Cora watched her nephew climbing the cushions, hoping he didn’t fall. She’d been around him enough at family dinners and the few times her sister allowed her to babysit to know he was a freaking monkey. At least the cushions were soft. “I have a house full of crazy kids.”
“Your sis is over?”
“Nope.” Cora watched her nephew bulldoze the cushions and then jump on them as if they were lily pads. Julia was quietly coloring a drawing in her book while lying on the floor. She missed the paper a few times and colored the hardwood floors instead. Nothing a little cleaner couldn’t fix. “I volunteered to babysit this morning so Cass and hubby could have a brunch date.”
“How nice for them,” Presley replied. “And how nice of you.”
A sudden head popped up in front of Cora, and she laughed as her other niece was making funny faces at her. The seven-year-old brunette with the cute curls looked and acted more like Cora than she did Cassandra.
Poor Cassandra was in for it when her daughter became a teenager.
Cora said into the phone, “After the kiddos leave, I plan to go shopping. Wanna come?”
“Buying something sexy?” Presley asked.
“Well, of course.” Cora stuck her tongue out at Hannah. Her niece gave a full-out belly laugh. Nothing matched the laughter of a child—so sweet and pure, it made Cora laugh, too. She said to Presley, “I’ll come get you at three, okay?”
“Sounds good. See ya later.”
“Bye.” Cora clicked the off button on the phone and returned it to the coffee table. She smiled at Hannah. “Yes, were you trying to get my attention?”
Hannah bounced up and down. “Can you do my makeup again?” Her light brown innocent eyes, surrounded by thick lashes, peered up at Cora. “Mommy never lets me.”
She tapped Hannah’s button nose. “When you are here, you can do anything you want.”
“I love you, Aunty Cora,” Hannah exclaimed.
Cora knelt down and hugged her. She had always wanted children, and thought she’d be a fun mom. Though how could she dream of that now? She was in love with a man who couldn’t possibly give her a future. Still, she had many childbearing years ahead of her, and she held out hope that one day Aidan would forget the past and live in the present.
In his own time …
She leaned away from Hannah. “I love you, too.” Gathering the young girl in her arms, Hannah giggled as Cora stood. “Let’s go get into the makeup and make Mommy really mad.”
Chapter Five
Blocks away from the famous Fremont Street, Aidan swiveled in his chair to face the large windows on his right. He leaned against the backrest, lacing his fingers behind his head. The sun burned brightly, and Aidan was glad to be in his office, surrounded by air-conditioning. The afternoon sun looked scorching hot.
He stared out into the dry Vegas desert, preferring the scenic view as opposed to the Vegas strip. His father, Edward Knight, owned the office building where his law firm was located.
One day the building would belong to Aidan.
He’d never questioned following in his father’s footsteps, nor was he ever undecided that he’d practice in his father’s firm after law school. Now, after his father’s retirement last year, Aidan took control of the firm.
Those five years they’d worked closely together had been good memories. Aidan had learned all he could from the man he greatly respected, and he had enjoyed working side by side. Vegas lawyers feared and admired his father. Aidan strived to leave a similar imprint in his few short years. He was proud to be Edward Knight’s son, and he had no doubt his father was equally proud of him.
He stared out at the mountains and smiled. He didn’t live in Sin City for the casinos or the party atmosphere. While he’d grown up in Vegas and enjoyed the nightlife in his twenties, he stayed in Vegas for that view.
Nothing beat the Vegas desert.
A sudden dinging of his computer had him turning to his thick, dark oak desk. He looked at his computer screen, noticing a telephone call coming through on Skype. He clicked the accept button, and immediately his parents’ faces appeared on the screen.
“Aidan, are you there?” His mother, Laurie, leaned in closer to the webcam. Her thin nose became the focal point of Aidan’s view. Her dark brown eyes searched the screen as if she would find him in it.
He chuckled and clicked on his webcam. “Hello, Mother.”
“Oh, there you are.” She smiled, flashing white teeth and leaning back to show his dad, who was sitting next to her.
His father waved. “Hello, Son.”
Both of them looked tanned and vibrant, no doubt from their latest European cruise. While his father’s oval face held more wrinkles than his mother’s, due to a little help from his mom’s plastic surgeon, both appeared to look ten years younger than the early sixties that they were.
“How are you?” Aidan asked.
His father squinted, his light brown eyes searching over Aidan’s shoulder. “Is that your bookcase behind you?” He frowned. “You’re not at work, are you?”
Aidan raked his fingers through his hair. “Just for a little bit.”
“Go home right now,” his mother chastised. “It’s Saturday.”
“I plan to soon,” he said, to placate her.
His father might have worked hard, but his mother had kept him in line and his priorities straight. She’d always reminded Aidan as a child how important family was. She also told her husband often that his schedule was nine to five, and that he was expected home promptly after. His dad managed to keep those hours, utilizing superior organization and delegation skills.
Edward never broke his promise to be home on time, because he had a large staff who helped to carry the workload for him. The most important lesson Aidan had learned from his parents: Lots of money was great, but if you have no life to enjoy, what’s the point?
