by Ivy Layne
Seeing his great aunt was in no real distress, Aiden came up beside me, sliding his arm around my waist. He dropped his head to place a kiss on my cheek and whispered, “Missed you.”
Revenge on Amelia suddenly seemed unimportant. I went up on my toes and pressed a kiss to his lips, murmuring against them, “Missed you, too.”
From across the room, Amelia barked, “Don’t you ignore me.”
I didn’t know which of us she was talking to, and I didn’t care. Gage rounded the table to see the rubber snake on the chair, shook his head, and with a laugh said to his great aunt, “What did you do?”
“What did I do? She—she—”
“Are you saying Violet put the snake on your chair?” Aiden asked, his eyes twinkling but his face deadly serious. “Violet? Did you do this?”
I pulled away from Aiden and strode around the table to stand beside Gage. Pretending to study the snake on Amelia’s chair I said consideringly, “You know, it does look an awful lot like the snake I found under my pillow last night when I went up to bed. Except, I put that snake in the closet. I have no idea how it could have gotten down here. Curious.”
Gage scooped up the snake and tossed it across the table to Aiden, who reached up to pluck it out of the air. He gave it a good look, turning it over in his hands. “Realistic. And heavy.” To Amelia, he said, “That’s twice. First the shortbread and now Violet got you with your own prop. I think it’s a sign.”
“A sign I need to step up my game,” Amelia muttered under her breath.
“It was pretty good, actually,” I said. “You almost had me there for a minute.”
“You didn’t scream,” Amelia said, clearly disappointed.
I shrugged a shoulder and smiled in genuine amusement. “Maybe next time.”
“There’s not going to be a next time,” Aiden pronounced. “Right, Amelia? We’re not trying to run Violet out of the house.”
“Is that the same snake you used on Mrs. W? The one you put in with the root vegetables in the cellar?” Gage asked.
“No, that one is long gone,” Aiden said.
I thought I heard Amelia say something like, “I know where to get another one,” but I wasn’t going to call her out. The whole snake under the pillow thing might have been funny if it hadn’t been my pillow.
I stepped away, about to cross the room to Aiden when Gage’s hand closed around my arm. In a low voice meant for my ears alone, he said, “I talked to Annalise this afternoon. I’ll tell him. Tomorrow.”
I nodded once. “Thank you.”
Gage let go of my arm and I walked away, wondering if he was warming up to me. He hadn’t had to set my mind at ease, and it was nice of him to bother. Still, it wasn’t like he’d welcomed me with open arms. The night before at dinner, he’d poked at me the entire meal, staying just on the right side of good manners, but pushing me nonetheless. If he was treating Chase well, I’d let it go.
After the snake incident, the denizens of Winters House seemed to accept me as one of their own. Amelia, rather than trying another prank, sidled up to me one afternoon when I was using Aiden’s desk in his office and showed me a catalog of fake insects. They were alarmingly realistic. Apparently, my pranking her back had convinced Aunt Amelia she had a fellow troublemaker in the house.
I might have suggested something about cockroaches in Gage’s sock drawer. I’d definitely told Amelia if she put a single bug in Mrs. W’s kitchen I’d rat her out in a heartbeat. Amelia had admitted she was banned from pranking Mrs. W.
Aiden loved his great aunt, but he also loved Mrs. W. The bullion in the shower incident had been a step too far, even for his indulgence.
I’d been at Winters House a full two weeks, no closer to making up with my brother or finding a job. I’d gone on another two interviews, neither of which had been promising. One asked me back for a second interview but offered a salary too low for my experience. The other hadn’t been a good fit, the job more limited than what I wanted and the benefits minimal.
I was in the library with Annalise going over ideas for flower placement during the ceremony when Aiden came in brandishing a piece of cream linen resumé paper.
Shoving the page in my face, Aiden demanded, “Violet, why did I find your résumé on my printer?”
I took the paper from him and scanned it before setting it down beside me. “Thank you. The printer was taking too long to warm up. I was going to go back for it later.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Why are you printing out your résumé?”
Giving him a long look, I said slowly, “Because I’m looking for a job. I always email it in with my application, but it’s good form to bring a copy with me to the interview.”
“Don’t be a smart ass,” he said. “I can find you a job.”
I gave in to the urge to roll my eyes but resisted the smile that wanted to crack across my face at Annalise’s laugh. Patiently, I said, “I’m aware of that. I don’t want you to get me a job, Aiden. I can get my own job.”
“It would be easier if you’d just let me take care of it,” he said.
I took a deep breath, pushing back the sarcastic comment that wanted to jump from my mouth. “Has it ever occurred to you that your life would be a lot more relaxing if you stopped trying to take care of everything for everyone?”
Annalise snorted a laugh and said under her breath, “That’ll be the day.”
Aiden gave her a disgruntled look and said, “Stay out of this. You’re a pain in my ass, and you’re Riley’s problem now.”
“I’ll always be your problem,” Annalise said affectionately. “But I’ll get out of your way.” With a sympathetic glance in my direction, she left the library, closing the door behind her.
