Aaron Hawke is a successful engineer, an overachiever, a fiercely independent and cautious man. After eight years of being away, he comes home only to learn that his ex-fiancée, who stabbed his heart and left love’s bitter taste in his mouth, is living and working in his grandfather’s mansion. Aaron quickly decides she must leave. However, his grandfather’s will has made things complicated—Bronwyn can only leave when she has paid her debt.
Bronwyn Flaherty, a down-to-earth, honest and faithful chatelaine is utterly broke and miserable. Aaron wants her to pay her debt or start packing. With her hands tied behind her back, she comes up with a solution—sex.
Bronwyn’s bold offer shocks Aaron, but he accepts it. He will use her whenever he gets a chance. Payback time. But two weeks into their agreed one month contract, he’s become entangled in his own seductive game.
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Deep-seated Passion
Copyright © 2011 Tierney O’Malley
ISBN: 978-1-55487-964-9
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Smashwords Edition
Deep-seated Passion
By
Tierney O’Malley
Chapter One
It’ll rain again.
The cool Pacific Northwest wind began to pick up, disturbing the trees and everything else around them. Aaron took a deep breath and filled his lungs with rain-scented air. It smelled fresh, clean, damp soil, and of Puget Sound. How could anyone not love the outdoors? Just listen to the wind, watch the trees dance, feel the soft ground beneath your feet—so awesome. If you catch the sun in the morning or the sunset, that would be even better. Man, to be one with nature was as good as being free. Oh yeah. Freedom.
He and Bronwyn would surely miss this place, but they’d be okay. Someday, they would own a house close to the water or with a private path where they could go for a stroll whenever they want. It would happen.
A drop of rain landed on the right side of his nose. He wiped it off with the tips of his fingers, then looked up. Between canopies of the giant trees, he could see dark clouds rolling fast. Last night, it rained hard. He bet the sky would open up again soon. His horse, Devil, and his beautiful fiancée picking up cherry blossoms off the soggy ground would appreciate spring rain showers. Too bad. As much as he’d like to let Bronwyn have fun here, he must take her home now or they’d be drenched before they returned to the stable. He loved to spend every minute with Bronwyn, but wouldn’t rob her father his own time with his daughter. Besides, he promised Benjamin that they’d be back before dinner.
Aaron rubbed Devil’s mane as he watched Bronwyn walk on the grass-covered trail ahead of him. Soon, they would have their own place to come home to and he wouldn’t have this painful expectation whenever he thought about going home. No, he wasn’t afraid of seeing his grandpa. Of course not. Shit, he was just an old curmudgeon. It was Grandpa’s damn mouth that made him want to stay as far away as Timbuktu from here.
Home. He would provide one for Bronwyn. Even if it took years to build it with his hands and teeth, he would do it.
Aaron smiled as the thrill of anticipation tickled his stomach. He could hardly wait for tomorrow to come. Finally, he could fly out of his grandfather’s house where insults, sarcasm, punishments, and cold treatments oozed instead of warmth and love. Hell yeah.
He looked around the trees that surrounded the property. So ironic that outside, he could breathe freely, walk without care, laugh, and be jolly without worrying that he’d upset his grandfather’s delicate household balance. Home should be a sanctuary where he or anyone should feel comfortable and happy, not a place to despise.
The sound of Bronwyn’s laughter took his mind off his anger-rising thoughts. Cherry blossoms and leaves of different colors blew in her direction and swirled by her feet. Aaron smiled. He loved hearing her laugh and enjoy even the gloomiest day in Seattle. Sadly, like everything else, this time, however fantastic, must come to an end.
Time to go home.
Aaron’s steps faltered. How could anyone call the damn mansion a home when one couldn’t live and move freely inside, touch anything in it, and was colder than a lug nut left out in the snow overnight? Grandpa’s mansion was more like a fucking museum. Everything, from the soft pillows on the couch to the leather-bound books he kept in his library, was there to be admired, but not to be touched.
When he was a little boy, Grandpa had Simon keep an eye on him as if he would steal something like the waif Oliver Twist who stole a loaf of bread. Grandpa never trusted him…hated seeing him. It was a wonder why the fuck he didn’t send him to a boarding school. It would have been best for the two of them.
When he came here to live at the age of seven, he thought the house to be a castle and Grandpa the king. His childhood enthusiasm of stepping into a grand mansion went as far as telling Grandpa that he would be a knight to protect it. Grandpa just laughed. After that day, he received nothing but ass-cold treatment. Kind of weird, really. Grandpa used to be nice when Mom was alive, but he changed and became a fucking Hitler.
Someday, when he and Bronwyn decide to start a family, their kids would never be afraid to run, make noise, and scream inside and outside of their home. Theirs would be a sanctuary. A place to stay warm and share their happiness, to feel loved and accepted in a home to call their own, to build memories. Oh yeah. Their home would be a happy one. Not a cold fucking brick or wood.
He watched Bronwyn tuck more cherry blossoms in her hair. Aaron felt a tug at his heart as he imagined her heavy with their baby, walking and cleaning around the house barefoot. Only she could give him joy and he gloried at every moment he shared with her. He was one lucky son of a bitch to win her heart, while she was one lucky woman to have a father like Benjamin.
The casual and open affection between father and daughter was remarkable. Something he envied. His memories of his parents were so distant now that sometimes he believed them to be a dream.
The wind whistled through the trees, disturbing them. They really must go back before the rain came down. Devil nudged his shoulder. He patted the horse’s neck, feeling the firm flesh quiver beneath his palm. “I know, buddy.” To Bronwyn, he called, “We gotta go, hon.”
“Why?” Bronwyn stood behind the cherry tree and then peeked at him.
He tethered Devil on a low cedar tree branch, then stalked Bronwyn around the tree. “I felt nine drops of rain already.”
“We’ll leave when you counted eighteen raindrops.” She gave him an impish look, then kicked off her slippers.
