The Assistant (23 page)
Authors: Ramona Gray
“Lina! Lina, are you okay?”
He stared at the blood stained across my
shirt. “Fuck, I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”
“It’s not my blood,” I said bleakly. “It’s
Daisy’s. I’m not hurt, Aiden.”
He touched my face, my shoulders and my
arms before cupping my head again. “What happened, honey?”
“How did you know where I was?” I asked
sluggishly.
“I Googled the closest emergency vet to
your house,” he said patiently. “Tell me what happened, honey.”
“I was taking Daisy for a walk and when we
got home, there was a man in my kitchen. He-he had smashed the window in the
back door. He had a knife and he- he started toward me and Daisy attacked
him. She bit him in the face and he stabbed her with the knife and then she
fell on the floor and then he ran.”
I started to sob and Aiden sat beside me
and scooped me into his lap. He stroked my hair and rocked me back and forth.
“Shh, honey, it’s okay. Shh.”
“She saved my life,” I sobbed. “She’s in
surgery and the vet s-said she h-has a fifty/fifty chance of s-surviving it.”
“She’ll be okay, honey,” Aiden said
soothingly. “She’s a tough dog. She’ll make it, Lina.”
I threw my arms around him and clung
tightly as he rubbed my back.
“I’m getting blood on you,” I whispered.
“It doesn’t matter, baby. All that matters
is your safe,” he murmured.
After a few minutes, he said, “Did you call
the police?”
“No, I just – just picked up Daisy and took
her straight to the emergency vet. I didn’t even think to call the police.”
“That’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He hugged me closely before sliding me off
his lap and on to the chair. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”
* * *
“Ms. Jones, are you sure you don’t need to
go to the hospital?” The police officer asked.
I nodded and he studied his notes before
smiling at me. “Okay, I think we have everything we need. We’ve sent a unit
to your house to dust for fingerprints and we’ve – “
“You should check the hospitals,” Aiden interrupted.
“If the bite is as deep as Lina says it was, then he’ll need medical treatment.”
“We already have someone calling the
hospitals,” the officer replied. “Don’t worry, Ms. Jones, we’ll find him. In
the meantime, you might want to think of staying somewhere else over the
weekend. I doubt he’ll come back but it’s probably better for you not to be
there alone.”
“She’s staying with me,” Aiden said.
“She’s not staying in that house ever again.”
A little of the fog lifted from my brain
and I blinked at him. “Aiden, it’s my home. I can’t just leave and never go
back.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” he said firmly
before standing and shaking the officer’s hand. “Thanks for your help. You
have my cell number, call me as soon as you find this guy.”
I barely heard the officer’s reply. The
vet had come into reception and, dread building in my belly, I stood and stared
at his grave face.
“Is she dead?” I asked hoarsely as Aiden
slipped his arm around my waist.
“No,” the vet said kindly. “In fact, all
things considered, she did fairly well.”
I sagged against Aiden and started to cry
as the vet smiled at me. “She’s not out of the woods yet. We’re going to keep
her over the weekend and monitor her progress but I think she has a good
prognosis for recovery.”
“Can I see her?” I whispered.
“Yes. She’s not awake from surgery yet but
you can see her now and then, if you’d like, you can come by tomorrow morning.
She’ll be more awake then. If there are any problems, we’ll call you, okay?”
I nodded, still crying softly, and grabbed
the vet’s hand. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Jones. Follow me.”
* * *
“Lina?”
“I’m still in the tub,” I called. I sunk
lower into the water as Aiden entered the bathroom.
“How are you feeling?” He asked anxiously.
“A little better,” I said. “Thanks for
letting me use your tub.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How – how did it go?”
“It was fine. I cleaned up the blood and
nailed a board over the smashed window. It’s not pretty but it works for now.
I’ll replace the glass next weekend and start working on the other repairs so
you can get the house ready for sale.”
“Aiden,” I said, “I can’t sell my house
just because – “
“I grabbed some clothes and your
toiletries, enough for the weekend,” he interrupted.
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” I said.
“Listen, I can stay at Tracy’s. It’s really nice of you to let me stay here
but Tracy has an extra bedroom and – “
“You’re staying right here with me,” he
interrupted again. “This isn’t a topic for discussion. Do you understand?”
I nodded and he checked his cell phone.
“What time is it?”
“Almost one,” he said. “Why?”
“I should get to the office,” I said. “Can
I get a ride with you? My car is still at the emergency vet.”
“Neither of us are going into the office
today,” he said firmly. “You’re going to have something to eat and then have a
nap.”
“I’m not hungry,” I said. “I know you’re
busy at the office and you don’t need to sit at home and babysit me. I’m
perfectly fine.”
He shook his head. “Again, not a topic for
discussion.”
I scrunched a little further down in the
water. “Aiden, are you angry with me?”
“For what?” He asked.
