High Stakes (A Deal With The Devil)

CHAPTER TEN

Bella

I replay the message, gripping my phone so tightly, it hurts my hand. “Cos’ I want a woman that can handle me, not some virgin that has this ridiculous notion of love and saving herself. She’s just after a free ride.” I can’t help thinking Aiden sounds smug.

When I woke this morning to a missed call from him, I assumed he was apologising. When I’d pressed play on his voicemail, my blood had run cold. The entire conversation played out, and before it had cut out, the moans from the pair were audible.

Aria arrives and I tuck my phone into my pocket. She takes in the filled cabinets then checks her watch, “Another early start? What’s going on with you.”

I shrug, “I’m in my organised era.”

She off her her jacket and disappears into the back room to hang it up. “Or Aiden’s annoyed you?” she guesses.

I groan, “Why am I letting this man affect me so much when we’re not even together?”

She returns, rubbing a sympathetic hand down my back. “What happened?”

“He kissed me.”

Her eyes widen, “You lucky cow.”

“And then I messed it up.”

She winces, “What did you do?”

“Luke called, like right after the kiss.”

“Oh lord, tell me you didn’t answer it?”

“Of course I did,” I wail, “I wasn’t thinking straight. I was in shock he kissed me and then the phone rang, and I just picked it up. I agreed to another date.”

“And it didn’t go down well?”

“Of course it didn’t.” I bury my face in my hands. “His eyes were so full of hope, Ari, and the second he heard Luke’s name, they just changed. Then he left in a huff.”

“Well just explain you weren’t thinking straight. ”

I shake my head, “It’s too late for that. He went to Laurie’s.” I pull out my phone and replay the message.

Aria listens with her mouth slightly open in shock. She waits for it to end before exhaling, “Shit, that was savage.”

“Yeah, he went right for the jugular. The worst thing is, before we kissed, we’d talked about her, and he’d said how he’d loved her, and she broke his heart. Now, she keeps him dangling even though she’s married. I really felt like he’d opened up to me. I even cancelled my date with Luke.”

“Oh, Bells,” she mutters, rubbing my arm. “I’m so sorry.”

I shrug. “I fucked up, but he handled the whole thing so badly. I can’t help but feel like I’ve had a lucky escape.”

“Do you think he called you on purpose?”

I shake my head, “I think he probably butt-dialled.” She doesn’t look convinced. “If he did, then it only confirms what I already thought, he’s not for me.”

“Do you know what you need?”

“Do not say a night out.”

“It’s the answer for everything bad in the world. Alcohol and friends. I’ll get Jack on board.”

When I get in from work, Aiden is sitting at the kitchen table working away on his laptop. He glances up and I notice the marks on his neck, but neither of us speak as I march past and head to my room.

Once I’m showered, I apply some light make-up to brighten my dark undereye circles, add a little mascara, then slip into a cute, white summer dress. It clings to my curves in all the right places, flaring at the bottom.

When I go back through the lounge, Aiden is staring blankly at the television. He glances my way, letting his eyes run down my body. “Enjoy your date,” he mutters.

I roll my eyes at how childish he’s being. “Actually, I cancelled my date after you stormed out last night.” I slip my sandals on.

Aiden stands, closing the gap between us and I stare into his relieved eyes, “That’s great, do you want to do something?” My eyes fall to the marks on his neck, and he shifts uncomfortably, tugging his collar up on his t-shirt to try and hide them. “Cinema perhaps, somewhere dark?” he adds a small laugh to lighten the mood.

“I have plans,” I mutter.

“Please, Bella. Just give me a chance.”

“What for?” I demand.

“We were getting on yesterday, right? ”

“You threw a tantrum because I spoke to another man, Aiden. And whilst I realise, what I did wasn’t great timing, you handled it by going to fuck another woman to spite me. It’s not the sort of situationship I need in my life.”

“I didn’t fuck her,” he lies, and my mouth falls open in shock.

“I should go,” I mutter, heading for the door.

He chases me down, trying to block my path. “You know it’s not safe to be out alone.”

I reach for the door, tugging it open and he steps to the side. “I’m not going out alone. I’ll be with my friends, and JP is coming too.”

“He is?”

“And he doesn’t seem to think the threat is that bad, so hopefully, I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

His eyes narrow, “JP actually said that?”

“I’ve also left some rent money on the side, I wouldn’t want you thinking I was taking you for a free ride,” I say, smiling wide. “Have a good evening.” And I leave, making sure to slam the door closed.

Aiden

As soon as the door closes, I call JP. “Yeah, man?” he answers .

