Bared (Club Sin 2)

One day the building would belong to Aidan.

He’d never questioned following in his father’s footsteps, nor was he ever undecided that he’d practice in his father’s firm after law school. Now, after his father’s retirement last year, Aidan took control of the firm.

Those five years they’d worked closely together had been good memories. Aidan had learned all he could from the man he greatly respected, and he had enjoyed working side by side. Vegas lawyers feared and admired his father. Aidan strived to leave a similar imprint in his few short years. He was proud to be Edward Knight’s son, and he had no doubt his father was equally proud of him.

He stared out at the mountains and smiled. He didn’t live in Sin City for the casinos or the party atmosphere. While he’d grown up in Vegas and enjoyed the nightlife in his twenties, he stayed in Vegas for that view.

Nothing beat the Vegas desert.

A sudden dinging of his computer had him turning to his thick, dark oak desk. He looked at his computer screen, noticing a telephone call coming through on Skype. He clicked the accept button, and immediately his parents’ faces appeared on the screen.

“Aidan, are you there?” His mother, Laurie, leaned in closer to the webcam. Her thin nose became the focal point of Aidan’s view. Her dark brown eyes searched the screen as if she would find him in it.

He chuckled and clicked on his webcam. “Hello, Mother.”

“Oh, there you are.” She smiled, flashing white teeth and leaning back to show his dad, who was sitting next to her.

His father waved. “Hello, Son.”

Both of them looked tanned and vibrant, no doubt from their latest European cruise. While his father’s oval face held more wrinkles than his mother’s, due to a little help from his mom’s plastic surgeon, both appeared to look ten years younger than the early sixties that they were.

“How are you?” Aidan asked.

His father squinted, his light brown eyes searching over Aidan’s shoulder. “Is that your bookcase behind you?” He frowned. “You’re not at work, are you?”

Aidan raked his fingers through his hair. “Just for a little bit.”

“Go home right now,” his mother chastised. “It’s Saturday.”

“I plan to soon,” he said, to placate her.

His father might have worked hard, but his mother had kept him in line and his priorities straight. She’d always reminded Aidan as a child how important family was. She also told her husband often that his schedule was nine to five, and that he was expected home promptly after. His dad managed to keep those hours, utilizing superior organization and delegation skills.

Edward never broke his promise to be home on time, because he had a large staff who helped to carry the workload for him. The most important lesson Aidan had learned from his parents: Lots of money was great, but if you have no life to enjoy, what’s the point?

His parents were wealthy. They were smart with their money, knew how to invest, and bought real estate. But his father had never worked so much that they forgot what was important in life—your family, and not the material things. They had a marriage Aidan respected. And his mother was the most caring stay-at-home mother, the type of mom who always had fresh cookies for him when he got off the school bus.

“Soon as in you came in to get something and are leaving?” his father asked. “Or is this now a habit of yours to work on weekends?”

“Big case next week—just did some prep to get ahead of the game.” He rested his elbows on the edge of the desk. “I’m going for a run this afternoon.”

“Good for you,” his mother said. “You look healthy and fit.” She leaned farther into the webcam as if to regard him. “How are things besides work?”

“Never better.” He hesitated, pondering what to say next. Christ, he had nothing to talk to his parents about. No exciting news. His parents would not understand his lifestyle choices—they knew nothing of his interest in BDSM and the dungeon. Of course, they would do their best to be supportive, but that conversation was not one Aidan ever wanted to endure.

At his silence, his father asked, “What’s been keeping you busy?”

“I’ve been climbing a lot,” Aidan said, stretching out his legs beneath his desk. “We’ve had good weather.”

His mother shook her head, dismayed. “I don’t know why you go up and down those cliffs. It’s so dangerous.”

“It’s safe, Laurie,” his father interjected. “He’s all harnessed up.”

“Well, I worry, Edward.” She glared at her husband. “He is my only child. I don’t want him hurting himself.”

Aidan stayed silent, watching his parents bicker, as they always did. But it was a beautiful thing, really. They were both strong people, with strong opinions. Though they respected each other and even if a conversation became heated at times, it always ended with a kiss.

His mother finally looked to Aidan. “Any new ladies in your life?”