“For quitting.”
“No,” he said quietly. “I know why you
resigned and I understand.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat as he
sighed and said, “Do you have another job?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your new boss like?”
I smiled a little. “He’s sixty years old,
Aiden.”
A brief look of relief crossed his face.
“Good.”
He hesitated for a moment before saying,
“The police called me. They found the guy. He was at St. Augustine’s Hospital
being treated for a dog bite. They arrested him but you’ll have to go in and
identify him in a line up.”
I blew my breath out in a relieved rush as
Aiden watched me carefully. “Thank God.”
“I’ll go with you to the station, okay?”
“Yes, thank you,” I said. I sat up in the
tub, crossing my arms over my naked breasts. “I think I’ve been in here long
enough. Can you pass me the towel?”
Aiden unfolded the large towel and held it
open. “Stand up, Lina.”
“Um, I don’t think – “
“I’ve seen you naked before,” he reminded
me gently.
I sighed and stood. “I know.”
He wrapped the towel around my wet body and
lifted me out of the tub. His hands lingered on my upper chest as he tucked
the towel and I made a soft moan when he dipped his head and placed a warm kiss
against my wet skin. He lifted his gaze to mine and my body responded to the
hunger and the need in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lina,” he said hoarsely. “I
shouldn’t have done that.”
He turned to leave and I grabbed his arm.
“Aiden, please. I need you.”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his neck.
“Please,” I whispered, “take me to bed.”
“Are you sure?” He groaned. “I don’t want
to take advantage of you.”
“You’re not,” I said. “I promise you’re
not.”
I took his hand and tugged him out of the
bathroom and into his bedroom. I dropped the towel, smiling at Aiden’s sharp
inhale, and quickly undressed him. I kissed his chest and stroked his cock
until it was hard and throbbing in my hand before starting to kneel in front of
him.
He shook his head and lifted me to my
feet. “No, honey. I want to taste you.”
I relaxed on the bed and spread my legs as
Aiden stretched out between them. He kissed the top of my pussy before licking
the crease of my thigh and I curled my hands into his hair and tugged him
toward my aching core.
“I’ve missed you,” he breathed against me
before licking my clit.
I moaned and arched into his mouth as he
licked me with infinite gentleness before sucking and nibbling my clit. It
didn’t take long for me to climax, I had missed him just as much, and he knelt
between my thighs and entered me with a slow stroke while I was still shaking
and moaning from my orgasm.
I let my legs fall apart and squeezed his
ass as he moved in a slow and gentle rhythm that made me yearn for more.
“Harder, Aiden,” I whispered.
“No,” he said. “Not yet, honey.”
“Please,” I begged.
He kissed me softly, licking the curve of
my upper lip before sucking on my bottom one. I slipped my tongue into his
mouth, tears starting to slide down my face at his familiar taste and he kissed
them away.
“Don’t cry, honey.”
He cupped my breast, teasing and tugging on
my nipple as I moaned and dug my fingers into his back.
I closed my eyes and he pressed a kiss
against each of my eyelids. “Open your eyes, Lina. Look at me.”
I held his gaze as he stopped moving. He
kissed me lightly before saying, “When Amanda told me someone had broken into
your house, when I didn’t know if you were hurt or not – I almost went crazy.
It made me realize what a goddamn idiot I was and that I needed to be with
you. That I couldn’t live without you.”
I kissed his jaw and rubbed his back before
rocking my pelvis against him. He groaned and smoothed my hair back from my
face.
“I love you, Lina.”
I swallowed compulsively and stared
wide-eyed at him as he pressed a kiss against my mouth.
“I love you,” he said again. “I’m so sorry
for hurting you. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said before cupping his
face. “You belong to me.”
He smiled and whispered, “I belong to you.”
Two months later
“Lina? Where are you?”
“In here,” I called. I threw another shirt
into the suitcase as Aiden, pulling his tie loose, entered the bedroom. Daisy
and King were weaving eagerly around his legs and he cursed as he tripped over Daisy
and nearly fell.
Daisy barked and head butted him and he
patted her head affectionately. “For being stabbed and nearly dying, she’s
remarkably nimble.”
I laughed. “She’s a tough dog, remember?”
He shrugged out of his suit jacket and hung
it in the closet. “How was work?”
“Fine, a bit slow. Dan’s daughter went
into labour at eleven and he left for the hospital. He called me just before
four – he has a new grandson.”
“That’s nice,” Aiden said. He squeezed my
ass affectionately and I handed him a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
“Hurry up and change. I want to get up to
the cabin before seven. Steph is waiting on dinner for us. How was your day?”
“Good. Parker’s been flirting with my
assistant.”
I grinned. “I’m not surprised. He seems
to have a thing for your assistants.”
He growled playfully at me before slapping
my ass. “He still flirts with you.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I said. “Hugging me when
I dropped by the office earlier this week is not flirting. Oh hey – the sale
for the house went through today. I am officially homeless.”
