He glanced at the picture of his parents that sat in the center of his desk. They were there guiding him even if they weren’t close enough to pop in whenever he needed someone to talk to. Both of his mothers would be proud of how everything was working out. Thinking of them had him reaching for his cell phone; he needed to hear the reassuring voices of his parents. He was a grown man, on his own for more years than he cared to count, but his parents were still a huge part of his life.
He scrolled down the list of contacts on his cell phone until he reached his parents’ number and hit the call button. He brought his cell phone to his ear just in time to hear his father’s rough voice as he answered.
“Hi, Dad, got a minute?”
“I’ve always got a minute for you, son. The interview with Mr. Nelson not going well?” He could hear his father shut the table saw off, which meant he was out in his workshop doing another project. Last time they spoke, it had been new cabinets for the house.
“It’s not with Mr. Nelson, but his daughter Paris.”
“Ahh. That pretty brunette. Is she impossible to work with?”
Aiden turned the chair until he could look out the windows that spanned behind him and to one side of him, affording a grand view because his office was situated on the corner of the house. “Just the opposite, Dad. When you met your wives, did you know they were the ones?”
“I thought you weren’t paying attention when Mom told you that you’d recognize the people you were destined to spend your life with. You were young and wanted nothing to do with serious relationships, let alone marriage, all you wanted to focus on was football.”
“So you knew when you met both my moms?” He pushed, wanting a more direct answer.
“With Christine, I knew immediately. I walked into her father’s hardware store and the moment your mother turned around to see if I needed help finding anything, I was gone. She tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and our eyes met. There was an instant connection. One that was there every day, and even now…though she’s not here with us, sometimes I swear I can feel her presence.” Charlie paused for a moment and Aiden gave him time to enjoy those memories. “Don’t get me wrong, son, she never made it easy for me. Not one single day, but I loved that woman.”
Aiden’s second mother, Susan, had confided in him that his father blamed himself for Christine’s death. Aiden didn’t want him to ruminate on it. “What about with Susan? Was it the same way?”
“I was attracted to Susan, but it was your mother who pushed me. She knew our family needed something more and she was right. Susan completed us.” There was a pause. “What’s this about?”
“I think we’ve found her.” He didn’t need to go into details. His father already knew the three men were looking for a woman to spend their lives with. Neither of his parents even batted an eyelash when he’d told them. It was actually the opposite. His father asked why it took them so long to come out with something he’d suspected long ago.
“Good for you, son. Who is she?”
Aiden rested his head against the back of the leather chair and let his eyes drift shut until he conjured her image in his mind. “Paris Nelson.”
“She’s a beautiful young woman but there’s a danger level surrounding her because of her family’s part in the legal battle for this lifestyle. You have to realize you and the others will be targets as well.”
“Just as you and Mom will be,” Aiden reasoned.
“Don’t worry about us. We want you happy, and you know Mom would have both of our asses if you didn’t follow your heart for fear of what danger might come to us. Now instead of talking to me, you should be telling her this.”
“Dad, it’s not that simple.” He ran a hand through his hair. “How do I tell her that she’s the one? She came here for business, nothing more.”
“Well, don’t rush in like a bull in a china shop. Take things slow and everything will fall into place.”
“Hey.” Kain stood in the doorway. “She’s ready for you.”
“Tell her I’ll be right there.” Aiden turned his attention back to the phone. “Dad, I should go. She’s waiting for me.”
“Go, and good luck. Remember things will fall into place.” His father gave a light laugh before adding, “It’s going to be fine. We love you, son.”
“Love you too, Dad.” He ended the call and turned to Kain. “How did it go?”
“She’s more relaxed than she was. Cody seemed to have softened her some, which worked for me, and allowed me to make amends for earlier. Now it’s your chance to go in there and sweep her off her feet. I’m assuming you were talking to Charlie. Did he give you the kick in the ass you need to get the job done? We’re all counting on you.”
“No pressure.” Aiden stood and came around the desk. “Dad said it will all fall into place, but I’ll do my best. I don’t know what you expect, it’s not like she’s just going to drop everything and stay here.”
“No, but it will give her something to consider when she’s flying home tonight. Maybe she’ll come back and we won’t have to go to her to convince her. There’s no need for her to use valuable hours searching for a wife for us if we’ve already found her,” Kain reasoned as he leaned against the door frame.
“I’ll do what I can.” He strolled past Kain and headed toward the dining room where she waited.
He knew she wouldn’t stay, but it was what he wanted. He wanted her close so they could begin to learn about each other, explore one anothers wants and needs, and eventually explore each others bodies. He wanted to start their lives together, not let her get back on that plane and fly back home.
The soles of his dress shoes clicked against the hardwood floors as he made his way closer to her. With each step, he knew he was nearing his destiny and the woman he was meant to be with. He drew a deep breath and turned the corner to enter the dining room. “Are you ready for me?”