“Hon.”
Tail end of spring weather in Seattle was somewhat warm, but it still rained on and off. Just like now. Aaron held his palms up and caught the fat raindrops. “Ten, twelve, fifteen,” he counted. Rain began to trickle down and his wonderful fiancée refused to go home yet.
“So what if it rains. I love the rain. It washes away the dirt and stink of the day so we could have a fresh one.” Bronwyn twirled, her skirt bunching at her knees.
“Tell that to Devil.”
“He agrees with me.”
More cherry blossoms fell around her as the tree’s branches danced. A few more stuck in her hair. Aaron took the digital camera out of his pocket. “Smile for me, sexy flower fairy.”
Bronwyn lowered a strap of her dress down her arm, then posed seductively.
“Your new lovely dress is gonna get wet.” He tucked the camera back in his pocket and strode to where she stood. The little minx ran to the other side of the tree before he got closer to her.
“Do you care?”
“Yes and no. I don’t care about the dress getting wet and I don’t want you in it when it gets wet. You’ll catch a cold.” Aaron ran and tried to catch Bronwyn, but she managed to evade him.
“You can’t catch me.”
“Honey, I can. And when I do, you’ll regret it.”
“Why would I regret it?”
“Because…”
“Because what?”
Aaron grinned, then sprinted toward Bronwyn.
Squealing, Bronwyn picked up the hem of her dress, but he caught her before she could run away, then grabbed her by the waist. “I will tear your dress apart.”
Bronwyn laughed and tried to wriggle out of his embrace. “You wouldn’t do such a thing. I love this dress. Love the color and the tiny pink flowers on the hem. Where did you get this?”
Aaron tsked. “Honey, when someone gives you a present, don’t ask where it come from. It’s rude.”
“I wouldn’t ask if you’re just anybody. With you, I can ask anything.”
“Fair enough. I got it at the secondhand store. A six hundred pound woman donated it because it doesn’t fit her anymore.”
“Ha. Ha.”
Aaron tightened his hold around Bronwyn’s waist and slowly walked her back toward the cherry tree until she was up against it. He tucked the flower in her hair just above her left ear, then planted a kiss on her cheek. “Happy birthday, beautiful.”
“Thank you. You already said that when we were down at the beach,” she whispered. “When you undressed me.” She kissed the side of his mouth. “Also when you made love with me two times.” Bronwyn cradled his thigh and began to move her hips.
Aaron’s body responded to her passionate challenge. Blood coursed through his veins like a flowing river pooling in his hardening dick. “You’re the most beautiful debutante on earth and deserve to get more than a hot lovemaking at the beach. You deserve a cotillion, eighteen roses, and a big chocolate cake with eighteen candles. Someday, I’ll buy you everything expensive—better than this dress and a day at the beach.”
“What? Nothing can be better than what you already gave me. You. Your smile, love, kisses, hugs. Nothing beats being your honey. Nobody can measure up to your worth.” Bronwyn wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Not even Mister Darcy of Pemberly?”
“Hmmm…Maybe. He owns half of Derbyshire, you know.”
“Man, how can I compete with that?”
Bronwyn laughed. “Oh, hon. Riding down to the beach with you to watch the sunset is priceless. The best present in the whole world.”
He bit her chin lightly. “Hmm…we’ve been doing it since you turned thirteen and it’s still priceless.”
“Yes. Each year is different from the other. You know that. I will cherish each moment.”
“You love riding Devil with me that much?”
“Of course. I get to sit on your lap, right?”
“Wench.”
Bronwyn grinned. “You have no idea how much I love you, do you?”
“If waiting here for me, rain or shine, or sneaking into the house to come to my room, or sending me letters each day of the week when I had a flu, or if giving up your virginity and agreeing to come with me to run away to a faraway place where we could live together as man and wife, means that you love me, then yeah, I kind of do.”
“Kinda?” Bronwyn stuck her tongue out and licked his nose.
Aaron kissed her square on the mouth. Raising his mouth from her, he gazed into her forest green eyes. “You know I do. What about you?”
“How much I love you? I have an idea.” Bronwyn rocked her hips, her eyes bright with gaiety.
“That’s it?”
“Of course that’s not it. Why don’t you tell me how much you love me?”
“I’m not like your favorite romantic English poet John Keats who wrote Ode to Grecian Urn, so let’s see if I can express my love the way he does.” Aaron cleared his throat. “I’m still here because of you. Living, breathing, wishing, dreaming. You’re the fire in my veins that keeps me warm at night, hope in my heart, reason to wake up and embrace a new day. You are my strength and inspiration. I always look forward to tomorrow because of you. You are all of those to me. I love you, with all my heart, body, and spirit. Without you, there is no reason to be happy.”
“I think I’m going to cry.”
Aaron laughed. “Bronwyn, I’m serious.” He buried his face in her hair and pressed his body against her pliant soft one. Oh, how he loved feeling her soft curves molded perfectly to the contours of his much firmer body.
“I know. I feel the same way. You’re all that I need, Aaron. I’ll go wherever you take me. Honey, I’m yours. Remember that.” She raked her nails through his hair and began massaging his scalp.
Hearing her words filled him with emotion, Aaron’s heart soared with joy. He took Bronwyn’s face with his large hand and held it gently. “I love you,” he said, then kissed the tip of her nose, her eyes, and showered kisses around her lips before claiming her mouth. It was at first a tender kiss, but with Bronwyn drawing his face to hers for a deeper kiss, he began giving her a devouring arousing kiss. He thrust his tongue inside her warm and wet mouth to taste, to probe.
Bronwyn greedily sucked his tongue and moaned when he wrapped an arm around her waist. With his thigh in between her legs, she began rocking her hips. God, she was one passionate woman. He left her lips to nibble her chin, jaw, and earlobe.
