Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1) (13 page)

“I was a prisoner in my own memories.”

I began to back away as my arms trembled to cover my body. Aiden
came forward and caught me before I tripped over the shoes I left in the
hallway.

He held me up against his hard body.

“So beautiful,” he whispered against my lips.

I gasped as we stood in the hallway, my naked skin pressed
against his body, his arms wrapped protectively around me.

“What are you doing here? You can’t just come barging in
here!” I exclaimed. I wasn’t happy. Here I was standing naked in front of a man
who made my pussy weep with just one look. I had my hair tangled into a towel
and absolutely no makeup on.

And, did I mention I’m
butt-ass naked?

“I came to see you. You weren’t responding to my text
messages and I got worried. Then when I got here and you didn’t answer, I
panicked and looked around for a key. You really shouldn’t keep a spare key
under the mat… it’s not safe. I’m so glad to see you’re okay. God, Julia, if
anything were to happen to you...”

As his words muffled by burying his face into my neck, he pressed
me up against the wall in the hallway and began kissing the tender skin just
below my ear with fervor. I was completely beside myself he just waltzed into
my home, uninvited, all because I didn’t respond to a few text messages. I
should have been angry, but shock and fear took place of my rage and made it
nearly impossible for me to function.

“Aiden, please st—” I wanted to ask him to let me go
so I could cover myself up. But I couldn’t get the words out with his lips
distracting me.

“Yes, Angel? What would you like?” He brought his forehead
to mine, panting with desire.

I hesitated… my mind completely clouded by his advances.

“I… oh.” His lips began distracting me again while he
nibbled at my ear. “I need to get my robe,” I admitted sheepishly.

“Don’t you dare cover up this beautiful body,” he said as he
began trailing his hands up from my hips, gliding along my waist, and barely
brushing the sides of my breasts. “Don’t hide. You’re much too beautiful for
that. I want to look at you.”

I gasped at his touch. His hands were so soft against my
skin. He made me feel so beautiful.

Satisfaction was mirrored in his face as I blushed.

My immediate reaction was to cover myself with my hands. But
Aiden quickly grabbed my wrists and brought my arms above my head, pinning me
to the wall.

“No.” His single-word demand made me flinch.

He held both my wrists with one hand as he stepped back to
look at me. His other hand glided from my wrist, down my forearm, around my
elbow, against my bicep, tickling my underarm. He continued his assault, his
eyes following his fingertips as he grazed the side of my left breast, down my
sensitive side, over the curve of my hip…

“Please, Aiden. Don’t,” I begged as I turned my head and squeezed
my eyes shut.

He pressed his body against me and began ravaging my skin
with his lips again. I could feel his hard erection pressing against my leg. He
held me steady, firm, and did not ease up.

I began to struggle beneath him, but that just made him
increase his hold.

He radiated power—a power that both frightened me and
made my nerves twinge in anticipation.

“Fuck, Juliana. I want you. And I can tell you want me, too.”
His words were more forceful instead of the gentle tone he usually used with me.

The fear was overpowering me. I could feel the lump forcing
its way up into my throat. Nausea was beginning to overtake my desire.

Aiden’s hands felt good on me, but I was beginning to
hyperventilate with the idea of him holding me down. A hostage for his desires.
My body craved for him to take me over, but my mind could only picture the
memories of Rob and his evil grin as he violated me time and time again.

I couldn’t stomach someone else doing the same. Tears began
to stream down my face.

“Stop! Aiden! Please,
stop
!”
I yelled as I struggled beneath his relentless hold.

“Julia? Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you. Did I hurt
you?” Aiden’s words were frantic as he let my wrists go and cupped my face.

I kept my eyes shut, unable to look at him in my vulnerable
state. I was crumbling inside. Here I stood, naked, completely exposed, and
unable to clear my mind of the nightmares.

A strangled sound erupted from my throat and I began to
slide to the floor. His hands held steady around my face as he lowered to the
floor with me.

I knew he wasn’t Rob, but that didn’t mean his intentions
weren’t the same. I knew Rob well, and he still ended up being a monster. Yet,
I knew nothing about the man in front of me. I just couldn’t avoid allowing my
nightmares to rule my life. It was inevitable. I was going to end up alone
because I sure as hell couldn’t trust a man.

He continued to hold my face with both of his hands as I sat
curled up and naked on my hallway floor.

“Julia, look at me please. Talk to me.”

I opened my eyes. His face was blurred from the tears now flowing
freely, yet he looked sincere and very handsome.

“Did I hurt you? Are you okay?” he asked with gentleness.

I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest in an
attempt to hide my nakedness.

