“Yes.”
“Good,” Hayden grins as he bends down and brushes a lingering kiss and then he pulls away, looking down at me. “Let’s continue to make it unforgettable.”
A while later, I’m in Hayden’s car as he navigates the vehicle on the curved road along the crescent-shaped road. It’s perpendicular to the shoreline that gave the town its name. I’m looking out at the moon’s silvery reflection shimmering over the waves as we reach Hayden’s rented beach house perched on top of the hill, its wraparound porch stretching wide. As we pull into the garage, anticipation knots in my stomach.
“Wow! You probably have a fantastic view of the sunsets.”
“Yeah, I do… the sunsets here are unreal.”
“I bet.” He hits the garage opener, pulls in, parks, and hops out. I reach into the backseat and pick up my large overnight tote. I placed the bag there earlier when Hayden picked me up. Leaving all my festival prizes; there’s no sense in bringing them in only to bring them back out in two days, when Hayden takes me home. I’m happy I didn’t stick to my guns about not dating within my job space. When he asked me out, it could have cost me the man my grandmother dreamt I’d be with.
Hayden opens my door. “Let’s head in,” Hayden reaching for my hand to help me out. Our footsteps echo and I find it so unnerving. The overhead light flickers erratically, making the hairs on my neck tingle. I watch as he punches a code into the keypad before we enter the house.
“I love this place… the security’s top-notch,” Hayden boasts.
“Oh, that’s great to hear, because the blinking light gives me horror movie vibes.”
“Ha, yeah, I see what you’re saying.” His grin turns playful as he pulls me closer. “Tell you what, if it freaks you out, I’ll keep you distracted.” Hayden pulls me into his arms and kisses me. For a moment, I’m startled by the warmth that sparks through me. Finally, my body seems to catch up, a soft tingle blooming low in my core. Relief washes over me; it feels good, confirmation that I hadn’t been wrong. Our relationship needed to move to this step. Hayden deepens the kiss, his hand tightening at my waist. The faint chill of the night fades beneath the press of his body. When he finally pulls back, his breath grazes my lips, and for a moment neither of us moves. Then he reaches for the door, still holding my hand as we step inside. Warm light spills across the entryway. Hayden kicks the door shut behind us, his mouth finding mine again, hungrier this time, less patient as we move into the house.
The soft thud of my back meeting a wall startles a breathy laugh out of me. “Wait, Hayden, I have a surprise for you.” Stepping back, my fingers tremble, my pulse trips. I slip my dark green sweater dress over my head, revealing the red lace beneath. A flutter of nervous excitement mingles with vulnerability, my thoughts racing as I wonder how he’ll react to my daring surprise. I feel his hand glide along my ass as he pulls me closer, helping me ease the dress the rest of the way off. Our eyes meet, and an excited shiver runs down my spine as the cool air hits my skin in contrast to the heat of Hayden’s palm.
“Babe, you wore that all evening?” He runs his hands from my ass up my sides, his voice thick with appreciation. “Had I known this, we would have left the festival hours ago.” His words make me bold.
“Guess you like your birthday present?” Stepping back a bit, I twirl around for him.
“Love it. Can’t wait to unwrap it.” As Hayden pulls me against him, a sudden throat-clearing rips through the moment, and blinding lights flood the room.
Two
“Some truths don’t shatter your world. They burn it down, then light a cigar, and ask if you’d like a taste.” – Aria Boschett.
In one swift, disjointed motion, I grab for my abandoned dress and flee behind Hayden, my fingers fumbling with the fabric as I scramble to cover myself.Why hadn’t Hayden warned me he had a guest?I stumble, yank my dress over my head, pulling it down, and step out from behind Hayden. I expected an awkward introduction, maybe some weird excuse on his part. Instead, the room has transformed into a den of wolves.
An icy chill seeps into my bones as my gaze sweeps over the five men in the room. Four of them stand like sentinels, radiating a quiet menace, the kind that doesn’t need raised voices to command obedience. The fifth sits like a king on a throne, legs spread, a tumbler of amber liquid in one hand. Then my gaze snags on his eyes—those impossible blue-green eyes. The stranger from the festival booth. No jeans, no paddy cap. Now he’s in a suit, radiating a sharp, commanding presence. The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, broken only by the soft clink of ice against glass as he lifts his drink to his lips. The light catches on the burnished liquid, reflecting off the sharp lines of his Van Dyke beard. His expression is unreadable. A sickening realization settles over me.Was I being followed?My eyes dart to Hayden, but the sight of him only spikes my fear. His usual peacock confidence has turned to stone. That playful aura of his is gone. His face is paper-white, his limbs stiff. If I ever needed evidence that these men were dangerous, Hayden’s behaviour just gave it to me.
The stranger swirls the drink in his glass. “Hey, Hayden. You and your lady should have a seat.” The Irish lilt is no longer teasing or smooth; it’s cold, clipped. A man accustomed to control. The kind that expects obedience. I stay still while Hayden moves forward, like a puppet with yanked strings, taking stiff steps toward the cream loveseat and dropping his butt down.Hell no. There’s no way. I’m staying here.
“I, uh… Hayden… looks like you’ve got company.”My voice is too bright, too forced but I can’t help it.“We should reschedule, okay, Hayden?” I gulp, grabbing my overnight bag, which had fallen to the floor earlier during that heated moment between Hayden and me, a moment that now feels like eons ago. I throw a desperate glance at Hayden. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t even blink. My heart hammers as I pivot toward the door.
“Stop.” The single word is an ice bath down my spine, a command, not a request. I freeze, pulse roaring in my ears.Run, don’t stop,my inner voice blares through my head. Hand trembling, I reluctantly turn to face the stranger.
“I re-ally can’t stay. I-I.” I’m mumbling as my brain scrambles for an excuse..
He tilts his head. “Listen here, lass, I’m not in the habit of repeating myself...” His words have no effect as I don’t move. He seems to sense that, unlike Hayden, I’m not blindly about to follow his instructions. I take an irrevocable step back. He’s studying me with the patience a predator has before pouncing. “Dove, I said… have a seat.” He says again, I stay planted to the spot.
Like the kingpin he appears to be, he snaps his fingers, and the largest of the men takes a single step forward, looking more than ready to sit me down if I don’t comply. I stare at the hulk of a man with an orange mohawk and skull tattoos and make a split-second calculation. With reluctant steps, I proceed into the den of vipers.
“Oi, Hayden,” Mr. Kingpin takes another sip of his drink. “Don’t be rude. Introduce me to your friend, will ya?” Every muscle in my body locks. No, I don’t want him to know my name. The less he knows about me, the better.
“This is Aria, my... my friend. We were celebrating my birthday.” I nearly sag onto the couch with relief when he doesn’t call me his girlfriend. Yes, that’s right. I am a nobody, not important to Hayden at all.
“Aria.” My name is drawn out, slow and deliberate, it sends an unwanted shiver through me. Why does my name sound different coming from his mouth? Like something dangerous and forbidden. He drains his glass, his gaze never leaving mine. “Troy?”
“Yeah, C?” So, the stranger’s name is C.
His eyes flick between me and Hayden. “We’re friends, so how come you never offered me a birthday fuck?”
“Because just friends don’t do that shit,” Troy replies.
