Miki

 

 

“I’m calling him, Ari.”

The woman’s shoulders go rigid as she sucks noisily on a bright red piece of candy. She glances from Aidan to me with expressionless green eyes though her tan face has drained of color.

“I wouldn’t do that, Aidan. Not unless you’re agreeing to your father’s wishes.” Ariana finally offers quietly, “It would be a huge mistake.”

“Why is it a mistake?” A frown creases my face, scrunching it up.

I know only so little about Aidan’s complicated family situation. Why was Dominic so interested in his youngest son so long after abandoning him and Ruth? Interested enough even to send someone out to retrieve Aidan, like he was an old rubber ball thrown too far from a hand.

A tiny muscle in Ari’s jaw twitches, intense eyes still boring into Aidan, “He knows his father.”

“I don’t.” Aidan snorts, leaning forward so that his blond hair swings down into his face like a veil, “He’s made sure of that.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t try to change that.” Ariana sits back in her chair with an inaudible huff, flinging one leg over the other. This time she doesn’t look to me for help in convincing Aidan to listen to her.

Aidan’s gaze sweeps from his ex to me, soft brown eyes glinting in the light of the office.

For a long moment he studies me, silently communicating something. But I can barely see past the fullness of his lips that I know now so intimately. Warm flurries billow up inside me like a tiny whirlwind, turning my veins to streams of hungered heat.

His large palm shoots out abruptly, fingers dancing along the back of the office phone as his eyes stay connected with me. He inhales slowly as though he’s drawing courage from my stare.

“Aidan…” Ariana whispers, but he only gives a firm shake of his head and lifts the receiver to his ear after dialing.

His eyes lower while Ariana and I sit in strained silence, each of us listening to the echo of a ring from the phone.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, there was a simple, quiet click resounds on the end of the line. Ariana jumps at the soft noise, hands clenching in her lap as she crunches her candy.

“Aidan. Good to hear from you.”

The voice was deep but hoarse, rumbling like thunder in the distance. It’s hard to hear him even over the soft sound of our breathing.

Ariana sucks in a gasp sharply. Her teal painted thumbnail digs into the side of her palm until the flesh is red and angry.

“I’m a busy man, Dominic.” Aidan sighs, “I’m going to make this short.”

“Oh, my boy.” Dominic chuckles dryly while Aidan grimaces at his words, “Don’t worry. I’ve already arranged a new home for you to stay when you arrive-”

“You can’t try to strong arm me into this.” My fiancé snaps through clenched jaw, “I’m not sure why you thought Ariana would be able to convince me to leave, but she failed. I have no plans to let go of what I have here.”

He sends a fleetingly warm look my way, mouth curving just slightly. Or perhaps I imagined it. Either way, it made me blush.

“Ariana failed?” The old man almost sounds startled.

The woman in question shifts rigidly in her chair, like she’s no longer a fluidly moving person but one made of wood or steel. With jerky movements she shoves two more pieces of candy onto her tongue anxiously.

Aidan doesn’t respond, watching Ariana squirm stiffly in her chair. She folds her arms across her chest, gripping her elbows.

“You must have something nice there if you’re unwilling to leave, even for Ariana.”

“It was a mistake to think I’d drop anything for a woman who cheated on me and a man who has never recognized me as his own son.”

Ariana squirms again, jiggling her now empty bag of candy with an awkward glance and a shrug at me.

“Stuff happens.” She mutters defensively.

“I thought you’d leave for money.” Dominic responds simply, “It would be lots and lots of money. Plus my business is up for grabs and I’m practically throwing it at you. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted, a successful business of your own?”

“I’m going to build my own business.” Aidan leans forward on the desk, rubbing his forehead as though the conversation was draining him of life, “I don’t need yours. That’s all I’m going to say. I will not now, nor will I ever, take over your company for you.”

“Fine, Aidan.” Dominic responds with an icy quip tongue, “Have it your way.”

