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“The freeways are a mess right now, but I can head out to go get you.”
“No. You don’t need to do that. Umm, I’ll be okay. I can call and Uber or a—" I wasn’t able to say another word.
One moment, Aiden had been standing still on one end of the room, and the next he was right in front of me. Close. Not close enough to touch me, but close enough for me to feel the heat that bounced off his body.
“Mrs. Martinez? Yes, Aiden Stark, how are you? Safe? Good. Good. And the girls?” he asked, his gaze never wavering from mine. “Sara okay, too?” he asked of my sister away at college. “Good. Good. Ruth? Oh, good. I’m glad. Yes, that’s why I took the phone, right. Don’t worry about Aria. I got her,” he promised. I shivered at his vow. “She’s in good hands.” My eyes dropped to the hand at his side.
Big.
Capable.
Calloused.
I wanted to be back in those hands.
“Don’t you worry. They might come back early. Yes. Okay. Thank you. I’ll tell her. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone, and my eyes jumped to his.
“The girls? River and Lake, were they—"
“They’re fine, baby,” he soothed, and I felt myself relax
“They’re coming back early?” I asked, and something flashed in his eyes. Something I couldn’t define. Almost like guilt or worry. I wasn’t sure.
“Maybe. The quake spooked them, but Amy is going to try and calm them down.”
“Oh. Good.” I smiled tightly. I hated the thought of the girls being scared.They’re not yours!I reminded myself. I had to do that more and more often. Almost daily. I knew I was getting attached, and that wasn’t good.
One day, they would no longer need me.
“What is it?” he asked, snapping me out of my sad thoughts. “Aria? You okay?” He took a step closer, about to reach for me. His hand extended then dropped mid-air. I felt the loss of his touch like a dagger in my heart.
The elevator had been a moment and nothing else.
“I should go get my phone, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
I didn’t wait for him to say anything. I turned and headed toward the bedrooms and directly to mine. My head was filled with the way he’d held me. Touched me. Soothed me. My entire body felt hot. My skin felt tight across my body. Maybe I was getting sick? Maybe I was getting a cold? Only I knew I wasn’t that lucky. I knew exactly what my problem was.
Every step reminded me of it.
The warm wetness between my legs had my body tingling. Aching for more.Of him. I opened my door and went in. I just needed to get my phone. I could figure out how to get home. At home, I’d take my battery-operated boyfriend into the shower and get off. That’s all I needed.
Relief.
A release.
My feet stuttered to a stop, and I blinked. My eyes on my bed. My bed that had my phone right on top of it. Right where I had told Aiden it was.
“How did he miss that?” I quietly asked my empty bedroom.
“I didn’t.” His deep voice had my eyes fluttering shut as I tried to keep calm.
“You said you didn’t find it.”
“I lied.” He’d lied. He’dlied.
“Why?”
“Aria, honey, look at me,” he ordered, but I shook my head.
