now.”
There’s soft laughter at the other end of the line. “Then I’ll whip his arse in the morning.”
“Now that I’d pay to see.” After his antics tonight he’s due a whipping.
“I’ll finish up here and come get you.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Feeling uplifted by the prospect of making an early departure, I fix my make-up and do what I can
with my outfit. Ayden will burst a blood vessel when he sees me looking like this; I’m even wearing
shorts! I wash my hands and dry them off but, before I can gather my things, I hear someone entering
the bedroom. It’s Jake.
I take a step backward and hide behind the door, maybe he doesn’t know I’m here? I listen closely.
He’s not alone. Through the crack in the door I catch sight of a red cape. It’s Charlie, she’s come in
here with him for some private time. Shit!
My breathing quickens. How am I going to get out of here with him and Charlie doing the
horizontal tango a couple of feet away? Ayden will arrive in less than twenty minutes and I’m here,
hiding in the en-suite bathroom.
Jake’s clearing the coats off the bed and holding onto a scarf; he’s tying it around Charlie’s eyes
like a blindfold. I can’t stop watching, I’m riveted to the spot. I imagine myself in that position with
Ayden and it’s that recollection that had my inside tingling with sexual fervour.
I hear him giving instructions. His voice is no more than a whisper but I’m close enough to catch it.
“Now lie back. Good. Fold your arms and hold onto the pillow and don’t let go. Good. Are you
ready?”
“Yes.”
My God, I’ve never seen Charlie so passive. He’s bewitched her. I know how that feels, Ayden has
me spellbound with a glance.
Sensing my time has come, gingerly I open the door and tiptoe towards the exit like a toddler
hiding behind their hands: I’m invisible I tell myself. Surely Jake is too absorbed in this amorous
activity to notice me?
I’m wrong. As I pass the bed, he reaches out and grabs my wrist and tugs me towards him. I can see
the two of them on the bed; Charlie is flat on her back, blindfolded, arms bent, hands gripping the
pillow and Jake is fully dressed, straddling her. I try to free my hand. He tightens his grip. Says
nothing.
With his other hand, he begins to undress Wonder Woman, undoing one button at a time on her top,
still keeping his eyes locked on mine. I don’t even try to pull away, it’s impossible. He has me exactly
where he wants me and I’m beginning to feel so aroused that my cheeks are burning and radiating
heat. He’s played this game before, he can read the signs.
My eyes flicker to Charlie, her breasts are heaving, my breasts are heaving. I look back at him and
mime. “Let me go.”
He shakes his head from left to right.
“Please.”
He pulls me closer, low enough to whisper in my ear. I catch his virile scent; it’s the same as
Ayden’s. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, swept away. I feel his breath on my face, steaming hot
and hear his words. “Does this look familiar?”
What!
I am frozen to the spot. I shake my head.
“Are you sure?” he asks, caressing my ear with his lips as he speaks.
I nod, yes.
“It will,” he states, releasing his hold on my wrist but leaving his right arm outstretched like a
spear. A waste of energy, he needs no weapon; his words are lethal and he drew first blood with that
single declaration. “It will.”
He’s right. It does!
I hear my phone vibrating in my bag and shuffle through the contents to switch it off. I close the
door quietly behind me, releasing the stale air from my lungs. What I see causes me to gasp. Ayden is
talking to an attractive brunette who looks as pure as the driven snow in a Princess Leia outfit; she
even has the funny hairstyle. He’s appeared like my knight in shining armour. I’m not fooled by those
dark jeans and navy sweater; beneath that soft fabric is chainmail.
He senses my presence and turns fully in my direction, folding his arms and tipping his head. I
approach him, unfurl his arms and melt into his firm embrace, feeling his soft lips on my hair.
“Hey, there you are. I was about to call Interpol. Are you okay?”
I nod into his chest. “Take me home.” I reach for his hand.
As we prepare to leave, Ayden stops in his tracks. Something or someone has caught his attention
behind me. I turn to see. Coming out of Charlie’s bedroom, the room I just exited, is Jake. He’s
tucking his shirt into his trousers and sliding his hand over his hair.
Shit! This looks bad …
When I look back at Ayden his eyes are alerted to the slightest movement; he’s watching Jake make
his way across the room, putting two and two together and coming up with five.
I give his hand a tug but he releases it and calls Jake over. My heart is in my mouth. “Jake!” The ‘k’
sound leaves his mouth like the jagged edge of a knife. “Like the outfit.”
Jake approaches us. “Yeah. Iconic. A real crowd pleaser.” Jake smiles, seeming very sure of
himself and Ayden plays along.
Me: I’m quietly hyperventilating.
“I wouldn’t know,” is Ayden’s cryptic reply.
The air is stagnating around us, the way it does when a storm is brewing and dark clouds are
forming. I have to intervene before the lightening starts and a crash of thunder breaks the silence.
“Ayden, can we go?”