He sat down on the bed and pulled me into
his lap, nuzzling my neck affectionately. “You’re not homeless. You live with
me, remember?”
“Well you never officially asked me to move
in,” I said tartly. “You just started moving my stuff in on a daily basis.”
He grinned. “Asking you might have given
you the impression that it was a choice. You belong to me, remember?”
“How could I forget. You won’t let me have
a damn orgasm until I say it,” I said with a mock scowl.
“You like it,” he said smugly. “You find
me utterly irresistible.”
“Utterly,” I said.
“Sarcasm will get you a spanking,” he said.
“Later,” I said before kissing him. “We
need to get to the cabin, remember?”
I slid off his lap, pausing when he
squeezed my hand. “Lina?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s good, isn’t it? What’s happening
between us?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s not always going to
be easy, no relationship ever is, but I love you, Aiden, and I will never let
you go.”
He pulled me into his embrace. “I love you
too, Ms. Jones.”
END
Please enjoy a sample of Ramona’s newest novel, “One Night”.
One Night will be available at all major ebook retailers in
June of 2016.
“Oh darling,” he murmured tenderly into her
ear, “Until this very moment with you in my arms, I didn’t realize just how
empty my life was.”
Kate smiled and lifted her face.
“Show me just how much you love me,” she
whispered.
His mouth was warm on hers and as he rained
soft kisses on her full lips, Kate pressed her body against his. He kissed her
passionately and Kate tried to lose herself in the moment but was increasingly
distracted by his facial hair. Did he have a beard before? She couldn’t
remember. She shook off the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right and
parted her lips further, eager to deepen the kisses. She tried to slowly slide
her tongue into his mouth but was thwarted by a thick layer of his facial
hair.
What the hell?
Kate tried to pull back but his facial hair
was everywhere, in her mouth, up her nose - she couldn’t breathe. She was
about to be the first woman in history to die of asphyxiation from facial hair.
Before she could succumb to death by beard, the loud beeping of her alarm clock
jarred her awake.
“Chicken, get off me!” She complained, her
voice muffled by the 14lbs of cat currently lying across her head.
When Chicken refused to budge, Kate made
the error of touching her. She had adopted Chicken from the local animal
shelter three years ago. She had gone in with the expectation of adopting a
cute, fluffy kitten with big eyes and long hair and who would charm everyone
with her sweet personality and beautiful looks. An hour later she left with an
old, fat grey tabby named Chicken whose personality was described by one
volunteer as “unexpectedly angry”.
But, as she explained to her best friend
Olivia over coffee the next day, “She was scheduled to be put down that day,
how was I supposed to just walk away from her?”
“Why is your hand all bandaged like that?
Olivia asked.
“Chicken’s not so, how do you say
it…friendly with people? She likes her space,” Kate replied.
“And those big scratches down your leg?” Olivia
pointed to the painful looking scratches that started at Kate’s knee and ended
just above her ankle.
“Oh that? Well, you know my chair by the
window in the sun room?
“Yes,” Olivia replied.
“Chicken’s decided that’s her chair now and
when I tried to move her over so I could sit down and share it with her she got
a little, eh, territorial. But I’m sure she’ll be fine in the next few days. She’s
still traumatized from being on death row,” Kate said cheerfully.
In the three years since then Kate and
Chicken had arrived at an unspoken agreement. Chicken wouldn’t use her as a
shredding post if Kate didn’t try to touch her unless specifically invited to.
Kate also learned fairly quickly to warn her guests to avoid touching Chicken,
resist from looking her in the eye and that it was, in fact, probably best to
just refrain from looking in the general direction of the angry tabby.
This morning, however, her body’s will to
survive overrode her common sense and as Kate reached up and gave the cat a
shove on the butt to get her moving, Chicken growled and flung herself off
Kate’s head with an irritated hiss.
“Ouch! Dammit, Chicken!” Kate cried.
She slammed her hand down on the alarm
clock, silencing it’s frantic beeping, and crawled out of bed to inspect the
damage to her face.
“Nice,” she muttered as she peered into the
bathroom mirror.
Thanks to Chicken’s quick exit and razor
sharp nails she now had a bright red scratch down the middle of her forehead. She
had been shamelessly flirting with Josh, the super cute guy from the train, for
the past two weeks and she could only imagine how well the flirting would go
with a giant scratch on her forehead.
Nearly an hour later Kate carefully weaved
her way through the usual crowd of people on the train. Why she was even moving
to the back of the train where her potential boyfriend usually sat, she wasn’t
sure. Her morning hadn’t gotten any better with the realization that she really
should have done some laundry yesterday instead of re-watching the first two
seasons of ‘The Walking Dead’. Her lack of clean clothes had left her no
choice but to wear one of her least flattering pairs of pants with a white
shirt that had seen a few too many accidental spins in the dryer and was now a
bit too snug for work. The shirt cupped her full breasts and hugged her lean
stomach and as she pushed past people she could feel the unwelcoming glances of
a couple of the more lecherous type fellows who rode the train.