Aaron continued to explore her exposed smooth skin. When he reached the base of her neck, he sucked the skin harder. He knew he’d left a kiss mark there, but didn’t care. “Honey…”
“Hmm…”
With his free hand, he cupped her breast while his mouth traced a path along her shoulder and the exposed upper creamy skin on her chest.
Bronwyn lowered her dress straps. “I’m yours, hon. I’m yours.”
Aaron groaned at the sight of her full and firm breasts. Her nipples were erect, ready, and beckoning. He shifted from his position. He knew what she wanted and he’d give it to her. “You’re beautiful,” he breathed, then swooped down to capture one nipple.
Bronwyn’s body arched forward, pushing her breast against his mouth. “Oh, Aaron.”
He traced her pinkish areola with his tongue before sucking her hard nipple. Damn, it was never enough, one kiss only served as an appetizer. He always wanted more. He wanted to devour her.
With his other hand, Aaron squeezed her other breast. He gave her nipple a lick before moving to the other. Growling low in his throat, his lips and tongue pleasured each breast until Bronwyn writhed beneath him. Aroused and with his cock throbbing, he lifted her dress, flattened his hand down her taut stomach, then moved even father down to where he knew she was hot and wet. Feeling her mound where he pressed his hard cock was heaven.
Bronwyn shivered. Her sexy whimpering and eager response fueled his desire. God, she was always hot and eager.
“Cold?”
“No. Hot.”
Aaron grinned. Fuck, she looked hot and erotic with her wet breasts exposed while her dress bunched around her midriff. Through her thong, he touched her heat. He groaned at the warm feel of her skimpy material drenched with her juice. Damn, he had to taste her. Now. Or he’d go nuts. “Do you want a repeat of what I did to you down at the beach?” he asked. Even he heard the strain in his voice.
“You know I do.”
“Beg me.”
“Aaron…”
“Beg.” He pressed his fingers on her clit.
Bronwyn thrusts her hips. “Aaron, please. Love me. Now. Please.”
“My pleasure, hon.” Going down on his knees, he lifted Bronwyn’s dress. When he looked up, Bronwyn met his gaze, then smiled.
“I love you, Aaron.”
“Love you more.” His hands explored the small of her back, butt, waist, and hips. His cock throbbing, he lifted Bronwyn’s leg and anchored it on his shoulder. He sucked a soft spot on the inside of her thigh, making sure he left a mark there before kissing it. With his thumb, he teased her pubic bone, careful not to touch her sensitive clit. He stared at her thong-covered pussy. The damn material hardly covered her. Since she was already wet, he could see her almond-shaped clitoris. He gave her one long lick. Fucking beautiful.
Bronwyn’s body quivered and she let out a long sexually explicit moan.
Aaron flattened her tongue on her covered clit. Unable to take another minute of foreplay, he hooked his index finger inside her thong and moved it aside. He felt Bronwyn shudder as he ran the pads of his thumbs on her vulva. She was wet and glistening, ready for him to take. The thought of him moving in and out of her nearly caused him to lose his control.
“Aaron…”
“Yes, hon.”
“You’re making me mad. Now, please. Touch me.”
“I’m already touching you,” he teased.
“More.”
“Impatient wench,” he said, then licked her already moist pussy.
Bronwyn gripped his hair and thrust her hips. “Oh God.”
Waves of ecstasy assaulted his body as he licked her repeatedly. God, he loved her smell and taste. Aaron spread Bronwyn’s pussy wider, then ran his tongue on her wet labia, tickled her clitoris and weeping opening. The moment he clamped her mouth on her heat, juice flowed like warm honey in his mouth. Like a deprived man, he ate and worshipped her with his tongue, but he desperately needed more of her. He wanted to be inside her, feel her slick walls.
The sound of rain hitting the trees, leaves, and the soft ground enveloped them. He didn’t care. Rain pelted on his back. He ignored it. What he wanted was to give Bronwyn satisfaction. Aaron trapped Bronwyn’s clit between his lips, then began to suck. He knew her body so well. This would bring her to the highest pleasure her body wanted. With his tongue and mouth making love with Bronwyn’s pussy, he reached for her breasts and massaged her gently.
Like a symphonic music, the sound of gushing rain, raindrops on the soggy ground, their own hard breathing played around them. The trees’ canopy was not enough cover to keep them dry, but Aaron didn’t feel cold at all. In fact, he felt so simmering hot that he wanted to strip his clothes off.
Making love in the rain. What could be better?
Bronwyn moved her hips in synchrony of his gentle sucking. Her erotic whimper sent him to the edge. He was close to having an orgasm himself. Harder, he sucked her clit. Passion pounded the blood through his heart, chest, and cock.
“Honey bunch. You’re beautiful.” Aaron inserted not one but two fingers inside Bronwyn’s slippery pussy. “Ahh…so good.” He began moving his fingers in and out of her.
“My God, Aaron.”
Pulling his honey-covered fingers out of her, he licked them clean. “Come in my mouth, hon. Now,” he said in a strained voice, then he suckled her again.
“I…am. Oh, God. Don’t stop. Don’t…yesss…”
The moment Bronwyn reached her orgasm, he knew. Her ass contracted and she nearly spit his fingers out. Oh, he loved making her come. Her pleasure was his. Even when Bronwyn’s body loosened and sagged, he didn’t stop licking her.
Bronwyn cupped his face with her wet hands, urging him to look at her. “Come to me. I want you, hon.”
Aaron kissed her wet pussy, then slowly slid back up. Bronwyn’s body was wet from the rain. Her hair, darker and straighter, clung to her face and shoulders. She never looked so wonderful. “I want you, too.”
“Show me.” Bronwyn wrapped her leg around his waist.
Aaron unbuttoned his fly and lowered his low-rise jeans just enough to release his hard throbbing cock. “I want you,” he repeated, then thrust his hips with good aim and buried his cock to the hilt. “Fu…dge!”
