Bared (Club Sin 2)

A headache loomed, and she rubbed her temple as she put the cola back in the fridge. Sometimes being a counselor didn’t give you all the answers—it was definitely more difficult to analyze yourself. Emotions made things murky.

With the cool glasses in her hands, she turned as Presley said, “Don’t forget the tissues. I’m sure I’ll bawl my eyes out like I always do.”

Cora didn’t respond. She couldn’t move as her thought replayed in her mind. Emotion slammed so hard into her chest she couldn’t breathe. As if an icy part of her soul cracked ever so slightly, splintering something deep inside her.

How much longer can I wait …

As always, Cora stuffed it all away and forced a smile. “You are such a cheesy romantic, Presley.”

Chapter Thirteen

The wind breezed along Aidan’s skin, cooling the heat of his flesh, and the pavement passed quickly under his feet. Beads of sweat dripped off his nose as he pushed harder on his run. Two hours had dragged by since his frustration had forced him to work it off with exercise, but the exertion didn’t shed his tension.

At the fork in the road, he headed left and continued to run along the sidewalk in Summerlin. Passing by the Tournament Players Club, known to host the PGA Tour, he spotted the golfers on the course, glad not to be one of them.

Aidan craved thrill and excitement in his sports. In golf, he never found that type of adrenaline, though he was sure some did. But he hadn’t moved into this neighborhood for the golf course. He’d moved in for the classy and elegant houses, and for the safety a gated community provided.

Minutes later and gasping from exertion, he spotted his two-story house. With his heart hammering, he slowed to a walk and studied the home he’d purchased to start his life with Lily. It stood proud with its gray brick and black accents, but the focal point of the house was the gorgeous arched entryway.

Built on a large lot, the mansion was luxurious, from the grand foyer with crystal chandelier to the floating staircase. Lily’s eyes had brightened when they’d been shown the house and that had been enough for Aidan to purchase the home.

With Lily gone, the house didn’t hold any warmth, as it once did. Aidan didn’t like the open concept, nor did he enjoy all the windows on the front side. All of which hadn’t mattered when he’d bought the home for Lily.

The only thing that suited him was the stunning mountain views that were visible from every window at the back of the house. It had always been more Lily’s house than his, but he’d been all right with that. As long as he had a place to eat, sleep, and fuck, he didn’t care what it looked like.

Arriving at his dark oak front door, he grabbed the key from the pocket in his workout shorts and unlocked the door. Once he entered the large foyer, he headed toward the chef’s kitchen decorated with cherrywood cabinets.

At the large island, he grabbed his towel off the dark marble countertop and wiped the remnants of his workout off his face. Tension still vibrated in his body, and even jerking off before bed and again this morning hadn’t removed the strain.

With trembling muscles, he dropped down at the sleek kitchen table, staring out at his empty kitchen with a heavy heart. Lily always had something cooking in the slow cooker, from soups to stews to new recipes that he pretended to love. The lack of smell from home cooking in this kitchen clutched his chest.

He’d considered selling the home after she died, but somehow he thought that would be a betrayal to her. He didn’t want to forget Lily. The picture of her by the fridge was a constant reminder that she once had given so much to his life.

With a tight chest that had nothing to do with the workout, he looked away from the photo to his cell phone on the countertop. If one thing came from his run, Aidan no longer wrestled with himself. Even if tension still rippled through him, his mind had cleared to the hundred choices laid out before him.

While he had no answers for what plagued Cora, he, at least, had a plan.

Cora had offered her body to him, but as her Dom, he needed to supply more.

Her body might trust him.

Her soul didn’t.

That, to him, was unacceptable, and was no one’s fault but his own.

Pushing off the chair, he approached the countertop and grabbed his phone. He dialed his legal assistant. “Knight Law, Ella speaking.”

He wiped the towel across the back of his neck. “Ella, this is Aidan.”

“Good morning,” she replied in her soft southern accent. “I have a ten-o’clock appointment for you this morning.”

“Clear my schedule for today.” He hesitated. “And tomorrow as well.”

As expected, Ella replied, “Will that be all?”

That’s why he needed Ella and paid her well. No questions asked. No hesitations given. She simply dealt with the situation as it happened. And he never had to worry if he was away from the office—she’d deal with whatever came up. “Yes, that’s all.”

Aidan ended the call and went to shower.