Aris: A Sexy Romance Novel (Thief of Hearts Series Book 1) (6 page)

“It’ll be fine Celeste.  I trust her.”  Aris looked at Saoirse.  She was still looking at the palms of her hands frowning.

Something about Celeste’s words reverberated inside her. 
‘She destroys worlds.’
  It was true wasn’t it?  She did the Witrif case three years ago didn’t she?  Hostile take over.  Eugene Witrif shot himself after his attorney lost in court to her.  What about the Anderson Stiles case?  He lost his company
and
his right to practice his trade in a hundred mile radius.  And what about Aris?  She thought about calling the Feds the night before she left.  If she had done that, if they grabbed him, wouldn’t that have destroyed his world?  Is that what Celeste saw in her hands?
‘She’s gonna bleed you...’
Would the Feds have had to shoot him to take him?  Was that the blood on her hands?

“Saoirse?  Are you feeling alright?”  Aris had an arm around her waist.  His other hand was holding her face.  His thumb affectionately stroked her cheek while he waited for her to answer.

“Of course I’m alright.  Why wouldn’t I be?”  Saoirse pushed her way out of his arms and out the door.  She stopped on the edge of the porch.  The sunlight felt warm on her face.  Her body seemed to absorb its heat demanding more.  She closed her eyes, holding her face up to the sun.

“Saoirse.”

She opened her eyes.  Mata was calling her from the walk below the steps.  She had her usual smile on her face.  She tilted her head motioning for Saoirse to come down to her.   Mata took her hand leading her to the market.  The woman wound her way through the stalls and stands looking at all the vendor’s wares. 

“You eat fruit?”

“It doesn’t matter.  I’ll eat whatever.”

“No.  You eat what you like.”

“Fruit is fine Mata.”  Saoirse smiled at her.

“You are afraid?”

“Afraid?  I don’t understand.”

“Aris.”

“No.  I’m not afraid of Aris.  He just...”  Saoirse wasn’t sure how to describe the conflict he created inside her.  Part of her remembered the man that kissed her in the helicopter.  The part of the man that smelled so good last night and felt so warm with his arms around her.  But she didn’t trust him.  Part of her was sure that he’d hurt her.  He didn’t play by any rules.  He’d get his own way.  How did anyone deal with that?  He seemed to know everything about her already, right down to raw unsalted cashews, but how did he know?  It rattled her confidence that he had all the answers.  It made her nerves raw that he knew she liked the dress but was upset that he gave it to her.  He just did whatever he wanted and everyone else followed along.  She wasn’t good at following.

Saoirse put her hand over her growling stomach, “Excuse me.”

Mata giggled.  She took her to a small white and blue building.  Inside there were several women that recognized Mata when she came in.  She spoke to them in the same language that Saoirse supposed Aris and Noah had used with her.  It was probably something wildly exotic that fit more in with Aris’s world than it did in her everyday life. 

The ladies chatted for a few minutes before handing a large cup across to Saoirse.

“What is it?”

Mata seemed confused about the word, she could say it in her own language, but didn’t know it in English.  The other ladies didn’t speak enough English to know either.  Mata waved her hand.  “It’s good.  Eat.”  she said something more to the ladies as they waved. 

“Thank you.” Saoirse called out.  The ladies in the shop smiled waving at her.

Whatever it was, it was slightly chilled.  It was an odd orangish yellow color, but it was sweet and creamy.  She guessed the chunks in it were mango or papaya or something of that sort.  Better still, it made her headache go away.  Saoirse followed Mata around the market.  She bought cheese, fruit, and some nuts.  She also bought fish, which, in this market, meant they were whole.  Mata laughed at the face Saoirse made at the sight of the fish’s face.  She also bought chicken.  Unfortunately, Seer thought she might lose her breakfast as the vendor butchered the chicken on the spot.  Mata had a good giggle at Saoirse about that too. 

