Chapter Twenty-Three
Aaron
Holding the car door open, I took my wife’s hand and helped her out. I heard my parents’ front door open.
“Mommy! Daddy!”
An excited thrill moved through me as the children ran to us screaming. Kennedy caught Patience around her legs first, nuzzling her face against her stocking-clad legs. Kyle was in my arms before I even realized it.
“Did you guys have fun?” Patience asked.
“I’m a girl, not a guy, Mommy!” Kennedy informed, causing Patience to giggle.
“I’m sorry, baby. Did you guy and girl have fun?”
“Yeah! I read grandmother a story. She never heard of Where the Wild Things Are.” Kennedy sounded truly amazed that her grandmother had never heard of her favorite book. My mother was lying, of course, having read the book to me as a child many times while I recuperated in the hospital.
“How about you, son?” I asked Kyle, placing him down on his feet.
“Grandfather took me fishing.” He told us all about their fishing trip, which was really just a walk out to the lake that rested out behind Townsend Manor.
My mother waited patiently at the door for our arrival. She greeted Patience with a kiss on the cheek and a cheerful grin.
“I truly wish the children could join us for the rest of the evening,” my mother stated, frowning. Our family dinner had turned into more of a business dinner with a few of my father’s associates showing up. The children would be kept with a nanny in a separate part of the house while the adults mingled.
Once inside, I helped remove Patience’s light jacket. My mouth watered at the sight of her brown, bare shoulders due to the sleeveless dress she wore. It cinched at her waist, flared a little at the hips that had grown deliciously from bearing my children, and stopped an inch above the knee. I ran my eyes up her body and my frown deepened at the sight of the Burberry scarf she wore to hide the marks I’d left behind after the previous day’s events.
“Stop it,” she hissed in a whisper.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Looking at me like that. You’re insatiable.”
The left side of my mouth kicked up and I pulled her to me, laying my hand firmly against her abdomen, bending down low so only she could hear me. “Only for you, and don’t you fucking forget it,” I growled, nipping at her earlobe. She gasped and pulled away from me, throwing daggers my way with those sepia eyes. My grin grew.
“I’ll be damned. I think that might be a genuine smile.”
If it was, it surely morphed into a frown at the sound of Tyler’s voice as he approached. Reluctantly, I pulled my gaze from my wife to my youngest brother.
“Tyler,” Patience greeted. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m doi–” His movement toward her along with his words were cut off by my hand to his chest.
“Don’t get too close.”
Tyler blinked his hazel-green eyes my way.
“Uncle Ty! Uncle Ty!” the children returned from the living room shouting.
Despite the fact that he was wearing a suit, Tyler bent low, scooping both Kyle and Kennedy in his arms. They shrieked with laughter. He placed the children down just as Diego entered, to which he greeted his oldest nephew with a secret handshake just between them.
“He’s so good with them. Maybe we should let him babysit more often.”
I cut my eyes to my wife. “That’s because he’s a child himself. And we’re not leaving my children alone with him.”
“Our children,” Patience reminded as if I could ever forget.
“You should listen to your wife. I’ve found when I listen to mine, life goes much smoother.”
I pushed out a breath and turned to Carter who was giving me a superior look over the rim of his champagne flute. Next to him stood Michelle, champagne glass in her hand. She and Patience greeted one another, and left to assist my mother in taking the children to the other part of the house where they would be overseen by the nanny. My eyes watched Patience for as long as I could, until they rounded a corner and she was no longer visible.
“You owe me a hundred bucks.”
I turned to see Joshua now joining us and looking between our two other brothers. To my confusion both of those knuckleheads dug into their pockets and pulled one hundred dollar bills out, passing them to Josh. He chuckled as he pocketed the money.
“The hell is that about?”
“These two didn’t believe me.” He gestured between Carter and Tyler.
I waited for him to expound but nothing came. “Care to elaborate?”
Joshua cut his dark eyes their way before pivoting to me. “I told our dear brothers that the big guy had really done it. He’d gone ahead and fallen…hard.”
