Страница 50 из 87
She jerked her arm out of his grasp and jumped out of the car. There weren’t many times in Aiden’s life he’d been rendered speechless, and now was a hell of a bad time to have it happen. She yanked open the back door and grabbed her suitcase before slamming it shut and stomping up to her house. Back straight, shoulders stiff, and head held high, she dragged her suitcase on wheels behind her. When it hit the cracked sidewalk, the thing turned and crashed into the back of her leg.
He noted a slight limp in her step and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. It took all his self-control to watch her go and not race after her. It’s for the best, he told himself. You don’t need this kind of drama in your life. She’s just like every other skirt you’ve crawled up and in a couple of weeks, you won’t even remember her name.
Bullshit—all of it. And if he didn’t feel like a complete asshole before, he sure as hell did now.
Rya
What was she thinking?—clearly, she hadn’t been. Foolishly, she’d thought he trusted her, that he’d forgiven her for the manipulation, the lies, and the roofies. Huh . . . when she put it like that, it didn’t sound quite as compelling of an argument.
Oddly enough, she’d always prided herself on her honesty, her straight and narrow moral compass. She wasn’t proud of what she’d done, nor had she been given much choice. It was in the past, what was done was done, and if Aiden couldn’t let it go, then there was nothing more to be said. She didn’t know why his mother had hired her. By her obvious surprise in discovering Rya
But that suspicion and mistrust in his eyes had come as an unexpected blow. It hadn’t been as much what he said but what he didn’t say. She knew what he was thinking, could sense the wheels of that clever mind turning. For being such a smart man, he could sure be an idiot sometimes. If he couldn’t see how much she cared for him, especially after last night, then he was hopeless and so was a future with him. Better to learn the truth now before she gave any more of her heart to him. It was better like this, she told herself. Make a quick, clean break.
She could still hear the SUV idling on the road. What was he waiting for? Why wouldn’t he just go?
It didn’t matter. She was done. Flipping the lock on the door, Rya
Exhaustion blanketed her, and every effort felt like an insurmountable task. After being up all night and traveling all day, the only thing she wanted to think about was soaking away her aches and pains and going to sleep. As she passed the front door, she tried not to look out the side window, refusing to give Aiden another minute of her attention. But the reflection of headlights caught the corner of her eye, giving her pause. She ignored the subtle tug in her heart telling her to stop. She’d be damned if she was going to give Aiden the satisfaction of seeing her staring out the window, pining away for him.
After she got out of the tub, she’d call Madeline Kruze and let her know that Aiden was now in New York. Despite how things were left between them, she had no doubt Aiden would carry through on his agreement to meet with his mother. He knew what was at stake if he didn’t. Her job here was done. Dealing with that man was Lady Kruze’s problem now.
Rya
Stripping off her clothes, she eased into the steaming water and sighed. Her muscles were stiff from the long car ride, aching from inactivity, while other places were sore from too much activity. Unbidden, the memory of last night came rushing to the forefront of her mind, ushering in a wave of soul-deep regret—not for what they’d shared together, but for the way things ultimately ended between them.
With a half a glass of merlot warming her insides, and the lavender-rosemary scented bath warming her outside, Rya
Thump!
The muffled sound sent Rya
When the knock came again, it spurred her into action. Rya
Her apology died in her throat when her eyes co
A shiver of unease needled up her spine, her grip on the door tightening. “Can I help you?”