Her heart was banging against her ribs, she was pretty sure she knew what was coming. “Or...?”
Aaron’s nostrils flared. “Or we’re done. Over.”
A tear slid down her face and she was ashamed of her first thought—I hope I don’t ruin my extensions.God she was vain. She was vain and spoiled and selfish. She hadn’t tried hard enough.
“What’ll it be?” Aaron snarled.
She wiped away a tear. “Why does it have to be a choice?”
“Because I said so.” Aaron grabbed the handle of his suitcase and panic shot through her. She ran to the door, blocking his path. “I love them, Aaron. They’re myfamily.”
“And what about our family? What about our kids?”
Having never given birth, Nicole assumed he meant ‘future kids.’ The ones whose names she dreamed about at night. “What about them?”
“I don’t want them near your sisters or your dad. They’re irresponsible druggies.”
“They’re not dru—”
“Your sister nearly got caught flying with pills and Samantha was arrested for a joint your father petitioned for the legalization of all banned substances. He was on the news, remember?”
God, that was the thing about Aaron. Any venting on her behalf was stockpiled and kept as weapons in future arguments. He never held onto the good things—that Tabby was insanely funny and smart. That Sam could tattoo like ink ran in her veins and her loyalty was bone deep. That her dad was gentle, and kind, and he’d raised them alone without asking for anything in return.
“You don’t get it! They’re a part of me.”
“Oh, Iget italright.” Aaron’s eyes were dark with fury. “Still got your tattoo, I see.”
She clutched her left wrist. “So?”
“So, you told me it was coming off. That you didn’t want to be a female with tattoos anymore.”
The moment was deathly serious, but she couldn’t help it, she imagined Sam’s expression if she heard him talking about ‘females with tattoos.’ The smile that wouldn’t come in the mirror slid onto her face like an enemy submarine. She clapped her hand to her mouth, but Aaron had already seen it. A muscle twanged in his jaw. “Oh, it’s all a big joke, is it?”
“No, I prom—”
Aaron’s wine glass shattered on the floorboards. “Is this funny? Are you laughing now?”
She gave a panicky, birdlike screech. “What are youdoing?”
“Making myself clear.” Aaron’s icy gaze drilled into hers. “Me, or them, Nicole. Choose right now.”
Chapter 2
“Mr Newcomb, this is Gia from the Collingwood Medical Centre calling to confirm your appointment on the thirteenth. Please ring us back as soon as you can. Bye!”
Noah deleted the voicemail. It was too early to return the call right now. He’d have to take a walk on his lunch break. Normally, he’d call at nine, but he didn’t need anyone at Silver Daughters finding out about his vasectomy. He shoved his phone into his pocket and tugged out his cigarettes. He lit up, exhaling into the cool morning air. He liked Brunswick before sunrise, subdued and a little bleak. He liked smoking on the way to work, thinking about the day ahead. Though lately all he thought about was Nicole DaSilva. The black gloss of her hair, the way her brow furrowed as she read, how she coughed when he got in from smoking in the courtyard. Or she had, until Sam told her to shut the hell up.
“It’s dangerous,” Nicole told her twin, loud enough for him to hear. “Secondhand smoke and even thirdhand smokekills.”
She said it so prissily, as though maybe none of them had caught the word on cigarettes being bad for you. It made him want to laugh. Actually, it made him want to smoke while Nicole sucked him off, one hand tight in her hair to keep her in place.
And she’d love it.That’s exactly what she wants, for me to fuck her like an animal and give her permission to like it.
Sometimes that pissed him off. He walked around daydreaming about Nicole DaSilva’s hair and eyes and laugh, and the only sign she thought of him was the odd glance that said she was curious about getting drilled by the big scary man.
Sometimesthat pissed him off. This morning it made his cock throb. He could just picture her bent over his tattooing chair, naked except for sky-high heels.Please, Noah, I’m so horny I can’t think anymore. Please fuck me like a dirty, dirty, girl, then send me back to my spreadsheets?
Yeah, Nicole DaSilva was exactly the kind of woman who distracted herself from her body with work, until she could barely cross her legs under her desk. Got all cranky with her coworkers instead of giving herself what she needed. How many times had he wanted to go into her office on a Wednesday afternoon, spread her out on her desk and…