With their body heat and rain dripping down their faces and body, he made love with Bronwyn. Together they found the tempo that kept them bound. Flesh against flesh, him against the woman he adored and love without measure―it was nirvana. His body soared higher until his fiery orgasm exploded. God, it’s always good. He wanted to shout from joy for being one with her, for making her his, for what tomorrow would bring. “I love you, honey.”
There weren’t any part of their bodies that remained dry by the time they started for home. He wasn’t at all surprised that Bronwyn didn’t show any sign that she was cold. She loved the rain. In fact, the minx kept tilting her head back with her mouth open to catch it. Devil, however, was another story. He kept snorting and bobbing his head up and down.
His grandfather gave him Devil, a thoroughbred, for his sixteenth birthday. He remembered the day Grandpa handed him the reins. He said that with a horse, Aaron wouldn’t have any excuse coming home late when he wandered the property. Then with a birthday greeting that had sounded more like a grunt, he walked back to the house. The gesture shocked him where he couldn’t say anything at all. He just stared at the reins in his hand until Simon, his grandfather’s personal assistant, patted his back and told him to ride like the devil he was. That had been three years ago.
When they finally emerged from the wood, Aaron spotted Benjamin right away. Bronwyn’s dad stood leaning against the red wall of the stable, smoking his cigar. He waved at them, then walked to the north side of the building, then disappeared from view. Aaron wondered if Benjamin knew how intimate he was with his daughter. If he did, Aaron never saw any sign whether he approved or disapproved.
“You should go. Your dad’s waiting. Do me a favor, hon. Get out of the rain and your wet clothes.”
“I’ll help take care of Devil.”
“I’ll do it. Just go.”
“Alright. I had a great birthday.”
Aaron combed Bronwyn’s hair back. “You deserve it. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“You know I’ll be there. Same time, same place.”
“Are you sure? If you change your mind―”
Bronwyn cupped his face, tiptoed, and kissed his lips. “I’ll be there. I’m ready.”
“Me, too.” Under the blanket of rain, he snaked his arm around her waist, pulled her against him and then kissed her hard. “Tomorrow will be the beginning of our new life.”
“I know.”
“Go.”
He watched Bronwyn run toward the path that led to her home. Before she disappeared from his view, she turned around and blew him a kiss. He caught the imaginary kiss and planted it on his left cheek, making Bronwyn laugh.
I’ll see you tomorrow, hon.
Chapter Two
Good God. Whatever this is about, I hope it’s not going to end up breaking many hearts. Including Aaron’s.
Blood pounded loud in Bronwyn’s ears, nearly drowning out William’s voice. She wished she could stop the pulsating dizzying sound. It was driving her crazy. Bronwyn took a deep breath, willing her heart to calm a bit.
He’s just an old man, Bronwyn. What harm can a sharp look do to you?
Just an old man, she told herself repeatedly and then met William’s gaze.
Oh God. She was wrong. William’s gaze was like sharp talons wrapped around her neck, making it hard to breathe. Her nervousness went up a notch. Lord, she’d fall flat on her face and break her nose or split her forehead if the dizzying jitters didn’t stop. When that happened, William would probably think of her as pathetic and hilarious while watching her convulse on the floor. Bronwyn shifted her weight from one foot to the other to keep them from getting numb. Only her steely courage and determination kept her knees from buckling.
No matter what, she would not break in front of William who shared the same blood with the man she gave her heart and soul to and promised to love for all eternity.
Aaron Hawke.
It was hard to believe the two were related. When Aaron’s forbearance was great, William Simmons wasn’t. Kindness and warmth glowed from Aaron’s eyes while repugnance and snobbishness oozed from William. It was a mystery why most people who worked for him were immigrants who could hardly speak English, possessed little, and some with no education at all. Maybe he loved exercising his authority over those who were beneath him.
Grandfather and grandson were different in so many ways. Except for one—they loathed each other. While William detested Aaron’s unruly behavior and continued refusal to conform and to bend to his rules, Aaron hated his grandfather for trying to mold him into a perfect flawless figurine he wanted to place on top of the mantel for everyone to admire. He disobeyed William in any way he possibly could, especially when he was younger. Everything he knew that would send William’s anger to the roof, he had done it. He gambled, came home late, and picked fights at school. Now as an adult, they argued about politics, economy, school, and most of all how Aaron should run his life. If Aaron showed no fear toward William, Bronwyn felt differently.
Of all the people in the world, William Simmons was the one man who never failed to make her uneasy. Those pale blue eyes of his saw everything. And Bronwyn hated it. She hated the way the man looked at her as if she was nothing but dirt stuck beneath his horse’s hooves. The same way he did the first time they’d met.
Bronwyn blinked and wiped her hands on her skirt.
Her thoughts whirled back to the first day she met William. The Boeing Company had laid off hundreds of employees, including her father. Jobs were scarce. With a twelve-year-old daughter to feed, her father combed ads in the paper for anything he could apply for until he saw William’s ad for a stable keeper. Since her father couldn’t leave her alone in their apartment, he took her with him that same day for the interview. Together, they stood in this very same room, nervous and tongue–tied. Holding her father’s calloused hand, she stared at Mr. Simmons while she listened to her father as he tried his best to convince the man that he was the right person for the job of maintaining his yard and stabling his horses. Her father’s hand was clammy and so was hers. She was glad when William asked that she leave the room to wait outside his office. She wanted to hear what William had to say, but at the same time, felt relieved to be out of his sight. It didn’t take long before her father came out of the office. Her father’s voice shook with emotion when he looked up in the sky and said thank you repeatedly. Quickly, he grabbed her hand and said, “Let’s find this guy Simon.”
That afternoon, they moved at the small one bedroom cabin built behind the stable. Her dad gave her the room and he slept on the hide-a-bed at night. The cabin was old, dusty, needed paint, but the best home she ever had. The smell of fresh hay, the sound of whinnying horses, and the twittering birds in the morning…it had been paradise. Truly it was.