He turns from me and faces the crowd; people are dancing, drinking, chatting. “Hold on. Maybe we
should stop and have a drink with the birthday girl. It’s only good manners, after all.”
Manners!
“I don’t think she’ll mind if we leave …”
Ayden’s hand finds mine and he leads me over to the dance floor. “Come on. Let’s dance.”
Dance?
“You don’t dance.”
“I do now.”
Thankfully the music has a slow tempo and he pulls me close; I’m grateful for that. At least my
skimpy outfit will not be the topic of conversation for a few minutes longer. How quickly those
minutes pass …
With Jake out of range, he focuses on me, seeming to notice my black wig and make-up for the first
time.
“That’s a new look for you,” he comments, arching a brow.
“Do you like it?”
“No.” A flat smile creases his lips.
“Oh. Well, it’s supposed to be fancy dress. It’s only for tonight. What about the outfit?”
He places his hands on my shoulders and takes a dramatic step back. I feel like I’m being appraised,
being inspected for flaws. He pulls me close. “I had no idea you were intending to wear that. If I had, I
would have employed a bodyguard for you.”
There’s a compliment in there somewhere. A giggle leaves my mouth and I watch him smirk in
response. “I don’t need a bodyguard …”
“No?”
He gives me a stare of such intensity, my heart flutters.
“I beg to differ, Miss Parker.”
I stop moving. “Can we go home now?”
“Sure, why not? There’s nothing for you here.” Why do I think his words are loaded with meaning?
We leave the dance area hand in hand and almost make it to the hallway, so near yet so far from the
safe haven of the lift. He’s a
t my rear one minute and then he’s not.
“Wait here, I won’t be a minute.” He bounds away, a man on a mission, resting his hand on Jake’s
shoulder as he stands by the laptop station over by the far wall. Jake has his memory stick in his hand.
What’s he doing?
Fuck! I know what’s coming next.
The sound of Beyoncé accompanied by cheering and clapping announces the advent of my worst
nightmare. On the enormous white screen Charlie and myself are dancing; the Naughty Girl routine
was videoed and now it’s up there for all to see.
Ayden follows the countless eyes watching it. Looks once. Looks twice, disbelieving his eyes. His
stare widens and remains fixed on the screen, he even turns his body around to view the outrageously
suggestive performance. I swear his lips are parted and he’s holding his breath.
I do no more than stuff my bag under my arm and cover my face with my hands. No!
All around me, women are cheering and guys are whistling, and Jake is clapping along, revelling in
my embarrassment. Ayden is less animated.
I prepare to make my escape and head down the hallway towards the front door. I want to run and
hide. Before the song ends, I hear Ayden’s approach. I don’t bother to turn around; the sound of his
breathing is enough to verify his identity. I open the door onto the corridor and press the descend
button afraid to raise my eyes, fearing what I’ll see. He’s so enraged, he can’t even speak.
Outside, the night air is icy; it grazes my cheeks and legs like a woollen sweater. We sit in the car
cloaked in silence. Ayden …”
“Don’t! Don’t move and don’t speak because if you do, I’ll lose it and wrap this very expensive,
irreplaceable car around a fucking tree.”
I leave him to drive in silence, listening only to the formal voice of the Sat Nav taking us home.
14
The garage door opens wide like a gaping mouth, dark and menacing; its lip curling up over shiny
aluminium teeth to reveal a single gap, wide enough for a high-spirited Boxster.
Once inside, the light sensor triggers a shower of flickering lights above our heads and the door
lowers itself once more into a tight lipped position, sealing us in, keeping the world out.
Like a shiny eel, I slither out of the bucket seat, silently making my way over to the exit; Ayden is
at my rear, close enough to catch scent of but not close enough to feel and, my God, do I want to feel.
We step into the lift side by side and my heart flutters when I see his finger push B. In my tight
outfit, my chest is heaving, my nipples puckering against the unforgiving rubber. Can he hear me
breathing?
Unlike me, he’s in total control of his emotions, betrayed only by the impressive erection which has
spoilt his usually smooth silhouette.
Who is going to speak first? Who can speak first? The tension between us is palpable, dangerous
and sharp enough to cut through solid steel. I form my hands into a fist to stop them from shaking, not
with fear but with unbridled desire so fast moving through my veins it’s clouding my vision and my
mind. All I can think of is him.
Even though the lift is at a standstill he makes no attempt to leave. Here we are in this small,
confined space with no more than a foot between us. He turns side-on to face me. I stare ahead, feeling
more intimidated by the second as his eyes penetrate my flesh and burn me with the intensity of a
naked flame. I reach for the door.
He grabs my wrist. “Don’t!”
I pull back yet his grip does not slacken. In one fluent movement he folds my right arm at the elbow
and tucks it behind my back. When I gaze up into those deep, dark pools I see no light. That frenzied
look causes me to gasp. The tightness of his lips and the snorting sound emanating from his nostrils,
tells me he is a man on the edge of madness. I must take care.
