by Ciara Lake
“Have I been asleep?”
“Yes. We will be home in an hour and half. You have been through a lot. Osage’s violation has drained you.”
“It seemed so real.”
“It was real. It was not a true dream. It was a place between. Nothing will hurt you now. Sleep, I will wake you when we are home.” He took her hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of it.
“Is he dead?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
Satisfied the danger was over, Avery allowed herself to fall back to sleep.
* * * *
“Avery, I have something to show you, a surprise,” Aiden said. He kissed her hand. “Wake up. We are home.”
Avery opened her eyes. They were parked in front of a large, white Victorian house—a mansion, really—with a wraparound porch. She had admired the house while walking around town when she first arrived. It was a beautiful tree lined street with older, expensive homes along the coast. Surprisingly, Grace waited on the porch waving.
“This isn’t our cabin.” Avery rubbed her eyes. “Why is Grace here? She doesn’t live here, does she?”
“No, it is not our cabin.” Aiden leaned over and kissed her. “Let me show you your new home.” He gently squeezed her hand. “I took you to the wilderness so Grace, Lucy, and the movers could get things set up. I allowed Grace and Lucy to furnish it for you. I wanted it to be perfect and for you to be surprised.”
“No wonder they kept showing me furniture catalogs.” Avery sat up straight in the car seat.
“Yes.” Aiden grinned. “They tell me the kitchen is a chef’s paradise.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“No, I am not kidding. They say the kitchen is a paradise.”
“No, I mean you’re kidding about this being my new home, aren’t you?”
“No, I am not kidding.” Aiden waved to Grace. “They have equipped the kitchen and the house with everything you could desire. I wanted it to be ready for Thanksgiving, but humans are slow, so it was not.” He laughed. “I have learned patience.”
“Please don’t tease me, Aiden.”
“I would not tease you, at least not about the house.” He smiled at her. “Whatever you do not like, we can replace. The house and everything in it is yours. I hope to share it with you.” He waved at Grace again. “She is impatient. Let us go see her.”
Avery’s mouth dropped open as she took in the amazing news. “Why would you do this?”
“I love you, and I want you to be happy. Come, let us go inside to see our new home.” He jumped out of the car to get her door. When he opened it, Avery just stared up at him. “Do you want to see the house?”
“Osage said I am but a spec in your mighty existence.” She looked down at her hands.
“Osage was a wicked son of a demon. He has been dispatched to hell, so think of him no longer.” Aiden’s eyes glowed in anger. “He was my enemy, my nemesis. Do not listen to him. He wanted you to doubt me, to doubt what is between us.”
“Avery!” Grace waved again. “We’ve been exploding with this secret. Hurry up, we have much to show you.” She rushed over to the car. Lucy was behind her, a grin glued to her face. “Come on in. Let’s show you your lovely home.”
“We wanted to tell you, but we feared for our lives if we did.” Lucy grinned at Aiden. “Come on now.”
Aiden helped Avery step out of the car.
“We had so much fun shopping for everything,” Lucy gushed. “This has been a glorious experience. We hope you love it.”
“I’ve never spent so much money in my entire life,” Grace added. She glanced back at the house and smiled. “It’s a beautiful home. My sister sold it to Aiden. He was searching for the perfect home for you two. It’s very romantic. He loves you very much. I’ve never seen a man so obsessed with making his woman happy.” She put her arm around Avery’s waist. “You’re blessed. The angels are looking out for you. Come on inside, I want to show you what we’ve done.”
The excitement rolled off Grace, making Avery giddy.
“I’ll have them bring all your things over from the cabin. We didn’t have time to do it yet. You arrived sooner than expected. Did something happened?”
Avery followed both women into the house, Aiden walking behind them. “It was too cold for me, so we left early.”
The two-story grand entrance was magnificent. Glossy, cherry floors gleamed under the crystal chandeliers. A huge staircase covered with garland and red bows was the centerpiece of the enormous hallway.
