Invidious Betrayal

by Shea Swain

  He understood what she said, as well as what she didn’t say because he felt the exact same way. They both were all wound up. Ian swung his feet around and jumped down, landing on the floor next to the bed. His sudden movements jolted Aria to sit up. She looked at him, her brows wrinkling, probably wondering what the hell he was doing. Ian moved onto the bed beside her, over top of the blanket.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back into his front.

  “I won’t touch you inappropriately, Aria,” he said, feeling her stiffen. “I just need…” How could he tell her that he couldn’t fall asleep unless he felt her next to him? He’d tried to sleep but since the condo he was only able to take mini-naps here and there. Ian needed to feel her warmth, to know she was safe.

  When she relaxed into him he figured it was due to fear and fear alone. Gone were the days when either of them could close their eyes without worrying about what might happen while they slept.

  Ian folded her in his arms, doing his best to keep his body’s urges to himself. It was hard to ignore his imagining the peach nightshirt riding up over her thighs, but at least he tried to ignore it. Her freshly cleaned skin was calling to him. He moved his face into the side of her neck and inhaled deeply.

  “Ian,” Aria said. She breathed more calmly than she had a minute ago. She was more relaxed and that meant more to him than she would ever know. “Where are we going?”

  Ian knew that Aria’s trust in him had been building since he’d carried her out of his uncle’s mansion that night, which seemed to link them—possibly for the rest of their lives. He had proven to them both that her safety was his main concern, so her getting on a train, not knowing where they were going but doing so anyway, validated that trust she put in him. He would do his damndest to maintain that trust, and this closeness she now allowed.

  Aria depended on him to keep her alive and he had made a promise to her father to do just that, but Ian wasn’t just keeping her safe because it was the right thing to do. He was a means to an end to Aria, and that end was her ultimate safety, but to him she was so much more.

  “We can’t trust the people I know or any law enforcement agencies except maybe your father’s. Only Agent Kessler knew where we were going and Jasper showed up. We need to lay low until my father returns or my uncle gives up his obsession with you.” Ian believed the latter would probably prove futile. “I’m taking you to a place I think you’ll be safe.”

  “Do you think your father can help?” she asked. There was both fear and hope in her voice.

  God, he wanted to turn her around and kiss her until her fear melted away. Make love to her until she forgot that they were being hunted. He wanted to tell her that he’d fallen for her the very moment she woke in that motel room, ready to fight him before allowing him the pleasure of consoling her.

  Ian was certain that none of that was going to happen. Aria would never allow him to touch her intimately again and he would never tell her how he felt about her. She didn’t need this, or him, in her life any more than what was necessary. He needed to accept that now.

  “I have no idea, but right now you need sleep and I need to think.” Ian wasn’t sure if they could depend on anyone other than each other at the moment, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.

  It was still dark when Ian slowly became aware of his surroundings, and Aria’s feminine scent had been what woke him. Well, that and the throbbing mass of flesh between his legs. Her soft, curvy bottom was tucked nicely into him, and it was a sensation he knew he would always appreciate. Ian’s hand rested on her flat stomach, so he slowly moved his arm that had held her close while they were sleeping from around her waist. Aria moaned and arched her back, moving her shoulders away from him, but burying her ass into his aching cock. He let out a growl that sounded more animalistic than human as he pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair.

  “Ian?” Aria said groggily. He stiffened and held his breath. “Too tight, can’t breathe.” He loosened his hold, but before he pulled completely away and got out of the bed, she turned over to face him. “Thanks,” she said. Then, to his shock, she moved into him, and nestled her head under his chin as she tucked her body closer.

  Ian groaned, relishing the pleasure of holding her.

  Aria hadn’t jumped from the bed in disgust or pushed him away. That is a plus. Instead she moved closer, and it sounded like she was asleep again. For several minutes, Ian lay motionless in the dark before putting his arm back around her, unsure if she was going to jump up in hysterics. When she made no moves to dislodge herself, he relaxed, then eventually fell back to sleep.

  When Ian woke hours later, it took only a second for him to realize Aria wasn’t beside him. He shot up from the bed, but didn’t take in consideration the space or lack thereof. He fell between the pull-out bed and the shelf/pullout table. Cursing, he managed to maneuver his folded body up and pushed the bed enough to move around it. Just as he reached for the door, it slid open.

  “Goodnight, sleepy head,” Aria said, as she moved around him. She held two covered plates in her hands and two cartons of orange juice under her arm.

  “Morning… I mean, goodnight.” Ian rubbed the top of his head, smothering his anger and concern as he checked his watch. They had about two hours before changing trains.

  Aria cleared her throat.

  Ian looked up and realized that Aria was still standing. “Sorry,” he said. Ian quickly moved to fold the bed up, so Aria could get by. She sat down on the single chair while he transformed the night room back into a day room. With the beds away, Ian was able to unfold the table. He helped her with the food before heading for the bathroom. He went through his morning routine and tried again to push down his unexpected anger.

  How could she leave the room without him, without protection? When he finished and sat down at the table with her, he was sure he looked calm, but he was still fuming underneath. “I promised myself and your father that I would keep you safe. I can’t do that if you don’t stay with me at all times.”

