Corrupt Empire Series: A Dark Romance Boxset

by Sarah Bailey

  I ran a hand through my hair. We could work that shit out later when we’d got through this. And we could do that together. Her and me.

  “You want me to… to be your girlfriend?”

  Weirdly, that didn’t feel wrong coming from her. I’d never wanted a girlfriend in my life and yet for Avery, I’d do just about anything.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you mine?”

  “Yes.”

  No hesitation. I was hers. Irrevocably hers.

  Her eyes darted away to the side. Her expression conflicted. Was she going to say no? Fuck. I wanted this to be enough, but if she needed more, then I’d do more.

  “Take me on a date then.”

  “What?”

  “A date, Aiden. You know, dinner, movies, dancing, whatever. Just take me out somewhere. You want a relationship with me? Prove you’re serious.”

  A date? Was she crazy? How could I take her out when she was considered missing by the police? Didn’t she know how dangerous it would be? Fuck. She could’ve asked me to do anything, but that? That was fucking impossible. Until we’d worked out how to bring her back into the world, she’d have to stay hidden.

  “You know that’s not safe.”

  “I don’t care. Work it out. Enlist James’ help if you have to. Just do it for me. I rarely ask you for anything. I know how we work. I’m yours. You command. I obey. And that will continue when we’re together, but this is non-negotiable.”

  The only thing that really registered was her telling me she was mine and we’d be together.

  “Are you saying yes to us?”

  “I’m saying if you take me out on a real date, then I’ll come home and be with you.”

  I thought my heart might fucking stop. Home. Her home was with me. Fuck. Fuck. I had to do what she asked. I had no choice. Tina told me to fix it. Fix it between us.

  “I’ll take you on a date when I can work out how to do it safely, okay?”

  Her fucking smile was radiant.

  “Thank you. Can I make one small request?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Wear a suit.”

  I shook my head, smiling.

  “Do you like me in a suit?”

  Her cheeks stained red.

  “Yes. It’s hot.”

  My cock jerked again. Fuck. Knowing she found me just as attractive as I did her did things to me. I wanted her so fucking badly.

  “What are you wearing?” I blurted out and immediately regretted it because her face, neck and ears began to match her cheeks.

  “Nothing sexy.”

  “Show me.”

  “No. You’ll get jealous because I’m wearing another man’s clothes.”

  I didn’t give a shit what she was wearing because I wanted her to take it off. I wanted to see her tits and have her touch herself for me. Fuck.

  “Show me.”

  She tilted the phone down. The blue t-shirt came into view. I could see her tits straining against the material. She tilted it down lower. Jogging bottoms and a pair of boxers peeked out from the tops of them. Fuck. I didn’t care if they were her friend’s clothes. She looked fucking sexy to me.

  I wanted her in my clothes and I’d fucking make her dress up in them when I got her back. I imagined her just wearing one of my shirts and nothing else. I ran my hand over my cock, unable to help myself. Seeing her body made me harder.

  “Fuck. I want you.”

  She brought the phone back up to her face.

  “You what?”

  “I’m so hard for you. Do you want to see?”

  Her eyes went wide.

  “Wait, what?”

  She didn’t exactly answer the question about wanting to see me, but I didn’t care. I tilted the phone down and showed her exactly what she did to me. I ran my hand over where my cock was straining against my shorts.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Showing you how much I want you in case you didn’t believe me.”

  I checked the screen of my phone. She was shifting in her seat.

  “Shit, Aiden, stop it. I believe you.”

  I did as she asked, bringing the phone back up to my face. I smiled at her. She was still blushing. Whilst she was open to new things with me, I guessed she was a bit uncomfortable talking about it with her friend asleep in the next room.

  “Stop what?”

  “I’m not doing… phone sex with you.”

  “No?”

  “No. We’re not doing any of that until you do what I asked.”

  We’d see about that. I wasn’t sure how long I could wait to have her again. Not now she told me she’d come back. Shit, I wanted to get on my bike, ride over and fuck her on that sofa. I didn’t care what time it was.

  “So, you’re just going to tease me with your body instead?”

  “I wasn’t… you asked to see. I told you it wasn’t sexy.”

  “You’re sexy whatever you wear.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I wasn’t trying to tease you. Do you ever think about anything else?”

  “You should know by now I do. I think about your smile. The way you smell of coconut. How you get a dimple in your cheek when you’re concentrating, which by the way is fucking cute.”

  She bit her lip.

  “Aiden…”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m still upset with you, but you’re making it really hard for me to stay that way.”

  I was glad to hear it. I wanted her to forgive me so we could move beyond this.

  “I’m going to make it up to you.”

  “I know you are.”

  “Good. I think you should get some sleep now.”

  “I hate sleeping without you.”

  I fucking hated it too.

  “Soon, Avery. I promise.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  I smiled at her. She waved before ending the call.

  And I had to go take care of myself because that fucking girl had made me so hard, I could barely fucking function.

  Avery. When I get you back, I’m going to make sure you never leave me again.

