Page 24 of High Stakes

She sighs, placing her hands on the counter and fixing me with a stern stare. “Just fuck him.”

“God no,” I screech.

“He’s not going to turn you down is he. Get him out your system.”

“I don’t want to sleep with him.”

“Then stop freaking out when he’s with other women. It’s none of your business.”

I roll my eyes and begin to rearrange the cakes in the counter. “Was it hot?” she adds, and I glance up to see her smirk firmly in place.

“You are disgusting.”

“It was, wasn’t it.” I bite my lip to stop the smile threatening to break through. She laughs, “I knew it. He’s way too hot to be a crap lay.”

When I get home, the apartment is quiet. There’re candles on the dining table and flowers.Oh great,just what I need. Trapped in my room all night listening to his bloody date night.

I kick off my shoes and drop my bag and as I shrug out of my jacket, Aiden comes through holding a bottle of wine. I scan my eyes over the jeans and t-shirt he’s wearing. It’s the most casual I’ve seen him so far but it’s sexy as hell.

“Good day?” he asks. I nod. “Great. I hope you haven’t eaten.”

I stare at the table, realising this is all for me. I’m part relieved, at least I don’t have to listen to him shmoozing some woman, or worse, the blond from last night. “I haven’t,” I confirm.

“I thought I could at least try and make up for ruining your date night.”

“Is Luke here?” I tease and he rolls his eyes. “Look, you really have nothing to make up for. I overreacted.”

“You didn’t. I was out of order, and it was disrespectful. Please let me say sorry and eat with me.” He lifts the lid on the pot in the center of the table. Steam billows out and I peer closer. “It’s homemade soup,” he tells me. “I can’t take the credit; my mum helped me out.”

I smile, lowering into my seat. “I love leek and potato, it’s one of my favourites.”

“My mum is the best cook,” he says, sitting opposite me and using the ladle to scoop the soup up before pouring some into my bowl.

I inhale deeply, closing my eyes in appreciation. “You can’t beat homemade.” I open my eyes, and Aiden is staring at me. I smile and it breaks his trance. He gives his head a shake and pour some soup into his own bowl.

“Go ahead,” he encourages, nodding at my bowl. “Try it, I want to know what you think.”

I take a mouthful and groan in pleasure. “Oh my god, that’s amazing.”

He smiles, almost looking proud. “I’ll let her know.” He shifts nervously. “This might surprise you,” he begins. “But I’ve never taken a woman on a date.”

I laugh, easing any tension. “That really doesn’t surprise me, Aiden.” I take another scoop of soup. “Not even the blond from last night?” I ask, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“Laurie,” he tells me. “And no, we haven’t been on an actual date.”

I arch a brow. “Wow, aren’t you lucky to have women like her that will just drop their knickers for you wherever they are, and you haven’t even had to pay for a date.”

A serious expression replaces the smirk, and he sits straighter. “I loved Laurie,” he announces, and the sentence surprises me. “From the beginning she intrigued me. We were fire together and in case you didn’t know, that’s never a good thing.” He sighs, “We would fightso bad, and she’d purposely do shit to bring out my jealous side, which wasn’t hard to be honest. At first, I loved that. The chemistry we had was the best high I’d ever experienced. But the lows,” he gives his head a shake, “The lows were depressing and consuming. And then she left me for someone richer,” he adds a laugh, “Married him too.”

“Is she divorced now?”

He laughs again and gives his head a slight shake. “On her wedding day, I fucked her ten minutes before she walked down the aisle. I went there to ask her not to do it, but then I saw her in her fancy dress, and I couldn’t bring myself to be a selfish prick. The next thing I know, she’s got me pressed up against the wall and we’re kissing . . .” He scrubs his hands over his face, and I get the impression this is the most he’s ever told anyone. I like he’s confiding in me. He scoffs, “And then I sat in the church and watched her promise to love him forever.” He slides his bowl away despite hardly touching it. “And the worst part is, I didn’t feel remorse,” he admits, “It turned me on to know I’d fucked her, that she’s been screaming my name on her wedding day. How messed up is that?”

“Sounds toxic,” I mutter.

“That was just one of the many fucked up things I’ve done involving Laurie. Jake hated her. He said she had toomuch of a hold over me,” he looks me in the eye, “I guess she still does.”

“You just have to say no,” I tell him, and a smile spreads over his face.

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