Her Canadian Dream [Her Canadian Dream] (Siren Publishing Classic) (14 page)

After handing over a huge chunk of her savings as deposit and first month’s rent, the agent handed over the keys and left, leaving her alone in her new home.

Sitting on the edge of the worn sofa, she felt so weary she could barely keep her eyes open. It was late afternoon and already growing dark, so she switched on the lamp on the side table. Walking to the lounge window she looked down on the street. People were bustling past, making their way home after work in the heavy rain, the lights of passing cars shining brightly in the queue of traffic heading out of the city.

Closing the blinds she decided to sleep on the sofa tonight and go out tomorrow to buy the bed linen. She had a towel in her case which she could use for now so with that sorted she lay down on the sofa. Within minutes she was sound asleep, the long journey and the events leading up to it catching up with her at last.

* * * *

Waking up with a very stiff neck, still fully clothed, Aly took a minute to work out where she was and why she was sleeping on a sofa.

Reality flooded in and she groaned as she slowly sat up, trying to ease the crick in her neck. The room was freezing cold and she shivered as she looked around for some form of heating that she could put on. There was a small electric fire in the corner and she switched it on quickly, grateful for the instant warmth that it threw out in her direction. When she felt warm enough to move, she figured she needed to really explore this place she now called home, having just given everything a perfunctory look last night.

The kitchen was small but seemed to have everything necessary. The bathroom was tiny but had a fair-size shower and was clean. The bedroom was a small double. The bed almost filled the room but there was a chest of drawers and a wardrobe for storage and a bedside table on each side.

The lounge was just big enough for the sofa, a coffee table, and a TV stand in the corner, which held a small flat-screen TV with built-in DVD player.

It was all more than enough for her needs, if vastly different from the warm and cosy home she had just left.

Shaking her head against the negative thoughts threatening to invade, she searched around for the controls for the central heating, finding them in the tiny hallway.

Maybe I’ll be able to think straight once I’m warm again.

Taking stock, she realised that her first job was to shop. She had no food, drink, or bedding and she needed towels so she could have a much-longed-for shower. She also needed to find a coffee shop with Wi-Fi so that she could check her e-mail and send a message to Jan.

For now, she had a quick wash and brushed her teeth, then let herself out of the flat, aiming for the large supermarket in the city centre.

A week had gone by since she had gone and Aiden couldn’t settle. He was worried sick about her and the fact that he knew she had left believing him not to care. Jan still hadn’t heard from her so he had no idea if she was OK or sleeping rough in a doorway somewhere. Anger, at himself for his stupidity, and at her for not trusting him, simmered under the surface. He hadn’t slept more than an hour or two each night and his nerves were on the edge.

Last night had been no exception and at five a.m. he gave up trying to sleep and had gotten up to make himself a coffee. As he waited for the kettle to boil, he was startled by the phone ringing, the sound loud in the empty house. Snatching up the handset which sat on the countertop he barked into it, “Yes?”

Jan’s voice held laughter as she spoke. “Well, that’s a nice way to greet someone who might have some news for you.”

Aiden’s heart pounded in his chest. Had Alyssa called? Was she all right?

“Jan? Have you heard from her?” He realised the time. “What are you doing up so early anyway?”

She sighed, but her voice held a note of relief, and she seemed more positive than she had been when he had spoken with her yesterday.

“I couldn’t sleep. I haven’t really since last week. Anyway, I thought I’d check my e-mail as I didn’t want to disturb Brett. There’s a message from Aly at last. She’s OK.”

He let out a breath he didn’t even known he’d held.

“Where is she? Do you have an address?”

Impatience gave his voice an edge as Jan continued, “Hang on there. Let me read it out to you.

“‘Dear Jan,

“I’m so sorry I left in such a hurry last week. I was so confused and I didn’t see any other way I could deal with what was happening.

“I hope you don’t think badly of me but I did what I felt was best.

“Have you managed to get the car from the airport? When you do, please sell it and keep the money in lieu of my notice. It was the only option, leaving it there, as I had no other way to get to Toronto.

“I have found a small flat and I have a job in a supermarket which I start on Monday. Not brilliant but it will at least pay the bills.’
”

Jan paused, seeming to not want to continue, but he wasn’t going to let her off without telling him everything.

“Go on, what else?”

She paused again.

“I’m not sure she will want you to hear the rest.”

“Jan…please…I need to know,” he begged.

“‘
Yesterday I found out that I’m not pregnant so would you please tell Aiden not to worry. I know he would have felt responsible and I didn’t want that. I’m sure you know by now that I love him. That’s the reason I couldn’t stay. I know he doesn’t love me back and I couldn’t continue as we were, knowing that it was all one sided. You were right though. I am definitely submissive. At least I found that out. I just don’t think I could ever be that way with anyone else though.

“But, life goes on and I would have been in this position come February anyway. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. You’ve been like the sister I never had. I just feel awful that I treated you all so bad but could I please ask for one more favour? I miss my quilt and although I will have to wait until I can afford to have most of my other things sent over, I can stretch to having that sent by post now. My address is below. Let me know what
it costs and I’ll send it over to you.

“Well I must go now. I don’t have Internet at home so I am sitting in the local coffee shop. It’s starting to get busy and I’m getting dirty looks from people wanting to sit.

“I will e-mail again soon. Love to you all.

“Alyssa x’”

Jan finished reading, silence emanating from the other end of the line.

“Aiden? You still there?”

