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The thought stunned him, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was true. He’d made love to Olivia Adams last night, and he wanted nothing more in the world than to do it again.
Just maybe with more spanking involved next time. That was still making love, right? For people like them?
He had to fix this. Find the words to undo the appalling shitshow he’d made of things last night, and convince her to stay. He’d regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t.
Before he could properly wrap his head around that whole runaway train of thought, Olivia cleared her throat behind him. Dropping the bowl he’d been absentmindedly scrubbing for who-knew-how-long into the sink, he turned to face her.
Olivia stood on the other side of the breakfast bar in leggings and an oversized T-shirt, her suitcase resting at her feet. “I’m all packed,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes.
Soapy water dripped from his hands onto the kitchen floor as he stared at her. His mind was completely blank, as though the entire English language had suddenly up and disappeared.
Shifting uncomfortably, Olivia crossed and then immediately uncrossed her arms. “Can you, umm”—she waved a hand in the vague direction of the front door—“give me a ride to my car?”
“Oh,” Aiden said, snapping back into his body. He must’ve looked like an absolute fool. “Right. Of course. Let me grab my keys.”
He started to leave the kitchen with his hands still dripping and the faucet going, until Olivia pointed these facts out to him, one corner of her mouth twitching.
How he longed to bend her over one of the breakfast barstools and give her a playful spanking for her sass. Then they could laugh and fuck and talk, and things would be like they’d been most of the rest of the week. It would be perfect again.
But their time was clearly up. And she was ready to go find someone else—her perfect Dom. She’d said so herself.
Aiden rinsed his hands and turned off the water, then cleaned up the floor with a dirty dishtowel. “Anything else I’m forgetting?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood. “I didn’t leave the oven on, did I?”
She smiled. “I think you’re good.”
When they left the house a minute later, Olivia lingered in the doorway, then again in the wildflower garden, looking around as if trying to commit every detail to memory.
Frustration surged up through him, making him clench his hand around his keys, the jagged edges digging into his skin. If she was so fucking reluctant to leave, then why had she packed early? Why had she spent the whole morning avoiding him, then asked for a ride when checkout wasn’t until eleven, and it was barely even nine?
Aiden forced himself to take slow, calming breaths. He was being ridiculous. Plenty of guests left a little early on their last day, especially if they had a long way to travel. Olivia had a drive of several hours ahead of her.
Focusing on those logical, rational thoughts, he stowed Olivia’s bag in the trunk, climbed behind the wheel, and started the car. The rumble of the engine made her jump, and with a final, fleeting look up at the house, she hurried to join him in the front seat.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said as she buckled her seatbelt.
“Not at all.”
Their speech was so forced. So stilted. Like two people who’d met only moments before, and wanted to get off on the right foot.
Aiden spent the first ten minutes of their drive wracking his brain, trying to come up with something he could say that would make everything go back to normal. He missed their easy banter and laughter with a desperation that made his chest ache.
For the briefest of moments, he considered ordering her to reach over and pleasure him while he drove—with her hands or even her mouth. Then she could bring herself to completion while he listened to her moans of pleasure.
But no. Everything about her this morning, from her body language to her choice of clothing, made it clear their time together as Dominant and submissive was over.
So when Olivia chose to stare out the windshield and not say a word, he followed her lead. It was his job to make sure she received what she needed, and far be it from him to deny her now, even if it broke him to do it.
It took almost an hour to reach the Manor through the winding mountain roads. Zach must’ve been watching for them on the security camera, for by the time they’d parked beside Olivia’s dark blue Bronco, he was striding across the parking lot.
“Oh, good, he has my keys,” Olivia said, climbing out of the car and hurrying over.
“Perfect,” Aiden said as she shut the door behind her, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. Like she was listening anyway. Fucking Zach and his fucking efficiency. Now she’d leave even faster.
By the time he forced himself to join them outside, Zach had already loaded her bag into her trunk, and she was giving the receptionist a goodbye hug. “Thank you for everything,” she said as they pulled apart. “And for charging my phone! I thought I’d left it in my car all week.”
“Aiden gave it to me when you, ahh,checked in,” he said, giving her an exaggerated wink that made her blush beautifully. “And it was genuinely my pleasure. You’ve been a delight to have here. And frankly—and very muchoffthe record—I’m glad you punched Stacey. She was a nightmare to deal with. I only wish I’d been there to see it.”
Olivia’s giggle hit him with the force of a sledgehammer to the chest. Christ, he was going to miss her.
