I nod and launch into a speech I’ve rehearsed in my mind since I realised I needed to involve Aiden. “It’s about my father, Aiden. He’s dying–”
“I know that,” he interrupts.
“What? You do?”
“I do. You’ve obviously been keeping tabs on me. I’ve been doing the same with you. Although, I didn’t know you were still in the country. That part surprised me.”
“I never left.”
He looks at me in disbelief, a pause that sits like a question in the air between us. I don’t elaborate and eventually, he moves on.
“So, your father–I know that he’s in a coma after a suicide attempt and as a result, cannot be tried any further”.
I shake my head. “He didn’t try to kill himself, Aiden. Someone did that to him to shut him up.”
“Why? Was he finally going to reveal what he did with all that money?”
“He doesn’t know where the money is. It was all a setup, Aiden. My dad was just a patsy.”
“A patsy? The evidence against him is overwhelming, Chloe. I’m sorry, I can’t believe that.”
“I can prove it.”
“You can prove it? Great. If you have evidence to clear him then do it. Why are you here fucking with my head instead of giving it to his lawyers so they can get him released?”
“The evidence is where you come in. I know where it is. But I need your help–well–your guidance, to get to it.”
He places his half drank beer on the bench in front of him. “My guidance? Just what kind of guidance do you need?”
“Security specifications, details on disabling it, and how to open a box that takes two keys – neither of which I have.”
His eyebrows rise as he folds his arms across his broad chest and my eyes stray to take in his muscular physique for just a second.
“That all sounds very illegal,” he states.
“That’s why I just want your guidance. I’ll do the rest and there’ll be very little risk to you.”
“Being an accomplice is still a huge risk, Chloe. Do you understand what I’d be risking, just by advising you on something like that?”
“I do. But isn’t this the kind of thing you do–recoveries and such?”
A burst of air escapes his nose as he assesses me with his eyes. “Someone’s been doing her homework.”
“I know you’ll do anything for the right compensation.”
“There may not be compensation great enough to get me working with a Donovan again.”
“My name really is Saunders now. I changed it to my mother’s maiden name after…well… you know.”
He grabs his beer again and tips it back, downing the last of it before placing it down and shaking his head.
“For a woman, you’ve got a fuckload of balls. What makes you think I’d be willing to take a job from the woman who forced me down this road in the first place?”
“Can we not make this about us?”
“But it is about us. You wouldn’t have come to me if there’d been no ‘us’.”
“I told you before–you’re the only one I can trust to help with this.”
“Fucking hell, Chloe,” he says, looking away as he shakes his head again.
“At the end of the day, Aiden, this is about family. It’s about doing whatever it takes to repair wrongs.”
“It’s about your family, Chloe. Not mine.”
“There was a time when you saw him as like a father to you. And like it or not, he’s the reason you have everything you do. He gave you the chance in the corporate world. He’s the one who made you a wealthy man. He’s the reason you have that car and could afford to open that club, and your own security company. It was my actions that got you thrown out of the company. I knew what would happen, and I went after you anyway. Don’t turn away the job of a lifetime over the hatred of the choice I made.”
Clenching his jaw, he glances down, focusing on the bottle as he spins it by the neck, watching the base slowly leave a wet ring on the countertop as he thinks.
Letting out a breath, he returns his eyes to mine. “Exactly how much are we talking about?”
“Enough to buy you an island of your own if you wanted it.”
I watch as his jaw resumes its tick, and his eyes move between mine, signalling that he’s giving what I’ve said some serious thought. Then he takes a breath. “I’ll think about it, ok? Don’t get your hopes up too high. I won’t be doing any of this if I so much as suspect that you’re lying to me. I want to know exactly what proof you’re after and how you came to know about it. But I don’t want to hear any of that now. I’m fucking tired and I’ve had enough of you for one day. So unless you really did come here to fuck me then for the third time in this twenty-four hour period, I’m going say ‘go home, Chloe’. But this time–no tricks to get my attention–I’ll call you and we’ll talk.”
I nod, trying my best to contain my elation at the sheer prospect of his help. “Do you need my number?”
“Sugar, I have your number,” he says, with a smile, his voice a soft rumble as his eyes meet mine. For a moment, I feel that familiar jolt between us. Especially when he calls me ‘sugar’. The word pulls at my memory, warming my heart as I recall the way his old pet name once made me feel. Wanted. I don’t know if he used it accidentally, or if he slipped it in on purpose to affect me. But either way, I like hearing it. It reminds me of hope. Something long forgotten by my heart. Something I lost the moment I was made to keep my promise and leave the only man I’ve ever loved. I feel it tug at my chest and curl through my mind as pictures of a life with Aiden–a life with happiness–fill my mind. But I blink them away as a girlish fancy. Aiden and I don’t have a future. Not then. Not now. We never did…
“Of course you do,” I whisper, a small smile playing on my lips as I turn to leave. “I’ll see you around, Aiden.”