I angled my head at him, still not catching on, and growing more frustrated by the moment. “Joshua, if you keep beating around the bush, I’m go–”
“All right,” he chuckled, holding up his hands. “Calm down. After that eventful day in your office, I mentioned to our brothers that your wife really was the one, and that you may not have realized it then but you were definitely in love. They didn’t believe me. Bet me a hundred dollars. Clearly, that little display a moment ago,” he nodded in the direction the women and children had gone, “proved them wrong. Ergo, I’m two hundred bucks richer. End of story.”
I looked from Joshua to the other two nitwits who just wore ridiculous grins.
“Mind your damn business, idiots,” I growled, then brushed past Carter and Tyler toward the living room. My father, along with a few of his former colleagues and their wives, were in attendance. I shook off my previous annoyance and put on my game face to discuss business for the next hour or so before dinner was to start.
I rubbed elbows with a number of colleagues in the energy business. One had flown in from overseas to conduct business in Williamsport, specifically with Townsend Industries. We talked shop for a while, when an image across the room caught my eye. I watched as Patience walked over to Michelle, who appeared to be holding her same champagne flute. Patience whispered something in her ear and pulled back, handing Michelle another flute, while taking the one Michelle held and placing it on the dish of a passing waiter. Michelle appeared grateful, taking a sip of her new drink. The two women continued talking for some time. Unfortunately, my line of sight was cut off when my eldest brother stepped into it.
Carter was only an inch taller than me at six-three, so I didn’t need to look up to see those smirking blue eyes peering at me.
“Need help with something?” I questioned, my tone clipped.
“They’re lovely, aren’t they?” His smile widening, he came to stand by my side so I could see our wives again. “It’s great they get along so well.”
I grunted in agreement.
“Of course, you owe me for the next time I want to spend the entire day screwing my wife. You’re going to have to take the kid for a while. It’s only fair.”
I turned my head, glaring at Carter.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
I dismissed him with a look but I grew even more irritated at the deep chuckle he gave off. However, that aggravation was nothing compared to the heat of jealousy that overtook my senses when one of the guests approached Michelle and Patience. He was a popular attorney, who was in the beginning stages of running for district attorney. I glared at him as he shook Patience’s hand but his hold lingered. Even from my vantage point, I watched his eyes narrow, as he took her in.
My feet were moving before I fully registered where I was going. I heard someone call my name behind me but I was too intent on the sight before me.
“Aaron,” Patience smiled. “This is…” She paused when she saw the cold look in my eyes.
My gaze fell from her to the arm this man had now tucked behind my wife’s back, as if he had every right to touch what was mine.
“Justin Arroyo,” the man greeted. I’m certain there was a smile on his face but I was still staring at his arm. “Aaron, I’ve heard so much about you. My people have been trying to get a meeting with you.”
“I’m sure they have.”
His eyes widened, possibly due to my unfriendly tone.
“Yes,” he pushed on, “I am running for district attorney and as you know–”
“That’s great, but could you do me a favor?” I lifted my gaze to meet his head-on, tilting my head.
He looked to Patience and my hand tightened into a fist. I stepped closer.
“What would that be?”
“Take your fucking hand off my wife before I cut it off and feed it to you one finger at a time,” I seethed through gritted teeth.
His hand snapped to the side at the same time two female gasps sounded.
“Aaron.”
Even my wife’s admonishment wasn’t enough to ebb my anger.
“I-I–” Arroyo looked to Patience again.
“Don’t fucking look at her.” I edged closer to him, towering over him by at least four inches. “One mistake I can get past. The smartest men learn from their mistakes and don’t do it again. I’m sure we won’t be needing to have this discussion again. Am I right, Mr. Arroyo?”
“Y-y, well, uh–”
“Say yes.”
“Yes,” he stated hesitantly.
“You can leave now.”
I watched as he paused, trying to figure out what’d just happened. He took a step back and then another, finally turning and walking away until he was on the other side of the room.
“Aaron, what the hell was that?” Patience whispered harshly.
“He was touching you.”
She sighed, looking both frustrated and embarrassed. “He was just being friendly. He’s going into politics, that’s what they do.”
“He can do it without his hands.” I took her by the chin, cutting off any further protests with a kiss to her lips.
