Consummated (Aiden & Olivia Book 4) Read online

  CONSUMMATED

  AIDEN & OLIVIA

  PART 4

  Stephanie Julian

  Copyright © 2017 by Stephanie Julian

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at [email protected].

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  Chapter One

  Aiden

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Olivia’s steady gaze bores into mine. “Are you really sure about that? Maybe you don’t know your grandfather as well as you think you do.”

  We stare at each other in silence while her words run through my head.

  I know my grandfather. He’s cold and hard but he’s not a criminal. He’s not a murderer. He never would’ve put my grandmother in danger. He’d loved her.

  Had he?

  I know all his secrets. I’ve made it my business to know. I never wanted to be surprised by anything that could adversely affect the business…

  The business is all he cares about.

  When my grandmother died, he became ruthless and heartless, a machine with no compassion and a driving need to accumulate more and more wealth.

  Or maybe that’s how he always was and just didn’t need to hide it after her death.

  I take another breath.

  No, I’m not sure my grandfather isn’t behind Olivia’s attempted kidnapping. He will do whatever it takes to keep his empire intact. And if that means kidnapping a woman to ensure my compliance, I have no doubt he’d do it.

  For the past fifteen years, I’ve taken every bit of shit he’s thrown my way and made it shine. I thought I’d learned all his secrets, thought I’d gained his trust. Thought—

  Sonuvabitch. Olivia’s turned the tables on me.

  I’d expected her to fall apart at my bombshell that her father is responsible for my grandmother’s death. I’d wanted to show her how her blind faith in her father has put her in danger.

  Now, my mind is racing over her accusations and I’m not sure I’m thinking straight.

  Time to retreat.

  “Stay here tonight. There are several spare bedrooms.” Her eyes widen and I know she’s about to cut me off at the balls for daring to tell her to stay. “Or are you going to run to your brothers for help? I’m sure you’ve told them what’s going on.”

  Her jaw clenches and she’s probably grinding her teeth. I’m ready for her to take a swipe at me verbally. I’m looking forward to it, actually. I’ve realized I’ll take anything I can get from this woman, anything she’s willing to give. The sex is a bonus but that’s not all I want.

  I want more. I just don’t know how much more. Or how to get it. Or what it is exactly that I want.

  The silence stretches between us and now the tension grows hotter. Heat spreads from low in my gut, makes my balls tighten and my dick harden.

  Finally, she shakes her head. “I’m not staying here.”

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to order her upstairs to my bedroom. Or maybe just throw her over my shoulder and take her there myself.

  I rein in the urge and hold my ground. So does she.

  Crossing my arms, I see her gaze drop briefly to my chest before connecting with mine again. She takes another long breath and sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. I want to do that. I want to wrap my arms around her and put my lips over hers and kiss her until she can’t breathe and she can’t think straight. And she agrees to whatever I want.

  “Do you really think you should go back to your apartment?”

  Her head tilts to the left and she continues to stare. “Do you really think I’m going to stay here with you?”

  I raise my brows, knowingly goading her. “And yet you’re still here.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Maybe I’m still pissed at you.”

  I can’t help myself. I laugh. “Go right ahead and be pissed. Then take your beautiful ass upstairs and go to bed.”

  She rolls her eyes, a deliberate taunt.

  “I’m not staying.” Then her eyebrows rise. “But I’ll take a drink before I leave.”

  Nodding, I turn and head for the bar in the library. I know she’s following. I can feel her behind me, that awareness I’ve never had with another woman.

  When I turn to hand her a glass filled with bourbon, I sip at my own and watch her eyes close as she takes a decent slug. I also see her hand shake as she lowers the glass.

  Biting my tongue over the urge to order her to take a seat, I decide to lead by example and settle onto the couch then raise an eyebrow at her.

  She stares down at me for a few seconds before taking the opposite chair. Then she sprawls back like she fucking owns the place and my mouth quirks into another smile.

  Silence holds for several seconds before a question I didn’t know I had pops into my head.

  “How did your mother die?”

  Her eyebrows rise, though I don’t think she’s surprised. “Which one?”

  What the hell? “Excuse me?”

  She gazes straight into my eyes. “Which mother? My birth mother or Patrick’s wife?”

  Well, damn. I hadn’t known there was a difference. “Both.”

  She takes another sip before responding. “My birth mother was a junkie. I only know her name because my brothers took her wallet after they found me starving in her locked car. She’d OD’d the day before. I should’ve been dead. My brothers were scavenging in an abandoned lot. When they opened the door to the car, they realized she was dead and would’ve run if Reese hadn’t noticed me. Bryant took her wallet and then they brought me back to their mom. I don’t remember much about her. My brothers tell me she doted on me. Dad says she felt like she won the lottery the day they brought me home. She died of pneumonia when I was five so I don’t remember her.”

  “And she just kept you? Like a stray puppy?”

