The Awakening: Aidan (12 page)

The man poked his head out of the door. “I’m sorry, Mr. O’Connell. I didn’t mean to frighten the lady.”

Aidan relaxed and chuckled. The sound sent a shiver through her, and she realized how much she actually loved that sound, how much it was so Aidan.

He turned and pulled her in front of him. “Jaylin, I’d like you to met Rafael. He’ll be our personal chief slash housekeeper for the next few days.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, you scared me.” On second glance, he shouldn’t have. He was older, maybe fifties with graying brown hair. Muscular, but nothing menacing about him.

“You scared me too. I was finishing up some last-minute preparations for your arrival and had my earbuds in.” He held up an iPod, a contrite grimace on his face. “I hadn’t realized you were already here.”

She caught the scent in the air. “You’re a shifter.”

The man nodded.

She quirked a brow at Aidan. “How did you ensure getting a shifter?”

“I have my ways.”

She frowned. That cocky edge was back on his face, reminding her of how she got here in the first place, reminding her she had to keep her distance from him, because this Aidan was capable of anything. “I’m going back to my room.”

“You will not spend our time here hiding in your room, Jaylin. If need be, every lock in this house will be removed. Do you understand?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Asshole doesn’t suit you, Aidan.”

He stepped closer to her. She tilted her head back, refusing to move away as his naked chest brushed her forearms. “Coward doesn’t suit
you
.”

That did make her step back. “I’m not being a coward!”

“Really? Go on, then. Hide in your room and then tell me you’re not being one.”

“You’re misinterpreting rejection for cowardice.”

His jaw tightened; blue flashed in his eyes. “Rafael. The locks will be removed on the master suite. The other bedrooms will be bolted shut,” he said while never taking his gaze off her.

“Yes, sir.”

“And Rafael?” He paused, a twitch going to town in his cheek. “Move my luggage to Dr. Avgar’s room.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Oh yes, my love, I would.”

With that, he turned away and walked back into the house.

Jaylin stood gaping after him. The shock of his audacity was nothing compared to his last words.

My love.

Even more shocking was the shiver of pleasure that phrase induced. Escaping Aidan was going to be hard enough, but how was she supposed to escape herself?

Chapter Six

Aidan shoved his legs into a pair of khaki cargo shorts and buttoned them. He decided against a shirt, which would piss Jaylin off, but he really didn’t care. He planned to spend the next few days as shirtless as possible as a constant reminder of what she wanted and could easily have—if she’d just accept that she was stuck here and might as well enjoy herself.

Until she did, he had to keep as detached as possible, and bringing Aidan O’Connell out of retirement had been the only way he could think of to create that distance. He’d left that man behind a year ago when he looked in the mirror and no longer liked who he saw reflected back. He still didn’t like him, but the indifference helped keep the
Drall
under wraps.

The last few days while he’d planned and waited had been excruciating. At times, he’d felt as if he might crawl out of his skin from the need to be with her. The only thing that calmed him was focusing on his goal to win Jaylin over as he would during a hostile takeover—with no emotion.

Not that he hadn’t had his “claim” moments. He had. Laying eyes on her for the first time in days had almost made him lose complete control, especially when that peaceful smile had graced her lips after she’d boarded the plane. But that peace had evaporated the moment she’d seen him, replaced with anger and disbelief—a painful reminder that he wasn’t allowed to touch her, that she wasn’t his, no matter how much he wanted her to be.

Calling forth the cold mogul had been the only way he’d stopped himself from reaching for her and folding her in his arms. And he’d been shocked at how successfully he was able to suppress the instinct with his former self.

Her scent attacked him from behind, and he stiffened as his beast stirred, a possessive growl rumbling in his chest. A current of need charged his body, making him clench his fists against the urge to charge her, to take what was his. He’d have to be careful of her sneaking up on him or risk allowing the
Drall
to dictate his actions—just as Jaylin assumed it would. With all her experience and book knowledge, she believed she was one step ahead of him at all times. Could anticipate his every move.

Wrong.