Huge old Cedar trees with trunks so thick and perfect for hide-and-seek surrounded them. She had spent most of the afternoon counting all the trees until she had lost count. Her father laughed and urged her to try again. How her father ended up getting the job or what he said in that room that day she didn’t know. All she cared about was that he got the job. That day, she thought, was the happiest day of her life.
Until she met Aaron.
Then her life had made a big turn. She not only had a playground, but she also found a friend.
Bronwyn shifted her weight to her other foot and silently waited for William to say something. Things were different now between her and Aaron. Soon, they would both take a leap for a bigger change in their lives. She could hardly wait, but right now, she needed to calm her nerves.
Bronwyn licked her dry lips. Despite the icy glare, Bronwyn met William, stare for stare.
William sat behind the same polished, immaculately cleaned mahogany desk. Except for a black Gold Cross penholder and white round marble ashtray where his pungent scented cigar that looked like a fat-thumb rested, not even a speck of dust or thumbprint marred the perfect table. For William everything must be perfect. Including Aaron.
Many times, she watched him ride his horse in the morning. Whether he’d noticed her, she didn’t know. Not once had he directed his attention toward her. The man had eyes only for those things that were important to him—horses, gardens, greenhouse, and property.
Seeing him outside was different though. She could at least hide and avoid him. Standing here in this confined room where his power and authority oozed like puss coming out of a ripe boil from every pore of his over six feet frame made her feel like a caged rabbit. Gosh, how she hated being here.
William’s jaws moved slightly from side to side. Bronwyn could see that he was working out or calculating his thoughts. She had a feeling that whatever he was planning on telling or asking her, she wouldn’t like it. She couldn’t even imagine why he wanted to see her. Dad worked for William, not her.
Bronwyn watched William tap his cigar on the crystal ashtray. Her insides felt the same way as the ashes when they crumbled the minute they hit the flat bottom of the ashtray. She squared her shoulders instead. She hoped this meeting wouldn’t take long. Aaron said they should hit the road before nine this morning to avoid traffic.
“Elena told me you wanted to see me, Mister Simmons,” she said, breaking the silence. When not facing the man, she referred to him as William, but like everyone else who worked for him, she addressed him formally in times like this.
William placed his cigar between his teeth and asked, “Do you know why your father is still working for me?”
“Because my father is the best hand you can find.”
William let out a sound that Bronwyn could only describe as rude before he puckered his lips. He then took a puff of his cigar, blew the smoke out while his eyes were fixed on hers. When he spoke, his mouth emitted the pungent white smoke. “I kept your father because he is true to his word. That he would give me what I expected of him and more when he saved me from getting trampled by one of my horses.”
“He did what anyone would have done in that kind of―”
“Benjamin took the horse’s kick that was meant for me and wound up breaking his hip. He said that he fell when anyone asked what had happened. Not once had he mentioned the truth. He saved not just my pride, but also my life. I doubt the other jackassess who worked for me would have done the same thing. He proved to be a useful staff. But you, Bronwyn, are not your father. Therefore, I don’t owe you anything. Do you agree?”
Why is he asking me all this? “Yes.”
“Your father can ask me anything. I will say yes and will do anything in my power to grant it. I owe him my life and I value him, his services. Whereas you, Bronwyn, cannot do that.”
“I am aware, yes. If—if my father did something wrong―”
“He’s not the reason why I asked for you. I trust Benjamin. He will not steal or do anything despicable.”
“You can trust me.”
“Trust you?” William roared that words. “How could anyone trust a thief?”
Oh my God! Bronwyn was startled when he roared at her, but his outrageous accusation was even more shocking. “I did not steal anything―”
“You’re trying to take my grandson away from me? Isn’t that stealing?”
He knew. “That’s not true.”
“Don’t you damn lie to me. We both know that he’s waiting for you right now. Packed and ready to leave.”
Oh no. You’re not supposed to know. “Mr. Simmons, I―”
“Do! Not! Mr. Simmons! Me!” He punctuated each word. “You and my grandson are planning to elope.” William said the word elope like a bile that he spat. “Do you deny it?”
Leaving today was their secret. How did he… Her heart quickly sunk down to her stomach. There was no use hiding the truth. “I…” she glanced at the glass window behind William. She could see dark clouds and thin grey sheet of rain. Aaron would get soaking wet if he stayed out long.
“Answer me, damn it!”
William’s angry voice forced her to look back at him. “No, I don’t deny it.”
“Stupid girl. Do you have any idea what he’s throwing away if he leaves this place?”
A life of sarcasm and word battles with you, Bronwyn wanted to say but held her tongue. Whether she hated him or not, he was still her father’s employer and the grandfather of the man she vowed to love for eternity.
“No. I don’t,” she answered.
“A better future.”
“Aaron knows what he wants in life.”
“Bullshit. He’s only nineteen and some months old. And you? You just turned eighteen, yesterday. What do you stupid kids know about life? Nothing. His mother fell in love at a young age, too, and thought she knew everything. Where is she now? I will not have my grandson face the same fate. I will not let him ruin his life because he thinks he knows what life is. He must remain here. Even if I have to chain him down to his bed.”
That’s what you’ve been doing all his life. “He’s old enough to decide for himself. Aaron doesn’t want to be here. You can’t keep him forever.” Bronwyn snapped her mouth shut, stunned for revealing Aaron’s feelings.
William stared. If he felt anything at all about what she said, he hid it well. He was good at that. Although her father said that William may be harsh on the surface with Aaron, he also said that deep inside he cared for his grandson more than anything in the world, but not once had he shown how much he cared for Aaron. When she asked why William couldn’t just show his love to Aaron, her dad just said William had his reasons.
It took a long awkward silence before William showed any reaction to what she said. When he did, it was a low and empty chuckle.