  Aria gave him the most innocent smile he’d ever seen. “You were asleep and I was hungry.” She furrowed her brows. “Was I supposed to starve?”

  “I mean it, Aria,” he bit out. “I need you safe.” Ian glanced at the plate with hot turkey and gravy, potatoes, and green beans in front of him. It actually looked appetizing.

  “Us,” she said, opening her juice. Ian raised his brows, confused. “You said you needed me safe, but what you mean to say is that you need us safe. Me and the baby, right?”

  Ian exhaled as he rolled the straw she’d placed next to his juice back and forth across the small table. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her, but he had to bring some things to light. He looked her in the eyes, so she could see he was serious. “You saw me kill Carlos in your room?” Aria hesitated just a few seconds, then nodded. “And you saw me at the rest stop, so you saw how fast I am. You’ve witnessed this just like I have and you know just like I do that it’s not normal. I’ve thought about it over and over and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s feasible to assume that I am some kind of science experiment. Genetics and chemistry are my uncle’s specialty. That being said, whatever is wrong with me is likely to be passed on to that child.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you, Ian.” Aria took a sip of her juice then began eating her food as if he had said nothing.

  Ian watched her eat for a while before adding, “It may not go to full term and if it does, it may have some abnormalities. I don’t want to put you through that pain. And what if—” Ian looked down, unable to finish. Saying it might make it real, but even as he refused to say it out loud, he was unable to dismiss it from his head. What if this baby killed her like I killed my mother? Ian shut his eyes tightly, took a deep breath and then looked down before he opened them. He couldn’t look at her. “We should take care of it now, Aria, before it’s too late.”

  Aria’s head was t
ilted when he looked back up at her. He watched as she carefully placed her fork back on the plate in front of her. She smiled, but he knew it wasn’t a happy smile. “You weren’t prepared for this—me or this situation. My parents are in a hospital because of…” Aria looked away. She closed her eyes and sighed. When she looked back at him, Ian saw the unshed tears in her eyes. “Look, I didn’t want this but I’m doing my best to accept it. And once I’ve accepted something, I try not to dwell on it if I can’t change it. Yeah…what you can do is…different, but it doesn’t change the person I’m becoming to know. I’m not stupid. This baby may not be yours. Of course if I had a choice,” she sighed. “But it is a part of me and possibly…you and I’m not going to take care of it.” Aria wiped at her eye before a tear fell and shrugged. “I’m not expecting anything from you, Ian, but if you are the father I would like you to know our child. So you have to decide what role, if any, you’d like to play in his or her life, but I would appreciate it if you never bring up taking care of it again, okay?”

  They held each other’s gaze, both of them refusing to look away first. “Ok,” he said, accepting that she was determined.

  “Awesome,” Aria said, then she exhaled and smiled. As if a great weight was lifted off her shoulders.

  It wasn’t big or even genuine but it was telling. Ian couldn’t help but stare at her as she lifted a piece of fruit to her mouth. Aria Cole continued to surprise him at every turn. He was so floored by the way her mind worked and, as he quickly processed her words, she smiled at him again as she lifted an orange slice to her mouth. This smile was genuine.

  A spray of citrus squirted on her face when she bit down on the fruit. Ian lifted his hand to wipe it away, but he thought better of it and stopped inches away from her cheek, then retracted his hand. For a brief moment, Ian thought he saw a trace of disappointment cross her face before she took a tissue and wiped away the juice. When she placed the tissue back in her lap, her smile was gone, but she didn’t look sad either.

  “I called the hospital,” she said, looking up at him. “I used a woman’s phone that was getting off at the last stop. I didn’t tell anyone who I was. I just asked for my mom. It was Harland who picked up the phone when it was transferred to her room. I was afraid to speak. I just wanted to hear her voice, but I guess Harland somehow knew it was me. He told me they were fine, but hung up right away.”

  Thoughts swirled in Ian’s mind as he considered the possible implications. Aria shouldn’t be calling home, but Ian knew she needed to know how her parents were. In the hospital, after her father spoke to them, he’d called Harland in and they came up with a system of communication that would work for everyone. Ian promised that he would keep Aria away until he fixed this mess or the Sheriff was back on his feet. Ian and Harland would communicate by uploading pictures via a social media site using fake names. Harland would post an agreed-upon picture to relay one of several pre-decided messages. Ian would do the same.

  According to Sheriff Cole, Harland was a social media whore who uploaded random pictures all the time, so no one would know the wiser. For example, when either of them posted a picture of a runner crossing a finish line, it was time to come home, or he and Aria were returning because Ian had taken care of the problem. It was what they had all agreed upon. Still he wouldn’t chastise her for wanting to know that her parents were recovering.

  “I’m glad they’re doing well.” Ian told her. That was all he would say on the matter.

  They switched trains in Chicago and spent the rest of their time on the train getting to know one another. They talked about their childhoods in detail. Ian learned that she was an uneasy-clumsy kid who often didn’t accomplish her developmental milestones at the expected times. She came into her own right before she became a teen.

  Aria had chicken pox twice, mumps, and a score of colds but never broke any bones. She’d been stung by a bee and a jellyfish before and admitted that those were worse than getting needles, which she hated.