“Sweet dreams, sugar,” he says as I leave, causing that warmth to flood through me again, putting a tiny crack in my heart where hope begins to trickle out, threading itself through my body and tickling my mind until my smile grows out of my control. It’s silly that such a tiny word can bring me such joy. But it is undoubtedly the nicest thing anyone has said to me for years, and it’s the one bright moment in what has been an overly emotional day.
As I drive back home, I’m still smiling and I find myself running through every moment I’ve ever spent with Aiden. Every interaction is a moment from my past that managed to define my future for the worst. Despite that, they’re still my favourite memories in the world.
Chapter Seven
JULY, three years ago
“I NEED you to stop working so late,” Aiden said from Chloe’s office door.
She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him, giving him a small smile before dropping her head back to her work.
“Then how would I get to spend more time with you?” she asked, keeping her head down as she spoke. With the cameras on them at all times, they were more than aware that they were skirting rather closely to breaking the rules with their flirtation. They were yet to cross any lines that could cause problems for Chloe and her responsibilities, or for Aiden and his position. But it was really only a matter of time before a sly brush of bodies, a comment filled with innuendo, and a hidden touch wasn’t enough anymore. They were playing with fire and they both knew it.
Grinning slightly, he shook his head. “Cute. But I’m serious. I won’t be here to watch over you for a while.”
“Where are you going?”
“Not far.”
“Not far? What does that even mean?”
“It just means that my time off is personal.”
Chloe lowered her eyes. Something about the way he said the word personal seemed to bother her. It made her realise that while they spent a lot of time in each other’s company, she didn’t really know anything personal about him.
“Personal?” she repeated, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.
�
�Not that kind of personal,” he said immediately, somehow sensing exactly where her mind was going. He approached her desk, standing on the other side as he spoke to her softly. “It’s family business. I’ll be on leave for two months but I won’t be far… if you need me for anything.”
“Why so long?”
“Why do you want to know? Will you miss me, Chloe?”
“I’ll miss being near you. I like having you around. It’s… it’s calming.”
“Calming? That’s something I haven’t been called before.”
“What are you normally called?”
“Intimidating, menacing, jerk, prick, dickhead – rarely anything good.”
She shrugged. “I guess I don’t see you the same way other people do.”
“No. You don’t. Do you?”
They locked eyes for a moment. Aiden standing across from her with his hands on his hips, his dress shirt open slightly after discarding his tie hours ago. He didn’t have to stay there every night. But damned if he could let someone else watch over her. He didn’t trust them not to cross the line around her – he barely managed to restrain himself…
“Will you do what I’ve asked?” he said eventually, forcing his mind to escape that place it kept visiting where all of his fantasies involved Chloe and her legs wrapped tightly around him.
Tilting her head, she lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I can’t promise that. I need to work late, Aiden. I need to prove myself.”
Leaning forward, he placed his hands on her desk and leaned toward her, meeting her eyes. “You have years to prove yourself, Chloe. You don’t have to do it all now.”
Her eyes strayed between Aiden and the camera in the corner of her office. She sat back in her chair before focusing on her computer screen and typing within the open document. “I don’t have as much time as you think,” she said.
He stepped back, frowning at her comment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Quickly, she shook her head, dismissing her words. “Nothing. I just think I have to prove myself sooner rather than later.” Feeling restless, she shut the lid on her laptop and cleared her desk, sliding her notebook and pens into her top drawer and placing her files back into her bottom drawer where she locked them away to keep them safe. “Listen, I’m feeling pretty tired actually. I think I might go home now. Will you call me a car?”
“Sure,” he said, not forgetting the comment about her limited time, but deciding not to push any further.
Aiden waited quietly, wondering what had happened to change her demeanour so suddenly. She had gone from focused on her work to wanting to get out of there. He admired her work ethic but she worried him with her relentless pursuit of her goals. As she stood and slung her beige handbag over her slender shoulders, his eyes travelled over her slim body. He had noticed that the endless late nights working had taken their toll on her body. After almost six months at Donovon Corp, Chloe’s curves were practically gone. She was wasting away before his eyes.
As he did every night, he walked her to the lift and while inside they indulged in that tiny moment when it was all right to stand close to each other. Their hands touched as Aiden gently brushed his fingers across the soft back of her hand. This had been going on for the last two months and while it was definitely moving their relationship into dangerous territory, it was Chloe’s favourite part of the day.
“I’m worried about you,” he murmured, as he faced forward but curled his fingers around hers. He knew every angle of every camera in the building and there were very few places they could get close without it being picked up. “You’re getting too thin.”
“I’m fine,” she whispered back, letting her fingers move slowly against his. “This is just really hard.”
“It won’t be hard forever,” he said, turning his head to meet hers as the lift doors opened in the basement car park.