“Ah, so typical. He doesn’t want to be here because he, dumb as he is, just wants to do whatever he wants to do and fuck everything else. Nobody wants to be told about what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Aaron’s no exception. His mother was the same. All teenagers are. So guess what? I don’t give a shit about what he wants. We had a verbal agreement. He can leave this house only if he is good and ready. Right now, he is not ready for anything.”
“He is ready.”
“For what? Failure? Because that’s what will happen to a knucklehead like him. No degree, no prospects. With you saddled with him like a baggage, do you think he’ll go as far as his nose could sniff? Ready my ass. What about you? You want to leave this place and your father who’s doing everything to keep a roof above your head, food on your table, and see to it that you have something decent to wear to school? Huh? Don’t you care that he wants you to have a degree? Ungrateful chit.”
“I’m grateful for my dad’s―”
“I asked if you want to leave this place.”
“I’m going wherever Aaron takes me.”
“Ha!” William smacked his hands on the armrest. “You two. Both empty-headed.”
“I love…I love your grandson.”
“Really.”
Bronwyn felt her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. Why was she surprised? Of course, William would hear about her and Aaron. He had ears and eyes everywhere. Not to mention his keenness to his surroundings. Aaron never doubted this day would come. That William would find out about them. He warned her. After all, William did nothing but micromanage him, watched his every move, and dictated how he should run his life, including what he should become.
Lifting her chin a fraction, Bronwyn nodded. “Yes, I love him. Perhaps you should, too.”
“Shut up, you twit!” William grounded his cigar into the ashtray until it resembled a small pile of dirt. “You have no right to tell me what to do. You don’t know me. I should kick you and your father out of this place.”
“No! Please, don’t. Mister Simmons, Aaron is old enough to know and do things on his own. With you trying to chain him—”
“Keep your opinion to yourself.”
“Maybe you should listen. You’re choking Aaron with your—”
“Are you fucking deaf? I’m warning you, Bronwyn. You will find yourself and your father outside my property if you don’t shut your mouth.”
Bronwyn seethed. She wanted to give William a piece of her mind, but kept quiet.
“You love Aaron.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then I assume that we both want the same thing for him. Which is the best. It was what his mother had wished for him, too. She may have been gone, but for me she still lives and I will not disappoint her. Through me, Aaron will get the full benefit of having money, power, connection, and the best the world could offer. Through me, his mother’s wish will come true. I will not let anyone stop me from achieving that wish. Do you hear me? No one. Not even you can give him the future he deserves. You’re aware of that, are you?”
“I may not have your wealth, but I can give him love.”
“Don’t give me your bullshit notion about love, Bronwyn. Aaron is without a mother because of love.”
Bronwyn flinched. William said the words as if they were rocks thrown at her. Hard. Painful. “Aaron is stronger than you think. He is capable of taking care of himself.”
“Can he take care of you?”
“Yes.”
“You are one blind idiot!” he spat the words contemptuously. “Both of you.”
“We will survive.”
“On what? I have plans for Aaron and you would be wise not to get in the middle. You need to learn this, Bronwyn. I will make both your lives miserable if you insist on leaving with him. I will despise him until the day I die if he gets married without making his mother’s wish come true first. Aaron’s mother had made only one wish and I will grant it. So don’t you dare disagree or you’ll find yourself in a situation worse than hell.”
Oh God. She glanced outside again. Rain was coming down hard now. Aaron said he would wait. She knew, she could feel it, that he was still out there exposed to the cold and waiting. “Mister Simmons, perhaps you should tell him the reason why you wanted him to stay here. Make him understand. He needs to know.”
“You don’t know shit.”
“Then tell me why you’re such a jerk to him. I—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
William shook his head, then smirked. “He doesn’t want to be here, you said.”
Bronwyn looked at William again. “Yes.”
“Good. Then listen carefully. I will tell you why I became a controlling grandfather. And then, if you really love him, you’ll do what I say.”
She glanced at the window again. Aaron…
Hot tears rolled down Bronwyn’s cheeks. She knew, she could feel it deep in her marrow that she would never see Aaron again for a long time.
* * * *
Aaron checked his wristwatch. He’d been waiting for an hour and a half. Where was Bronwyn? She was forever late, but not like this.
Plinking sound like rocks hitting a metal took his eyes off the direction where Bronwyn should be coming from. Big drops of rain pelted his motorbike’s tank. In a matter of seconds, rain began to come down hard. Damn rain.
With his hands in his pockets, he leaned on the smooth trunk of the Cherry tree and waited. So what if Bronwyn was late. He understood. It wasn’t like they were just going to watch a movie or something. Today would be the start of their new beginning, new life. It must be hard for Bronwyn to say goodbye to everything she would leave behind. He bet she was saying goodbye to all of the horses in the stable and making sure everything, including the dishes, were in order before she left.
Aaron smiled despite the worry in his chest. He’d never met anyone as meticulous and organized as Bronwyn. She’d be a good office manager or a good housewife. Soon, he’d give her more than his name, Hawke. He’d also give her a home to clean and decorate however she wished. He’d make it happen. To start with, they needed to get going.
“Come on, honey. Where are you?”
They were supposed to meet here. Beneath this cherry blossom tree that stood right in the middle of his grandfather’s wooded property. Blossoms fell off the branches and landed at his feet and on the grass. He bent down to pick up one bright pink flower. Bronwyn’s favorite. Twirling the delicate stem between his fingers, he stared at the path where he expected her to appear any minute.
She was just twelve when they first met. He was on his way home from his walk down to the beach when he found her lying on the grass, staring up at the flowers. With her long hair spread around her, flushed cheeks, and wide green eyes, he thought she was prettier than the flowers that day.