Paris looked up from the notebook she was writing in, turning her beautiful hazel eyes to him. “Yes, Mr. Dalton, please have a seat.”
“I thought we were past the Mr. phase. Please call me Aiden.” He took a seat across from her.
“Aiden.” She gave him the brightest smile he’d seen on her since she arrived. “When my father asked me to come, I was pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to help you. I was convinced the media was right in how they portrayed you. However, in the last few hours you have convinced me what was done to you was the same thing that happened to my family. The media portrayed us as monsters, there were even articles claiming we were abused because of the life my parents chose…but I’m straying from the point.”
“What is your point?”
“I believe Beyond Monogamy can help you find a wife. When I return home, I’ll search our available women and determine the best matches for you. I’ll return in a week or two and go over the ones that I think might be the best for the three of you, and we can go from there.”
He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from announcing they already found the woman they wanted. Instead, he leaned forward, placed his hands on the table, and looked her directly in the eyes. “When you were given our file what did you actually think? That I was a playboy?”
Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, which he found completely adorable, before she forced herself to look away. “That’s not the point.”
“I want to know.”
“The media portrayed you as a playboy, going out with different women all the time. When I found out it was you…” She paused, wringing her hands.
“Go on. I promise not to hold it against you or the company.” He smirked. He had to admit to himself that he was enjoying her moment of discomfort, but that wasn’t the reason he’d pressed her to continue. No, he needed to know so he could find out if her opinion of him had changed. If not, he might have to work harder to convince her.
“I wanted to know how many wives you wanted,” she blurted out before closing her notebook. “Now that you know what I t
hought of you, should I assume you will be going with another company?”
He reached over the wide custom table that extended across the length of the dining room, and cupped his hand over hers. Soft cool flesh met his warm fingers and he had the desire to rub his hands over hers until they were warm. “I told you I wouldn’t hold it against you or the company, and I’m a man of my word.”
“You’re still going to use Beyond Monogamy?” The surprise was thick in her voice.
“Tell me, has your opinion of me changed? Or do you still think I’m a playboy?”
She shook her head, sending her honey brown hair slipping gently around her face. He wanted to run his fingers through it, nudge it away from her eyes. “No. I already said you and the others changed my mind. If I still had the same impression of you, I wouldn’t be willing to help you.”
“So you don’t think I’m a chauvinistic pig, at least that’s one good thing.” He leaned back against the chair. “Clubbing was never my scene, but my agent demanded that I go out. I had an image to uphold, promotional agreements that forced me to attend certain events, and club openings I had to go to. None of it was my idea, but…”
“It was your career,” she supplied. “I understand that, but before I came here I thought it must also be a part of you or you wouldn’t be doing it.”
“Sometimes in life we have to do things we don’t like. Then there are times we find something or someone we didn’t expect, and we have to hold onto it with both hands.”
“I’m hoping I can find the one you’re looking for quickly.”
“Sometimes people are brought together for different reasons and instead they find love. I have no doubt everything is going to work out just fine.” He dropped the first hint of what he was thinking before quickly changing the subject. He wanted to plant the idea without giving her too much time to consider it. “I thought you had questions for me.”
As if remembering she was here on business, she picked up her pen again and looked down at her notebook. “The others answered a lot of my general questions. The biggest question I have now is what do you want and need in a wife? What are you looking for in the woman you’re going to spend the rest of your life with?”
Over the next twenty minutes, he answered her questions, going into details about what he wanted. It wasn’t like he had a list of demands, but he wanted a wife who would understand there were still threats upon his life because of his business transactions. He didn’t want someone who was so headstrong they wouldn’t take the precautions his life demanded. That was one of the reasons she was a perfect fit; she already understood the need to take steps to remain safe.
As they talked, he was able to learn a little more about her. Not as much as he’d like, but enough to know she was completely dedicated to her family’s company. She needed to get out of the office, enjoy life. She spent all her time helping others find a happy-ever-after, but was neglecting herself. He was determined to see that things changed there. Work was just that; it shouldn’t consume her life completely.
“Those are all the questions I have for you. Whenever Kain is ready I’ll be on my way.” She closed her notebook and slipped it into her laptop bag.
“Actually, I’m going to drive you back to the plane.” He watched as she paused, and he wondered why she hesitated. “Does that bother you?”
“I just assumed you’d have other things to attend to, that’s all.” She stood and lifted her bag on her shoulder. “I’m ready then.”
“I’d like to show you something before we leave.” He came around the table and nodded to the door. “It won’t take long.”
He guided her out of the room with his hand on the small of her back, then led her down the hall and toward the far staircase. He wanted to show her the lookout room. It was the one place in the house with views that went on for miles. The house was everything he wanted and so much more, but this room was more than just a room. It had become a sanctuary for him, a place where he organized his thoughts, where he escaped the stress of his work. He hoped taking her to see a place that was special to him would make her realize there was more to life than just work. It was something Cody and Kain had shown him years ago, and now he was going to do the same with her.
