Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Any fool could see this was no evidence of my cheating, but the insinuation was enough for panic to take hold. Even though this was bullshit, it was still intended to humiliate us. To humiliate Aria.
Hands shaking, I called Aria to give her a heads-up. To talk it through.
It went straight to her voicemail.
Could she have seen the article already?
Frantic at the thought of her seeing those pictures—and her experiences with her exes coming back to bite us in the arse—I hurried to set.
Pulling Blake aside, I told him I had an emergency at home and that I’d meet them in Tokyo.
Blake cursed. “For fuck’s sake, another emergency?”
I stared stonily at him, not in the mood to expand on the situation, even though he was my boss. “I will make it to Tokyo in time,” I vowed.
“Fine.” He waved me away. “I’m holding you to that.”
I left without another word.
First, I had to endure the helter-skelter drive from Lake Como to the airport. I’d told my driver I needed to get there as soon as possible, and he took me very seriously. It was like being in a real-life Mario Kart game. To put it into perspective, the drive to Malpensa Airport is typically an hour and forty minutes from Bellagio, and he got us there in an hour.
I tipped him big for his haste and the thrill. The fear of dying certainly kept me distracted from my fear of losing Aria over stupid, misleading photographs and false rumors.
That panic resettled at the airport. Fortunately, I got there in time for a flight that was taking off in an hour. Unfortunately, there were no direct flights to Inverness. I had to fly into Edinburgh and then hop on a private flight to Inverness from there.
Throughout the day, I tried calling Aria, but she wouldn’t pick up and I was growing pissed off as well as fearful. You didn’t just shut a person out when something like this happened. Every time I got angry at her, though, I reminded myself of her past. Of how she’d been treated and how easy it was for her to believe that she was temporary, easily thrown away.
Not essential.
If only she knew. I was trying to make her see how essential she was to me, but I guess I was failing.
By the time I reached the estate, it was late in the evening, and I was exhausted, hungry, and trying not to believe that this frantic trip wasn’t a giant waste of time.
The guards checked my ID, called up to the estate, and then let my cab through. An underbutler welcomed me at the main entrance. I planned to walk to Aria’s beach house from there, but when I strode into the castle, my pulse jumped at the sight of her marching through the grand hall toward me.
She was still here, working late.
Her expression was wary, surprised.
“You haven’t been answering your phone.” My angry voice carried across the hall.
Her step faltered, but she recovered, straightening her shoulders with determination. She had her estate manager’s face and voice on as she said to the butler, “Thank you, McGill. I’ll see Mr. Hunter in my office.”
The butler nodded and strode off, but my eyes were on Aria. “Well?”
“My office,” she said pointedly, and I curbed my impatience as I followed her through the grand hall.
Her hips swayed from side to side, and I wanted to grab them and pull her back into me. Wanted to whisper in her ear how desperately I needed her and feel her capitulate in my arms.
Fists clenching, I didn’t do any of that.
She was acting like I’d done something wrong, and I braced for the confrontation.
However, as soon as her office door closed behind me, she whirled, eyes wide, expression apologetic. “Oh my God, North, I didn’t mean for you to come all the way here. What about the film?”
I deflated a wee bit. “I was finished for the day. We meet in Tokyo on Thursday to start filming again. Why didn’t you pick up your phone?”
Aria closed her eyes as if in pain. “I … I just needed some time.”
“You saw the photos.”
She opened her eyes, apology bright in them. Not accusation. “I did.”
“You … believed them?” I practically choked on the words.
“No!” She bridged the distance between us, resting her hands on my chest, and I couldn’t help but curl my hands around her upper arms. To pull her close. Breathe her in. “North … I didn’t believe you’d cheat. I promise. But … but a miracle didn’t just happen to me overnight. Okay? My first thought when I saw those photos was, why wouldn’t he want Eden? Maybe he is just … using me,” she whispered. And even though I could see the shame in her expression, I was furious.