Every year, he would collect the cherry blossoms for her, which she always returned with a hug and a kiss that reached his soul. He never knew anyone like her. Never loved a woman like her. Simple, down to earth, loving, and tenderhearted. Damn the consequences, he’d do everything to make her his. Even if it would mean facing his grandfather’s wrath.
Yeah, Grandpa. The hell with you. If it weren’t for Bronwyn, he would have been gone from Grandpa’s life a long time ago. He and Bronwyn would never find peace if they remained here. Nothing could grow beneath a mighty oak. Time to move out of his controlling grandfather’s shadow. They need to stay as far away from Grandpa, from his cruelty, as possible. He knew the scar he bore on his left palm would forever remind him of William Simmons. Still, distance and Bronwyn’s love would help dull the pain. Damn, he’d never felt sure in his life. Yeah, he could do this.
Without a doubt, Grandpa would appreciate it if he were gone. He would never have to look at his eyes that he hated looking at—pale blue eyes like his late father. Aaron often wondered whether his grandfather would have accepted him if he inherited the color of his mother’s eyes—Sapphire blue. Nah, dark, light, whatever fuck shade of blue, Grandpa would never accept him because his father’s blood flowed freely in his veins.
Too many times to count, his grandfather mentioned how he looked like his father. Shit, was that his fault? No, it wasn’t and neither the fact that his father wasn’t born with a silver fucking spoon in his mouth. Grandpa referred to his dad as a devil, low-life scumbag who stole his daughter. What a crock of shit. Mom left this place to live with Dad because they loved each other. But Grandpa, hard-ass that he was, believed differently.
The old coot would never accept that Mom loved another man. For him, Dad was nothing but a thief who stole his precious daughter away from him only to let her suffer and die from sickness. He had wondered how Grandpa convinced his father to give him up. Power. Of course, he used threats and power. Grandpa could be very persuasive that way.
Someday, as soon as he had the means, he’d find his dad.
Aaron tapped his boots to get rid of the splattered mud. He remembered splashing in mud puddles when he was a young boy, wearing his brand new rain boots that Grandpa gave him for Christmas. When Grandpa saw him, he just laughed. Oh yeah, Grandpa wasn’t a total ass as he recalled. In fact, he had a few good memories of his grandfather. However, his cruelty overshadowed those memories.
Well, the hell with him now. I will be gone from his life forever.
Grandpa wouldn’t have to look at him and remember his dad. That’s a fucking big favor.
His friend in Las Vegas promised him a job as a helper mechanic. He could hardly wait to start. This would be his big break. He’d start from being an assistant so he could support Bronwyn. He had already put in a year at the University of Washington. Maybe, if they were lucky, after three more years, he could get his mechanical engineering degree, get a bigger paying job, and then start a family of their own. Who knew, maybe someday he could have his own shop. Aaron thought about his allowance. Grandpa would most likely end his financial support once he found out he left. So fucking what. He and Bronwyn would manage the first two months or three and then it would be tough. Together though, they would find a way to get through.
I can hardly wait.
Dreaming about living his life without William Simmons breathing down his neck began when the old man caught him playing cards online. Aaron fingered the puckered skin on his left hand. A reminder of his grandfather’s cruelty.
Gusty sheets of rain blurred everything around him. Exposed drops of rain quickly found its way inside the collar of his leather jacket. They really must get going. Leaning against the tree, he waited. Even if waiting meant he would grow roots, so be it. Bronwyn would be here. They dreamed and planned about this day. Of them being together forever. She supported his idea to leave and expressed vehemently her willingness to leave everything behind, including her dad.
“Where are you, hon?”
He tucked his hand inside his jean pocket where he kept the small box that contained the simple wedding bands he purchased a week ago. Plain white-gold rings. He bet Bronwyn would love them. She turned eighteen yesterday. A legal age to marry. The manager in Little Church in Las Vegas knew that they’d be coming. He had already saved a wedding date.
Aaron smiled. Finally, he’d be able to call Bron, Mrs. Bronwyn Hawke. What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.
Soon, she’ll be my bride, my wife, and future mother of our children. My lover, my friend.
A gust of wind blew, sending debris into the air only to land on a sticky wet ground. Aaron looked up. Tree branches bowed from the heavy beating of cold rain. Even if Bronwyn carried an umbrella, she would be soaked by now. He looked ahead and waited. Aaron pushed off from the tree when a dark form broke free from the curtain of gray rain. His heart hammered against his chest. His excitement, however, was short lived.
A taller figure with a bigger hand waved at him.
“What the hell,” he mumbled.
“Aaron, you there?”
Ah, shit.
Something happened. Deep inside his cold bones, he knew whatever brought Simon here wasn’t good. “I’m here, Simon. What’s up?”
Hunched down and with his fingers holding the sides of his yellow hood, Simon’s black boots made big splashes as he stepped into a deep puddle of brown rainwater. “Looks like the end of the world, here, huh, son?”
“It’s just rain, Simon.”
“Only a kid born and raised from the Pacific Northwest would say such a thing. Just rain.” Simon clucked his tongue. “Can’t imagine how you could stand the cold.”
“You’re an Oregonian. Weather there is as cold as ours here. Besides, you’ve been living here for years. You should be used to the cold rain of the Pacific Northwest.” Aaron didn’t feel like chitchatting about the rain, but smiled anyway. Simon was born and raised in Oregon and moved here when he and his wife met in their twenties.
“Yeah. Born and raised there, but believe me, I’d rather muck the stalls where I can stay dry than walk in the rain. You shouldn’t expose yourself to this weather. You’re prone to catching pneumonia.”
“I’m fine.”
“Even a strong horse gets beaten by a mere rain, son.”
“What are you doing here, Simon?”
“To tell you to come home.”
When realization finally penetrated his rain-soaked head to tap his brain, Aaron’s heart skipped a beat—no, it stopped beating at all. At least it felt that way. Simon didn’t just happen to find him here. He came looking. “I’m waiting for Bronwyn.”
