Page 73 of One Wild Ride

TWENTY-NINE

Aria

“It’s Hypno-eyes.” Morgana’s eyes widened as they stared up at Alex.

I laughed as I wrapped an arm around the man that seduced me with his eyes.

“Yeah. His name is Alex. This is A. Hawthorne,” I said as Alex’s fingers traced circles on my back, inching lower and lower until he had a handful of ass cheek.

Morgana leapt at his extended hand. She shook it to the point I thought it might fall off.

“So, you sent me that cake two months ago. Thank you. It was delicious,” Morgana said.

Confused, I was about to ask Alex about it but he answered before I had time to speak.

“Aria said you loved cake, and I felt bad for making you think we, me and my security guard, were going to harm you. It was his idea to detain you.”

“Well, it was the best apology I have ever had. You are forgiven. Anything can be cleared up with cake,” Morgana said with a smile before a car passed by. Her head turned to watch but she frowned as it went further up the street.

“What are you doing hanging out on your parents’ front lawn? I thought for sure you would be waiting inside to be as close to your mom’s cake as possible,” I said.

She shrugged. “Just waiting outside for guests.”

I didn’t say anything because I knew who she wanted to see. A few weeks ago, I would have warned her that it’s best he not show up, but after witnessing Henrik’s pain earlier today, I kept my mouth shut. I might have been wrong about him. But it’s up to her to figure out if she was wrong about him too.

“Anyway . . . did you see each other again after we dropped off the painting?” Morgana’s eyes flicked between me and Alex.

“Something like that,” I said and glanced down at the grass beneath our feet. “I’ll tell you later. Maybe meet for lunch tomorrow?”

I wanted to tell Morgana everything. She’s my best friend and it’s been hard keeping this from her. One more thing I had to keep from telling her.

Evaleen found out, but she always seemed to know everything. Morgana’s my best friend, so it hurts when I can’t tell her things about my life. Like the fact that I am living in Henrik Payne’s old condo. She told me tales of his condo a few months ago when she first went there but I thought she was exaggerating. I was wrong, very, very wrong.

“Oh my God, you’re pregnant!” Morgana jumped up and down clapping her hands.

“What?” both Alex and I exclaimed at the same time.

“Is that true? So fast like that?” Alex said with confusion wrinkling his brow.

“No and no.” I groaned. “Morgana, you are too much like your mom, jumping to wild conclusions. And you,” I pointed to Alex, “you are coming with me so I can explain the birds and the bees to you.”

I pulled the sexiest, most oblivious man toward the front door. As we stood there I turned to Alex. “Did you really think I was already pregnant from four hours ago?”

I couldn’t help but laugh as his hypnotic eyes widened as he hitched his shoulder. “I don’t know how that stuff works. I never studied up on the technical side of sex, only the physical.”

“I guess that makes sense. But I should warn you first before we head inside, about Morgana’s grandmother. She’s—” I didn’t have time to finish as the woman herself opened the door without us having to knock. She either had a sixth sense or was listening at the door.

“Aria! So good to see you again.” Morgana’s grandma, Ms. Austin, threw her arms wide and pulled me in for a hug.

The hug was short and sweet, unlike her grandma. I loved Morgana’s grandmother but she lived in a very different reality than the rest of us. One where she swore Morgana and I were lesbian lovers, and that she had her pick of men, including one’s young enough to be her grandson.

“Oh my, well didn’t you just fall from the sky.” Her hazel eyes zeroed in on Alex as she perused his body.

Poor Alex, I knew Morgana’s grandma would take an instant liking to him.

“I didn’t fall from anywhere. I’m Alex. I’m friends with Aria.”

Completely ignoring me, she took Alex’s arm and guided him inside the house. He turned his head back to me with a look of fear, confusion, and muffled laughter.

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