The Marine (Black Hawke Security #3)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

brIAR

––––––––

S tretching out my arms , I rejoice at how comfortable my bed is this morning. It feels like a million feathers were-—

Wait a minute.

My eyes fly open, and I glance around the luxurious bedroom decorated in black, white, and silver tones.

Aidan.

The conflicting feelings of belonging and being in a stranger’s home slams into me as I tug the four million thread count sheets up to my chin.

He is rich.

I knew he was successful but had no idea until I pulled up to his property last night and drove through the large gate. I noticed a few things inside the house in between all the orgasms but now it's sinking in.

I shouldn’t be here.

But I’m not sorry. I was highly emotional after leaving Mom’s last night after our argument. All I wanted was Aidan.

That one single thought drove me here.

He’s the only person that I’ve loved who hasn’t hurt me.

Not Mom.

Not my father.

Not Kael.

That’s not entirely true because Trina and Alice have been loyal and loving friends. But it was Aidan’s arms I wanted wrapped around me. And once they were, I didn’t want to leave. I needed him to completely consume me.

Well, he did that.

Several times.

I glance around the room, taking in the beautiful large mirror above his dresser and the art on the wall. It’s a silhouette I can’t quite make out in the still darkened bedroom.

Light creeps in from under the half-opened door and edges of the curtains, and I can hear some sounds coming from downstairs.

I toss back the covers and find Aidan’s T-shirt laying on the floor, so I pull it on. The Springsteen Tour ‘95 top falls to almost my knees and looks ridiculous.

I don’t know where he got this from, but I do know he was about five when the tour happened so, yeah, I’m confident he wasn’t there.

As angry as I was last night, I know in my heart I can’t betray or lose my mother, so I’m not going to pretend this is some magical romantic reunion.

It’s not.

This is the only time I will be in Aidan’s home, so I tiptoe quietly through the house in my bare feet and take in as much as I can.

It’s best described as a lived-in magazine shoot. He’s clearly had an interior designer help him—I’m sure of it—but he lives here. Like really lives here. It’s stylish but a tiny bit messy.

The living room has a modern gray sofa with blue, white, and beige cushions. A mustard throw is draped over one arm. On the glass top coffee table sits an empty coffee mug and open magazine.

A remote lies on one of the sofa cushions.

The home is brick, but there is a lot of glass with luxury drapes and décor.

It definitely feels like a home.

That word keeps circling through my mind.

Home.

Before I can stop it, I imagine myself having a lazy naked breakfast with him here on Sunday mornings. Watching our kids play in the large, grassed yard. I can only see a peek as I pass the living area, but it’s enough for my imagination.

When I find Aidan making breakfast in the kitchen, my heart stops beating for a second as I watch him.

He’s so damn gorgeous.

Looking fresh as a fitness model, he’s dressed in a custom-made black suit and white shirt.

“Why are you dressed like that?” I ask, leaning on the door frame as I frown, feeling like a complete frump.

A completely fucked frump.

My body hurts in places I never knew it could after sex. Even my toes are sore.

Wait, did he suck them?

My core tightens and desire flows through me.

Aidan smirks and stalks toward me.

“No, do not touch me. I need a sex break.” I hold up my hand.

“I can kiss you without fucking you.” His lips land on mine as our eyes lock. “Probably.”

I giggle and nudge him away.

God, I know I shouldn’t have come here last night, but I’m not even a little bit sorry. That was the best sex of my life.

“I have a meeting in forty-five minutes. I wanted to make sure you had something to eat before I left.” He kisses me again.

“You work in security. Why the fancy suit?” Usually he’s in a pair of jeans or shorts, and much more casual clothes.

“God, you look hot in my T-shirt.” Aidan pulls back and slides his hand under it, cupping my ass.

I notice he doesn’t answer me.

“No touching.”

“Come back tonight after work.” His hand works its way up my back and rests between my shoulder blades.

My eyes dip.

“Briar.” He presses.

One more night.

Just one more night with him. I’m not ready to say goodbye again. To this. To whatever this is.

Just hot sex.

Oh my god, he put nipple clamps on me.

“Okay,” I reply, and he kisses me with so much passion I almost pass out.

From happiness.

But this is temporary, so I catch myself and stop from going down a rabbit hole I won’t be able to climb out of.

“Scrambled eggs. Muesli. Orange juice.” He nods at the counter.

Damn health-conscious Marine. He always ate better than me and worked out every day. Then again, there’s no way he gets a body like that from eating pancakes and drinking sodas.

“After last night, I need coffee and waffles.” I pout.

He shakes his head and slaps my bottom. “See you tonight, sweetheart.”

I lean back on the doorframe again and watch him stride through the house.

Strong.

Tall.

Sexy.

He could be mine forever if I chose him. I know that. Not in an arrogant way. Aidan and I were made for each other. We have loved each other for an entire lifetime. Yet I’m going to let him go so some other lucky woman can have him.

But that’s what victims do, isn’t it? We don’t believe we are worthy. We let people manipulate us. People like our mothers.

How can I lose her?

I can’t.

But I can leave Kael and one day fall in love again. Tears prickle my eyes as I realize that man will never be Aidan.

Being back in his arms has ripped open the wound I thought I had healed. At least some of it. All those feelings and unfulfilled dreams.

All the pain.

I see it in his eyes, even though he fights to hide it from me. His determination is not lost on me.

But he doesn’t understand what’s at stake.

And part of me wants him to yell at me.

Why isn’t he mad?

Why doesn’t he hate me?

Why didn’t he fight for me? I know why. Mom pushed him away, and I never fought for him, either.

I remember the day Kael asked me out. Aidan said he was going to meet me at the park. I sat talking to Kael on the park bench while waiting. He had a puppy, and the damn thing kept licking my knees.

An hour later, my heart was aching, and I knew Aidan wasn’t going to show up.

“Hey, we’re going to go for a walk and get ice cream. Do you want to come?” Kael asked, and I’m sure he knew I was upset.

Fighting back tears, I bit my lip and nodded.

I think I said yes to distract myself from the rejection and pain. I mean, Kael is a good-looking man, so it wasn’t a hard decision, but I’d wanted to see Aidan so badly.

I felt the last chance for us dissolve the moment I walked away from the park bench that day.

The rest is now history.