He was the wind that made her world freeze over. She was the fire that lit up his.
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Aren Petros was the stain on the Petros family name, known for his criminal past. And Mila Chambers was the solution to cleaning up his image. So when they find th...
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author's note: sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out! i had this weird block and even had to rewrite the whole chapter when the first draft wasn't working for me. nevertheless, enjoy this one ;), just half a chapter left of the honeymoon period and they are officially in married, and domestic life. close proximity is my fave trope lol.
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THE VILLA WAS uncomfortably quiet. I filled the silence by tapping my fingers rhythmically on the mahogany table that I was seated at. It was breakfast time and there was a small spread in front of me that I left untouched as I wondered where Aren could be.
It was eight in the morning and there was no sign of him anywhere in the villa. I had woken up and initially didn't bother looking for him. That was until I saw the housekeeper who had informed me that breakfast was ready and that I would be eating alone. I had taken a chance and knocked on his bedroom door, eventually opening it when I didn't get a response. Like always, his bed looked barely slept in and the room was pristinely clean and neat—almost as if he hadn't been in it at all.
I knew he had been though because I heard him leave just as the sun had begun to rise.
I shook him from my thoughts when I realised that the peace and quiet was actually welcomed. After spending the past six days with Aren, his absence was slightly odd but it didn't mean that I wanted his presence. I reached for the food and stacked my plate with pancakes and fruit, instantly digging in and feeling the discomfort fall from my body.
I didn't realise just how hungry I was until I was midway through my pancakes and reached for a few more strawberries. I was pouring the steaming hot coffee into my mug when I heard footsteps approaching the room. I placed the pot down and looked to the door when Aren appeared.
He dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Good morning, Mila."
I slowly chewed the strawberry and swallowed before answering. "Morning."
My gaze followed him across the room as he took a seat opposite me and started piling food onto his plate. He was fresh out of the shower with wet hair that released drops that slid down his tattooed neck and settled on the collar of his black shirt. He had an impassive expression on his face and I couldn't read him when his dark gaze lifted to meet mine.
"How did you sleep?" he asked, his deep voice filling the silence.
My fingers curled around my mug and I brought it to my lips for a comforting sip of the black coffee before answering. "Amazingly. The sheets felt amazing."
The corner of his full lips lifted slightly in a smile that was uniquely Aren. "Egyptian cotton."
I nodded and drank more coffee. "I have to know where you get it from."
"Our house in London has Egyptian cotton bedsheets in every room." His gaze held mine and I looked away when I registered what he said.