When we were alone, Aiden said, “This isn’t necessary, Violet. I thought you were going back to school. I told you I’d set up an appointment with the graduate admissions counselor—”
“And I told you,” I said, standing and crossing my arms over my chest, “that I didn’t want you to do that. I haven’t decided about school yet. I’m still thinking about it.”
“You’ve been thinking about it for the last few years,” Aiden countered. “It won’t take much to get you enrolled in the MBA program at Emory. If you want a job, I’ll find something you can do part-time.”
“You’re not listening to me. I don’t want an MBA. I’m looking at the accountancy program at UGA. They have one of the best programs in the country, and their rate of graduates who pass the CPA exam the first time is excellent. Plus, they have a concentration in data analysis that’s really interesting—”
“Athens is too far away,” Aiden argued.
“It’s a little over an hour. And MARTA has a bus. I haven’t checked the times, I don’t know if it would line up with my class schedule, but I probably wouldn’t even have to drive.”
“You are not taking public transportation.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not asking your permission,” I said, my voice perfectly calm when what I really wanted to do was ball my résumé up and throw it in his face.
“Violet, you’re being unreasonable. An MBA with an accounting concentration is more versatile and—”
“Aiden. Stop.”
His look of surprise was almost comical. Not many people told Aiden Winters ‘No’ when he was giving orders. Before he could get going again, I tried to explain.
“I’m not being unreasonable, and you’re still not listening. I know you’re used to organizing everyone’s life, but I don’t want you to organize mine.”
“I’m not trying to organize your life, I just want things to be easier for you.”
“Aiden, I need you to understand. I’ve spent most of my life doing what I was told because someone else thought it was best for me. Doing what was best for me left me standing in a gas station in the middle of the night calling Chase for help because I was jobless, homeless, and one of our father’s friends almost raped me. And do you know
what I learned from that? I learned that I can’t trust anyone to know what’s best for me. I’m the only one who knows what’s best for me.”
“Was playing corporate spy and getting caught your idea of what’s best for you? Because if—”
“No, of course, not. I made a mistake. I’m going to make mistakes. But they’ll be my mistakes. And when I get a job, or finish school, that will be mine too. Mine, because I earned it, not because someone smoothed the way for me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, Violet.”
“I don’t need any help,” I said in a near shout.
“Really? From where I’m standing, you’re still unemployed and homeless.”
That struck me right in the gut. The blood drained from my cheeks leaving me abruptly cold. Nausea rolled, and I stepped back, looking for escape.
“That’s not fair.” Even to me the words sounded childish.
“Life isn’t fair, Violet.”
“I’m aware of that,” I said, suddenly exhausted. I was very aware how unfair life was. Sometimes it threw you bounty you hadn’t earned. And sometimes you worked your ass off and got served shit.
Life wasn’t fair, but was it too much to expect Aiden to be?
He pressed harder. “There’s nothing wrong with using what advantage you have to make things easier.”
I was beating him over the head and he still didn’t get it. “I’m not arguing against asking for help. But you’re not waiting for me to ask. You’re just telling me what to do.”
“Because I’m right, and you don’t know what you want. I’m trying to give you direction.”
I’d heard those words before. Hearing my father’s criticism coming from Aiden was too much.
“Did you decide to take my father’s advice? Are you trying to give me a firm hand? Some guidance? You can go to hell.”
It was Aiden’s turn to go pale. His cheeks went grey under his tan. His eyes were stricken when he said, “Violet, that’s not what I meant.”
“That’s what it sounded like,” I said, quietly, too drained to raise my voice. “And I’m done with that. If you just want me to be an extension of you, to do what I’m told and let you make all the decisions, then this isn’t going to work. I don’t want to live like that.”
I didn’t want to hear any more excuses. I needed some air.
A minute alone.
A break.
Pushing past Aiden, I stalked from the library, blinking against a sudden rush of tears. The last thing I wanted was to be caught crying in the middle of the hall. A hand closed around my elbow, pulling me backward into a dark room.
The light flicked on and I saw floor to ceiling racks of wine behind glass doors, discrete gold locks built into the handles. A square island in the center of the room with a black granite top. And Aiden, turning the bolt of the heavy wooden door, locking us in.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Violet
“What are you doing?” I asked, momentarily struck dumb. I’d been trying to get away from him. How had we ended up locked in a tiny room together?
The determination on his face answered that question. Because Aiden wasn’t done talking, that’s how.
“There’s no privacy in this house. Unlike the rest of them, I’m smart enough to remember to lock the door.”
“Let me go. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
“Not until you hear me out.”
“I think I’ve heard enough of what you have to say.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Aiden—”
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I wasn’t listening. I was treating you like a problem to solve. I don’t want you to be an extension of me. I want you to be you.”
“You have to let me make my own decisions,” I said quietly. “I need to figure this stuff out for myself.”
“I know.” Aiden took a step forward, backing me into the island, his hips pinning me in place. He ran his hands down my arms and dropped his forehead to mine. At the contact, he let out a long breath, just standing there, holding me, saying nothing. After a long moment, he stepped back.