His parents were wealthy. They were smart with their money, knew how to invest, and bought real estate. But his father had never worked so much that they forgot what was important in life—your family, and not the material things. They had a marriage Aidan respected. And his mother was the most caring stay-at-home mother, the type of mom who always had fresh cookies for him when he got off the school bus.
“Soon as in you came in to get something and are leaving?” his father asked. “Or is this now a habit of yours to work on weekends?”
“Big case next week—just did some prep to get ahead of the game.” He rested his elbows on the edge of the desk. “I’m going for a run this afternoon.”
“Good for you,” his mother said. “You look healthy and fit.” She leaned farther into the webcam as if to regard him. “How are things besides work?”
“Never better.” He hesitated, pondering what to say next. Christ, he had nothing to talk to his parents about. No exciting news. His parents would not understand his lifestyle choices—they knew nothing of his interest in BDSM and the dungeon. Of course, they would do their best to be supportive, but that conversation was not one Aidan ever wanted to endure.
At his silence, his father asked, “What’s been keeping you busy?”
“I’ve been climbing a lot,” Aidan said, stretching out his legs beneath his desk. “We’ve had good weather.”
His mother shook her head, dismayed. “I don’t know why you go up and down those cliffs. It’s so dangerous.”
“It’s safe, Laurie,” his father interjected. “He’s all harnessed up.”
“Well, I worry, Edward.” She glared at her husband. “He is my only child. I don’t want him hurting himself.”
Aidan stayed silent, watching his parents bicker, as they always did. But it was a beautiful thing, really. They were both strong people, with strong opinions. Though they respected each other and even if a conversation became heated at times, it always ended with a kiss.
His mother finally looked to Aidan. “Any new ladies in your life?”
“No news on that front,” he replied.
His mother’s voice softened. “It’s been a long time, Aidan.”
He didn’t need a reminder that it’d been a long time since Lily had died. He felt her absence every damn day. Though what his mother didn’t know was that he got everything he needed in the dungeon with Cora.
Aidan missed the man he was with Lily—carefree and content. He longed for the life he had with her. How happy she made everyone that was in her presence. How happy she made him.
Now he had returned to the man he was before Lily. Yet somehow even he knew how much he had changed since her. He had a small moment of heaven once, and now a dark cloud had settled over his day-to-day routine
How could a man touch an angel and then be asked to forget about her?
He couldn’t.
Aidan wondered at times if he was being punished. Had he done something to deserve a taste of heaven, only for a moment, when others had a lifetime together? He sighed. “Yes, Mother, I’m aware how long it’s been.”
So many things he regretted, but his biggest regret of all: not proposing to Lily. He wondered if Lily truly knew what she had meant to him. Even if he’d told her he loved her, they were young when they started dating.
He hadn’t been given enough time to go down that road. In fact, he’d been too busy with his career, trying to build the perfect life for her. He had become comfortable. He thought he had forever.
Aidan had never been so wrong.
His mother smiled softly. “You know, I hear this online dating is a hot, new thing.” His father frowned. She gave him a dismissing flick of her hand. “Perhaps you should give that a go.”
“Perhaps,” Aidan replied. He preferred to agree instead of continuing with this conversation. He had Cora. What they had worked. He didn’t want to date. “Tell me about Europe.”
“It’s beautiful, Son,” his mother replied, fluffing up her light blond hair with silver highlights. “We’re thinking of staying for a while after the cruise is done. Could you come for a visit?”
Aidan nodded. “Get roots set down and I’ll make it happen.”
His father gave him a stern look. “That would make your mother very happy.”
Aidan chuckled. So his mother had been talking about missing him for a while, had she? He thought over what to stay next, but fell short. He remembered times when he and Lily would chat to his parents over Skype on their travels, and Lily would talk to his mother for an hour.
Lily had been a talker; so was his mother.
By the end of the conversation, both he and his father had said all of ten words. And Aidan hadn’t minded. He loved listening to Lily speak and watching her smile. His parents had loved her, too.
“All right,” he said with tightness in his chest. “Enjoy the rest of your cruise. Drop me a line when you’re at the next port.”
“Of course,” his mother replied. “We love you, Son.”
“Be safe,” Aidan replied.
His father gave his typical nod goodbye and crisp smile. Then Aidan ended the Skype call and sat back in his chair. He glanced across his desk to the picture of Lily by the telephone. So much had changed since her. She had been the center of his life, the sweetest and purest part of his world, and that had been ripped away. With her, his days had been full and his life had been happy.
Things were different now, even he knew that. He worked, he played in the dungeon, he climbed mountains. Before, with Lily, he had the world at his fingertips. He had it all. But that life died with Lily.
Though he did have Cora, and she brought him something different. She had reminded him to wake up every day, and gave him something to look forward to on the weekends. She had that sassy smile. Her quick wit amused him. Her submission drove him crazy.
Two lives, totally different—yet both belonged to him.
With thoughts of Cora and all that she’d given to his life, he couldn’t stand feeling that she was hurting. How he felt now had reminded him of his pain; it horrified him to think she could feel such dark emotions.