Saoirse had several bags on her arms by the time Mata was done shopping.  Standing in a corner of the market, Mata seemed to be taking a mental tally of everything she had gotten.  An odd aroma wafted through the air.  Saoirse frowned trying to figure out what it was.  It was odd, but not bad. 

Mata saw the confusion on her face.  She took a deep breath thinking about something.  She thought for a little bit longer before throwing her shoulders up.  Smiling she said, “Koyn.”

“I don’t understand what that is.”

“We eat.”  Mata said, leading her in the direction of the smell.  There were a couple of fifty gallon drums cut in half with wire mesh holding meat roasting on them.  Mata began talking to one of the men.  He pulled two of the skewers off, handing them to her with two flat loaves of bread.  Mata motioned for her to hold out her hands as she pushed the meat off of the stick onto the bread, then took a bottle from the top of another drum.  It was a cloudy color with bits of white floating in it.  Mata shook it up until everything was swirling around, shaking it lightly on the bread and meat.

They sat down on a patch of grass behind the vendor’s stall.  The bread was soft and fresh.  Saoirse pulled at it with her fingers.  She put her finger in a little bit of the stuff that Mata had poured on the food.  Olive oil maybe?  Saoirse had no problems recognizing the taste of the onion and garlic bits that had been in the bottles of oil.  She pulled a chunk of the meat out of the bread tasting it gingerly.  It wasn’t something she had had before. 

She sat in the grass pulling at the food.  It was very good.  She was looking across at the trees and the scenery when she felt something drop in her lap.  She yelped a little bit making Mata laugh.  Seer looked down to see a little girl sitting in her lap.  She was all of, maybe three.  Saoirse looked around for the child’s mother.  Mata shrugged as the little girl leaned forward to take a bite of Saoirse’s food. 

She didn’t know what to think, but the little girl was adorable.  She pulled the bread apart to give her in small pieces.  Saoirse pulled at the meat giving it to her in little pieces as well.  The little girl kept taking it off Saoirse’s fingers with her mouth rather than her hands.  Saoirse laughed at the little one as she put her hand up to her mouth chewing a piece of the bread that wouldn’t seem to stay in her mouth. 

“Mata.  What is the meat?”

Mata smiled,  “Koyn.” 

“It’s lamb.”  Aris appeared behind her.  “I have been looking all over for you.”  he knelt down kissing her forehead as he brushed the hair out of her face.  “I see you have made friends,”  he said referring to the little girl in her lap,  “And finished the shopping with Mata.”  he dropped down on to the grass beside them. 

The little woman smiled at them both.  He laughed with Mata about something but it wasn’t in English.  There were moments when he appeared to be the most easy going, handsome man she’d ever seen.  He reclined in the grass resting on his forearm making Mata laugh.  Saoirse felt like she wanted to touch his face, like she should be sharing the food in her hands with him.  The more she looked at him, the more she wanted to be in his arms, but the louder and more insistent the little voice became that it was all a lie.  This wasn’t what he was really like.  This wasn’t his world.  The pictures began to flash through her mind with the voice of the agent from years ago. 
‘Responsible for terrorist acts like these....’

Saoirse pulled her attention back to the little girl in her lap.  She was the prettiest little thing, with dark curls surrounding enormous blue eyes that only babies seem to have.  She ate a piece of garlic clove off of Saoirse’s finger as if it were something she did all the time.  She brushed the little girl’s curls out of her eyes as the little one chewed on more bread.  Her nerves told her that Aris and Mata were staring at her but she tried not to notice.  They were still talking to each other in something other than English.

“That’s the woman from seven years ago that I remember Mata.  That’s the woman I want with me.  I would give anything to have her holding my children.  I just don’t know how to reach her.  It feels like the harder I try to reach out to her the more wrong everything becomes.” 
Aris said.

“You have to learn patience.  She’s a woman, not one of your objectives on a job.  You can’t expect to dump your entire life on her in a few days without some nerves and fear.  She doesn’t know anything about you.  I grew up with my husband.  We lived in the same village all our lives!  When he first came to my father for permission to court me, I was nervous as if I had no idea who he was.  You forget too, to some people what you do is wicked.  She was there when you robbed the bank.  She may not be able to understand that men can do bad things and still be good men.”
Mata looked at him as she put the last bite of her food in her mouth.