The phone line goes dead as Ariana sits hastily upright in her chair, “You’ve just started a war, Aidan.”

She gives a sympathetic smile, slowly pulling herself upright in the chair like she had weights sewn into the pretty black dress she’d chosen today, like she was dressing for her own funeral. Or maybe it was Aidan’s.

“I assume you’re going to head back now?” Aidan asks lightly, leaning back in his chair with lifted eyebrows.

 “Hell no.” She laughs with a breezy toss of her head as though she were deleting our entire morning from her thoughts, “There’s no way I’m going to back to him now. I’ll stick around ‘til this blows over.”

“Oh, Cappuccino,” She adds with a happy leap towards me, suddenly turning to rest her hand on the back of my chair, “I’ll be seeing you tonight!”

“…What?” I blink, turning towards her in surprise, “What are you talking about?”

“At Ruth’s dinner. She’s making Aidan’s favorite, Lobster soufflé.”

“Ruth’s dinner?” I shoot a bewildered look towards Aidan who just shrugs.

“Don’t ask me.”

“I ran into her this morning. She told me she was having a big dinner tonight and I should join.” Ariana giggles innocently, hands on her slender hips, “Your mother is still sweet as maple syrup, isn’t she?”

Aidan just nods, then pauses with a frown, “Wait, you saw her this morning?”

The woman bobs her head so perkily that her chocolate brown hair twirls down her back, “She was here. Right down the hall. I assumed she was coming to see you.”

Visibly taken aback, Aidan just gives a small nod of his chin, eyes following Ariana as she skips from the office.

“She is… really something, isn’t she?” I can’t help but chuckle, sinking down into my chair, legs stretched out before me. I gaze down at my flip flops, inspecting the glittery bands. Not exactly office appropriate, but comfy as hell. Besides, I didn’t work here. I just hung out and drank all their stale breakroom coffee.

 “Even when she and I were dating, I never knew what she was going to say next.” He sighs tiredly, “I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with her anymore.”

“Moved on to better things?” I tease, though I’m well aware I’m nothing but a shadow compared to Ariana’s beauty and charm.

“I’d say so.” He murmurs, and the sincerity in his eyes as he looks at me sends my heart beating at a funny rhythm.

I grasp the leather pressed armrests and lean up from the chair, walking around the desk to stand by his knees. He reaches up, taking me gently by the hand and pulling me onto his strong, sturdy lap. I lean into his chest, listening to his heart beat within his chest. I run my fingers over the lines of his chest, memorizing the dips of his rippling frame.

“Are you worried about your dad?”

I close my eyes, lulled to peace by the thump of his heart against his ribs, but I feel him shake his head.

“Not at all. He’s an old dog whose bark is way worse than his bite. He’ll give up on me and turn back towards Eli soon enough. Eli is the golden child, after all. The only legitimate one. Who knows how many other bastards there are.”

As he rocks his chair, I spin slowly in his lap so that my chest is pressed to his, our noses softly brushing as I lean my forehead against his own. “I’m glad you’re staying.”

“There was never another option.” He responds resolutely, his warm palms skimming down my back and leaving a wake of pleasant tingles. I lean forward, closing the distance between our lips. It’d been four days since our intimate encounter right here in this office, and still I can feel his hands on my hips, his fingers stroking my scalp and knotting in my hair. I shiver, nipping his lower lip.

Though he returns the kiss, deepening it sweetly, when I peer at him through half closed eyes he’s staring at his open door.

I break away from his tender lips with a laugh and poke at his broad shoulder, “What’s your problem?”

“I’m sorry, Miki…” He groans, shaking his head, “Just so much is going on. I can’t focus on anything.”

“Not even me?” I tease gently, running my hands through his hair as his frown contorts his handsome face with guilt.

I couldn’t blame him in the slightest for being distracted. Through veiled threats of his father and his mother’s mysterious appearance in the building, plus the still compromised system in the office, I was lucky to have any of his attention at all.