“Please, tell me what’s wrong. I will fix it. Whatever it
is, just tell me,” he begged.

I trembled in Aiden’s grip, causing him to loosen his hold
slightly.

“I can’t!” I cried, cupping my face in my hands to sob.

Aiden slowly picked me up and carried me over to my bed,
then backed away as if he was going to leave. My heart cried out for him, but
my body still trembled from the memories of him holding my wrists hostage
against the wall.

He didn’t leave. Instead, he grabbed my robe off the hook on
my door.

God, I felt like such a baby. But I couldn’t help it. I was
a prisoner in my own memories.

I felt Aiden slowly approach me, the wood floors creaking
with each step he took. He gently draped my robe over my shoulders and closed
it around my body, reverently covering my nakedness as I continued to shed
tears.

I felt him kneel in front of me, his hands grasping my
thighs. He snaked his arms around my backside and laid his head in my lap.

He just held me like that, gently stroking my lower back as
I cried. No… sobbed.

We stayed that way for a long time. My tears eventually
dried up and I realized he was still kneeling on the unrelentingly hard, wooden
floor.

“Aiden, I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He brought his head from my lap and looked up at me with
despair in his eyes.

“Hell,” he muttered as he wrapped his arms around me.

“I wish I knew how to make it better for you, Angel. I hate
seeing you so afraid,” he said honestly.

“Your knees must be hurting. Please get up.” My words came
out somewhat demanding. But I was still feeling his hands and body pinning me
down and making me helpless.

He slowly stood in front of me and backed away just a hair.

Rubbing my hands over my robe and down my thighs, I softly
said, “You should go.”

His hands clenched into fists by his sides. “We aren’t
finished talking, Julia. Not by a long shot. You still haven’t explained what
the hell is wrong. You still haven’t told me what that was all about out
there.” He pointed toward the hallway, his eyes flashing ominously.

“I need some answers, Angel.”

“I need you to go. Now,” I said with very little force. I
didn’t bother to look up at him because I knew my resolve would crumble.

He sighed loudly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him run
his hand through his hair with his other hand on his hip.

“Have a good night, Juliana,” he said acidly as he turned to
walk out, taking my breath with him.

“Well, fuck me sideways.”

I dragged my defeated ass through the doors at H
²
0.
I probably appeared as miserable as I felt because Sid just looked at me with
pity in her eyes.

Since Thursday night was ladies night, both Sid and I worked
the floor. It’s funny, you would think there would be a ton of ladies, but as
it turns out, men usually swamped the place on ladies night.

So desperate,
I
thought.

As I was putting my things on a hook in the employee lounge,
Sid came up and began to straighten my hair.

“You okay, Jules? You look like you’ve been crying,” she
asked. I could tell she was trying desperately not to feel sorry for me,
because she knew I hated that emotion.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine once I bury myself into work,” I assured
her.

Without saying another word, she spent the next few minutes
helping me make myself more presentable.

Just before I put my phone in my purse, it vibrated with a
new text message from
Highway Robber
.

I miss you already, Julia. I know you’re upset with me, although
I’m not sure why. I do plan on making it up to you.

Not sure why? Pfft. Just as I decided not to respond,
another message came through.

Thought I’d let you know, I’m going to be hanging with my
brother tonight and he wanted to swing by the club and have a few beers. Didn’t
want you to be surprised. We’ll be there around 9.

“Well, fuck me sideways,” I mumbled out loud.

“It would be my pleasure!”

Surprised someone was listening to me, I swung around
quickly with a deer-in-the-headlights look on my face.

Pete stood there with a grin on his face. When he saw my
reaction, he began a full-on belly-shaking laugh.

“I’m just joking, Julia. Geez. What’s got you so uptight?”
he asked, with concern etched in his voice.

“Oh, nothing, Pete. I’ve just had a very challenging couple
of days with school and personal shit. I’ll be okay,” I assured him and tossed
my phone in my purse already hanging on the hook.

Pete stepped in front of me, blocking my dart toward the
door, and grabbed my shoulders lightly.

“You know I’m here for you if you need to talk. About
anything. Doesn’t matter if you think it’s not important… anything that is
bothering you is important to me. You’re like family and I want to make sure
you’re okay.” This time he spoke with the emotion I hated… pity.

“Thank you, Pete. I really appreciate it. But, honestly, I’m
fine. I promise,” I lied with a fake smile on my face. Knowing my poor acting
skills, it probably turned out more like a grimace.

He pulled me into a brief hug and let me go. One thing I
really liked about Pete, he gave me my space. He never pushed himself on me and
never demanded more than I was willing to give. He was a good friend and an
awesome coworker.