“Why the fuck are you telling Bella the threat is almost over?”

“Because you’re fucking it all up, Aiden. I like the girl, and I can’t stand the way you’re going about this. I mean, going off with Laurie like that, it’s causing unnecessary hurt.”

“She was always going to get hurt, JP. It’s not like I’m going to marry her.”

“I just don’t think this was what Jake meant when he came up with this idea. He chose Bella for a reason, and I can’t help thinking he was giving you a shot as happiness. You’re blowing it.”

“No JP, you’re blowing it for me, because you want to bang her friend. If you mess this up, I’ll tell Sara what you’re up to, whilst she’s looking after your baby.”

He scoffs, “Fuck you, Aiden.” Then he disconnects.

“Fuck,” I mutter out loud. It’s not like I’d actually tell Sara anything, she thinks the sun shines out of his backside. But she doesn’t want to be with him, she made that perfectly clear after she fell pregnant with his kid. Although, I suspect they still sleep together.

Bella

I stare at Aria and JP longingly. They look cute together as they flirt like they’re the only two people in this packed-out club. The minute Raff didn’t fall at her feet, she set her sights on JP, and I don’t blame her, he’s equally as hot.

Jack sighs heavily, bringing my attention back to him. “It sounds like a bad romance, or it at least has the potential to be. He’s going to break your heart and stomp all over it.”

I nod in agreement. “I know. That’s why I’m going to move out. I’ve been flat hunting on-line. Aria’s going to lend me a deposit.”

“You should go and kick your dad out of the house, you’ve paid so much into it. Have you heard from him?”

I shake my head and stir my cocktail with my straw. “No. And I’ve seen no dodgy men hanging round. Maybe it’s all sorted. JP seems to think the threat isn’t that real if we haven’t heard anything.” I smirk, “Maybe if the men he sold me too are fit, I could role with it.”

He laughs, “What are the chances of that?”

JP leans on the table with Aria holding onto his arm. We were thinking of heading back to Tremos?”

“Only if you want to,” adds Aria, her face full of sympathy.

I give a nod. I’m still mad with Aiden, but I can’t deny I love being around him, even if we’re not speaking right now.

Aiden is behind the bar when we arrive, which is odd, and he looks out of place, but I guess he sometimes has to help out in his own place. He stares past me to JP. “Sorry about earlier,” he says, and it’s the sincerest I’ve ever seen him as JP fist bumps him.

“Already forgotten,” he replies.

“What happened to your face?” asks Aria smirking.

“Yeah, looks nasty,” adds Jake.

Aiden runs his hand over the scratches on his chin. “It was a . . . cat.” He winces.

I scoff, placing my mobile on the bar. He stares down at it. “Press play,” I tell him.

He eyes it warily. “Why?”

“It’s okay,” says Aria, leaning over. “I’ve got this.” And she presses play on the recording.

I let the recording play out, including the moans and groans that continue after his statement. The way his jaw is clenched, and his eyes narrowed, makes me think he’s angry. I take my phone back, feeling smug in my drunken haze.

“I’d say those scratches were from a dog, not a cat,” says Aria, laughing .

“You didn’t need to lie, Aiden,” I say, disappointment lacing my words. “And I’m so sorry you feel I’m just after a free ride. But you offered me a place to stay. You furnished it, even when I said it wasn’t necessary.”

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, staring down to avoid looking at me.

I roll my eyes, “It’s just a word,” I say, turning from the bar and heading for the dancefloor.

We spend another hour dancing, chatting, laughing, and it’s not until JP throws Aria over his shoulder, that I realise it’s almost one a.m.. Aria screeches with laughter as he slaps her backside. “I’m taking this woman home,” he informs us. “Jack, you want to share a cab?” he asks.

Jack nods, finishing his drink, “Will you be okay, Bells?” he asks. “Yah now you can stop on my couch, Beck won’t mind.”

I shake my head, offering a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. Thanks for a good night.”

I watch them leave; thankful I have such amazing friends. Aiden stomps past me, acting like I’m not even there, and somehow it only adds to the pain currently twisting my heart. I don’t want us to be mad with one another but after everything he said, I think I have the moral high ground here. I sit at the bar, knowing he’s in the apartment, makes me want to avoid it. Hopefully, if I give it ten minutes, he’ll be in his bedroom, and I won’t have to face him.

Unfortunately, he’s in the kitchen by the time I get up there. He’s topless and I run my eyes over the scratches across his back, rolling my eyes.