A young woman came running through the space in the vendor stalls in sheer panic until she looked into Saoirse’s lap.  She too, began rambling something in a language other than English as she picked up the little girl.  The girl began to fuss.  Saoirse stood up handing the food to the young woman. She said something Seer didn’t understand so she let the baby take it.  The little girl went back to quietly munching on the edges of the bread as her mother went back to the market. 

She turned back around feeling her nerves come to their bleeding edge.  Aris was still staring at her.  She felt tight, self conscious, and cornered all at once.  Not knowing what else to do, she knelt down to the string bags that were laying around on the ground.  She gathered them up setting them next to each other.  With the last one in her hand, she turned back around.  Aris had already picked up the rest of them.

“Home Mata?”  Aris asked.

“Home.”  Mata wrapped her arm around Saoirse’s as they walked.

“Where is Denise?”

“She’s fine.  She’s with Jerith.”  Aris turned around as he spoke to her,  “Do you remember Jerith?”

“Yes.” she looked at Mata rather than Aris.

They caught the tram back up the hill.  Mata held on to Saoirse’s arm as they walked into the cul de sac then down the path to Aris’s home.  He carried the bags into the kitchen for Mata.  Saoirse sat down in one of the kitchen barstools.

Aris leaned on the bar next to her,  “What do you want for dinner tonight?”

She knew he was trying to talk to her, but all it did was bring out the worst in her,  “Whatever Mata wants to make.” 

“Fair enough.  It’s still early, you want to go out in the boat for awhile?  The tide is in, so it’s not exactly advisable to be in the water right now.”

“I should be working on the contracts your attorney abandoned.  Where is his office?”

“You want to work on that now?  You could let it go a few days, there’s not that much.”

“Noah said he left in a hurry.  If his attention was compromised prior to that, then there could be problems that have to be resolved before I leave.”

“I can have his stuff brought out here in the morning.”  Aris was trying not to be unreasonable but he didn’t get to spend the morning with her, now he wasn’t going to get the afternoon with her either.

“He didn’t have an office?” she could feel herself beginning to shake.  She wasn’t sure if she was angry, or just tired of everything being an uphill battle to end his way.

“He had an office.  I just thought you might be more comfortable working here rather than cooped up in his office.  The idea wasn’t to bring you halfway around the world to chain you to a different desk, in another office building, with different, but still stale air.”

She got out of the chair she was in headed for the stairs. 

“Saoirse?”

“Are there contracts or aren’t there?”  she whirled around crossing her arms across her chest.

“Yes.  My love, I wouldn’t lie to you.  We do...”

She clenched her hands at the air into fists til her knuckles were white.  “Stop calling me that!”  

Aris followed her out of the kitchen into the main hallway of the house just as Denise burst in with Jerith in tow.

“Hi!”

Saoirse took one look at the bloody, red, cut up mess Denise’s body was in,  “What did you do to her?  You rat bastard!” 

“Seers!”  Denise dropped the pineapples she was holding to grab Saoirse.

Saoirse’s anger and frustration got the better of her.  She was angry enough at the confrontation she had just had with Aris.  It made her angrier to realize his calling her
‘my love’
intimidated and embarassed her, now her best friend was a cut up mess!  Her temper flared.  She turned, hammering her fist against Aris’s chest. 

“You said she was fine!  You said she was in the market!”

“Seers! Seers stop it!  I’m alright!”  Denise grabbed Saoirse’s arm, pulling her upstairs.

Chapter 5

Jerith was scowling at Aris.  “Of all the women in the world, that would kill for a chance to have your attention, that would torch half the earth to bear you children,
that’s
what yo
u’ve been hurting for all these years?  That’s not a woman Aris, that’s a damned monster!”  Jerith was still pointing up the stairs in the direction Saoirse had gone.