“You have to understand. I’ve been taking care of my family since I was twenty. My parents were gone. My aunt and uncle had been dead since I was a kid. It was all on me. The company, the kids. I was trying to convince the board I could take over for my father and helping Annalise and Vance with their college applications. Taking Tate to get braces. Sitting up all night getting puked on when Charlie had the flu. I was scared out of my mind, and the only way I got through it was to convince everyone I knew exactly what I was doing. Especially myself. I couldn’t stop to doubt or I’d lose my nerve. Eventually, I guess I convinced myself I really did know everything.”
“Oh, Aiden.” I reached for him, my heart breaking at the thought of him carrying so much on his own.
Aiden raised a hand to ward me off. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. That’s not it. I’m trying to tell you, I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never done it before.”
“Done what?”
“This.” He gestured with his hand between us.
“A relationship? You were married.”
“She was never a partner, Violet. She was happy to let me set the agenda as long as I signed the checks.”
“I don’t want you to take care of me, Aiden.” I reached for him again, catching his hand in mine. He let me pull him closer. “I just want to be with you.”
“I want to be with you too,” he said.
“I don’t want to be just another thing for you to take care of, Aiden. I don’t want to be a line item on your to-do list.”
“I don’t know how to sit back and let you struggle when I can make it easier for you,” he admitted.
I let go of his hand and hooked my fingers in his belt, tugging him close enough to wrap my arms around his waist.
Resting my cheek against his chest, feeling the thump of his heartbeat through his dress shirt, I let out a deep sigh.
“I need you to try,” I said. “The way you take care of your family, of the people who matter to you, is one of the things I love about you, Aiden. It means everything to know that if I need you, all I have to do is ask. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to do this on my own.”
He rested his cheek on the top of my head, his arms around my shoulders, the tension draining from his body.
“I can try. I promise I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask. If it helps, I’ve never done this before either.”
Aiden raised his head and leaned back, holding me against him, studying my face. “I know I’m not the first man you’ve been involved with.”
“No, you’re not the first. But it’s never been like this before. No one’s ever mattered like this before.”
He traced the curve of my lower lip with his fingertip. “Scared?”
“Terrified.” I tasted his skin against my mouth.
Dropping his hands, he gathered the fabric of my skirt and hiked it above my hips. Cool air slid over my skin as he lifted me and set me on the island, making space for himself between my spread legs.
“So am I,” he admitted. “I’m in love with you. I think I fell in love with you that day in my office when I hired you as my assistant. You were so cool, like ice, but underneath I could tell you wanted to tell me to go to hell. I’d never wanted a woman like I wanted you. I figured I’d fuck you and then fire you.”
The abrupt vulgarity startled a laugh out of me. “Lovely,” I said. “But I figured that part out in the interview.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his dark eyes hot and a little hesitant. “I knew that too. And I never saw it coming. We were playing a game, playing each other, and then you were the last thing I thought about at night and the only person I wanted to see first thing in the morning. You’re sharp as hell, and sarcastic, and funny, and a stone-cold bitch when y
ou need to be. You’re so fucking gorgeous I can have you all night and still not want to let you out of bed in the morning. And I’m scared to death I’m going to fuck this up and lose you.”
“Aiden, I love you, too. You’re not going to lose me.”
“You don’t know what it’s like. Not yet. My family is huge and nosy. If they aren’t poking around in my business, it’s the media looking for dirt. I work too much. I’m overbearing, and I’m used to getting my way.”
“I know all that, and I’m still here. I love you. You, Aiden. Not your family, or your name, or your money. I love you. I love the way you kiss and I love watching movies with you. I love dancing with you and talking to you, and when I make you smile I feel like I’ve touched the sun. I just need you to let me be a partner. I don’t want to be one more burden. You carry too much already.”
“You could never be a burden, Violet. I love you. I love you until it makes me crazy. You can trust me.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone I trust as much as I trust you,” I said, hearing the tremor in my voice. It was true, and I think that scared me as much as loving him. The only other person I’d ever trusted this much was my brother. Thinking about him didn’t exactly build my confidence.
Aiden’s lips brushed the hinge of my jaw, hovering over the tender skin before he lightly bit the side of my neck, sending shivers all the way to my toes. He ran his hands down my sides and I knew what he wanted. Bracing myself on my elbows, I raised my hips off the granite countertop, letting him push up my skirt and slide the scrap of lace beneath down my legs. The stone was cold against my heated skin.
My arms holding me up, my legs spread wide to Aiden’s hungry gaze, all I could do was lay there and watch him. He moved slowly, so slowly it was torture waiting for him to touch me. One by one, he slid the pearl buttons of my blouse open, the thin silk falling away to reveal pale gray lace that matched the thong he’d shoved in his pocket.
A guttural groan rumbled in his throat. His fingers shook as he hooked them in the cups of my bra and yanked the lace beneath my breasts. They were heavy enough, full enough, to hold it there, my flesh spilling out into his hands. I felt like a virgin sacrifice, body on offer, ready and willing to be taken.