She still looked chagrined when I pulled back but no further protests ensued. Just a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes. Both of which, made me want to carry her into any one of the ten bedrooms in this mansion and not let her up for air. I pulled back only due to the memory of how sore she’d been earlier, though she’d tried to hide it.
Her ass isn’t sore though, I thought. I silently agreed to give that thought some further entertainment later, once we were alone again.
“You’re so…so,” she fought to find the right word.
“I know.” I grinned, tapping her cheek and walking away before I really did take her again. My cock was already stirring in my pants at the idea alone. I needed to get this night over with.
****
Patience
“I never would’ve believed it.”
I glanced over, seeing a disbelieving Michelle shaking her head. “Believed what?”
“Deborah said…” She trailed off.
“Deborah said what?” I asked, referencing our mother-in-law.
“Nothing, just something she said in regards to Aaron. I just never really thought he’d ever…and he’s worse than Carter. Sheesh,” she exclaimed before taking a sip of the sparkling cider I’d given her.
“He’s not that bad,” I defended.
Michelle’s honey-toned eyes bulged. “Not that bad? Did you not hear him threaten to cut that man’s hand off and feed it to him?”
I swallowed a sip of my champagne, swallowing and nodding. “He didn’t mean it,” I stated weakly.
“I’m pretty sure he did.”
I knew he meant it. That was the scary part. I knew he meant every word he said and it turned me on. I was sore as hell from the day before but still couldn’t deny my body already getting warm and the flutters in my stomach at his possessiveness. I abruptly turned when I saw the shock on Michelle’s face as she stared at me.
“You’re enjoying it as much as he is. You two are peas in a pod.”
I lowered my lashes, smirking. “Don’t act like you don’t get off on it when Carter’s all jealous and badass. I’ve seen the looks between you two and let’s not forget that little bun in the oven,” I whispered the last part near her ear.
Michelle giggled. “Carter’s not as bad as your husband.”
“He’s not too far off, either,” I retorted.
Michelle shrugged and gave me a sideways glance.
Thankfully, a few minutes later, Deborah and Robert Townsend were ushering all the guests into the dining area. We sat down to a lovely four course meal that consisted of a mixed green salad, seafood gumbo, a choice of crawfish étouffée or filet mignon as the entrée, and white chocolate bread pudding with a brandy sauce for dessert. By the time I’d finished my entree I was stuffed. There was no room for dessert. I sat back and observed the table around us. Michelle sat to my left, while Aaron sat at my right, closest to his father who sat at the head of the table. Though his attention was on the conversation he held with his father and two other man, his left hand rested firmly on my right thigh. It’d been there since we’d sat down to eat.
I watched his beautiful profile and was reminded of that very first dinner where we’d met. I was so young and hadn’t realized what was happening back then. I just knew that I was finally understanding a little bit of what I’d read about in those Danielle Steele novels I borrowed from the library when Ms. Ryan wasn’t paying attention. A smile crested over my face, at the same time I caught Aaron’s eye. Even the perma-scowl he wore turned me on. My nipples hardened and I thought to loosen the scarf I wore around my neck to cover my breasts, but then I remembered the marks on my neck. They would be exposed. He’d done it on purpose I was sure, staking his claim to the world. Marking his territory, as if the huge diamond and wedding band I wore weren’t enough.
My hand covered his on my thigh and his hold tightened. I sat up to get closer to his ear.
“We should leave soon,” I whispered seductively, biting my lower lip.
He gave a small shake of his head. “You’re too sore.”
I moved close to his ear again. “But my mouth isn’t.” I pulled back in time to see his eyes darken in that special way that always caused a flood in my panties.
“Ten minutes,” he growled, his face just inches from mine.
I held in my giggle and turned my head across the table to see Joshua staring between us. He smirked and winked when his eyes landed on me, then turned his attention to the man sitting next to him.
Somehow, despite everyone still being engrossed in their dinner discussions, Aaron was practically pushing me out of the door, less than ten minutes later. He’d also had his mother agree on keeping the children an extra night, and drop them off at school the following morning. I’m sure it wasn’t a hard sell. I barely had time to say my good-byes to Michelle, let alone anyone else. By the time the driver closed the door to the town car, Aaron was all over me.