Page 5 of Vain

I curl up in my usual chair and pull my knees up to my chest as Aiden takes the chair beside mine. I tense all over again. Doesn’t social etiquette dictate that he take the sofa across from me? I look at him briefly, but I’m not sure if he is pushing the boundaries or if this is just who he is.

“It’s so warm out here. I’m not sure the fire pit is needed,” he says, leaning back and stretching out his legs.

I stare at the hard muscles of his thighs and swallow. “It keeps the bugs at bay. Plus, something about the sight of fire calms me.”

“Why, Miss Carson, are you a closet arsonist?”

I grin. “Not in this life. But I’ve always been drawn to the flames. I find them oddly soothing, so maybe I was in the last one.”

“Maybe you built up some immunity to heat too. That would explain why you’re wearing an oversized hoodie and not melting.”

And just like that, his words act like a bucket of water being poured over my head. I jump from my seat like a scalded cat. “I just remembered I need to talk to my producer.”

“What about dessert?”

“I’m not really hungry. I’ve gotta go.” I hurry away before he can say anything else.

Once I’m out of sight, I run up the stairs and fight the lock on my door with tears in my eyes. When I finally manage to shove it open, I throw myself inside and slam it closed. I lock it and check it twice more with shaky fingers before I slide to the ground and bury my head in my hands.

“I’m not going to cry,” I mutter, pressing the heel of my hands into my eyes. “I’m not going to cry,” I whisper, and after a few deep breathing exercises, I’m right—I don’t cry.

I also don’t catch a wink of sleep all night.

Chapter Three

AIDEN

I toss and turn for most of the night before giving up on sleeping. I turn on the lamp and look around the room that’s bigger than my condo and sigh before climbing to my feet and hauling my ass to the attached bathroom.

I flick the lights on and wince at the jarring brightness before turning on the shower. A glance in the mirror tells me I look as tired as I feel, but it is nothing that a warm shower and a hot coffee won’t fix.

I don’t take long, even though the temptation is there. After all, the bathroom is as opulent as the rest of the suite, making me feel like a guest on vacation in a fancy five-star hotel. I towel off before getting dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt and heading out into the sitting area. I turn on the large TV above the fireplace and switch on the news before sitting on the sofa in front of it and opening my laptop. I go through the unread emails as the reporter drones on about a police chase involving an up-and-coming center and a high-class call girl.

Eventually, my need for caffeine wins out. I log out and shut off the TV before heading down to the kitchen for coffee. I’m surprised when I walk in and find it occupied. A glance at my watch shows that it’s only five a.m.

“I’m sorry. I was going to grab a coffee, but I don’t want to get in your way.”

The man looks up from the dough he’s kneading and stares at me. “You Mr. Church?”

“Aiden, please, and yeah. You Marley?”

He nods.

“Gotta say, if I swung that way, I’d marry you in a fucking heartbeat. Your food is that good.”

He’s silent for a minute before he lets out a loud belly laugh, drawing the attention of Greyson, who walks into the kitchen with a frown on his face.

“Ah, Mr. Church. I wasn’t expecting to see you up just yet.”

“Aiden,” I remind him. “And I couldn’t sleep. You know what it’s like to be in new places.”

“There’s nowhere like home.”

“Okay, Dorothy, is there something you need?” Marley asks him as he crosses his arms and taps his foot.

“I came to see what all the noise was. Sounded like a dying pig in here.”

“Ha ha, very funny. I’ll have you know, I just received a marriage proposal.”