With a voice filled with emotion, he answered, “Yeah, I’m here. Jan, I have to go to her. She’s wrong. I do love her. I thought she knew that we had something special. I’m an idiot. I need to get her back here. Give me the address.”

“I don’t know, Aiden,” she stalled. “I’m not sure she would want me to tell you.”

“Jan. If I have to I’ll come over and steal that laptop to get it. Give. Me. Her. Address.”

“Don’t you go all Dommy on me, Aiden Price. I have a Dom thank you very much, and I don’t have to take orders from you. Ouch!”

She squealed as Brett came up behind her and swatted her backside.

“Give him the address.”

Despite the situation Aiden smiled as he heard the exchange between his friend and his sub. As she spoke again her tone was contrite.

“OK, OK. Sorry, Aiden. I’ll e-mail the address over to you. But what are you going to do? I don’t want her hurt again.”

After giving her an assurance that he didn’t ever want to hurt her friend again, he rang off and waited impatiently for the e-mail.

As he waited, he searched the airlines for a seat to London. Alyssa wanted her quilt? Well she was going to get it.

The flat was warm when she let herself in after her first day at work. Her feet ached and she had a hundred details in her head to remember but the job paid well and it meant she could start building up her life here again.

Walking through to the kitchen she switched on the kettle and put a teabag into a mug. A few steps into the lounge and she kicked off her shoes and switched on the lamp and the TV. She rarely watched it, but it was company on the cold, lonely nights when all she could do was dream of past mistakes and shattered dreams.

Making her drink, she debated dinner, opting for a ready meal again. She had no appetite but knew she had to eat so it was the easiest option. Throwing it into the microwave, she took her drink through to the lounge and sat looking at the local news on TV until the beep of the microwave indicated her meal was done.

As she sat down with her meal on a tray on her lap, there was a loud knock on the door. She jumped in surprise. As far as she knew nobody was aware that she had returned to England. Perhaps it was just a neighbour or salesman?

A little nervous, her heart was thumping as she went into the hallway, peering through the peephole to see who might be out there.

The shock she had as she saw what was on the other side had her gasping.

It was her quilt! The colours and pattern unmistakable.

Someone was holding up her quilt so that it filled the peephole, blocking the view of the person holding it.

Jan? She was the only one who knew she cared about her quilt. But how could she be here? She couldn’t leave her store. Although still six weeks until Christmas, the store would already be very busy.

Pulling open the door she almost screamed as the quilt lowered and she saw who was holding it.

Aiden?

He stood, a stern expression on his face, and the sight of him made her legs weak and her panties wet all in one rush.

His tone of voice was also stern as he asked, “Am I going to be invited in?”

In shock, she opened the door wider and indicated that he come in. He strode into her lounge, making the room shrink with his bulk, and looked around.

“You left my house to live here?”

His tone was incredulous as he took in the bare surroundings of the room and the sight and sounds of the traffic passing outside.

Immediately on the defensive she straightened up and retorted, “It’s not so bad. It’s big enough for me.” His face softened as he saw that he had hurt her pride.

“Alyssa…Treasure,” he whispered. “Come here, sweetheart.” He held out his arms.

With a sob of disbelief that he was actually here, she flew into his arms and their mouths met in a hard, passionate kiss. His arms surrounded her and once again she felt as if she were where she was meant to be. His erection against her stomach was proof that he wanted her, but lust wasn’t love and she needed more than sex.

She pulled back and took a step away from him.

“Why are you here? I explained in my note that I was just coming home a little earlier than my visa allowed. I’m…I’m not pregnant, so you don’t have to worry about that. As you can see I have somewhere to live now and I have a job so I have to just get on with my life and look back on my Canadian adventure as an experience I’ll never forget.” Her stubborn chin rose as she tried to justify her actions, and her pride held her back from blurting out the truth of how she felt.

Aiden started to speak, then had second thoughts and stepped forward, bridging the gap between them, filling her personal space with his presence.

Her face flushed red as she tried to move away but her legs encountered the sofa and she had to stop or fall back.

He took her face in his large hands and leaned into her. Brushing his lips against hers, he moved softly and deliberately, his tongue pressing against the seam of her closed mouth, urging her to open for him. With a sigh, she did just that, relishing his now-familiar taste of coffee and mint toothpaste. Her arms came up around his neck as his hand slipped under her sweater and kneaded her plump breast, the hard nipple peaking in his palm.

In seconds her legs were weak and she would have fallen if he hadn’t pushed her down gently onto the sofa, covering her body with his.

He lifted her clothing and lowered his mouth to her rosy tip, taking it in and sucking gently. Her back arched as she invited him to suck harder and he obliged. Moving across he gave the other the same consideration, sucking and lapping at the hard peak until she shivered with delight.

“Oh, Aiden,” she breathed as he took both her wrists in his left hand and raised them high above her head.

“You are going to regret causing me all this trouble, treasure. I haven’t worked out a punishment for you yet, but believe me, it is going to be severe.”

His words, rather than scaring her, only served to inflame her more and she groaned.

“You like that idea, don’t you, sweetheart?”

She groaned again and he laughed down at her.

“Alyssa Crane, you are mine. What started as me wanting to teach you a little about the lifestyle soon turned into something much more intense. You, my little English rose, bewitched and beguiled me to fall in love with you. When you ran away I was frantic. I blamed myself for pushing you too hard. When Jan read your e-mail to me and I knew the truth I couldn’t wait to get here. And now I can’t wait to punish you. I love you, my little sub, and you will not ever run away from me again.”