  As far as Aria knew she was well-liked by everyone, and she explained to Ian how hard it was for her to understand why Gail had done what she did. She had instantly warmed to Gail, though most everyone in town knew a slutty story about her. Aria further explained how she didn’t listen to the gossip and befriended the buxom blonde, even though her friends and father warned her that Gail was bad news.

  Ian told her about his quiet, reserved childhood; that he was considered a smart kid. Where most struggled, academics were a breeze for him. She was shocked to find that he’d finished high school early and that she was talking to a college graduate who dabbled in physics and engineering.

  Ian told her about Richard, his older brother that his parents adopted several years before he was born. Richard was the only one who spoke about their mother to him, but it wasn’t often. Usually Richard would remember something out loud and when Ian inquired, he would elaborate. Other than little tidbits here and there, Ian hadn’t been given much information about the woman who gave birth to him.

  Ian didn’t remember being ill much as a kid, but there was one incident he could recall. When he was ten, he’d gotten deathly ill. No one knew what had made him so sick, not even his uncle, who’d been very successful in producing life-saving drugs. Being a Senator’s son, he’d made the news when he was hospitalized for several days.

  Talking to Aria was effortless and enjoyable.

  After getting off the train later that night, they rented a room in a motel next to the train station. Tired and restless, Aria lay down on the queen-sized bed and thought about all she’d learned about Ian Howl. As she and Ian discussed their respective past experiences, Aria gained an increased respect and growing emotional attachment to him. She also knew that she trusted him. But Ian came with an emptiness inside that he’d pushed so deep down that she wondered if he even knew it was there.

  Ian had told her during the dinner with her family that his father and brother never celebrated his birth. Aria was appalled that a child’s birth would be treated like a death, even with the unfortunate circumstances that haunted Ian’s family.

  Her heart broke for the boy he had been and burned with desire for the man he’d become. He was risking his very life to protect her, and it didn’t seem to faze him at all. Ian was so determined to keep her safe, and he barely knew her. Aria wondered how passionate he would be for a woman he loved.

  Oh, how she wanted to be that woman so badly, but that was crazy.

  Aria sighed. Everything was such a mess and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold it together. Being on a murder list was bad enough but those who wanted her had attacked her parents just to get to her. How was she going to protect a baby from this madness, especially if Ian didn’t want any involvement with it? She had to hold it together because if she didn’t she was sure she would break and no one would be able to put her back together again.

  Ian…what am I going to do about him? If she could only keep herself from falling for him, well completely anyway, things would be better for her when they separated. Aria knew that when her father fully recovered her family would be disappearing without a trace. If she knew her doomsday-prepared father, he would do whatever he could to keep his family safe. If that meant leaving the life they had and never looking back she knew her father would do so with a smile. The problem was that her defenses waned when it came to Ian, so if leaving with her heart intact was the plan, that meant she would need to keep him at a distance.

  That’s what she was thinking when he got in bed beside her and pulled her close last night. She should have stopped him but it felt so good just having him hold her that she didn’t object. They were sleeping together again tonight, spooning. Neither had spoken up when the man at the front desk gave them a room with one bed. Now they lay snuggled together.

  Even though she knew it was not likely to happen, Aria had hoped that when he climbed into the bed next to her tonight that he would really want her and not just her body. She knew Ian was physically at
tracted to her; she could feel the huge bulge in his shorts pressing against her bottom. As much as the thought of being touched by a man again made her skin crawl, the idea of Ian’s touch had the opposite effect. What a contradiction, but it was true. If Aria thought that he could possibly fall in love with her, she would give herself to him right now, without hesitation. But ‘if’ was the biggest small word in the English language, and it sucked.

  To even think of him falling for her after what she’d gotten herself into…it was a fool’s dream. No, she told herself, Ian is destined for some debutante whose parents are rich and well connected, not a girl who hated math and knew nothing about wine or what silverware to use at a dinner party.

  Frustrated with where her thoughts had taken her and tired, Aria wanted her mind to shut down. She wanted to sleep. Just as she was relaxing, Ian tightened his hold around her waist and pulled her closer. He rubbed his face against her hair, until she could feel his breath on her neck. Then Ian positioned his head above hers, close to her ear.

  He whispered, “I’ve never enjoyed speaking to someone so much. Thank you for today. Goodnight, Aria.”

  “Goodnight, Ian,” Aria said quietly. In his arms, she found sleep almost immediately, feeling safe and secure.

  THEY WERE DRESSED, PACKED, AND boarding a bus by noon. Aria was pleasantly surprised that traveling with a man she barely knew wasn’t that bad. The trains and motels weren’t the most spacious and comfortable accommodations, but they made it work. Their destination was ever the mystery but she suspected Ian may be still working it out.

  Aria was constantly thinking of her parents and worrying that Sal or Jasper was going to jump out from nowhere at any moment; but being with Ian made the whole experience bearable. He was interesting, smart, and he listened to her. Most of the guys she knew spoke too much and didn’t listen very well, if they listened at all. Ian was different, and Aria was discovering that she liked different—she liked it a lot.