“Excuse me, please,” she murmured as she
squeezed past a lady in her fifties.
“Sorry,” she muttered to the young guy whose
foot she had just stepped on.
She was almost at the end of the train -
she could see the back of Josh’s head. Just a few more steps and she’d be
there, prepared to flirt her way into a dinner and movie date. With a sudden
jolt the train started to move and Kate was flung sideways. Her feet tangled
together and she fell with a graceless heap into the lap of a well-dressed
businessman sitting on one of the side seats, her head slamming against the
back of the seat with a loud bang.
With an unladylike grunt, she sat up
straight and tried to scramble from the man’s lap but his hands were on her
waist and he was holding her firmly against him.
“Are you okay?” His deep voice washed over
her.
“I’m fine, I’m so sorry…” she started and
then stopped as her breath caught in her throat.
She was very close to the man’s face,
kissing distance as her mom liked to say, and she had never seen eyes that blue
before. Her eyes traveled over his face before she could stop herself. He had
dark hair with a hint of gray at the temples, a proud aristocratic nose and a
hard angular jaw. She was mesmerized by the fullness of his bottom lip and
stared in fascination when he smiled briefly and she got a glimpse of straight
white teeth. She realized abruptly that she was still sitting on his lap and
tried again to struggle her way free but he refused to let her go. He was
saying something to her but her newly acquired head injury and the closeness of
his warm, solid body seemed to have temporarily short circuited her brain.
“I didn’t hear - what?” She stammered,
still staring at his mouth.
“You’ve scratched your forehead on the seat,”
he said.
“What? Oh no, that’s from Chicken in bed
this morning,” Kate mumbled.
“Chicken in bed?” The man arched one
eyebrow and stared at her. “Do you mean you were eating chicken in bed or you
share your bed with a chicken?”
“No! Chicken’s my cat.” Kate took a deep
breath, her head had stopped ringing and she was aware of the bemused look on
the faces of the other passengers around them. She was still sitting on the
man’s lap, his hands now placed firmly on her hips and their faces only inches
apart.
“Really, I’m okay,” Kate said, “I just need
to stand up.”
“Hold on,” he said, “let me look at your
head first.”
Before Kate could protest he was holding
her jaw with his lean fingers and turning her head to one side and then the
other. He tugged gently on her chin, forcing her head down slightly. His
other hand left her hip and as he slowly threaded his fingers through her thick
red hair she wondered why it suddenly seemed so difficult to breathe. She
winced when his fingers rubbed against the large scrape on her scalp.
“Sorry,” he murmured into her ear, his warm
breath sending shivers down her spine and a rush of heat to her lower body.
“Looks like just a scrape, it’s not bleeding.”
He returned his hands to her hips. She
ignored the butterflies in her stomach from the weight of his hands and cleared
her throat.
“Please, let me up. I’m perfectly fine - just
really embarrassed.”
For the first time since she fell into his
lap, the man seemed to really look at her. She could feel her face growing red
as he stared at the scratch on her forehead. His astonishingly blue eyes
looked briefly and intently into her light green ones and then moved lower to
her mouth. Her mouth suddenly dry, Kate’s lips parted slightly and her tongue darted
out to wet her lower lip. He made a low noise in his throat at the sight of
her tongue. With dawning horror, Kate felt her nipples harden when his gaze
fell to her breasts. The snug white shirt left no doubt to the effect his bold
look was having on her and when he glanced back up at her, his large hands
tightening a little on her hips, she watched a slight grin cross his face for
just a moment.
Angry at herself and her reaction to him,
Kate placed her hands against his hard chest and shoved herself up and out of
his arms as the train came to a bumpy stop.
“Thank you for your help,” she said in a
loud clear voice “but this is my stop”.
She wobbled her way off the train, not
caring that this was actually two stops early. She needed to get away from the
intensity of his gaze and her body’s shameful reaction to it. In the cool
morning air, Kate held her aching head and took a few deep breaths as the train
pulled away.
Everything is fine. Sure, you just fell
into the lap of an incredibly handsome man and then humiliated yourself further
by acting like some sex-starved maniac but you’ll never see him again.
Everything is cool.
“One Night” will be available at all major ebook retailers
in June 2016.
If you would like more information about Ramona Gray, please
visit her at:
or
https://www.facebook.com/RamonaGrayBooks
or
https://twitter.com/RamonaGrayBooks
Write to her at:
Other books by Ramona Gray:
The Escort
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OC7CI98
Saving Jax
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0160FDAWS
The Vampire’s Kiss (Other World Series Book One)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OC738HE