He lifts his hand, cupping my cheek as his thumb brushes leisurely over my lips, “Let me take you out tonight after whatever dinner my mother is apparently having. Just you and me. No one else. You’ll have all my attention.”

I curve my face into his touch, pressing my lips against the rough pad of his thumb.

“That sounds amazing.”

A smile brightens his face, toffee eyes crinkling at the corner, “Good. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too. Now let’s go find out where Ruth is hiding!”

He chuckles, climbing to his feet with me held close in his arms.

I bite my lip, arms circling his neck, “Don’t push yourself too much! I’m sure you’re still in pain!”

“I’m doing wonderfully, Miki. Never felt better.” He presses his lips chastely to my own before setting my feet delicately on the ground, though I don’t miss the flash of a wince as he bends.

As tough and robust as Aidan pretended to be, he’d almost died that night. His body was still healing and no doubt it was especially difficult under all the stress he’d been through lately.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to look hard for Ms. Cole. Her joyous laugh rings from down the hall, leading us like sweets led Hansel and Gretel to the witch’s hut.

We creep down the hallway like teenage sleuths in a cheap detective movie, listening to the high pitched giggle of Aidan’s mother as she discusses the in-depth differences between Maine and spiny lobsters.

“Spinies don’t even pincers!” She giggles as we head closer to the almost closed door of Grant’s office.

Before I can come up with some excuse for us to bound into the office, the door flings open. A man’s arm extends into the hallway as Aidan and I leap to our feet just as Ruth saunters into the hall before us.

“Oh! It’s you two!” Her head cocks to the side in curious surprise, “I was just coming to find you, Aidan!”

“What… What are you doing here?” My fiancé asks slowly, blinking as Reagan’s father, Ted Sherry, follows her into the hall before Grant himself pops up in the back.

“I came to see how you were holding up.” Ruth chuckles, cupping her son’s cheek before turning on me with a tight, happy hug, “But then I came across Grant and Mr. Sherry and we got to talking about my dinner plans this evening. I’ve invited both of them of course.”

“About that, Mother…” Aidan frowns.

Her face abruptly pales as she spins on her foot towards me, grabbing my hand in her own, “Of course you’re invited, Miki dear. I don’t know how it slipped my mind to tell you.”

“You forgot me, as well and it’s in my own house.” Aidan grumbles, though Ruth ignores his griping.

The woman straightens, smoothing a hand through her thinning blond curls.

“So, how are you holding up, Aidan?” She asks, wrapping an arm around his shoulders though she stands two heads beneath his height, “You’re not working him too hard, are you Grant?” She adds with a teasing wink.

Grant chuckles, “Of course not, Ms. Cole.” His eyes locking with Aidan’s for a single second before breaking back to Ruth, “He’s taking it nice and easy.”

Ted beams at Ruth, no doubt completely unaware of the current problems in the company. There was no way that Grant would ever let the shareholders know about what was going on with the computer viruses.

“I do love a good lobster dinner.” The grey haired man announces jubilantly.

“Oh, you haven’t enjoyed real lobster until you taste my soufflé.” She giggles, covering her lips with her hand.

Reagan’s father bows suddenly low, sending my eyebrows rocketing towards my hairline. Then he takes Ruth’s hand in his and gives it a little kiss while her sallow cheeks go scarlet.

“This evening then.” He murmurs, strolling buoyantly down the hall towards the elevator while the rest of us look on in shock.

“I suppose… I suppose he really enjoys lobster.” Ruth finally babbles clumsily, staring down at her trembling hand the same way I’d looked at my signed Michael Jackson poster when I was younger.

 

~~

 

“The hell, Dean? You’re here too?”
Dean stares at Aidan blankly, giving a little nod, “Of course, man. I got the invite in the mail days ago. Besides, who’d pass up Ruth’s lobster soufflé?”

Aidan rolls his eyes with an exasperated chuckle as he tugs out my seat for me. I settle in next to a strangely quiet Ariana sipping on a strawberry milkshake. By the time the lobster was served, she hadn’t even gotten through a quarter of it.