He needed her off-balance. That meant doing exactly the opposite of what she expected of him, even if it killed him. He forced himself not to acknowledge her, not one fleeting glance, as he started to move his clothes from his suitcase to the six-drawer mahogany dresser.

“You can’t stay in here, Aidan.”

Her quiet voice caused the
Drall
to spike again.

Mine. Take. Now.

He shut the drawer with a little more force than necessary. He breathed again. Calm. Distant. Control. The need lessened. When he faced her, Aidan O’Connell was firmly in place. “I paid for it. I’ll sleep wherever I want.”

Just to make his point, he stretched out on the bed and laced his fingers behind his head, satisfied as her gaze belied her steely expression and traveled over his chest before jerking to his face. Giving a relaxed sigh, he settled back against the pillow and closed his eyes. While he hoped he came across as indifferent, his true reason for blocking her out was fear that his eyes would betray him just as hers had. He didn’t need for her to see how much he wanted her to climb up on this bed and lie beside him—to just let him hold her.

“What has gotten into you?” she asked.

Survival mode, that’s what.
“I’m enjoying my vacation. That doesn’t include sleeping on the couch or in any of the other mediocre rooms. I paid top dollar for this island, and I’ll enjoy every amenity it has to offer, which means you’re not going to monopolize the master suite for the duration of our stay.”

“Fine, you can have it. Now open up one of the
mediocre
rooms you so ogreishly had closed, so I can use it.”

“To hide, you mean?” He popped an eye open and studied her, not surprised to see she had her arms crossed tightly beneath her breasts in typical defensive Jaylin fashion. “That’s not happening.”

“I’ll sleep on the couch then.”

He shrugged, though it pained him she’d rather sleep on a cramped sofa than on this huge comfortable bed beside him. “Suit yourself.”

Her frustrated “Oh!” caused a smile to tug on his lips. He quickly pressed them together. He definitely had her where he wanted her—flustered, completely unprepared for what he’d say or do next.

“How long am I going to have to endure your ass-hattery?”

Another smile tried to emerge, but he beat it back. “Few days. You might as well enjoy yourself while you’re here.”

She threw her arms. “
How
am I supposed to do that when I have to walk on eggshells to make sure you don’t go
Drall
mad?”

“I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself,” he said through clenched teeth. His amusement quickly vanished with her infuriatingly constant need to save him from himself. It was
his
life. He’d do what he damn well pleased with it.

She stepped forward, then stopped. “Do you have any idea how bad an idea this is? You’re going to torture yourself.”

He shot off the bed and stalked toward her. “Stop telling me what I’m feeling. As much as you want to believe you know exactly what’s going on inside my head, you don’t.” He stopped directly in front of her. “Have I touched you?”

“No.”

“Have I tried to kiss you, seduce you, since you got on that plane?”

“No.”

“But whose desire was sweetening the air just a few minutes ago?”

She gasped. “That’s unfair.”

A sarcastic scoff ripped from his throat. “How is that unfair? I didn’t even have to touch you. All it took was standing behind me and you couldn’t hide how badly you want me. In my opinion, it’s not me you have to worry about. It’s yourself.”

Her arms tightened around her midsection and she flinched. Bingo. She already knew that.

“You think you’re in control, but you’re not, Aidan. I can’t believe it. It’s not possible.”

“Do you need to see how in control I am?”

He took her face between his hands and claimed her mouth. The moment his lips touched hers, the
Drall
surged forward with lightening speed. A rumble vibrated his chest, the stark need to claim shot through him. Unconsciously, his body inched forward, seeking her, wanting to feel her pressed against every inch of him.

No.

He shoved the feelings away and held himself erect from her, his palms and lips the only body parts touching hers. The moan that crept up her throat made another surge crash over him. He clenched his eyes closed, concentrating on the action of just kissing her. Lips on hers, tongue teasing here, a nip there, and left all emotions out. No tenderness, none of the love he felt, nowhere near the way he wished to kiss her. Just mechanical. Distant. Impersonal.

He hated every second of it.