I might not have had sex, but I’ve never known anyone to come away looking like they’ve wrestled with a tiger. She clearly marked him for my benefit.

He turns to face me, folding his arms. “It was Laurie,” he states, and I stare blankly until he adds, “The call you got last night. She called you from my phone and led me to have that conversation knowing it was recording to your voicemail.”

“But she didn’t force you to cuss me out like that,” I point out.

“No,” he admits, staring at the floor. “That was me being a prick.”

“Glad we cleared that up,” I mutter, heading on towards my room.

“I’m sorry,” he calls out and I turn back to find him in the doorway. “Again. ”

“Me too,” I say, “Sorry I ever thought we could be friends.”

“We are friends,” he argues.

I smirk, continuing to my room, “Not anymore, Aiden. I’m moving out.” And I slam my door.

Aiden

I groan, burying my head in my hands and scrubbing them down my exhausted face. “Fuck you, Jake,” I say out loud. “I bet you’re loving this.”

The deal was I spend two months getting to know her. Two fucking months. I can’t even manage a few weeks. She’s tying me up in knots and making me think and feel shit I haven’t had to deal with for so long. Like guilt. Why the hell do I feel guilty about last night? Laurie is what I know. She grounds me. Yet I spent the night fucking her and thinking of Bella. Yet my guilt is all with Bella. I fucked someone else, knowing it would upset her. Knowing it would push her further away, when it’s the last thing I need to be doing. And every second we spend fighting, is more time wasted. Time I could be spending having her fall in love with me, so she hands over the v-card, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Bella, it’s that she won’t part with that, unless she’s in love .

Before I can talk myself out of it, I’m heading after her. I shove her bedroom door open, and she spins to face me. I take in her white laced underwear, letting it momentarily steal my breath. I wasn’t prepared to walk in and find her half naked.

“What the hell are you doing?” she demands.

“I don’t know,” I mutter, frowning. “Following my heart for once?” And I close the gap between us. She tips her head back to look at me and I run my fingers through her hair and slam my lips to hers. The kiss is bruising, desperate even, as I sweep my tongue into her mouth. Fuck she tastes good.

Bella

I hold onto his broad shoulders to stop myself from collapsing. The kiss is rough and demanding and it sends shock waves through my body. He grips my neck with one hand and his other is in my hair, gently tugging at the roots and causing a delicious sting. He trails wet kisses along my jaw line and down my neck, before resting his forehead against mine and looking me in the eye. “My favourite view,” he almost whispers, “Is that cute pink flush on your cheeks and your swollen lips, right after I’ve kissed you.” He adds another chaste kiss on my lips. “I want you to stay while we figure this out,” he adds. “Please.” And then he releases me and leaves .

I stare wide eyed at the closed door, frozen there for at least a minute before I carefully raise my hand to my face and tentatively run my fingers over my lips. He’s right, they are swollen.

I fall into a restless sleep. Aiden fills my dreams and at one point, I even feel like he’s here, in my room.

I wake with a start, and the sunshine blinds me as it streams through a gap in the curtains. I sit slightly, looking around in confusion. This isn’t my room. I glance to my left and almost jump from the bed when I see Aiden fast asleep beside me.

I carefully lift the sheet, wincing when I realise, I’m just in a t-shirt. But in my defence, I didn’t expect to be carried into Aiden’s bed in the middle of the night. I slide to the edge of the bed, trying not to wake him.

“Where are you going?” he asks, and I jump in fright as his deep voice rumbles through me. I glance back and see his eyes remain closed.

“How did I get in here?”

“I carried you.”

I frown, “I thought I was dreaming,” I mutter .

He sniggers, “At least you didn’t think it was a nightmare.”

“Why, Aiden?” I ask, my voice exasperated.

“I needed to see if it felt right.” When I don’t reply, he sighs, “Having you in my bed.”

I scoff, “Like a fucking interview?”

“Like a trial,” he says, opening one eye. “Now, can we enjoy the last five minutes in peace before my alarm goes off, I don’t do talking first thing.”

I open my mouth to set him straight, tell him he can’t just drag me from my own bed and force me to sleep in is. But he wraps a strong arm around me, tugging me back into bed and almost wrapping himself around me. My backside is pressed firmly against his crotch, and I am so aware, that each wriggle makes me blush deeper. “You keep moving like that and I’m gonna have a premature accident in my shorts,” he murmurs.

“This is not appropriate,” I whisper, stilling as his erection pushes against me.

“Don’t pretend we weren’t on the same page, Bella.”