“I know.”
Damn it. “Where is she? Have you seen her?”
“Yes, I saw her.”
“And?”
“Son, she’s not coming.”
The words stripped him naked. Suddenly, he felt so cold that he began to shiver. Up until now, he didn’t notice how numb his hands were. When he finally found the strength to speak, he asked, “Why? Is she all right?”
“She’s fine. Dry and drinking coffee.”
Drinking coffee. “She forgot. We’re supposed to meet here.”
“She didn’t forget.” Simon took a deep breath, let out a long sigh, and then repeated the words Aaron didn’t want to hear. “Aaron, Bronwyn is not coming.”
“What the fuck do you mean, Simon? Why wouldn’t she come?”
“Because she listened to her heart.”
Chapter Three
Eight years later…
The lowering sun bathed Forest Glen Cemetery in a yellow-orange hue, giving the whole place a solemn feeling. It was so disconcerting. The absence of activity, of life reminded him of living in his grandfather’s grand mansion.
Aaron turned off his motorcycle.
Grandpa must be happy. This was the kind of day he preferred. Quiet.
With only the sound of dry leaves scraping the paved path as the wind blew them in every direction, nothing could be heard. No manmade noise, no sound coming from the living. Even the birds were quiet. Where were they? What about the neighborhood kids? They liked to ride around on their bikes here. At least he used to when he was a kid, even when the caretaker told him to ride somewhere else. Damn, he hated quietness. So fucking deafening.
With his helmet on his lap, he just sat on his motorcycle and looked at the family mausoleum where his great grandparents, grandmother, mother, and now grandfather were buried. Constructed to his grandfather’s specifications, the custom designed private mausoleum looked elegant. Solid granite roof and walls were maintenance-free. Non-corrosive stainless steel dowels and anchors secured the structure. Its detailed architectural design and intricate personalized initial letter S above the entryway added magnificent beauty to the character of the building. What commanded his attention the most was the stained glass windows designed with colorful orchids. Impressive. Man, even the family mausoleum boasted his grandfather’s achievements, a lifetime of accomplishments and posterity.
He wondered if there was room saved for him inside. Grandpa had showed him what was inside his mom’s tomb years ago. He remembered being so scared that he refused to step inside, but Grandpa picked him up, told him to open his eyes and then pointed to who was laid in the tombs.
Hopping off his bike, Aaron walked toward the door and punched in the safety code his Grandpa’s lawyer, Verdasco, gave him. The heavy bronze door opened. Myriad of colors reflected from the stained glass windows danced around the room and the scent of fresh flowers welcomed him instead of a dark dreary tomb one would expect in a place like this. At the end of the vestibule were shelves filled with framed pictures of his family and neatly arranged bouquets. There were polished wooden chairs with cushioned seats around the circular table. Except for the white tombs, one would think this whole place was a living room.
He walked toward the shelves and scanned the mementos, including William’s horsewhip. Aaron looked at his grandfather’s picture atop his horse on the silver frame, then to the tomb with a dried wreath on top. It was hard to believe that a strong and all powerful man, the only relative he knew, was in that confining tomb—lifeless. Worse, he couldn’t imagine that no matter what, Grandpa would never hear him say that he made a good life for himself and that he didn’t end up a second best. Yeah, Grandpa already knew that he graduated with flying colors, but not his rise to the top. He wondered how he would react to his news. That a son of a simple writer became one of the top engineers for Ducati. Nah, Grandpa would no longer know that. Never going to happen anymore. Nothing in this world would help make his grandfather see or hear him now.
Aaron punched his thigh. His chest heaving, his jaw hurt from grinding his teeth. It was fucking hard to believe that losing the man he thought he hated and didn’t want to see ever again could cause this much pain. He started breathing hard through his mouth, trying hard not to break, but his emotion that he bottled up for so long was too much. He sobbed, then let out a gut-wrenching cry.
“Grandpa!” his voice echoed in the cavernous mausoleum. “Grandpa,” he repeated louder, but heard nothing other than the echo of his own voice.
“Fuck! Talk to me. Talk to me. I have things to say that I know you’d want to hear. Talk to me!” he screamed. “Grandpa!” his knees buckled and he crumpled on the cold marbled floor, with his head bowed, tears and snot stained his jeans. After sitting on a cold floor for a long time, he was finally able to talk again. “Hello, Grandpa,” he said in a whispered tone. “I’m back. Wish you could see me now. I’m not the young man who tormented you anymore. I still drive a bike, but the most expensive kind. I’m not gonna go into details because I will just bore you. You’re not interested in titanium chassis, carbon fiber bodywork and all that, right? Guess what? I’m taller than you now and for the first time, I realized that we have something in common—horsepower. Of course, your horses…” His throat constricted again and his voice wavered. Aaron swallowed. He came here today to do this. To talk to Grandpa, to tell him things that he didn’t dare say before because he knew Grandpa would only shrug his shoulder or grunt his response.
“I made it, Grandpa. Like you said, I should aim very high and I did. If I’m right, I even made it farther than you expected. Degree, money, properties. I have them all. What do you think? Are you proud of me? If you can hear me, tell me. Did I meet your expectations? Damn, Grandpa. I just want to hear you accept me as your kin. That’s all.” He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, and then took a deep breath. “We never really got along, huh? We fought like a wildcat and old dog in a cage. I never understood why you pushed me away or, or your style of discipline. But guess what? I…I never said it before and I know it’s too late. Grandpa…”
His shoulder shook from agony over the fact that his words meant nothing anymore. “Grandpa if you are listening right now, please believe me, I didn’t mean to hurt you or give you pain. I was a fucking pain in the ass. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay?” He waited for anything, any sign that Grandpa heard him, but the mausoleum remained quiet. “Please, just give me a sign that you forgive me. Please…” He fisted his hands and pounded his thighs repeatedly. “Grandpa…”