Page 36 of One Wild Ride

“Alex, what are you doing?”

She deserved an explanation. Forcing her like that, I didn’t want her to leave scared of me. Even if she didn’t like how I was, the last thing I wanted to do was frighten Aria.

“I’m sorry, Aria. I got carried away. Please don’t think I wanted to hurt you.” I finally got the courage to lift my head and face her.

Her brow wrinkled. “You didn’t hurt me, Alex. I admit I was surprised at what happened but nothing you did hurt.”

That was a relief.

“Good. I know what I did was wrong. I understand if you never want to see me again.”

Everything happened so quickly. Her touch and how she softened as I talked about those past women, it felt almost unreal. I never thought she would understand why I helped those women. The way my mom put it, I was crazy for wanting to help people who could never change.

She believed that, always had, but I never did. I knew there were choices people made in life, tough choices that they didn’t necessarily want to make, but life forced them to do it.

The way Aria looked at me, for the first time in my life I felt understood. In my mother’s eyes, I’m still a sad, foolish little boy. But, for that moment, I was seen as a good person. As a man.

And then I had to ruin it by extinguishing the light and turning everything black.

Her hand moved to my chin, turning it so she could gaze into my eyes. They shone, big and brown, crinkling at the edge with a smile. “Now why would I never want to see you again, Alex? That was the hottest non-kiss I have ever had. For a virgin, you seem to know what you are doing.”

What?

“I didn’t scare you?”

Her hand slipped down. Her fingers trailed down my neck until she placed her palm on my chest. It was warm and I ached for that heat.

“No. I was hoping for more.” Aria bit her bottom lip as she tilted her head.

“What do you want?” I had to ask.

This was all so much. It was better than any fantasy I had.

Her eyes dipped to where her hand rested on my chest. “I should be asking you that. You’re the virgin.”

My mind raced with every thought I had ever had about this woman for the past three years. But one stood tall. It was the worst one because it was never a fantasy but cold reality.

“I may not know exactly what my mother has told you but I have a pretty good idea. If she’s paying you to help me, don’t bother.” I lifted her wrist, removing her hand from my heart.

I wanted Aria but not like that.

She stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Seriously? I know we may not have known each other for a long time, Alex. But I believe I made it clear at several points in our short time knowing each other that my friendship, or anything more, can’t be bought.”

Shaking her head, she turned and glanced around the room. Aria went over to pick up her purse and sketch pad while mumbling, “And here I was trying to get you to fire me.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, Aria.” I got up and went to grab her arm so she would look at me. “It’s just, every woman who has tried anything with me has been paid by my mother. You told me you talked to her. That she told you I was a virgin. I just assumed—”

“What? That trying to get you to hate me is my seduction technique?” Aria asked, her eyes wide.

“I don’t know. Why did you want me to hate you?”

I frowned because deep down I knew why. There was only one reason. and it wasn’t that I was a virgin, it was my mother. Who would want to be anywhere near a man with a controlling, crazy mother like mine? Sometimes I wish she had been the one to die in that plane crash, along with my father, and left me an orphan.

I hated myself when those thoughts went through my head.

“Because, Alex, look at your life. Look at your family. You have all the money in the world yet you don’t live. That woman controls you and you let her. My father tried to control me. I understand what you are going through but I made a choice. I chose to leave and never look back.” She pushed out of my grasp and walked to the doorway.

Just as she was about to turn the corner she said, “You could make that choice too but instead, you put up a mural.”

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