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His gaze was fixed on hers, boring into her, making her feel like he could see straight into her heart.Love me, love me, love me, love me!She was desperate for him to see the emotions roaring through her.
“Tell me what you want, Olivia Adams. Take control and make it happen.”
She didn’t even hesitate. “I want you.”
His mouth crashed down over hers, staking his claim as clearly as if he’d tattooed “Property of Aiden” across her chest. Olivia lost herself in the kiss, letting her elation wash through her, filling her near to bursting.
When at last he pulled away, Aiden kept her pinned to the bed, resting his forehead and the tip of his nose against hers. “Oh, Liv. My strong, beautiful girl. I don’t know how we’re going to make this work, but I’m sure as fuck going to try.”
Olivia deflated, ever so slightly. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t it work?”
Lifting his head, he blinked down at her a couple of times. “Well. I mean, it’s complicated, isn’t it?” When she didn’t immediately agree, he rolled onto the mattress beside her, sitting up. She didn’t think he meant it, but the way he looked down his nose at her came off condescending as hell, and she pressed her lips into a tight line. “We don’t live anywhere near each other. We both have jobs that are important to us, and mine isn’t exactly compatible with long-term relationships.”
Her mind reeled as she tried to process that. Not compatible with long-term relationships? What the hell? Then why the actual fuck did he bother to ask her what she wanted?
She sat up, too, hugging her knees to her chest. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
The sound he made was halfway between frustration and pain. “I’m not saying I don’t want to try. Damnit, Liv, I’ll try anything for you. I’m just saying it’s going to be really fucking hard. It’s not like I can pick the Manor up and move it to Boston, and you—”
“I don’t give a fuck about Boston,” she interrupted. “The only reason I’ve stayed so long is I never had the guts to find somewhere I liked better.”
“Well, okay then. Good.” He was picking his words carefully, as if afraid she’d explode at any moment. It grated on her nerves; she wasn’t the one saying stupid shit here. “That’s one problem solved then. You can move up here. I make more than enough money that you don’t even need to work.”
Olivia was getting more and more confused every time new words came out of his mouth. “Why wouldn’t I work?”
“I’m not saying I’m against you working. I’m not a Neanderthal.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I just don’t know what you’d do up here. The closest accounting firm of any decent size is probably in Burlington, for Christ’s sake. That’s an hour and a half away.”
“I’m not going to be completely dependent on someone else, Aiden.” There was ice in her voice. “Never again in my fucking life.”
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Get whatever job you like. I’m not going to stop you.”
Burying her face in her hands, Olivia sighed. What a giant clusterfuck this was turning out to be. “And I guess you’d never consider leaving the Manor? Finding somewhere new for both of us?”
The room became as quiet and still as a graveyard.
Well, that was her answer then. It wasn’t like she was surprised. Fairford Manor wasn’t merely a job to him. He’d built the place with his bare fucking hands. It was his whole life.
Maybe too much of his life for there to be enough room left for her.
“It’s okay,” she said when the silence went on far too long. “It’s nice to dream and all, but we’re both mature adults. We’re perfectly capable of facing reality.”
He didn’t say anything. But really, what was left to say?
“So again, thank you.” She was using the voice she used when talking with difficult clients at work. It made her want to fucking scream. “With everything you’ve taught me, I’m sure I won’t be too afraid to go to a dungeon back home now—find my perfect Dom.” She saw him flinch out of the corner of her eye, but pretended she hadn’t.
Aiden was quiet for a few moments, his body utterly still. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Yeah,” Olivia said, closing her eyes against the threat of tears. “Me too.”
CHAPTER15
Aiden
They hadn’t said more than a handful of words to each other all morning, and it was making Aiden want to tear his hair out. Was this really how their week together was going to end? With long silences and nervous glances, like a couple of teenagers who lost their virginity on prom night and had no idea what to do about it the next morning?
Though their last joining had been anything but an awkward virginal fumbling. He’d never fucked a woman that way in his life. Hell, did it even really count as fucking? It was worship. A declaration.
It was making love.