I may not be best friends with the girl, but I knew her well enough to know she went through sugary drinks like water.

“Are you feeling alright?” I ask softly as we pass the rolls, watching Ruth and Ted giggle at each other from opposite ends of the table.

“Ah. Yes.” She forces a smile to her pastel hued lips, dabbing a napkin to her mouth, “Just tired.”

Ruth stands up at the end of the table, lifting a small goblet of red wine as everyone and clears her throat with a cough.

“I’d like to thank you all for being here this evening. My son recently gave me the scare of my life and I just wanted to see all of your dear faces. Thank you for coming. I hope you’ve enjoyed your meal-”

“It was the best lobster I’ve had, Ruth. I think I may only eat your cooking from here on out.” Ted grins, cheeks rosy from the scotch he’s been sipping.

The woman blushes, lifting her glass once as everyone clinks their cups together, even Ari with her milkshake.

“Cheers!” Aidan smirks, his fingers curling around my shoulder as we exchange a quiet glance and sip our drinks.

My own wine sits warm in my belly, hazy bubbles fluttering up every time I glance towards my fiancé.

Once the plates are cleared and washed, Aidan once again returns to my side, taking my hand in my own.

“Ready for our night out?” He murmurs in my ear.

I give an excited nod and we slip away while everyone devours Turkish delights on the comfortable sofas of the huge Cole home.

“Where are we going?” I laugh, letting me lead me around the corner of the house past where he keeps his motorcycles, “Won’t your mom be pissed when she notices we’re gone?”

He doesn’t answer, his warm fingers laced with mine.

Overhead, the moon is full and huge and bright as a spotlight in the sky, thousands of stars glimmering at its side.

I’m so distracted by the beauty of the endless, cloudless night that I don’t even look around myself until my feet hit the dampness of roughly wooded dock.

With a gasp I stare around the banks of the gentle lake, the end of which I can’t see, it flows so far before me.

“Let’s get in.” Aidan smirks, fingers dancing along his shirt as the buttons pop easily. He yanks his shirt off, the moonlight shimmering on his flawless abs, “What’s more relaxing than a late night skinny dip?”

When I hesitate self-consciously, he steps closer, his thumbs hooking around the belt loops of my pants. I stare into his chest, eyes timidly tilting backwards up to his gorgeous gaze. Even though he’d traced every curve of my body with his tongue, it still left me trembling with embarrassment to imagine being seen by him. His body is just so flawless and mine… just isn’t.

“Are you being shy, Miki?” He whispers, fingers grazing beneath my shirt, feeling the warmth of my bare skin beneath. I bite back a moan, shuddering beneath his touch.

It wasn’t fair how even just the simple brush of him against me sent my whole body rocking with electricity.

I nod softly, gasping as his hands, still under my shirt, slip around to my back and to slide along the curve of my ass. He scoops me into his strong arms effortlessly, mouth devouring my own.

My whole body melts under his kiss and touch, brain going blank with flames of nothing but desire.

Then, suddenly, I’m flying beneath the rays of the gentle moon right into the icy grasp of the lake.

I flounder in water that’s so cold that my lungs turn to rocks in my chest, hair pasted over my eyes as though it’s been super glued by the frigid waves.

“Aidan!” I scream angrily as a loud splash nearby sends me floating to the side.

I grab at my hair, forcefully shoving it from my eyes as the billionaire’s white teeth glint in the dark.

“You rang?” He teases, his feet easily reaching the sandy bottom of the lake though I can only just barely touch. He scoops me back into his arms, his laughter echoing in the stillness of the night.

“That wasn’t nice!” I pout, “Using your kisses as weapons!”

“It wasn’t a weapon.” He smirks back, his arms warm around my shivering body, “It was a distraction.”

I swat him and he responds with another kiss, our wet bodies slipping along one another.

As he nibbles on my lower lip I grab rough hold of his shoulders, sending him sprawling under the tide and sputtering in surprise.