“I know you’re angry with me Ayden and I’m sorry I embarrassed you.” I meet his fierce stare. “I
forgot myself and being with Charlie took me back to a time … you know? Before I knew you.” With
my free hand I graze his cheek with my thumb. “I should have thought it through but the music, and
the fact it was Charlie’s night, made it impossible for me to say no.“ I swallow noisily. “I had no idea
Jake was there and I sure as hell didn’t think anyone would video it.”
He leans into my hand and closes his eyes with a breathless sigh. “I’m glad they did.”
“Why? So you can remind me of it?”
His eyes flash. “No. Of course not. So I can remind myself of what I missed.”
“You didn’t miss much Ayden, believe me.” I snigger and roll my eyes.
“You have no idea Beth. I have missed so much.” His grip on my wrist slackens but I leave my arm
in place. “I have missed watching you grow into the beautiful woman you are. I was not there when
you needed me and, most of all, I missed experiencing your love.”
I hold back on a stirring spasm of adoration. “Oh, Ayden. Don’t dwell on that. I’ve been happier
with you this past month than I’ve been my whole life.”
He turns away, lost in thought. “It wasn’t meant to be like that …”
I interject, hoping to quell the tide of emotion drenching him “Que sera.” I press my forehead into
his chin. “I have no regrets.”
He pulls back, shying away from my touch. “Beth, I’ve lived with the promise of your love all my
life. I should have found you long ago. I tried. Believe me I tried.” His hands find their way to my
cheek and hold me in place. “I could have prevented all the bad things you’ve had to go through.”
Through eyes that simply refuse to focus, I ask, “Is that why you were so angry? With yourself?”
“Yes. What else?”
I visibly deflate.
“Even tonight I allowed work to steal me away from you. I didn’t get to see you in all your glory;
so young, carefree and alive.” He softens his touch. “You were taken back to a time before … before
he stole your smile and had you tie back your hair and cover your face with glasses … “
“You could tell all that from a single dance?”
“It was as clear as the nose on your face.” His lips skate across my nose for a millisecond.
“But you might not have loved me then.”
“I would have.”
I smile and respond. “Me too. I missed you tonight.”
He seems unconvinced. “Really? My spy tells me you were not without male company.”
“Yes … Well, yes. Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk did hit on me.”
“But you fought them off?”
I giggle at the suggestion. “I did.” A victorious smile plays on my lips.
“I’d like to have seen that. It must’ve been an epic battle; Bat Girl versus two superheroes.”
“Oh, you were there Ayden, in my thoughts the whole time …”
“And you in mine Beth. I gave Lester the night off. I was going to collect you at 11.30 anyway. I
was glad you called.”
A flash of a recollection finds its way into my face; I cannot hide my apprehension.
He sees it. “What is it?”
Where to begin? “When you came you saw me coming out of Charlie’s bedroom, didn’t you.”
“How could I not, looking like this?” He leans back to take in the tightly fitting costume and winks
roguishly.
“And … you saw Jake too?” Air settles in my lungs.
“
Yes.”
I lower my head. “It looked bad.”
He lifts my chin with the forefinger of his left hand. “Did it?”
“Yes. It looked like I’d been in there, with him.”
He tips his head to the right, seeming to turn the conversation into a frame by frame scene in a
silent movie. “And were you?”
Words tumble from my mouth. “Yes. I was but not with him, as such.” I watch his lip twitch and I
rattle on inarticulately. “I was in the en-suite bathroom when he came in with Wonder Woman …”
“Charlie?”
“Well, yes, Charlie. I tried to tip-toe out but he saw me and …” Why is he smiling like that?
“What’s funny?”
“You.” A wisp of hair finds its way behind my ear.
“I’m not explaining it very well … but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
He stifles a laugh. “I don’t. Jake would never lay a finger on you without my permission.”
How wrong is he about that!
“I see.”
“I know he was rather … indisposed when you were with me.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he had traces of red lipstick on his mouth when he exited the room, Bat Girl isn’t wearing
red lipstick.” He looks very pleased with himself. “It’s elementary Miss Parker.”
“But you went over to him straight away and I thought …”
“You thought wrong. I wanted to know what I’d missed. The highlights, so to speak …”
“And?”
“And that’s when he slipped in the memory stick and brought up your disco diva moment.” He
chuckles, clearly amused by his own attempt at humour.
I roll my eyes. “Did he do it to make me look bad?”
“No. Not at all. Because he thought I would enjoy it, seeing you like that; unselfconscious,
unguarded. He was right.”
“You didn’t find it … distasteful?”
He laughs out loud. “Distasteful?” Stroking my hair, he continues. “Hardly. It made me smile, the
way you always do. I’ve seen sides of you today I’ve not seen before. It’s been an eye-opener.”
“You mean me throwing shoes and prancing around in a leather outfit?”
Through a crooked smile he mumbles. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not been all bad.”
“It hasn’t. Today’s been your day Ayden. It’s been your open book day. Not mine. I said you were
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