  Chapter Three

  Avery

  James and I spent the next couple of days discussing what we might do about my family and the company whilst watching movies and gorging on takeaways and junk food. We’d come up with a big fat load of nothing. I conceded we didn’t have enough information and we needed Aiden’s help. He was the one who’d told me everything in the first place. It only seemed right I’d work it out with him.

  I’m not sure James was too impressed with me telling him I planned to go back to Aiden, but he’d made a concerted effort to help Aiden with this date. I knew he’d done it because it was me.

  James grinned at me from the driver’s seat.

  “What are you smiling at?” I asked.

  “I just can’t wait to see Mr Tattoos’ face when you take your coat off.”

  “Is that what you’re calling him now?”

  “It’s like Beauty and the Beast.”

  “Ha bloody ha. He’s not a beast.”

  I did not like that analogy. It hit far too close to home. The whole kidnapping, keeping me prisoner, being kind of a dick to me? All that was more than a little bit comparable.

  “Are you sure you’re not his Disney Princess?”

  I hit his arm.

  “Shut your face, idiot.”

  “Aww, embarrassed? Don’t you want to have a fairy-tale romance?”

  “Oh my god, James, please. It’s not a fairy-tale. Honestly, if you really knew Aiden, you wouldn’t be saying that.”

  Not with his restraints and need to make me submit. The thought of it made me shift in my seat. I missed him. His touch and his voice most of all. I wanted him with such a desperation, it bordered on madness. I gave up pretending I wasn’t obsessed with him. Aiden took up every inch of my brain. My heart physically hurt with lo
nging for him.

  “Mr Brooding and Mysterious? Yeah well, I’m glad it’s you who knows him and not me.”

  “Okay, enough with the nicknames. Where are we going? You made me get proper dressed up for this, not that I don’t appreciate the outfit.”

  “You’ll see.”

  They’d both been very secretive. I hadn’t spoken to Aiden much in the last few days and it killed me. Me leaving had probably been the best thing for us, but at the same time, I wished I hadn’t. A knee jerk reaction instead of a well thought out decision. Things needed to change between us. Only time would tell if Aiden was really serious about being my boyfriend.

  Boyfriend.

  It didn’t feel like the right word to describe him. He’d become not only my lover and my friend but the only person I couldn’t be without. So boyfriend didn’t quite cut it. Partner in crime perhaps? No. That sounded stupid and soppy as shit. Boyfriend would have to do.

  “We’re here,” James announced.

  I looked up at the building. It was one of those members only clubs with a very exclusive restaurant inside.

  “Since when did you become a member of Black Night?”

  “Since Aiden needed somewhere discreet to take you on a long overdue date. Now, keep your hood up until we reach him, remember?”

  “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

  A doorman helped us out of the car and took James’ keys. Apparently, they had valet service here, who knew? Parking in London sucked usually, which is why I didn’t drive. That and I never learnt how.

  James led me into the building and spoke to the front desk. None of the staff batted an eyelid at my hidden face. James took me upstairs to the members only dining room. Right in the back corner, near the fire exit, was a hidden booth.

  When Aiden stood, my breath caught in my throat. Shit. He was in a dark grey suit, just like I asked, with a white shirt and a grey tie. He looked mouth-wateringly good. The days spent apart only fuelled my innate need for this man.

  He walked over to me and unbuttoned my coat before flipping down my hood. He slipped the coat off my shoulders and set it down in the booth. Then he really looked at me.

  The dress James had got for me was navy with a plunging neckline, floor length with a large slit up my right leg. I’d braided my hair down one side and had a smattering of makeup on. His eyes roamed over every inch of me, heat burning in those silver depths.

  “You look stunning,” he said, his deep voice low and seductive.

  I felt my cheeks heat up. The way he was looking at me should really be reserved for when we were alone. James was standing right behind us.

  Aiden took my hand and placed a kiss on my knuckles before helping me into the booth. My skin prickled at the contact. He slid in opposite me. I felt a little disappointed he was so far away. I wanted him close. I just wanted Aiden full stop.

  “Thank you for doing this,” I said, only just about able to trust myself to speak.

  “And your waiter for this evening… Yours truly,” James said, taking a bow.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, after all, you’re technically a missing person.”

  He tapped his nose. Aiden gave him a look which said, ‘go away before I make you’. James grinned and retreated.

  “So how exactly did the two of you swing this?” I asked.

  “It’s all about who you know and how much money you’re willing to spend, princess.”

  That nickname again. Why did it make me feel all giddy inside?

  Stop acting like a stupid girl whose crush just told her, he likes her.

  I wasn’t quite sure what to say. This whole thing felt strange. When I’d asked him for an actual date, I didn’t really think he’d go through with it. I hadn’t been sure Aiden was actually serious about this relationship thing with me. It seemed he was determined to prove that to me.

  I picked up the menu. It was all very fancy. I ate out a lot in upper-end restaurants when I was with my parents, but with James and Gert, we mostly just made trips to Nandos.

