Page 18 of One Wild Ride

SEVEN

Aria

“Firm and long, just how I like it,” I said as I pushed it past my lips. “Mmm. It’s sweet too. Uh, it’s dripping. Better lick that up.” My tongue flicked at the tip to draw the sweet cream into my mouth.

I sucked on the cannoli as I stared at Alex. He wouldn’t look at me. For the past fifteen minutes, we had been eating in his huge dining room. Me on one end of a massive, rectangular, dark wooden table and him at the other.

Alex had his head down, staring at his food as he ate. I pulled the pastry out of my mouth and placed it back on the white china dessert plate.

“I’m sorry, Alex. There, are you happy? That’s the third time I had to apologize for misjudging you.”

He lifted his head. “Here’s an idea, Aria, why don’t you stop judging people? Maybe, and I get this may be a novel concept for you, but maybe take the time to get to know them.”

I clenched my jaw, pissed at him. Here I was trying to make amends and he had to rub my nose in it.

“Some of us don’t have the luxury of getting to know men. Some of us have to do what we can to protect the people we love before we get to know strangers,” I said and immediately wish I hadn’t.

Alex raised his head even farther, sitting at his full height. I surprised him. I didn’t mean to, but he seemed to know how to push my buttons.

I wish he had accepted my apology and moved on, or just kicked me out. Anything but the curious eyes of a recluse.

“Why would getting to know someone be a luxury? You appear to have friends, Aria. Tiffany and those two women from a few weeks ago, Morgana and Evaleen. You must have taken the time to get to know them?”

I took a bite of the cannoli. No point in pretending to give it a blow job anymore to get Alex’s attention. I got it, and now I wish he would stare at his food again.

“That’s different,” I said after I swallowed the dessert.

“How is that different? Are they robots? Do they not count as people?”

Taking the napkin, I wiped my mouth before leaning back against the chair.

“What about you, Alex? Or should I call you Mr. Recluse?”

Alex pushed back his chair, got up, and walked over. I tried not to stare at his very worn and very fitted sweat pants but the closer he got, the more I focused on what I shouldn’t.

My eyes became level with his as he sat in the seat next to me. “I wasn’t talking about me. I was asking about you.”

“If you get to ask about me, then I should get to ask about you.” I raised my eyebrow.

The corner of his lip ticked up and he nodded. “On one condition.”

“You have to take your clothes off,” I said.

“What? No.”

“I have to take my clothes off?”

“No. That’s not what . . . uh, not unless . . . I mean no,” he said as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down his neck.

“We both have to take off—”

“Aria, there will be no nakedness.” Alex waved his hands at me.

“Fine, but this sounds kind of boring to me.” I rolled my eyes.

“You were the one to suggest the questions to begin with.”

I shrugged. “I figured you would turn it into a drinking game that required us to remove a piece of clothing for every question answered, or a non-drinking game that required us to remove a piece of clothing for every question.”

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