeks. I gently wipe them off, before placing a tender kiss on her temple.
Lou and Steve walk in then, followed by a group of men, Steve introduces as the review committee selected by Grandpa to review and assess my efforts and accomplishments during the experiment.
“Congratulations, Aiden,” one of the older guys starts, when they are all seated. “You did phenomenally well. We have gone over reviews and feedbacks from everyone you worked with in the last year and everyone had nothing but praise for you. Though there were some instances where you broke the rules, we have reviewed those carefully and decided that in light of everything else that you accomplished this year, they could be overlooked. Based on our assessment, you are entitled to the full remainder of Mr. Pierson’s estate, currently valued at one point nine billion dollars. Along with the money, you are also offered an opportunity to take the helms of either Pierson Investments or the Pierson Foundation. The Board of Directors of each organization will have to approve your placement, but you will be highly recommend to either one you choose. You have one week to decide if you want to accept one of these offers. Do you have any questions?”
Redeeming Love (Resilient Hearts #2) Page 25