Aiden stirs groggily from his sleep with a foul taste in his mouth. It's early, the first light of dawn glinting off the skyscrapers through the wide floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite because he'd forgotten to close the curtains. Next to him, sprawled out in bed on her front, a woman slumbers. Aidan rubs his eyes slowly. Mara is lying on her front next to him in his bed, naked, the white sheets draped over her legs and the rounded curve of her bottom, her blonde hair in disarray around her beautiful, sleeping face.
Gently, Aidan slips out of bed. He's naked too, standing there watching her breathe, his back to the Tokyo skyline. He remembers how she had felt, how hard she had climaxed as he buried himself inside her with his hand covering her face, cutting off her air. He remembers how, in her moment of drug-fuelled ecstasy, she had called him Daddy. Aidan leaves her asleep and pads into the bathroom to take a shower.
Aidan stands under the steaming water for a long time, playing it all back in his head. The more he thinks about it, the more certain he becomes, and it's actually a relief. He's made his decision: it's the right choice. He needs to have a conversation now, and it's going to be hard.
When he's done, he comes back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. Being as quiet as he can, he unwraps himself and searches through his carryall bag for underwear. There is a sound behind him on the bed, and he turns.
"Morning."
Mara is lying on her side, watching him. She's topless, but makes no move to cover herself up.
"Morning," Aidan responds.
Mara smiles. "What a lovely sight to wake up to."
Aidan steps into his underwear, pulling his trunks up his muscled legs. Mara pouts.
"I was enjoying that."
Aidan doesn't answer her. Instead, he gathers up a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
"How're you feeling after last night?" Mara asks.
"Uh, a little foggy."
"Did you have a good time?"
"What?"
Mara sits up, smiling at him, folding her arms under her breasts.
"You got to party with two women last night. Not bad, huh?"
"A lot of things happened last night."
"But you enjoyed yourself."
It's more of a statement than a question. Aidan pulls his jeans on.
"How was she?" Mara asks, "Indi?"
There's something in the way she keeps probing that's making Aidan bristle. The more she talks, the more he recalls of the previous night. The mention of Indi sets him on edge. He remembers Indi's admission while in his arms that she's part of the furniture, that she belongs to Andrew like she's a piece of property rather than a person. He can still recall the look on her face when she asked to stay with Aidan and not to go back to Andrew's bed.
"You were out of control last night," Aidan replies, changing subject.
Mara's smile flickers.
"When you came in," Aidan continues, "You were wild. The things you said."
He pulls his t-shirt on, standing with his hands on his hips looking at her.
"It's still early, Aidan. You got somewhere to be?"
Aidan purses his lips. Her eyes are on him, he can see her uncertainty. Mara pats the bed. Hesitantly, Aidan goes over to her and sits down.
"You're getting to know my history," Mara says, "My secrets. I'm sorry if I freaked you out."
YOU ARE READING
A Place Beyond The Horizon
RomantikusContains adult content, sex scenes, infidelity. Aidan's marriage has been shattered by his wife's actions. Unable to cope with the thing Rosa did, he boarded a plane and put as much distance between them as possible. Alone for the first time in year...