“You know this isn’t normal, right? Your behaviour is so frustrating.”

“Being around you is frustrating,” he mutters. “I’m certain I asked for peace.”

“Let me leave and you can have your damn peace. ”

“I prefer you next to me.”

I sigh, “Where’s this going, Aiden?”

“One day at a time, Bells.” His alarm sounds and he groans, pressing a kiss to the side of my head before unwrapping his arms from around me and jumping out of bed. He stretches, not bothering to hide the bulge in his shorts. “Shower,” he tells me, “I have meetings this morning, I’ll drop you to work.”

“I can make my own way,” I say, training my eyes to his face rather than them travelling to his cock.

He smirks like he knows just where I want to look, “Now, Bella,” he says firmly.

I roll my eyes and get up from the bed, stomping to the door. “Not your shower,” he says, and I freeze. “My shower.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Walk or I’ll carry you,” he tells me, shrugging. When I don’t move, he closes the gap, “Suit yourself.”

“Okay, okay,” I say, before he can grab me. “Whatever you say.”

I step into his en-suite, closing the door. I lift the t-shirt, dropping it to the floor and step into the shower. Steam billows out the second I turn it on, and I groan as the hot water relaxes my muscles. My mind is racing, wondering what the hell Aiden is playing at. One minute we’re fighting and now we’re . . . well, I don’t know what we’re doing. We need to talk, that’s for sure.

The door opens and Aiden steps in. “Jesus,” I hiss, using my arms to cover myself best I can.

He ignores me, stepping into the shower. I automatically step to the side, and he steps under the spray, closing his eyes as the water hits his face. I watch mesmerised. His cock is standing proudly. “Aiden, what are you doing?” I manage to croak the words out. I could easily get out of the shower. I could tell him this isn’t happening and pack up my stuff, but instead, I wait for his answer because as shocked as I am at this turn around in behaviour, I’m also intrigued. Where could this lead if I allow it?

“Are we going to analyse everything from now on?” he asks, turning to face me.

“I feel like I missed the conversation where you asked me if any of this was okay?”

He pushes the water from his face, slicking his wet hair back, before fixing me with those gorgeous blue eyes. He takes my hand, and I let him. Then he tugs me closer and slides a hand along my jaw, cupping my cheek. “Conversations are so over-rated,” he says, tipping my head back slightly and placing his lips to mine. The kiss is soft and gentle, and all I can think about, is how his cock is pressed against my stomach. When he pulls back, his eyes are full of lust. I run my hands over his broad chest, my own breathing coming out ragged. I glance down, biting on my lower lip whilst contemplating my next move. Before I can talk myself out of it, I reach for his cock, taking the thick length in my hand. Aiden inhales sharply, also looking down between us. “Show me how you like it,” I whisper. It’s not like I haven’t ever touched a man before, I’ve fooled around. But I’ve never been confident at taking the lead.

Aiden places his own hand over mine, squeezing it so I’m gripping it tighter. Then we begin to move back and forth, slowly at first. Aiden closes his eyes, letting his head fall back. It’s empowering to know I’m making this man feel a certain way and I lean closer, placing kisses along his chest. He speeds up his hand, then uses his free hand to grip my hair, tipping my head back and kissing me again. He stiffens, groaning deep from somewhere in the back of his throat, before coming hard. Hot spurts of liquid hit my stomach, and he stares at it, shuddering, while the rest drips over our joined hands.

“You’re going to make me late.” He smiles against my lips. He releases my hand, holding it under the spray and washing his come from me. Then he turns me away from him, pressing his front to my back, and running his hands down my body, over my breasts and down my stomach, rubbing his release into my skin. The entire encounter is hot and if he was to press his hand between my legs, he’d feel just how much I want him right now. I’ve never met a man that’s made me want him like this.

As if he can read my thoughts, he presses a kiss to my head and steps away, getting out of the shower and grabbing a towel. I risk a glance his way and he offers a small smile, “If I stay in there a second longer, I’m gonna lose control.” And he goes back into the bedroom.

I release a long breath, switching the shower to cool and letting the water run over my face and down my body. I have to be stronger than this. He’s a walking red flag and I’m literally ready to fall to his mercy.

We drive to work in silence. It’s exactly how we got ready too, moving around one another in the kitchen in silence as we filled our coffee cups to go. I want to talk. I need to ask him what the hell is going on. If this is real and he’s told Laurie he can’t see her again. But instead, I sit in the silence, enjoying whatever this is and pretending there aren’t a thousand questions buzzing around my head. Ones that could potentially ruin it all.