She whimpered, shifting closer. “Aidan, please,” she whispered against his lips.

Fingers dug in to his biceps and clung. She was asking him to let go. He doubted she was even aware she’d done it. How badly he wanted to take her in his arms and lose himself in her. Right now, she would accept it, but when reality set in, she’d use his moment of weakness as proof that she was right. That he
wasn’t
in control. Just as she had before.

Instead of giving in to her pleas, he released her and forced himself to walk away, as if the kiss had been nothing, as if she were any woman and not his mate. His beast snapped its teeth inside, enraged at his ability to do so.

But Aidan knew the reality as he left her standing in the middle of the room. If he looked at her, if he stopped, she’d see the truth in his eyes. See the shaking of his hands. See how badly he
had
wanted to claim her.

If he did that, there’d be no going back.

…

Jaylin watched him leave. His casual steps a mocking reminder of the travesty that had just transpired. She touched her lips with her fingers, recoiling from the memory of the wooden way he’d kissed her. Her Aidan, the one who made her knees go weak, whose lips were so soft against hers, who held her so tenderly in his arms, hadn’t been anywhere in that kiss. This man was a stranger.

And she’d hated it and wanted
her
Aidan back.

She hurried after him. She didn’t understand why. Stupidity maybe?

But she felt sick inside. Empty. She detested the bleakness and wanted to feel the emotions her Aidan brought to life inside her—if only for a moment. God, she
was
stupid, but she couldn’t force herself to stop her search.

She found him in the living room pouring two fingers of whiskey into a tumbler. The stiffening of his shoulders right before they relaxed gave away that he’d smelled her entrance. He turned toward her and lifted the glass. “Drink?”

She shook her head. Now that she was in front of him, she had no idea what to do. She’d never felt so out of sorts with him. They were either right in each other’s faces bickering away, or locked in each other’s arms. This new distance was confusing.

Why had he even brought her here, if he didn’t mean to have his way with her?

With his glass, he motioned to the leather couch. “I’ll have Rafael make that up for you. You should be comfortable enough.”

Pain twisted her heart. He was so cold. When his dead eyes made contact with hers, the pain tightened, and a shocking burn singed the back of her eyes. There was no sign of the Aidan she knew. Was he even real?

“Thank you,” she forced out.

When she didn’t move, he lifted one condescending eyebrow. “Did you need something else?”

You.

She almost gasped at the realization, but it was true. She needed
him
. Not the Aidan who stood before her, that one she could go a lifetime without seeing again, but the Aidan who had such a lazy amusement about him it infuriated her. She moved closer, and his eyes narrowed.

“What do you want, Jaylin?”

She didn’t know. All she knew was that she couldn’t spend the next few days with this stranger. Before she could change her mind, she moved to him and threw herself at him, locking her mouth to his…needing to somehow break through that ironclad control of his.

For a brief second, his body relaxed into hers, his lips softened as his tongue sailed past hers, and his arms wrapped tight around her. Then she felt the change. The distance. His hands found her upper arms and he pushed space between their bodies. His lips turned hard. Remote. Even the feel of his tongue, which had ever so briefly caressed hers in that tender way Aidan did, became only a tongue in her mouth, robotically moving against hers but nothing more.

He ripped his mouth away and tried to shove past her, but she grabbed his arms and tugged him back against her. Blue flashed in his eyes before she cinched her mouth to his again. A growl came from his chest, and she reveled in the sound as he once again softened into her.

This was her Aidan.
Hers!

Then his mouth stilled. Ceased to move. Frozen, and she froze along with it. He stood ramrod straight—his body as hard as stone. She pulled back, and looked up at him. Nothing but green irises stared back at her. No desire, no tenderness, not even coldness.

No emotion whatsoever.

Swallowing back a rush of humiliation, she stepped away from him, their gazes locked.

“What did you wish to prove with that, Dr. Avgar?”

The use of her last name was like a slap to the face and she gasped, taking another step away from him. A muscle ticking in his jaw was his only reaction before he turned and stormed from the room.