Itcouldwork. Letty wouldn’t have to be hurt, no one would have to know and threaten their businesses or their lives. Aaron caught his breath at the power of that hope that blossomed inside of him. He hadn’t felt it since Noah drew his last breath all those years before.
He turned to the door and crept into the hallway. He moved toward the guest wing of the house, but hadn’t gotten more than a step when Jack strode out of his and Letty’s bedroom, tightening a robe around his waist. The two men nearly collided with each other.
Aaron froze in terror as Jack’s face registered surprise at his unexpected appearance.
“Aaron?” Jack whispered, tugging the bedroom door shut behind him and moving toward him. “What are you doing up so early?”
Aaron could hardly breathe as he stared at Jack. “I-I-I was having a hard time sleeping,” he gasped out. “I thought I might go for a walk around the estate to calm my mind.”
Jack slowly looked down the long hallway toward the guest quarters and then back to Aaron. Panic gripped Aaron. He could read Jack’s questions on his face. Why was Aaron in the hall of the family quarters, why was he standing outside Griffin’s door and, if Jack was observant, why was Aaron still wearing his clothing from last night?
Why, why, why…
“Why areyouup so early?” Aaron blurted out, hearing the defensiveness in his voice.
Jack smiled and tossed a look back toward the room. “I know Leticia hasn’t said anything, but she won’t mind if I tell you. She’s pregnant again. Sometimes in the middle of the night she gets a wild notion that she wants sausage or roast or…” He shuddered. “…brined vegetables. I try to indulge her as much I can.”
Aaron’s lips parted. “Pregnant? Congratulations.”
He said the words and he meant them wholeheartedly, but even through his joy for Letty, he also felt horror and pain. He’d nearly been caught in an unexplainable situation. Even now, Jack might casually mention seeing Aaron in the hall and Letty could easily put the facts together.
In her delicate condition, God knew how she would react if she realized what was happening between Griffin and himself.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your walk,” Jack said, patting Aaron on the arm gently. “Good…morning, I suppose it’s morning now.”
Aaron nodded as he watched Jack walk away. Once he was gone, Aaron leaned against the wall for a moment, drawing short breaths that did nothing to calm him.
He’d allowed himself to hope for happiness of some kind with Griffin, but he could see now what a fantasy that was. Letty and Jack knew what Aaron was. What he wanted. If they saw Griffin and Aaron growing close, it wouldn’t take much for them to put two and two together.
He would break Letty’s heart once again. He didn’t want to do that. Not ever again. So this was impossible. A dream, a fantasy.
No matter how much he cared for Griffin, he couldneverlet last night happen again. And he could never let himself believe that they could have anything more than a few stolen kisses and a night of unforgettable passion.
He pushed away from the wall and trudged toward his chamber. He didn’t want to sleep now, but he needed to make his bed look used, make his lies look real. He needed to think.
And to mourn the love he’d allowed himself to want and then lost before it could even begin.
Griffin couldn’t stop smiling as he strode down the hall toward the breakfast room late the next morning. Despite very little sleep the night before, he felt exuberant, more than ready to face the day. And it was all thanks to Aaron.
They had shared something precious in those hours in his bed. Something he’d never let himself want or expect he would find. Now it was here and he embraced it wholeheartedly. They would work out the details, he was certain. They would make it work and never let anyone be hurt by the truth.
He stepped into the room and said a few welcomes to the guests around him. He scanned the table, and his smile widened as he found Aaron already seated. There was an empty place beside him and Griffin moved toward it. But as he grew near, Aaron looked up and his expression twisted not in welcome, but in rejection.
“Good morning,” Griffin said, now a little more cautious in the face of the unexpected tension that all but pulsed through Aaron’s being. When he’d awoken alone, he hadn’t read much into it. After all, they couldn’t exactly be caught together. He’d believed Aaron’s silent retreat had been a kindness to let him sleep.
Now he had to wonder if there were much more to the wordless escape and cold bed Griffin had been left to.
Aaron cast him a side glance. “Morning,” he muttered, and it sounded like the word was forced through clenched teeth.
Griffin took his place as a maid poured him tea. “Can I get you anything, sir?” she asked.
He shook his head. “This is fine, thank you.”
Once the girl had slipped away, Griffin returned his attention to Aaron. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
Aaron shot him another side glance. “Nothing,” he ground out, then pushed to his feet. “I think I’ll take a walk this morning,” he said. “If you don’t mind, Letty.”
Letty glanced down the table, a look of surprise on her face. “No, of course not. It’s a beautiful morning.”