“You’ve decorated for Christmas too?” Avery walked over to the banisters to admire it closely.
“Not your tree.” Grace grinned. “We saved it for you to decorate. But yes, we did the rest of the house. This house is so big, it could use a staff to decorate and clean.”
“How can I afford a staff?”
“Your man can.” She nudged her. “I do hope you will still work for me. We can negotiate your hours. He won’t want you gone as much, I know this already.” She led her into a living area. A black grand piano sat in the far corner of the room. “The parlor will be a great place for your tree with your angel decorations. I’ve tried to make the house homey as well as glamorous. Aiden hired four people to help us. His generosity is amazing.” She smiled at Aiden. “Lucy made your kitchen absolutely marvelous. You’ll not want to leave it unless you’re going to your bedroom.” She winked. “With your gorgeous lover of course.”
“It looks like this is off the pages of a magazine.” Avery’s heart raced with excitement. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Did you know Aiden plays the piano?” Lucy asked. “He plays like a professional. You should hear his music ring through the house. It’s awesome.”
“He does everything well.” Avery grinned.
“I’m sure he does, honey.” Grace put her arm around Avery, hugging her close.
The gleaming hardwood floors had oriental rugs like at the inn. A huge fire roared inside an enormous marble fireplace. Scarlet stockings hung from the mantel. Grace and Lucy had stockings hanging with their names on them too.
Avery grinned. “I see you have your stockings ready.”
“Yes, we do.” Grace giggled as she led Avery to the fireplace. “This home was built by a rich merchant in the mid-1800s, but it has been fully updated.”
Avery followed them to the rear of the house. An enormous kitchen welcomed her with huge picture windows framing the eating area. Another fireplace flamed bright across from the table. French doors led out onto a brick patio.
“Look here, Avery,” Lucy called. She was running her hands over the black granite countertops. “Don’t you love these countertops?”
“Yes, they’re beautiful.”
“Everything is new,” Lucy said. “You have top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. There are four ovens and three sinks.”
Shiny pots and pans hung from a baker’s rack over the center stove. Cooper pots hung near the large kitchen dining area fireplace.
“We’ve added to your angel collection too.” Grace pointed to angel pictures and figurines decorating the eating area.
Avery walked over to admire the porcelain figurines. “I love them.” She looked over her shoulder at Aiden. “You’re so thoughtful.” Then she walked around the long rectangular table. It was set and ready for a formal meal. “This table is huge.”
“Wait until you see the dining room. It’s amazing. It seats twenty guests. We had to special order a table large enough for the room. It just arrived last night. You have to go with us to pick out your china and the rest of your linen. I told Aiden we needed to get your input on some things. I truly hope you like what was selected. If not, anything can be changed.” Lucy hugged Avery.
“I do. I love everything.”
“My favorite room is our bedroom.” Aiden, who had been quiet, suddenly interrupted. He looked up toward the ceiling. “It is upstairs.”
Avery felt her face flame.
“I guess he’s not sleeping on the sofa anymore?” Grace winked.
“Grace.” Avery sighed, waving her hand.
“Aiden means it’s a gorgeous room,” Lucy said. “It has a fireplace with a lovely veranda and a view of the ocean. The house has eight bedrooms. We have decorated five of them.”
“You can decide what to do with them. Maybe one could be a nursery?” Grace grinned. “Come on, we’ll show you the office and library down the hall.” She pointed. “This home’s a historic landmark. The last owners spent a lot of money fixing it up. Then the man died. His wife was happy to sell it to Aiden, as he promised to preserve its beauty.”
Avery followed them to the office. The exquisiteness of the room with its rich mahogany furniture astonished Avery. Old books lined the shelves.
“Aiden.” Avery took his hand. “This can’t possibly be my home.”
“It is.” He smiled down at her. “Do you like it? I want you to be pleased with our home, with me.” He looked deep into her eyes. Tenderly he kissed the back of her hand.
“Aiden, it’s…it’s beyond words. I love it. You’ve made me…so happy. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you love me. Tell me you give me your heart.”