  “No one ever came looking for me and Dad told me she’d always wanted a girl. I didn’t know he wasn’t my biological father until I was fifteen.” She shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “Anyway, it didn’t matter. He’s my dad. What about you? What are your parents like?”

  She talks about nearly dying as if it had happened to someone else, as if she doesn’t understand how lucky she is to be alive and have a family who loves her.

  “Absent. My grandparents raised me from the time I was ten. And when my grandmother died, my grandfather became a different person.”

  It’d taken me years to trust him, especially after my grandmother’s death. She’d gained my trust with a constant barrage of unconditional love. And when she’d died, I’d been left with a cold, cutthroat bastard who saw me as clay.

  My grandfather had raised me to run Battle Holdings, molded me in his image, and made damn sure I knew that the only reason he was trusting me with his company was because he had no one else. And that if I didn’t do exactly what he wanted, I’d be out on the street.

  And he’d made damn sure I knew who’d been responsible for my grandmother’s death. I shake the thought out of my head. Has he made questionable decisions in the past? Sure. Who hasn’t? When you run a business this big, you can’t get it right all the time. It’s just not possible.

  Now, Olivia wants me to doubt what I’ve believed for years.

  “My dad didn’t kill your grandm
other, Aiden.”

  Since I don’t want to continue that conversation, I ignore her statement. “Stay the night.”

  She swallows the rest of her drink before answering. “I don’t think that’d be healthy for either of us.”

  My jaw clenches. “Nothing about this relationship is healthy. And I don’t care.”

  Her gaze narrows. “So you consider this a relationship? Relationship implies feelings. Caring. What do you care about, Aiden? Money? Revenge? Power?” She shakes her head as she sets her glass on the table between us and leans forward, her gaze still locked with mine. “Christ, that sounds like bad soap opera dialogue. And I have no idea why I’m still here talking to you.”

  “Because you want to be. If I’ve learned anything about you, Olivia, it’s that you don’t do anything you don’t want to.”

  “So why would I want to be with you? Nothing about this makes any sense.” Frustration creeps into her voice, giving it a hard edge. “I shouldn’t want to fuck you and yet I do. I shouldn’t let you touch me.”

  “Then why are you still here?”

  She almost looks like she wants to stick out her tongue at me. “Maybe because you’re just that good in bed.”

  Laughter catches me off guard. “Well, damn. Better be careful or you’ll make my head swell. And I don’t mean the one in my pants.”

  She rolls her eyes and the corners of her mouth curl up for about two seconds before the slight smile vanishes. “This isn’t a joke.”

  “I never said it was.”

  “I need to go.”

  She doesn’t move and neither do I, our gazes still locked.

  “Do you want another drink before you go?”

  “You screw with my head.” Her tone has a sharp edge.

  “I can say the same.”

  Her eyes narrow at the growl in my tone.

  “Bullshit.” That one words whips at me. “You’re the one holding all the cards. You’re used to snapping your fingers and getting what you want. And if you don’t, you manipulate everyone around you until you get it. Is there anyone in your life who tells you no?”

  I give her the only answer I can. “You do.”

  Even her sneer is sexy. “Am I even allowed?”

  “I’ve told you you’re free to walk out the door at any time.”

  Her chin lifts and her expression holds a challenge. “Call off your bulldog. Tell Vincenzo to leave my dad alone and I’ll find whatever information you need to prove I’m right.”

  Her request isn’t a surprise, but her offer of help is. The part of me that wants to keep her tells me to jump on her request, to tie her to me so she won’t be able to untangle herself.

  “And if you find nothing? What then?”

  She shrugs. “We can discuss that later.”

  “And our current arrangement?”

  Her brows rise. “You mean the one where I give you sex in exchange for information to give to Vincenzo so he won’t kill my dad? That arrangement?”

  I squash a grin but it’s tough. She’s got a smart mouth, a sarcastic edge I hadn’t expected, and it makes me hard. Hell, she could recite the alphabet and I’d get hard.

  That’s something she can’t ever find out. It’s a weakness she could exploit. A weakness I don’t know that I want to get rid of.

  “Yes, that arrangement. I’m not sure I’m ready to give that up.”

  I think I see relief flash through her eyes. Of course, I could be kidding myself. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I’m not prepared to let her go. Not now.

  “Then maybe we could actually, you know, try dating.”

  There’s the sarcasm again and my dick twitches like we haven’t just fucked.

  I don’t answer right away. Not because I don’t know what to say but because I’m worried I might reveal more than I should.

  “And that’s something you’d want?”

  Her lips quirk up at the corners, making my fingers twitch to touch her. “At the risk of sounding like a child… I asked you first.”

  “In all fairness, I don’t believe you asked an actual question.” I hold up a hand before she can respond. “My answer is yes. Tomorrow night.”

  We fall silent, our gazes locked. She has the most amazing eyes, the color changeable with her moods. Right now, they’re a murky blue-gray.

  Seconds later, she blinks and looks away, swallowing so hard I can hear her. She’s uncomfortable, or maybe shy, which doesn’t make any sense considering the sex we’ve been having.