About an hour later, I finally had a chance to pull Sid
aside.

“He’s coming here tonight,” I explained to her with my arms
crossed over my chest.

“Who? Not… oh, God… not Ro…” I put my hand over her mouth
before she could even utter the name.

“No!” I nearly shouted my protest before she had a chance to
finish saying his name. “Mr. Stone.”

“Yay!” she said as she jumped up and down and clapped her
hands in excitement.

“No, Sid! Not
Yay
.
I need you to do me a favor,” I said, with a pleading look in my eyes.

“Well, sure. Anything. But why don’t you want to see him?” She
looked honestly confused.

I sighed. We didn’t have time for this conversation. “He
came over after you left for work and it’s a long story I’ll have to share with
you later. But he said he’s coming by with his brother and I was wondering if
you could handle their orders. I just can’t deal with the drama right now.”

“Sure. You’ll just have to point him out when he gets here
and I’ll take care of it,” she assured me with a pat on my arm.

I was still surprised she never noticed him with me on
Tuesday night. You’d think she would have been all over us like white on rice.

“Thanks, Sid, you’re a lifesaver. And, trust me, you’ll know
him when you see him,” I explained with a bit of pride in my tone.

What are you proud of?
It’s not like anything is going to come out of your relationship with him, you
dingbat.

Relationship. Did we even have a relationship? Could we even
call it that?

At that moment, customers pulled us in opposite directions,
and I was thankful for the rescue.

At almost nine on the dot, Aiden
sauntered in with…

“Oh. My. God,” I whispered out loud as I saw the two men
walk in. “There are two of them.”

At the door stood TWO Aidens. The guy next to him looked identical,
all the way down to the sexy, muddy-blond hair. The only difference was Aiden’s
mouthwatering tattoo peeking out of his right sleeve.

The man by his side was just as breathtakingly handsome and
also happened to be ripped from the pages of GQ.

Definitely his brother. But I had to wonder if they were
possibly twins. They looked indistinguishable in every possible way. The
Aiden-clone was dressed a bit nicer than Aiden, not that I didn’t drool over
what Aiden was wearing. But his clone looked like he just left the office,
removing his tie, unbuttoning his collar, and rolling up his sleeves to get
comfortable for the evening.

Almost as if on cue, Sid looked over at me with wide-eyes
and her hand gently covering the jaw-dropped expression on her face. She blinked
a few times as if asking,
Is that them
?

I nodded and rolled my eyes. I knew she would spot him. I
also knew I probably had an equal amount of shock plastered on my face.

And by the looks of it, all the other women in the joint
spotted them as well. Jealousy was beginning to boil in my veins before I
looked over at Aiden and noticed he was staring at me. All these other women
were practically following him like lost puppy dogs, and yet, he was only
looking at me.

Sid knew I needed her. It was like I provided her with
direct instruction. Instead of nicely leading them to a table or barstool on
the floor, she quickly offered them a private spot in her VIP section.

Trying not to stare, I saw Aiden talking into her ear and
gesturing toward my section with his thumb. Sid backed away with a smile on her
face and motioned with her hand like it was no big deal and continued to lead
them toward her VIP area.

The music was loud and drinks were flowing. The female
population slowly began to increase and I felt content with the steady pace of
work—until I glanced over to Sid’s VIP section.

There, next to Aiden and his clone, were five hot girls
wearing next to nothing. Five. Count ‘em. F-I-V-E.

I knew I was being irrational. But damn, I hated to see all
those women hanging around him. One touched his thigh seductively and I cringed.

With her friend-radar, Sid appeared at my side.

“He’s not giving them the time of day, you know,” she said,
hoping it would cheer me up.

I tried to sound nonchalant in my words, “It doesn’t matter.
He’s not mine anyway.”

“Yeah… okay. Whatever you say, Jules,” she responded
sarcastically, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

I turned toward my best friend and decided I shouldn’t hide
from her. She’d see right through it anyway.

“What did you tell him to get him to sit in your VIP section?”
I asked.

She looked so proud of herself when she explained, “I said
you were expecting a large party in your section and we couldn’t spare the
room.”

I looked over into my VIP section and it was at about normal
capacity. Only one sectional was empty, which usually sat about six to eight
people.

Frowning as I realized her story wasn’t holding up, I was
about to open my mouth when she said, “Yeah, I know. Looks like that damn
reserved party didn’t show up after all, huh?”

Damn, I was lucky to have a friend like her.

“I have an idea, Sid. Will you play along?”

She nodded eagerly and followed me over to her section.