“She’s not a monster Jerith.  We were having an argument when you walked in.  She was already upset, then to see Denise looking like that, when I told her Denise was in the market with you...what would you think?”

“She’s only been here two days, what could you possibly have been arguing about?”

“Contracts.” 

“Contracts?  You’re a nice looking guy, with good manners and an easy conversationalist who’s madly in love with her, and she wants to work?”

“She doesn’t remember time off.  She hasn’t had a vacation in seven years at least.  Noah will tell you Denise didn’t understand the concept either when he talked about it in the limo.”  Aris plopped down on the couch in the outdoor room on the side of the house.  “The Feds told her we’re terrorists.  I said the complete opposite, Noah blew his temper at her over losing Leo, and somehow the Feds thought we were part of Misha’s people so they showed her pictures of all the ‘wonderfulness and good times’ his friends can be.  I made some serious errors in judgement.  I didn’t know they’d showed her the gruesome pictures of Misha’s handiwork.  I didn’t realize that seven years was a very long time for her.  I knew she was working herself to death but I didn’t realize it had become her whole life.”  Aris rubbed his eyes, “She is a strong woman, and there is a loving woman in her, I know there is.  I just did not take into account what it would do to her to pull her out of her world, where she is constantly in control, and drop her into ours where we make up our own rules as we go along.  This is my fault.  I just don’t know how to make it better.”

“You could just decide you don’t want her.  Send her home.”  Noah sat down in a chair opposite Jerith.  “You could let me put another thousand women in your path, that are worthy of your affection, and choose one of them.” 

The lovely Anaya followed behind Noah sitting down on the couch next to Jerith.  “What are we talking about?”

“Noah, you have run enough operations to know that everyone handles pressure differently.  She is not hateful, she is stressed out.”

“Hi.”  Denise looked at the group sitting in the outdoor room.  She had showered so there was less blood everywhere but now all the small nicks and cuts looked scarier than they had with the blood.

Noah grimaced looking at her,  “What happened to you?”

“You see!” Aris said to Jerith, “There is my point exactly.  If your friend walked in looking like this, would you not presume that someone had hurt her?”

“Jerith, are you alright?”  Denise asked.

“I’m fine.  I didn’t realize what it must have looked like to other people when you came through the door.”  Jerith took a deep breath looking at Aris.  “Perhaps Saoirse was right, I didn’t take such good care of Denise today.”

“No, that’s not true!”  Denise came into the room scratching,  “I had a great time.”

“What is it you did to look like that?  I have trained clumsy people to handle barbed wire that looked better than that at the end of the day.”  Noah was still frowning.

“I learned to cut pineapple!”  Denise beamed.  “I only look this bad because it all itches.  I can’t seem to stop scratching.

Jerith stood up.  “I don’t know how to help you Aris.”

“What problem?”  Denise’s ears perked up.  “Are we talking contracts?”

“No, we’re talking Saoirse.”  Noah looked up at the trees overhead.

“You are not looking at the problem from the correct angle.  You are looking at it attempting to figure out what she is thinking.  You need to look at it from what has happened.”  Anaya said.  “Aris, tell me what you have done with her since you left to get her.”

Aris related everything he could remember with Denise throwing in details.  Anaya sat listening quietly while Noah interjected with various noises indicative of his dislike for Saoirse. 

“The answer is very easy.  You need to shut up and just be.” Anaya said.

Aris looked at her like he understood the answer less than the problem. 

Anaya sat on the coffee table in front of Aris, grabbing the fruit bowl as she went.  “Do you remember, when you were a little boy, being so hungry sometimes you were sick?”

Aris nodded his head.

“Good.  Concentrate on that feeling.  Bring it back to you.  Have you got it?”

“Yes.”

“Now, I am a vague acquaintance.  You have only ever dealt with me once.  Got it?”

“Yes.”

“So, I say to you, ‘Are you hungry?’” 

“Yes.”