“Whoa, what is this, Aiden? I need to take the car service.”
“I’m taking you home,” he responded immediately, gripping Chloe’s hand and pulling her out of the lift toward him.
Flinching, her eyes widened and she pulled back. “What are you doing?” she hissed, her eyes moving about wildly knowing that they were just seen by the basement cameras.
“This,” he said, tugging at her arm so that she flew forward, landing solidly against his chest.
He wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her, inhaling her sweet scent as he luxuriated in the fact that he finally had her in his arms.
“Aiden,” she protested meekly. “This is crazy.”
“The cameras are down,” he whispered, dipping his head and taking her mouth in his. The moment their lips touched, lights exploded dramatically behind Chloe’s eyes and all of her protests evaporated into thin air as she seemed to melt into his body, her fingers curling as she held onto him.
It was as if she’d never been kissed before. Everything felt new and undiscovered and in that moment, she too stopped caring. She stopped caring about the cameras. She stopped caring about protecting Aiden’s job. She stopped caring about protecting her father’s company and she stopped caring about her promises. All that mattered was that moment and the man who held her in his arms.
Slowly, their lips parted and they took in some air, their foreheads resting against each other as they caught their breath. Chloe was shaking with emotion; she wanted this man so much that she could see herself leaving everything behind for him. And it would be worth it. She couldn’t imagine not having him in her life. Especially after that kiss, it would be torture.
“I’m taking you to get some food,” Aiden said suddenly. “You’re tiny.”
Taking a deep breath, Chloe steadied herself and nodded, watching as Aiden reached into his pocket and pulled out a key fob and directed it at an Audi sports car. Depressing the button, the car lights flashed and then the engine purred to life.
“Come on,” he said, directing her toward the car. Once again, she nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
He held open the door and Chloe slid into the smooth leather seat as he gently shut her in. She then watched as he walked around the car and slid into the driver’s side. Her heart beat fast in her chest. Was she seriously going to do this? Could she do this? Could she give everything up for a man she’d only known for six months?
“So, where are you taking me?” she asked, finally finding her voice, as Aiden steered the car out of the parking garage and onto the darkened street.
“Somewhere that’s still open at this time of night,” he said, taking a right before having to stop at a set of lights.
He kept his head forward, his hands gripping the steering wheel as internally he entered into a silent war with himself. What the hell was he doing? In that split second where he grabbed her and kissed her, he crossed a line. A line that would eventually cost him his job. And he liked money. He really liked money.
Part of him was telling him to stop being an idiot and take her straight home. They could chalk it up to the moon and go back to wanting and never having. But then the other part of him, the part of him that wanted her so badly that he was willing to be a pauper if that’s what it took–that part kept whispering about the way her mouth curved when she found something amusing, how creamy and soft her skin was beneath his touch, and how it would feel to dig his fingers into her flesh and drive himself inside her–take part of her in his mouth. And that smell, he loved the way she smelled. He didn’t know if it was her perfume or her shampoo or just her natural scent, but he couldn’t get enough of it and found himself craving it–craving her. A kiss wasn’t enough and he’d be kidding himself to think it was.
The fact of the matter was, Aiden had been craving Chloe, and from the moment he met her, he wanted her. Logically, he knew she was off limits. And he’d tried to get her out of his head and tried to stop wanting her. He’d told himself that it was because she was off limits that he wanted her so much, and he even wondered if he could have her just once, would his desire be
sated? With most girls, he could fuck them once and move on. But something deep inside him told him that his reaction to Chloe wasn’t the same biological urge that caused him to pursue other girls. He’d felt it before he even knew who she was. There was something profound about that woman, something that went deeper than her looks. Something he found addictive–intoxicating.
For six months, he had watched her, feeling like he was borderline stalking her when she was in the office. He’d been the only security who accompanied her to high-risk meetings. And when he did, they’d stolen moments of touches and more than a few almost kisses. The temptation was driving him to distraction and his insistence on being her only guard has begun to raise questions. He’d explained to his colleagues that his taking care of her was necessary because she was Terry Donovan’s daughter. Whether they believed it or not, they didn’t say. But they did back off and they stopped their questions.
Of course, it was more than that. He couldn’t stand the idea of another man alone with her. It drove him insane knowing his men found her just as attractive as he did. He didn’t trust anyone but himself with her, and if he knew without a doubt that he could get away with it before now, he would’ve had her everyway there was until his need for her was sated.
But then, would he ever be sated? A girl like Chloe gets under a man’s skin and leaves him begging for more…
“Aiden. Aiden?”
Her voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to her with a frown.
“The light. It’s green,” she stated, lifting one of her delicate fingers to point at the traffic lights above them.
The muscle in his jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth and accelerated through the lights, berating himself internally for getting so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the change.
Partners (Fire & Lies - One) Page 5