Page 13

Nolan

I sighed as I dragged myself out of bed. I have to spend the entire day with her. You don't have to. A small voice said. You could just go alone. But that would be worse. I didn't trust Aelin,but I trusted that little man less. Now that the deal was close to getting closed, Kenneth has been refusing to sign certain documents, taking too long to respond to requests and generally pussyfooting around. Kelly thought it was because Kenneth Burgess was having second thoughts. Which would be odd because he was the one who proposed the deal in the first place. When I finally confronted Kenneth about it, that's when he asked, or I should say, commanded, that Aelin and I visit him.

I wanted to say no. It would have been better to give Kenneth the proverbial middle finger and tell him to talk to the lawyers, but with the deal so close to the finish line, that would be a regrettable risk. And besides, I had avoided her all this time. Given her a meaningless task, so she could occupy herself. Made her redecorate a townhouse that didn't need redecorating and she had taken it to task. And it worked. She wasn't as restless as I thought she would be and she's not the nuisance that I was afraid of. She had only made one request, which was if she could turn one of the spare bedrooms into a workspace. I had no idea what she did, and neither did I care, as long as she wasn't starting a rock band.

That's not the only reason you're avoiding her, the small voice said. I tried not to think of the other reason but my body has a will of its own and I immediately got hard as an image of Aelin in tight daisy dukes, bending over the counter as she sampled some of Magnus's canapes yesterday came to mind. Her butt looked juicy enough to grab that I had to ball my fists so I wouldn't touch it. The white tank top she wore made her breasts look even larger than they were.

She was smiling at him, smiling , as she told him how much she liked his food. Even her voice sounded like a siren seducing a sailor. And Magnus, the oaf, had happily played along, offering her to try some of his desserts. Dessert my foot. She wanted more than just dessert. I had seen her staring at his biceps whenever he put food on the table.Poor Magnus did not know he was in the company of a consummate seducer, but that didn't stop my irrational mind from wanting to break his legs.

I cast the memory out of my mind. I didn't expect to feel anything for my wife. As far as she was concerned, she was surplus stock in a business deal. But now I wasn't so sure. She constantly confronted my thoughts at odd times. I would go about my day, when out of the blue, her beautiful wide smile would enter my mind. Or the way her dress had displayed her delicious looking cleavage at the gala. The way Hunter had ogled at her made me claim her and put my hand around her waist like I was a wild animal scaring my competition from my mate.

This is why I hated myself lately. I couldn't control basic emotions and wanted to punch every man in the vicinity of my wife. Friends and employees included. You need to get rid of her. As soon as the contract ended, I was getting a divorce.

I got out of bed and went into the shower. Aelin was already waiting for me when I got out of my bedroom. Dressed in a simple business casual, figure hugging dress, she looked elegant and sexy all at once. My body hardened and my resolve weakened. Fuck. The next two years were going to be hard.

"Ready?"

She nodded." Although I don't know why I am needed. You two can talk without me present, surely."

"Take it up with your grandfather. He's the one who requested you to come."

She sighed. "Fine."

Aelin didn't look too happy to be going; I thought as we left the townhouse half an hour later and entered the waiting town car. One would think she would be happy to see her grandfather again. Weren't most people close with their grandparents? But this was Kenneth and Aelin Burgess. Maybe their relationship wasn't rosy.

We arrived at the helipad in record time, much to my chagrin. I wouldn't have minded if Jones got stuck in traffic, but he was too efficient of a driver. The helicopter was already running. Its whirring blades creating a gust of wind.

Aelin got out of the car andpaused. "We're going in there?"

"Yes!" I said over the noise. "We're going to your grandfather's beach house!"

"In there?" She looked worried. I noticed for the first time.

"You've never been in a helicopter? "

She nodded.

It was odd that she had never been on one considering her lifestyle, but maybe she had a fear of heights? "Take my hand." I extended my right hand to her, but instead of taking it, she darted her eyes to the helicopter, looking at like it was a dragon. "I'll be with you the entire time. Don't worry."

Hesitantly, she took my hand, and I led us to the mechanical bird. Aelin was so stiff beside me it seemed I was dragging a log to fire. I rubbed her back as we entered the helicopter. I put the seatbelt around her and once we were in the air; she relaxed a little. She still had her hands clenched to the seat however, but she wasn't as stock still as before.

"See," I said after fifteen minutes in the air. "It wasn't so bad, wasn't it?"

Aelin's smile was weary. She sat straight ahead and didn't look down at the view. When we arrived at her grandfather's estate, she almost jumped out of the helicopter and when we were a few feet away did she finally relax.

I made a call to the pilot and told him to not return. Then I called Jones to come and pick us up when we're done. "We won't be using the helicopter on our way back."

She looked startled. "Why not?"

"You seem to have an aversion to the thing. "

She glanced back at the helicopter as it flew away. "Won't that ruin your plans?"

"I don't mind a car ride. I like the long scenic view."

Her eyes widened. "Thank you."

Her appreciation warmed my heart and something odd settled within me. An emotion I didn't want to confront. I crushed it. I didn't do it to please her. I did it out of convenience for the both of us. Happy wife, happy life and all that jazz. Focus on the present.

Kenneth Burgess was waiting for us in the driveway of his house as we arrived. Hunched on a cane, wearing a burgundy smoking jacket and silk pants, he looked frail, but healthier than I last saw him. I was sure he could hardly walk and was faking being healthy back then, but now? The man looked like he had borrowed time from the devil.

Aelin smiled when we approached him. "You're looking pink," she said, offering her hand. Not a hug. That caught my attention. He shook her hand. It had dark spots around the middle. Bruising from being pricked by a catheter? Maybe he wasn'tas healthy as he was pretending to be.

Kenneth offered his frail hand to me and I shook it. "I didn't know you had a house in the Hamptons. My place is down the road. We're practically neighbors."

Kenneth waved me off. "It's only a rental." He spun his cane around, then twisted his body to face the house. "Come on." He staggered forward. His walk was unsteady, and the gravel made his cane shaky and when he had trudged a couple of steps forward, he stumbled. Aelin rushed to hold his waist before he fell, but Kenneth grumbled and swatted her away.

"Get off me Aire!" He cried out. And as if they had done something wrong, they both froze and turned to stare at me. Kenneth gave me a stiff smile. "She can be a little too protective, my Aelin."

We got into the house and the old man directed us to a standard issue beach house living room with a view of the ocean. Two servers were waiting with a wine bottle, glasses and a cheese crudite platter on the table. Kenneth disappeared further into the house after telling Aelin and me to get comfortable.

I accepted a glass of wine, but did not drink it and sat down next to Aelin on the loveseat. She jerked and glanced at me. "You're jumpy today," I said.

"Huh?"

"You have an odd relationship with your grandfather."

"So do most people."

Before I could say hers and Kenneth's was similar to that of two conspirators and I don't know why it's like that, Kenneth returned, papers in hand.

"You were wondering why I didn't want to sign the transfer papers." Kenneth sat down in a chair opposite us and threw the papers on the table next to the plate of cheese.

"Straight to the chase." I twirled the glass in my hand.

"That's because I don't like you changing the clause in the prenuptial agreement."

"I didn't know the grandfather of the bride had a say in such matters."

Kenneth ignored the jab. "You removed the clause relating to progeny. I feel, if this deal is to be worthwhile, it should be fruitful. Don't you agree, Aelin?"

Aelin's gaze darted between us. "I, uh?" Worry and confusion were all over her face.

"Forgive my granddaughter. She can be shy when such matters are discussed so crudely. But I am a blunt man. I want a grandson."