  James came over and took our order for drinks and food a few minutes later. I looked around at the booth, still feeling more than a little awkward. This place so wasn’t an us place. I kind of saw Aiden and me in the back of some shitty bar whilst the music blared too loudly and we had to shout to hear each other talk.

  “Um, so… god, I don’t know how to do this, Aiden. This is way, way fancy and not really you and me, right?”

  He smiled.

  “I thought you wanted a real date.”

  “I know. It’s just now we’re here and I haven’t seen you in days, it feels weird.”

  I reached across the table, putting my hand out to him. He hesitated for a moment before entwining my fingers with his. That simple touch steadied me. His palm radiated heat, seeping into mine.

  “There’s a lot we should really talk about,” I continued. “The thing is I don’t know where to start.”

  “We can start with I’m really sorry for what happened. It wasn’t until you left that I realised how fucked up all of the shit I’d asked you to do was. I’ve been so focused on revenge, I didn’t think about what it might be doing to you or how it would completely destroy what we have. This thing between us, it’s real. I know that now. I never meant to hurt you, Avery. I’m just not good at this stuff.”

  James returned with drinks. He raised an eyebrow when he put down a beer for Aiden and a gin and tonic for me.

  “I’ll just be here,” he said, pointing behind me.

  I nodded and he disappeared from view. I fiddled with the glass.

  “I know you didn’t mean to. I want to put that behind us. I forgive you, okay?”

  He nodded, squeezing my hand. I really had forgiven him. Whether that was stupid or not, I no longer cared. All I wanted was the man in front of me.

  “Next time, I’ll take you somewhere less pretentious, but getting to see you in that dress makes it worthwhile.”

  Next time?

  The thought of more dates with him gave me butterflies. This was a side of Aiden I never imagined I’d see.

  “This dress, huh? I thought you preferred it when I wasn’t wearing anything.”

  His eyes darkened and his smile turned devious.

  “And you said my mind is always in the gutter.”

  James turned up again with starters. I tugged my hand from his, shaking my head. My mind was definitely in the gutter after seeing him in that suit. Tonight wasn’t supposed to be about sex, but shit, did I want him to undress me slowly and have his way with me.

  When I glanced up at him, I could tell he was thinking the same thing. I very much doubted we’d be able to keep our hands off each other for long.

  We remained on neutral topics whilst we ate. He told me more about Ben and some stories from his days in the army. Like the time they duct taped a fellow soldier to a flagpole during basic training, which they were all heavily reprimanded for. And I told him about the time Gert, James and I accidentally set off the sprinkler system at our school. It felt nice to have a normal conversation with Aiden that didn’t consist of us arguing or talking about my family.

  When we finished dessert, I was relaxed enough to play footsie with him under the table. Slipping off a heel, I ran my foot up his leg. His silver eyes burnt holes into mine. He caught my foot, holding it still before he ran his fingers along the inside arch. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me.

  “Stop it, that tickles,” I hissed.

  “Then behave yourself.”

  “Spoilsport.”

  He smiled and let go of my foot. I retracted it, scowling at him. Ruining my fun. I’d possibly had a bit too much to drink what with the two gin and tonics and the two large glasses of wine I’d consumed. I wasn’t much of a big drinker.

  I was just about to say something more to Aiden when James shoved his way into the booth next to me.

  “We have a problem. A huge fuckin
g problem,” he said, his voice low.

  Aiden looked on high alert immediately, his eyes darted out towards the restaurant. A moment later, his expression darkened.

  “Frazier and Tristan are here,” James continued.

  “We need to leave,” Aiden said.

  “Yeah, you do because I think they might have seen me. If I’d known they were members, I’d have picked a different place.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Not your fault. Put your coat on, princess,” Aiden said, his eyes falling on me.

  I complied immediately, not wanting to get caught by the Shaws. I wasn’t embarrassed by Aiden calling me princess in front of James, but it did remind me of our conversation in the car. He was going to give me shit for it at a later date. He’d never let something like that go.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll sort out the bill and all that business,” James said, giving my arm a squeeze.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Aiden nodded at James before he eyed the room again. He put his hand out to me. I slid across the seat toward him. He wrapped an arm around me. James stayed where he was.

  “We’re going to go out the back, okay?” Aiden said.

  “Okay.”

  Aiden looked out one last time and then he pulled me up with him. He tugged me towards the fire exit, which thankfully wasn’t armed. We left the dining room without looking back and found ourselves in a hallway. He looked left and right before he dragged me towards where we could see a sign for a stairwell.

  “Aiden… Where are we going?”

  “As far away from those fuckers as possible.”

  He opened the door to the stairwell and we were hurrying down the stairs a moment later. At least I was trying to in four-inch heels whilst being tipsy. Not an easy feat at the pace Aiden set.

  “Slow down, I’m in heels,” I protested.

  “For fuck’s sake,” he muttered.

  Next thing I knew, he’d swept me up into his arms and carried me down the stairs at a light jog. I held onto his neck for dear life.

  “Do you know what would happen if they saw us? We’d be fucked,” he said.