  There’s so much I don’t know about her. So much I want to know. I want to dig into every corner of her and expose all her secrets. But only for me. I want all those secrets for myself.

  Jesus, how can everything change in the space of an hour? I’m still trying to figure out where everything fits into my life.

  Finally, she meets my eyes again. “I’m going home now.”

  Of course she says the one thing guaranteed to make my teeth grind. “I wish you’d reconsider.”

  I’m used to people obeying my every word. That she doesn’t is frustrating but it’s not surprising.

  She maintains eye contact as she stands, and I rise to my feet as well so I tower over her. I consider going caveman, throwing her over my shoulder and taking her upstairs.

  Instead, I shove my hands in my pockets and watch her gaze fall to my shoulders. I see longing and heat and I’m not above using everything at my disposal to get what I want. If she finds me attractive, I’ll use it.

  I roll my shoulders, get broad across the chest, and let my own gaze fall to her breasts, small and perfectly formed. I want her naked and spread out on my bed.

  Jerking her gaze away, she moves, breaking my single-minded focus, and heads for the door. She passes by me, her shoulder nearly brushing my arm. She’s almost at the door when I catch up. Following on her heels, I let her reach the entrance before I grab her arm and spin her around. Her mouth opens on a gasp and I cover it with my own before she can say anything.

  Our lips meld as I press her back against the door, my hands gripping her hips and lifting her until out mouths are level and I’m no longer bending over to reach her.

  Her hands fall on my shoulders, pressing me away for a second before curling into the muscle and anchoring herself to me.

  My mouth moves over hers, forcing her lips open when they don’t automatically do so and sliding my tongue against hers, demanding a response and taking what I want. She doesn’t give in easily and it makes me work that much harder to seduce her.

  She tastes like sex and desire and I have to stop myself from dragging her clothes off her body and fucking her against the door.

  Then she grinds her mound against my erection, making me groan at the pressure and the fact that she’s so close and it would only take one hand to rip her clothes away so I could get inside her.

  And she doesn’t seem to want to let me go. One of her hands wraps in my hair and tugs until my scalp tingles. Her other hand wraps around my neck to hold me at her mouth. With her legs wrapped around my waist, she rocks against me, making my cock harder and my blood pound hot in my veins. Every cell in my body wants her. I don’t know why I shouldn’t have her.

  I’m ready to shove one hand down the front of her jeans when she drags her mouth away.

  Instead of letting her go, I press my mouth harder against hers until her head comes up against the door. I tilt my head so I can slant my mouth over hers and deepen the kiss, my tongue tangling with hers, coaxing more from her. She’s holding back and I can sense it.

  I want everything and I want it given freely.

  She gives me more but she won’t let me dominate her completely. She yanks hard on my hair but when I give in and let my hand slid into her jeans, her grip eases and she groans. The heat of her body sears my palm as it slides beneath her underwear and over her mound. The brush of hair against my skin makes my cock throb.

  And when she tilts her pelvis forward, my fingers slide between her legs to the slipper
y folds of her sex.

  Jesus, she’s soft and wet and so fucking tempting. I want to sink inside her and fuck her against the fall. I want to strip off her pants, pull out my cock and sink deep inside her. Just the thought makes my heart kick into another gear.

  My lungs are starving for air but I don’t want to give up her mouth. Her hand tightens in my hair but now she’s pulling me closer.

  Her mouth moves under mine, just as hungry as I am. Tilting her head to the side, she gives me a better angle and I kiss her deeper, take more.

  Which only makes me want more. I slide one finger along her clit and drink in her moan. I play with the hard little knot until she’s panting and I know if I push her, she’ll give me what I want.

  And I want it. I want everything she’ll give me. I just don’t want her to give me her body because she’s horny. I want more.

  Reluctantly, I ease back and, when I release her mouth, we’re both breathing so hard that’s all I hear.

  Pulling back far enough to look into her eyes, I find her staring back into mine, her gaze is hazy with lust but when she blinks, determination returns.

  “I need to leave.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  Her lips part to protest and I steal the opportunity to kiss her again. It only takes a second for her to respond, but in the next moment, she pushes away and I reluctantly pull my hand free and lower her feet to the floor.

  “Text me to let me know you got home safely.”

  Her eyes widen in surprise before her mouth curves in a sweetly bemused smile. “Are you serious?”

  I stare at her until she shakes her head and releases a short, amused huff before she shrugs.

  “Okay. If I remember.”

  I take a step back and she turns to open the door. I can’t help myself. I swat her on the ass and she turns with a startled expression.

  “Make sure you do.”

  Her gaze narrows and I wonder if she’s about to tell me to go fuck myself. I wouldn’t put it past her and I wouldn’t blame her. Instead, she dips her chin briefly before she slips out the door.

  Moving to the window, I watch her head to her car. She doesn’t hurry, but she doesn’t take her time. She walks with grace and purpose and a sexy wiggle of her ass that makes my mouth water and my heart race.