“I do.” Avery threw her arms around him. “I love you very much.” She hugged him tight.
“So romantic.” Grace leaned against the doorjamb as she observed the touching moment. “Let’s have the staff’s holiday party here.” She pushed off the doorjamb to walk further into the room. “My inn’s staff will help with everything. It’ll be fabulous.”
“Okay, it sounds wonderful. I wish my family could be here to see this. They’ll never believe it,” Avery said.
“No, they will not, as you have never told them about me,” Aiden pointed out. Silence filled the room. “But Grace has already invited them to visit for Christmas. I have paid for their tickets. They will be here on December twenty-third. They still do not know about me or this house, so I guess they will be doubly surprised.”
Lucy and Grace walked out of the room chatting about a scheduled delivery.
“I’m sorry, Aiden. I didn’t know how to tell them I’m living with a man. But thank you for buying their tickets. You’re so sweet. No, you’re an angel.” Tears glistened in her eyes, making it hard for her to see clearly.
“Your angel.” He kissed her behind the ear. “I am forever your angel.” His kisses traveled to her lips. “We will find a way to tell them about us.” He took her hand and led her upstairs. “Let me show you my favorite room.”
“I want to tell them.” She squeezed his hand, pulling him back. “You know I do. But my family is very old-fashioned. They won’t be happy I’m living with a man I’m not married to.”
“I understand.” He put his arm around her waist as they entered the bedroom.
An enormous sleigh bed sat in the center of the room. An oriental rug was in front of a fireplace.
“You know what’s missing in this house?” Avery grinned. “I’m really surprised not to see any.”
“Televisions.” Aiden laughed. “I know.”
“Yes.” She giggled.
“They are to be delivered today. I ordered them online. I bought a laptop the other day too. It keeps me busy when you are sleeping.” He pulled her into his arms. “A television will be in this room, the office, the kitchen, and the sitting rooms. Do you think we will have enough?”
“That’s plenty.” Avery laughed. “I should have known you wouldn’t forget.”
“Never.” He shook his head, laughing. “Shall we try out our bed? It is very comfortable. I picked out the mattress myself. I wanted it to be soft on your back as I press you into it.” He kissed her neck. Avery shivered from his warm kisses.
“We can’t, not now. There are other people here.”
“So.” He winked. “We can lock our door for a few minutes. I will be quick this time.”
Avery pulled away from him, then dashed out of the room. “You’ll have to catch me first. I want to see the house.” She giggled and ran right into him just as she was about to reach the stairs.
He stared down at her, his hands on his hips. “Hey, where are you going?”
“No fair.”
“You can’t run from me. But we can pretend you can, and then I’ll catch you.” He slapped her bottom. “You know I like to play.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You used contractions.”
“Yep, I’m trying to be more modern, more human too.” He grinned. “And you can’t run from me, Avery Royce.”
“Aiden, I want to see the house right now and see my kitchen again.” Avery put her hands on her hips. “You can’t surprise me like this and not let me look. We can play later.”
“Oh.” He cocked his head to the side. “Am I going to have to compete with this house?” His right eyebrow rose.
“No.” She shook her head. “The house could never compete with you in any way. You’re a lot more fun.” She winked.
“I know, I am.” Aiden pulled her into his arms. “Don’t you forget it.” He kissed the top of her head. “I hope you realize I’m teasing you.” He smacked her behind again. “Go have fun with the women, look over your house. I’ll go wait for the televisions. We’ll for sure play later.”
“Aiden, the delivery truck is here. They want to know where to put your electronics,” Lucy yelled up the stairs.
“I’ll be right down.” He bent over to kiss Avery’s lips. “Grace is going to send someone for our things. Did you see our walk-in closet? It’s the size of another room. Plenty of space for your lovely clothes.”
“You really like this house?”
“Yes, I do.” He grinned. “I have visions of wondrous times here with you, our family.” He looked wistful. “I should go talk to the electronics people.” He dashed down the stairs to instruct the men.
