Page 35 of Heart of a Villain

He set Theo on his feet.

Theo headed for the dining table, trudging through an imaginary pool of molasses just as Joel entered the front room from the back patio.

Joel scanned him, frowning. “Hey, Oatmeal Monster? Have you seen my son? He was around here somewhere.”

Theo giggled and cupped his mouth with one tiny hand. “Daddy, you’re so silly.”

“Finish your breakfast so we can get you cleaned up before we leave, okay?”

“Okay.” Theo climbed onto the dining chair, perched on his knees, and picked up his spoon. All three of them grimaced, imagining the bowl of ice-cold mush that Theo ate as if it were apple cinnamon gooey warmth.

Ayesha’s voice dropped to a whisper. “By the way, Adrían, I brought clothes for you from the house. With the guys already here, I didn’t want you to have to go all the way back just to come back here. And I’m sorry, but I had to pick out,” she lowered her voice further, “underwear.”

He grinned. “You’re going to give your husband a stroke.”

“I couldn’t just leave you,” she flicked her hands, “uncomfortable. Plus, I didn’t physically pick them out. I told Sayeda what to bring, and she packed the bag.”

“How’d she do last night?”

“Better. Much better. We got here pretty early this morning, so she and Josiah went for a walk around the property. Figured it would be nice for her to get to know everyone, and Josiah’s a great place to start.”

“Do you think she’ll stay?”

“I really want her to.”

“Me too.” He paused, glancing at Joel, and lowered his voice to match hers. “Um…Ayesha, in your opinion, can Sayeda handle me right now? Your professional...and personal opinion.”

“Personal?”

Outside of Sayeda, Ayesha was the only other person who could answer the question. His physical attraction to Sayeda was making its rounds much quicker than anticipated, but he didn’t want to push too hard, especially before learning what she’d endured in Brazil. Denying himself a touch or even a little banter was difficult enough, but when mixed in with his excitement over the fact that she was back in his life, he wanted to make love to her so badly, it made his head feel like it was being filled with steam.

“What’s with all the whispering?” Joel asked, making his way over to them. “It’s like you two think I’ve suddenly gotten sane.”

Adrían shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“Actually,” Ayesha began, sitting on his thigh, “we were talking about if Sayeda might stay in Swe?—”

“Eesh, what-the-actual-fuck?”

Ayesha hopped to her feet and clasped her hands in front of her face. “Baby, the guys put me up?—”

“Get the belt.”

“I love y?—”

“Mrs. Lattimore, I said get the belt.”

She crept across the room, walking backward, before dashing up the stairs.

Joel followed.

Adrían watched them go.

Ayesha had taken a seat on his lap, and he’d survived. The moment she sat, his arm had wrapped around her, but it had been more out of reflex than the uncontrolled desire to hold her. Had there been no Joel or Sayeda, he and Ayesha would have more than likely ended up together, but that wasn’t their destiny.

It never was.

In a way, Ayesha was a keepsake—a vessel who’d housed the feelings he’d failed to acknowledge for Sayeda. It was as if life had known Sayeda would have returned to him, so instead of completely shattering his heart, it sent someone it knew would cherish it until its owner returned.

---