THE BOSS #5
Chapter One
Aria
I stared at Zayden, comically kneeling in front of me half naked while I sat on a toilet seat, asking me to marry him, and burst out laughing. There was no way he was being serious. For one, he had yet to tell me he loved me. And we hadn’t even been dating that long – granted, the few months we had shared each other’s company was rather eventful – and he had already been married once, so I kind of assumed he wouldn’t be interested in going down that road again. No, the only logical explanation was that he had been joking and I would make a complete fool of myself if I were to take him remotely seriously.
“Sure,” I said, trying to make a straight face. “Let’s run off to Vegas tomorrow and get hitched. Would you like a couple dozen babies to go with the marriage?”
Zayden raised his eyebrows high and screwed his nose upwards in confusion. “I mean…sure, kids, yeah. I am not sure about dozens though. How about just three or four? After you’re settled in your career, of course.”
“What career?” I played along with a completely serious face. “I don’t suppose I will be requiring much of a career after marrying you, now will I?”
He chuckled. “Okay. You can stay home and spend all my money if you like, but I have the slightest bit of a suspicion that you won’t be happy unless you’re trying to run my company for me.”
“Nah! What’s the point of tricking a rich businessman to fall for you if you’re not going to spend the rest of your life lying around doing nothing?”
“Oh, so this was your grand plan the entire time?” He grinned. “That makes a whole lot of sense.”
“Mm-hmm,” I said, putting my hands over his head and pulling him towards me for a quick peck on the lips. “Now we should probably start putting some clothes on.”
I got up and started looking for my panties. But Zayden remained on the floor on his knees, looking intense.
“This is not a joke, Aria. I would actually like us to be married. Sooner rather than later, if that is okay with you.”
It took me quite a while to process the fact that Zayden was being completely serious. Suddenly, all humor disappeared from the room, and my giggles were replaced only by the thudding sound of my own heart, which was now pounding as though I had just gotten off the scariest roller coaster in existence.
I tried to open my mouth and speak a few times. A futile effort, since my tongue now pretended it was glued into my mouth, and words were alien concepts to which it had never been introduced. My mind, on the other hand, was working on extra-time, trying to understand the meaning behind Zayden’s request. Marry him? Perhaps he meant something else? Like, uh, like…
“Do you know what you are saying?” I finally summoned the ability to make some sounds and sounded idiotic.
“Not at all. I’m just blabbing on nonsensically.” He shook his head sarcastically. “Seriously Aria, yes or no? Will you marry me?”
“You know I once took an advanced level college Economics test while I was still a sophomore in high school. I have never in my life encountered anything as difficult as that test had been that afternoon. One particular question got me so stumped; I threw up and ran out of the exam hall.”
“What does that have to do with anything we are discussing?” Zayden asked impatiently.
“I thought that would be the hardest question I had ever been expected to answer in my whole life,” I said. I added softly, “Until now.”
Zayden’s face changed colors so fast, I felt that I must have been imagining it for a little bit. I had never seen him so red, and wasn’t sure it particularly worked towards adding charms to his handsome features. If someone had told me Zayden Sinclair was capable of blushing to begin with, I would have laughed in their face. But watching his perfect olive skin get patched with deep red, while his eyes focused firmly on the bathroom floor, made me feel thoroughly uncomfortable.
Was he nervous?
Embarrassed?
What had I said or done wrong?
Zayden was demonstrating a sign of weakness like he never had before, and I knew right that moment that I never wanted to see him that way again. Weakness did not suit this incredible man. He was better than that.
When he spoke next, his voice was shaky, to my surprise. “I get it. It’s okay.” He wasn’t looking at me still, but I finally understood. He thought I didn’t want to marry him. Ever.
“I haven’t said no,” I offered sweetly. “It’s just…it all seems so ridiculously sudden. You’ve never even told me you love me.”
“Well, isn’t it obvious that I do?” He finally looked at me, straight in the eyes, and the bright blue in them was so piercing, I could just about start crying at any moment.
“I don’t know, Zayden. How can I assume you love me without you saying it? I guessed that you must, don’t get me wrong. The things you do for me. You really do go out of your way and I have always appreciated that. I’ve kind of known that this relationship means more to you than you outwardly attempt. But you have to under—”
“I love you, goddammit!” he exclaimed with slight frustration. “There. I have said the words. I am guessing it makes a whole lot of difference. So, now will you marry me?”
“No,” I said carefully, as his eyes widened to the size of walnuts. “Not yet, I mean. I want to…eventually. Oh God, I want to. Because I love you, too.”
I walked towards him subtly and started ruffling his hair. He looked confused, as I had expected he would.
“What are you trying to say, Aria?” He sighed.
“You are still married,” I said, pulling him into a hug. “Don’t forget that.”
“Are we really on that again?” he snapped. “You know that I ended things with Gina and all the crap I pulled to that end.”
“No, I know she is out of your life. But she’s still your wife in theory. I can’t say yes until your divorce is finalized. I hope you understand that.”
“Well, we can’t get legally married until my divorce is finalized anyway. But I don’t see how that stops you from saying yes now.”
He pulled me off of him and frowned.
“It’s a matter of principle.” I shrugged. “I am not getting engaged to a married man.”
“Of course,” he said, shaking his head. “You and your great big principles. It should not be that much longer for the divorce to finalize. If I nudged my lawyer, it should only be a couple more days. I’ll show you the papers as evidence if you need, which wouldn’t surprise me,”
Offended, I opened my mouth to say something in return, but noticed the glint of humor in his eyes and started laughing. “Just let me know when it’s taken care of.”
“As long as you will say yes when it’s taken care of.”
“Depends.” I shrugged again.
“Seriously, Aria?” He looked up as though expecting some answer. “Depends on what?”
“On whether you propose half naked on a dirty bathroom floor or you do it properly with a ring and some romance.”
His face lit up in realization, and the blush from before was gone, to my relief. He didn’t say anything on the matter, however, and just leaned in to kiss me passionately. In the midst of it, my mind went completely haywire, unable to believe what had just transpired. Zayden broke the kiss with a loud shriek of pain.
“Well, let’s put on some clothes and head back in. I bet your mom is already judging us – and don’t get me wrong, I’d be judging her if she wasn’t after what she just heard here – so let’s not give her more reasons to frown upon this.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, even though I felt awkward by the thought of seeing her shortly. “I will just tease her about our neighbor. That way, she will be embarrassed and we can escape from here quickly.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He grinned.