“Where are we going?”
Her question invaded his thoughts, forcing his attention back on her. “Upstairs.”
“For what?” She stopped in her tracks, refusing to move as he tried to lead her forward. “Mr. Dalton—”
“Aiden, please…and there’s something I want to show you before you leave. It’s completely innocent, and before you start wondering it’s not a bedroom.” He smirked as images of taking her to his bedroom played through his head, and his shaft began to respond to the fantasies. “Down the hall to the back staircase, and up two flights of steps. I promise when you get up there all will be revealed, and it will be worth the few minutes. Trust me.”
“Okay, but then I should get back to the plane.”
“Directly after, I’ll take you there.” He let her go in front of him as they began to climb the stairs for his own selfish reasons; he wanted to watch her ass move. With every step he wanted to reach out and touch it, or her in general.
This woman was already working her way into every thought he had. He hadn’t been able to focus on work. Since she arrived, he had been focused on how he was going to convince her they no longer needed her matchmaking services because she was the one. His father’s advice that everything would fall into place might be good, but the three of them needed to put a plan together on how they were going to approach this. They needed to work together to claim their woman.
“Aiden,” she called, waving her hand in front of his face.
He shook his head, sending his thoughts floating away as if on water. Now with his head clear, he realized she had said something. “Sorry, what?”
“I asked you where we were going now.”
“Through that door.” He nodded to the second door. “The other is the bathroom. It connects to where we’re going, but also has a door from the hall. This area could be used as another master bedroom, but all three of us have our space on the second floor so this isn’t set up that way. Open the door and find out what’s there.”
She did as he asked and they stepped into a large room with floor to ceiling windows that showed off every aspect of the view three different ways. The only wall that was closed off was to the bathroom, but with the house backed up against a mountain, the view wasn’t lacking anything on that side. The furniture was minimal in here. Two warm brown sofas were positioned so one could take advantage of the views, and there was no television or any other diversion. This place was for relaxation. When any of the guys came up here, they left their cell phones downstairs, and the others knew not to bother them unless it was an emergency. This was the one place they could just be and not have to worry about daily stresses.
“It’s beautiful.” She moved closer to the windows while he hung back, giving her a moment to enjoy it. “It looks like the land just goes on and on.”
“The room was Cody’s idea. He’s always been more in touch with the land and outdoors than the rest of us.”
“It’s a view to be envious of that’s for sure. The gentle rolling hills, green grass, animals roaming…and then in the distances the mountains shooting up like giant stairways to the sky.” She spun around to see the view from the other side. “No matter what way you look it’s stunning.”
“Whether the sun is rising or setting, you can see it from here. Maybe on your next visit you’ll be sure to time it for the sunset. It is really something you shouldn’t miss. It’s a truly unforgettable experience.” One he wanted to experience with her. To see the last rays of sunshine off her body, mixing with the warm orange, pink, and blue tones, was something he didn’t want to miss.
She nodded but didn’t give him an answer. “My home office has the view of the mountains but nothing like this. I can see the snow covered peaks, but
that’s about it because of the high walls that have been built surrounding our property. It keeps us safe but it obstructs the views. Whereas this…this is just amazing.”
He came to stand next to her, and when she looked at him, there was a twinkle of happiness in her eyes. The others might have wondered why he brought her somewhere that was so special to them. This was their private area, one they never allowed visitors to venture in. But this was all part of his plan. She’d leave and this spot would be on her mind; he hoped it would lead her thoughts back to them. Her next visit would be scheduled for later in the day, and she could enjoy a romantic sunset with them—one they’d be ready for.
Chapter Six
The house was eerily quiet as Paris made her way toward London’s office in search of an update on Mom’s condition. She had planned to see her parents, but with the silence, she thought her mother might be resting and didn’t want to disturb them. With the cancer treatments taking a toll on Mom, she wouldn’t disturb them if they had finally managed to get some sleep.
“Paris,” London whispered from the middle of the staircase leading upstairs.
“Why are you whispering?” She kept her voice low to match his but all she got was a gesture asking her to climb the steps before he turned and started walking. Seeking answers, she followed him, climbing the stairs two at a time before finding him on the landing between their spaces. His bedroom, office, and sitting room were to the left while hers were to the right. “What the hell’s going on?”
“The treatment was rough today and Mom’s resting.”
Now that she was closer, she could see the strain around his eyes. For the first time she saw something in him she hadn’t seen before. Fear. He was growing up and facing things head on like the rest of them had to, instead of hiding behind partying or work. “Dads?”
Theirs to Treasure (Beyond Monogamy Book 1) Page 5
