Kyler sipped his cola and then said, “Have you considered that you might be the problem and that it has nothing to do with her?”

The men around Aidan froze unnaturally. Aidan glanced from face to face, finally landing on Kyler. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Kyler said in a stern voice. “Perhaps you are her problem.”

“I already asked her that,” Aidan said through clenched teeth. “She said it was not about anything that I had done to her.”

Kyler arched a brow. “Maybe it’s what you haven’t done.”

“Kyler,” Dmitri said slowly.

“What?” Kyler growled. After one look at Dmitri, he drew in a long, deep breath and his voice lost its heat. “I’m just saying that have you ever considered that maybe she is lying to protect you?”

Protect him from what?

Aidan’s nostrils flared, heat rising to his face. “Have you talked to her about this?”

Kyler shook his head. “Nope.”

“Then shut up,” Aidan all but spat. “I played with her on Saturday and there was no hint that she had an issue with me as her Dom.” He jerked his gaze to Porter. “Did Cora tell you that it was about me?”

Porter was drinking his beer and exchanged a look with Dmitri before he lowered his bottle. “Cora talked to me privately. I will not break that trust between us.” He gave Aidan a hard look. “You need to ask her.”

Aidan considered that answer. If it wasn’t about Aidan, then he didn’t doubt Porter would have just said so. But he hadn’t, had he? What in the fuck had Aidan done to her? He regarded the men around him. No one would look at him, and he wondered why. They all seemed to be protecting Cora. As if they all knew some secret he didn’t. As if she had told them and sworn them to secrecy.

For the first time since he joined the lifestyle, he cursed the very fact that Doms held a level of respect with others that kept private thoughts private. “Do you all know something I don’t?”

Dmitri lifted his gaze to Aidan’s, his eyes searching Aidan’s. “We know she cares for you and that you care for her. That is not the question. But as to what’s troubling her, Aidan, I can only guess.” He placed his hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Porter is right. You need to talk about this with her. It’s not our place to get in the middle of this conversation.”

Kyler sipped his drink and then banged the glass against the table. “Besides, Cora doesn’t belong to you. If you’re so worried about her, let me have her for a little while and I’ll let you know. Maybe if I see what you see, we can figure out how to help her overcome it.”

Aidan drew in a sharp breath. He’d gone to Porter for help for Cora, but if any of the Club Sin Masters thought about jumping in to help, they’d have to get through his fist first. He pressed his hands against the table and stood, glaring down into Kyler’s face. “Not. A. Fucking. Chance. Buddy.”

“Ah, what a shame.” Kyler tipped his glass toward Aidan with a knowing grin. “It’s selfish of you not to share a sweetie who you’re not committed to.” His eyebrow arched at Aidan’s trembling hands. “And look at that, he’s turning into the Hulk, ready to smash something.”

Aidan’s lips flattened, his forearms flexing. “Wanna be that something?”

“Hmmm …” Kyler tilted his head, then grinned. “I think I’ll pass.”

Chapter Twelve

In her kitchen with white cupboards and gray marble counters, Cora stirred her tea, mulling over the thing with Aidan. Her thoughts had remained stuck on his bringing Porter in to talk to her. His care touched her, warming a special place inside her.

Maybe she hadn’t allowed herself to believe he cared that much.

Yet it frustrated her all the same. He still wasn’t facing his pain. If he just opened his eyes and saw things clearly, it’d all make sense. But how could she force him to accept his love for her? Force him to leave Lily behind and move on? How could she ask that of him?

She didn’t want to.

Cora wanted Aidan to see it for himself.

She shook her head and grumbled to herself, “He’ll see it. He has to.”

Realizing she stirred her tea to a point that made it warm instead of hot, she dropped the spoon into the sink. Leaving the kitchen behind, she strode through her bright living room and entered the small office that was designed simply with clean lines and decorated with modern furniture.

Taking a seat at her steel desk, she placed her teacup on top. With her upcoming vacation time, she needed to play catch-up. Her weekly teen group meeting was on Thursday, which lasted a better part of the afternoon, so she’d never get to the nitty-gritty paperwork if she didn’t look at it now.

Once she powered up her computer, she shoved away thoughts of Aidan and got to work. An hour flew by like a minute. By the time she logged off her computer, her tea was gone, and all thoughts of Aidan returned in a rush.

Tags: Stacey Kennedy Club Sin Erotic
Source: readsnovelonline.net