Cora was too good. Her soul too kind. She didn’t deserve it.
He had to fix this.
“Affidavits are all done.”
Aidan glanced up as his legal assistant, Ella Snow, entered his office with a folder in her hands. At twenty-six years old, she had a quiet reserve to her. She had an old soul. Her flowered sundress looked as though it has been plucked right out of the fifties, and Aidan had never seen her in modern clothing.
The look suited her.
She had unique eyes—sometimes they were blue, other times they looked green, depending on what color she wore. Her long light hair was always styled, usually in some type of a braid. As she reached his desk, he accepted the folder. “Thanks for coming in today.”
She smiled, and it didn’t mask that something haunted lay in their depths. “It’ll make my Monday easier.” She shrugged, which bounced the fishtail braid on her shoulder. “Besides, I had nothing planned.”
That was a damn shame, as Aidan knew Ella had no family. From what she had told him, her parents died in a plane crash when she was seven years old. Raised by her grandparents, she had eventually lost them, too, from old age.
When she applied for the position at his firm three months ago, her résumé had been solid, and her recommendation letter from her previous employer impressed Aidan. He hadn’t gone wrong hiring her. He didn’t know what he did to deserve Ella. She was originally a Southern belle, and he was damn glad she’d moved to Vegas.
Her work ethic had him doubling her salary after the first month. Now that he had her working directly for him, he couldn’t ever lose her. She never hesitated with his requests. She never took no for an answer when dealing with other lawyers or other issues.
She got the job done.
A lesson that Aidan had learned from his father: Find a good employee, pay them what they’re worth.
He almost wished he could do more for her. Sometimes he wanted to invite her to his casual functions, but he didn’t mix pleasure with business. Considering his lifestyle, he kept the two worlds far apart. He liked Ella and felt a brotherly affection toward her. After a month, he’d stopped asking her what she planned for her weekends, since it seemed she never had much going on.
He reached into his desk and pulled out the company credit card. “You’ll need to look sharp for court this coming week. We’re going up against Samantha Green.” He offered her the card. “Go shopping.”
She rolled her eyes but accepted the card. They’d already had that argument about her attempts to refuse him. He’d won, of course. She folded her arms. “You don’t have to keep sending me out to buy clothes. I can purchase them myself.”
“Why would you? It’s on the company’s tab.” And it’s all I can do to ensure someone is doing something nice for you. “We need you to look your best, so get your hair and nails done, too.”
She frowned. “Is that really necessary?”
He smiled. “No, but it’s a fun day out, so I’m told.”
Chapter Six
Cora drove along the Vegas Strip in her red Mini Cooper cabriolet with the top down. The warmth of the sunlight penetrated through her chest, offering up giant doses of vitamin D. The gorgeous, perfect day with white fluffy clouds moved her through the streets. Born and raised in Sin City, she doubted she’d ever leave.
Vegas had been, and always would be, home.
The retail therapy with Presley and her morning with the kids had made her day. She felt more like herself. She was in control. She was happy, and that was a welcomed relief. Intense moments in the dungeon could take her a day or so to recover from. Now last night’s debacle was free from her mind and she looked forward to tonight with Aidan.
No talking about feelings. All action. That was her motto.
Once she reached the end of the Strip, she turned left and headed onto the back roads. The warm, dry breeze swept through her car and fluttered her hair. She tapped her finger against the steering wheel, far too aware that he’d wonder over her actions last night.
He’d want an explanation.
Maybe that’s what made him such a good Dom.
Cora had mulled it over all morning and she had yet to come up with a solid excuse to backpedal out of the hot seat. What could she possibly tell him? She liked to play. She had nothing to talking about.
Things were fine.
Of course, she could tell him the truth, but where would that get them? Force Aidan to face his pain? Make him feel horrible things from his past? Take away the one thing that she knew made him happy—her playing with him? She’d seen Aidan when she first joined Club Sin—three years after Lily died—he had been so sad then. Now he seemed happy—or as happy as he could be.
He needed more time to recover.
She’d give him that, no matter the cost to herself—it was that simple. Cora was strong, always had been. Now she was being strong for both of them. Sure, she wanted more from him, but she knew better than anyone that people needed time to heal.
The process couldn’t be rushed.
It didn’t matter that five years had passed since Lily’s death—he wasn’t ready. Cora knew that because he wasn’t facing his pain; he was hiding from it. She’d seen in her job the effects that had on a person if they were forced to deal with things they weren’t ready to face.
She didn’t want Aidan to hit rock bottom. She wanted to support him.
As she took another hard left into the East Silverado Ranch Boulevard, Cora sang along to the soft rock music blaring through her speakers. No one needed to tell her that her voice was not American Idol quality—she knew her pitch wasn’t perfect and she didn’t give one flying flip.
She spotted her redbrick bungalow on the suburban street. The music dulled in her ears and her mouth clamped shut. Her insides quivered as she squinted at her driveway. The closer she got, the more the thing came into focus.
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