Back at the cottage, I lose track of time. At first, I plan to only be here for a few minutes, but my eyes refuse to dry. I continue to cry until all of my makeup is smeared and I have big black circles around my eyes. I don’t know exactly why I’m crying so much. I mean I know that Tom was just drunk and probably didn’t mean even half the things that he had said to me. But I also don’t care. I’m done coming up with excuses for his bad behavior and for his hurtful words. He sees me only as he wants to see me, not as I really am, and maybe I see him the same way. Maybe, that’s why I was still hanging on to this idea of us that I’d had since college. Maybe it’s all an illusion. In any case, I need to accept that Tom is no longer the friend I’d had all those years and that’s a difficult thing to lose in the course of a night.

When I finally get a hold of my emotions, I head to the bathroom to take a look at the damage that I’ve done with all of my tears. My face is red and splotchy. My eyeliner and mascara are completely smudged all over my eyes all the way to my eyebrow line. The remnants around my lash line are making their way into my eyes, creating a burning sensation that makes it feel like I have a thousand little tiny razor blades slicing at my corneas. I turn on the water and splash some on my face. I take a small hand towel, soak it in lukewarm water, and then wipe every bit off my face. When I finally look in the mirror again, I’m no longer such a mess. Unfortunately, all the crying has left a mark that will probably be difficult to cover up completely, even with a full face of makeup.

Just as I’m deciding what to do next, put on makeup again and return to the party, or just stay here for the rest of the night, Aiden walks through the door. His demeanor is upbeat and he has a wide smile on his beautiful face.

“Hey, babe,” he says, giving me a kiss on my forehead. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Everything about his sunny disposition disappears in a second and is quickly replaced by a look of concern and worry.

“No, nothing,” I say.

“You look like you’ve been crying.”

Dammit. I really thought I could just get away with saying that my makeup was bothering me and that’s why I had to take it off. Why does he have to be so observant?

I try to play down what happened with Tom by just going over the big points.

“He tried to kiss you?” Aiden asks. “And then he told you to fuck off? What an asshole.”

Okay, maybe leaving out most of the details wasn’t such a bright idea, I decide.

“Listen, none of that matters, okay? I took care of it. We don’t have to make it a thing.”

“Of course it’s a thing, Ellie. I mean, who does he think he is saying those things to you?”

“I don’t know,” I say. I walk up closer to him and put my arms around his shoulders. “But it’s all over. It’s between me and Tom. I don’t want you to get into a fight over this or anything else. I don’t even want you talking to him.”

“I don’t know.” Aiden shrugs me off, clearly angry.

“Please. I mean, we’re here as guests of his fiancée’s parents. I don't want this to get worse. Plus, he’s really wasted. So, I don't even know if he will remember any of this in the morning.”

Aiden shakes his head, pacing around the room. I feel myself getting through to him because he is a sensible person who isn’t one to fly off the handle at a moment’s notice. Aiden isn’t a hothead, and that’s what I love about him. I know that he cares about me but that doesn’t mean that he has to start fights for no reason. Especially, when there is actually no reason to start one. What happened between Tom and me is between Tom and me.

“You seemed to be in such a good mood when you first walked in.” I try to change the subject. “Did you want to tell me something?”

I wait patiently for Aiden to respond and after a few moments, he eventually does. “Actually, yes, I did have some good news.”

“Really?” I ask, my eyes light up. I really could use some good news right about now.

“Well, I had that private chat with Robert in his study,” Aiden says. “And he seems very interested in investing in Owl.”

“Really?” Oh my God, I can’t believe it.”

“Well, nothing’s official yet. But I went over the basics and his eyes definitely didn’t glaze over like many other people I’ve spoken to. He has invested in a few other tech companies and has been on the lookout for a bigger fish for quite some time.”

“Oh, wow, that’s awesome news, Aiden,” I say, wrapping my hands around his neck and giving him a big wet kiss on the lips. He reciprocates and buries his strong hands in my hair, tugging slightly until I let out a moan.

“But what about all that’s been going on with the other investors pulling out? Does he know about that?” I ask in between my kisses.

“Yes, somewhat. I mean, he’s pretty up to date on everything they’ve been covering on the news. I went over the details with him, but he didn’t seem phased, which is pretty awesome.”

“I know.” I kiss him again. He kisses me back and pushes me down onto the bed. We lose ourselves in our bodies for a few minutes until I say, “but what about the party? Shouldn’t we go back?”

“Maybe in a bit,” Aiden says. “No one is going to miss us.”

I don’t believe him for a second, but I can’t push him away that easily. I want him. I need him. I crave him. And suddenly, nothing else matters.

---

The End for Now

---

Author’s Note: Hope you enjoyed this book. The next installment, Auctioned to Him 5, will be available in a few weeks.

---

PLEASE POST YOUR REVIEW WHEN THE BOOK GOES LIVE ON AMAZON