The Contract; A Billionaire Romance (18+)

FIFTEEN

Odessa

We sit in silence, reflecting on the deep shit from our past we just brought to light, and soon, my home comes into view. Aden parks in my driveway next to my beat-up car and eyes it, concern twisting his features.

            "That car doesn't have much life left in it," He grunts.

            "I will use it until the day it dies," I say, stepping from his car. I'm surprised when I see him step out too, giving me a look.

            "I want to make sure you make it inside okay. You've had a lot to drink."

            "I've sobered up."

            He motions for me to follow. Begrudgingly, I do.

            The last thing I want him to witness is the state of my home. It's clean, but that doesn't hide the fact that it's falling apart.

            He places his hand on the small of my back as we climb the stairs, each one threatening to give out from beneath our weight. I unlock the door and step inside, turning and blocking him from entering. He gives me a look and I try to play it off.

            "I'm inside. I'm safe. You can leave now." There's a soft meow from my feet and Artemis weaves between my legs, brushing against my calves as her meows grow desperate for attention.

            "Who's this?" He kneels and extends a finger to her. She eyes him cautiously, then surprises me when she nudges his hand, allowing him to pet her. He scratches behind her ears, and she begins to purr, pushing her head into his hand.

            "Artemis," I answer, smiling down at her. I try to keep my eyes off Aden who looks exceptionally good when petting a cat. I watch his fingers work under her chin with envy despite having them between my thighs thirty minutes prior.

            "She's a little angel," he says softly, his smile spreading. "I had a cat once when I was little. She died from leukemia, but she was the best girl."

            "I'm sorry to hear that," I say with sadness. I could never imagine losing Artemis. She's like my daughter.

            "It was a long time ago." He stands and his eyes fall behind me so I step farther inside, closing the door save for a little crack that I can peek through. "Are you trying to hide something from me?" He asks, looking down at me.

            "Yeah, my home. It's..." I look behind me, taking in the chipped paint, the duct-taped windows, and splintering wood floors. "A shithole. You probably live in some mansion, and I...have a shack. It's not something to be proud of."

            "I don't care, Odessa." He then steps forward, pushing his way into my home. I cringe as I watch him take in his surroundings. Instead of focusing on the decaying home around him, he focuses on the pictures of Jen and me on the walls, the artwork I've bought at the Saturday market, and the fresh flowers I keep in numerous vases around my home. He zeros in on a framed horror poster of Art the Clown and smiles.

            Aden turns to me, and his eyes find mine. I stand there, wringing my hands and wondering what's going through his head.

            "Let's get you to bed." Aden grabs my hand and leads me down the hall. I have no idea how he knows where my room is, but gauging from the fact that the only other open door is the bathroom, I think he just assumed the shut one would be my room. He steps inside and looks around a bit before turning to me, motioning for me to turn around.

            I do as he says, my skin prickling with anticipation.

            I feel his hands work at my zipper and soon, the dress pools around my ankles, and my whole backside is bare to him. He doesn't make a sound--doesn't even try to touch me. I feel a shiver fall down my spine, the cool air kissing my bare skin.

            "Where's your pajamas?" He asks, going toward a dresser.

            "I can dress myself—"

            "That's not what I asked." He shoots me a warning look. I swallow and point to the top left drawer, and he opens it. He grabs a t-shirt, and a pair of cotton shorts and bends his finger at me, telling me to come to him. I do.

            His eyes are locked on mine, not wandering anywhere below my chin. He arranges the shirt and pulls it over my head, and I feed my arms through the holes. I watch as he drops to his knees and slightly lifts the fabric of my shirt, face to face with my bare stomach. He hooks two fingers on either side of my thong and pulls down. I step out of the panties, and he gives me a look before he shoves them into the pocket of his slacks.

            His eyes burn through mine, and I open my mouth to speak but don't. The look in his eyes completely silences me. He holds open a clean pair of underwear and I step through them carefully, and he lifts them, his knuckles brushing against my bare thighs. I suck in a sharp breath when he removes his fingers from the panties and repeats the process with the shorts. He places his hands around my hips softly, his fingers splayed against my stomach and waist. His fingers tease the skin beneath my shirt, his chin angled upwards and his eyes still on me.

            I long to feel his mouth on me but know that that's not what this is. This isn't that kind of intimacy. This is an intimacy that's far more dangerous. Damning, even.

            Slowly, Aden rises to his feet, our eyes locked the whole time.

            "I need to brush my teeth," I whisper. He nods, looking toward the bathroom. "But I don't need your help with that."

            "I know." He jerks his chin in the direction of the bathroom. "I'll wait."

            I quickly turn and head to the bathroom, closing the door behind me and staring into the mirror, my mind reeling. My thoughts are a thousand miles a minute as I grab my toothbrush and shakily apply toothpaste to the bristles. I brush my teeth quickly, wash off my makeup, and throw my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. I leave the bathroom, and just as promised, Aden is still in my room.

            He faces a wall with a photo of Artemis and I dressed up for Halloween. I'm a vampire, and Artemis is a bat. Then his gaze falls to another of me standing with Jenna in front of the Eiffel Tower. Her parents paid for the trip for the family, and she begged for me to come along. That was the only time I've stepped outside of Oregon. He cracks a smile at my dorky preteen self. My cheeks flush in embarrassment.

As if he senses my presence, his eyes find mine and there are so many words in them that are left unsaid. He turns to me and heads to the bed, pulling the cobweb-printed comforter back and stepping aside. I watch him as I pad forward, sinking into my bed. I push my legs beneath the covers and settle in, and he pulls the blanket up and tucks it around me. As if on cue, Artemis jumps onto my bed and settles at my feet, meowing softly when Aden gives her a pet.

            I long to ask him to stay with me—not even to have sex. I want his presence. His company. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I don't say a word because he reads my question through my eyes.

            "I can't," he whispers. I nod, knowing that it would be very unwise to spend the night with my boss.

"I know," I whisper back. "I think Artemis will miss you more than I."

He nods, smiling at the small gray furball fast asleep against my legs. I give him a sad look, and he furrows his brows. "You're going to see me again, Odessa. Don't act like tonight means we're not friends anymore."

I nod, knowing that he won't be seeing me again because come Monday, I'm no longer going to be an executive assistant to Aden Iverson.

"Have a good night, Odessa. I'll see you Monday."

            With that, he leaves.

He leaves my room, but his smell remains, and for the first time in a long time, my heart breaks.