Page 32 of Rectify

Aedan leanedagainst the wall just outside Natalya’s room, feeling ill.

“What the hell did I just do?” He should return to her room. Take her offer. He’d dreamed about a moment just like that for years.

And he’d never imagined standing on the wrong side of the door, his balls tight with need, his dick pressing against his pants.

She wanted him. He definitely wanted her.

Could he forgive her, though? Did he have to in order to fuck her?

Yes. Because this was Natalya. No matter what, he couldn’t just fuck her out of his system. If he slept with her, it would mean something to him, and he had to make sure he could survive losing her again.

With everything else going on, their timing was all wrong. But she’d said he wouldn’t be taking advantage of her.

Then again, she’d once told him she would return to him.

Trusting her wasn’t something that would come easily after everything they’d been through.

“Aedan?”

He glanced up as Rogan strode down the passage toward him.

Rogan’s gaze flicked to Natalya’s door, then back to him. He missed nothing.

“Everything all right?”

“Is it too early for a drink?” Aedan asked with a self-deprecating grin.

Rogan snorted. “It’s not even seven in the morning.” Then he took another look at Aedan. “But it’s five p.m. somewhere.”

Aedan waved his hand. Drinking wouldn’t help. “I need a shower.”

Rogan nodded, moving past him. “I’ll start breakfast. Enjoy your cold shower.”

There was a smug note in Rogan’s voice. Bastard. He always had to be right.

You were happy with Natalya.

He had been. He hadn’t been happy since. But was the possibility of being happy enough to risk the pain of having her walk away from him again?

Natalya scouredthe internet for any clues as to Mateo’s whereabouts. She knew Stanton’s people were all over this, but she needed to do something.

Diego wouldn’t draw attention to himself. But she kept looking because if she was doing something, then she had less time to think about Mateo.

Or Aedan.

She’d been so stupid, coming on to him like that. Of course he didn’t want her. Why would he? She’d slammed back into his life, bringing all her issues and troubles and turning his life upside down.

Stanton’s people had already followed several leads. Nothing had panned out, but she had to believe that they would find her son. Allowing herself to consider anything else would send her into a well of despair.

A knock on her bedroom door had her glancing up in surprise. “Come in.”

She placed her old laptop on the bedside table as Aedan walked in.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she replied awkwardly.

“You didn’t come down for dinner.”

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