“Take that distraction!” I holler smugly, squealing shrilly as he grabs my hips and drags me under with him to press his mouth on mine.

We stay beneath the calm, cold surface of the clear water, our mouths pressed to one another until we’re breathless from desire and from lack of air. When we pop back up beneath the moon, Aidan easily tosses me over one of his shoulders and climbs back onto the deck, sitting me down at his side. We cuddle up together, listening as a coyote howls in the distance. Behind us, the mansion’s windows reflect golden moonlight.

The stillness of the night, the fullness of my heart, the way his eyes shine with the moon… suddenly there are words on my tongue that I’d yet to be able to say aloud.

“I don’t know what we are, Aidan,” I begin abruptly, startled by own speech, “But I feel like… I feel like you need to know something about me.” My throat clenches as I watch the full moon shimmer on top the still water. Occasionally, a fish would dip a fin up out of the water, sending a golden splash upwards into the air.

What was I doing?

Why would I ruin this perfect, glorious, intimate moment?

For a second I want to go back in time and clamp my hand over my mouth but then he scoots closer even though our damp legs are already pressed together, his hand warming my thigh. I’m grateful when he doesn’t speak, his simple touch comforting enough. Had he said anything, I was sure I’d lose my nerve.

Intertwining my fingers with his own, I point my foot, dragging a toe along the chilly water.

How was I supposed to broach the subject of something I hadn’t shared with anyone yet?

How was I supposed to reveal just how broken I truly was?

Aidan’s hand moves away from my thigh and the skin is left chilled and cold in the departure of his wanted touch. Before I could beg him to hold me, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me up into his lap. He cradles me close, like a child, my head on his chest.

“You don’t have to look at me while you speak if you don’t want to, Miki. If it makes it easier.”

I cling to his naked, slick chest, swallowing the thick lump in my throat.

“No.” I whisper finally, twisting just slightly away so that I can gaze into his eyes. The moonlight highlights the sharp lines of his chiseled face, his eyes glowing like amber stones. “I want to look at you.”

Through the darkness I can see the faintest hint of his nod, my palms still pressed against his chest.

“I can’t have kids, Aidan. I can’t… I won’t ever be a mother.”

Despite his struggle to look impassive, his eyebrows shoot upwards before slowly knitting together.

 “Oh.” He murmurs simply, desperately uncertain on what to say.

“I just… I thought, I guess, that you should know. I just found out a few weeks before coming here. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.”

“Miki. I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know what I should say here. I don’t know whether to tell you I don’t care or whether to say it’s all fine-”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I sputter uneasily, “I just wanted you to know.” I start tugging free of his embrace but his fingers wrap gently around my wrist to stop me.

He pulls me up close, pressing one more lingering kiss onto my quivering lips.

“I may not know the perfect words, Miki, but I want you to know that I don’t see you any differently. I don’t see our future any differently. If we want kids, we’ll have kids. If we don’t want kids, we won’t. It’s that simple to me.”

Tears glisten in my eyes, a heated blush rising on my cheeks.

“Our future?”

The seriousness on his face melts into tender softness, “Are you going to pretend you haven’t thought about our future?”

I don’t answer, barely able to even see his face through my embarrassment, pressing my lips against his. He twists our bodies, resting my back against the cool, damp wood of the dock.

When had our fake relationship evolved into something more? When had the lines between lies and truth become so blurred?

What was real anymore?

He traces his fingers across my chin, down my neck and over my collarbone, a gasp parting my lips below his own and I can’t bring myself to care. This single moment was real enough.

When we curl up on our sides, clutching one another so tightly that not even the ground splitting open below us could force us apart, I look up at his face and the dark depths of his serious eyes.

“What are you thinking?” I whisper, sweetness of his lips lingering on my own.

“I’ve never felt like this, Miki.” He offers quietly, eyes dark and distant, “I’ve never held something in my arms that I was so afraid to lose.”