Avery wandered around the upstairs, looking into every room. What Osage said came to her, making her cringe. His comments of her having Aiden’s babies raced through her mind. She touched her stomach. Butterflies swirled within her. I never thought he could get me pregnant. An angel and a human having a child? She sat down on the edge of the sunken tub in their master bath. Avery watched herself in the mirror. Tears of happiness mixed with insecurity rolled down her face.
Standing up, she stepped closer to the mirror. The burns Osage had inflicted on her face were gone. No mark remained. Then she remembered Aiden had healed her injuries. Who will heal my heart when he leaves?
Chapter 7
“Aiden, you don’t have to take me to work. I can drive. Really, Osage is dead now. I’m safe.” Avery rushed out of the bathroom, nearly running into him. “I’m late again too. Lateness is becoming a habit for me.”
“I’ll be downstairs.”
“Fine.” Avery finished pinning her hair up.
When she arrived downstairs, he was waiting at the kitchen table. Just as she turned around to get a cup for her coffee, he was by the kitchen door with the remote control in his hand changing the channels on their television.
“You popping around like this is a bit annoying.” She shook her head.
He shrugged. “I’ll drive you, I insist.” He came over to the sink to stand next to her. “I will see you safely there. Yes, Osage is dead, but I wish to go with you this morning.”
“All right.” Avery nodded as she fiddled with her new coffee maker. “I hate going to work. I want to decorate our tree and spend time in our house.” The coffee quickly brewed.
“Stay home with me and play.”
“I can’t. Grace is depending on me. But when I come home, let’s decorate the tree. It’s perfect where you put it up. I’m excited to see the angels on it.” She poured a cup of coffee and drank it down. Then she poured another.
“How about doing something with this angel under the tree?” He pointed to himself, grinning. “I’m warm flesh. I’ll let you do with me as you wish.” Aiden pulled her against him
, kissing her neck. “There is nothing like the real thing.”
“I know there isn’t. Please don’t tempt me.” She turned in his arms to kiss him.
“Tempting you is my job.” He patted her bottom. “I do it well.”
“Angels tempt?”
“Some are great tempters.” His grin was mischievous. “I like your softness.”
She pushed past him to open the fridge for a hardboiled egg. “I love this place.” She hugged him. “But I want you to know that even without the things you’ve given me, I’d love you anyway.”
“Thank you, my Avery. You make me happier than I have ever been.” He placed his hand on his chest.
“I’m excited to share this place with my family. I can’t wait for them to meet you. Come on, take me to work. I’m going to be late.” She reached up to kiss his cheek. Her body still ached in all the right places from their recent lovemaking. “I have two wedding cakes to bake. There will be over three hundred guests. It’s the biggest wedding the inn has hosted so far.”
“This would be a lovely setting for our wedding.” He followed her to the mudroom to go out into the garage.
Avery stopped and glanced back at him. “You mean this house?”
“Yes, perhaps in the late spring? The gardens will be beautiful.”
“Yes, it would be lovely.” She smiled. “Especially if everyone was dressed in Victorian clothing. It would be awesome even in the winter.”
“Sounds good to me, whenever you want.” He shrugged.
Avery rushed out to the car. She stopped at the bottom of the garage steps and stared at the black Jag. “This is a different car. Where’s my car? Why are there two new cars out here?” She turned around to stare up at him, then she saw her old car at the far end of the six-car garage.
“Yeah, I turned in my rental. It was getting ridiculous to rent. I decided I needed to go ahead and buy one. I bought both of these.” He nodded toward the vehicles. The one for me is almost the same as the rental, only a newer model. Do you like them?”
“Yes, they’re lovely.”
“I bought the silver one for you. Here are your keys.” Aiden tossed them to her. With ease, she caught them. “Both cars’ keys are on your ring. If you want, you can drive it to work now. I’ll drive it home, or I can get home another way.” He put his hand in his pockets.
