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  Reaching out to Elowen first, I shake her hand, then I do the same with Caleb and Ronan. Isla however, won’t allow it. She holds her arms up and gives me a hug around my waist. Her tiny arms hold onto me tightly and I can’t stop my heart from automatically squeezing at the sensation.

  Aidan clears his throat causing Isla to slowly remove her hands from my waist, and we all face him. “Let’s all go into the living room and wait for the food, yeah?” He holds out his hand for me and I slip mine inside.

  Together we walk into the living room and sit down on the loveseat. The children look from him to me, and back, a little confused but none of them say anything. Aidan asks Caleb about his day and a few of his classes. My nerves are still skyrocketed, and I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to talk to these children about.

  “You’re like a princess,” Isla announces.

  I blink, a smile curving my lips as I look at her. “I’m nowhere near. But you and your sister, now you’re like princesses, you even live in a castle,” I whisper loudly.

  She giggles, placing her hand over her mouth. I can’t help but smile at her infectious laughter. I’ve never been around children, but she seems to be the sweetest girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  “Do you like science?” Ronan asks me. Aidan told me that he’s eight and loves all things science and math related.

  “I don’t know much about it, Ronan. I’m sorry,” I admit.

  I don’t have a high school education. When my father sent me to the brothel, he never bothered enrolling me in school, or even hiring a tutor. I didn’t need any type of formal education, not when Madam Carmella was to teach me everything that I needed to know in life.

  “That’s okay.” He shrugs. “Did you know that there are over four hundred species of sharks?” he asks, changing the subject.

  Caleb groans. “Get ready. From now until he goes to sleep, you’ll have to hear about shark facts.”

  My smile widens, and I shake my head. “I don’t mind,” I wink at Caleb. He growls, sounding very much like a mini-version of his father.

  Ronan begins to rattle on and on about sharks and little factoids. I don’t mind his talking, in fact, I listen intently, excited that he wants to tell me all about his interests.

  The front doorbell rings and Elowen stands at the same time Aidan does. “I’ll set the table,” she says softly.

  She turns and walks away, I can’t help but watch her. She doesn’t walk as confidently as she should. She’s a gorgeous girl, but her shoulders are slumped and judging by her stature alone, she looks sad. The other children stand and shuffle into the dining room, but I’m still staring after Elowen.

  “Vanna, you okay?” Aidan asks. He places his hand on my back and leans down, brushing his lips across my cheek.

  Turning slightly, I look up into his eyes. They’re almost dancing with excitement, and I smile at him. I decide not to say anything about Elowen until I can observe her a little more. Maybe it’s nothing, maybe just bad posture. Hopefully, at dinner, I can talk to her a little, get to know her.

  “I’m okay,” I exhale.

  He grins. “They like you, I knew they would. Is this what you wanted?”

  Thinking about his words, my brows knit together. “What I wanted?” I ask, completely confused by his question.

  “When I took you to the hotel the day before yesterday, you were disappointed, I could tell. You wanted more, right?”

  I nod, pressing my lips together. I wanted this, I really wanted this, but I also wanted Aidan to want it. I shake my head, confused at my own thought process. I shouldn’t think about it too much. I should just be appreciative that he wants me here with them.

  Smiling, I wrap my fingers around his and give him a nod. “It is, Aidan. Thank you for this, for tonight.”

  His smile matches my own and together we walk into the large dining room. Aidan sits at the head of the table, taking containers out of the paper takeaway bags. Elowen cringes and I give her a kind smile. “Dad, I can get serving dishes,” she offers.

  Aidan opens his mouth, but I speak before he can get a word out. “Oh, no, that’s okay. You know I just moved into my place, and I don’t even have plates yet. This is already a hundred times fancier than at my house. I would have to eat out of the carton with a plastic spoon,” I announce.

  Elowen gives me a shy smile, and that’s when I realize that she’s nervous about being a good hostess. Looking around, I notice that there are water glasses filled with a pitcher in the middle of the table, plates, silverware, cloth napkins, and small glasses of milk for each child. Aidan has a glass of whiskey at his place setting as well.

  “I didn’t know if you wanted something else to drink. Wine?” Elowen mutters, her words almost intelligible.

  I give her a warm smile. “Water is perfect, Elowen.”

  The rest of the evening is full of the children’s chatter. I don’t mind even slightly. I enjoy listening to them talk about their day, about their lives, and what they expect to happen next week. It’s refreshing and so different than anything else I’ve ever experienced. I soak in every single second, unsure as to when it will happen again, if ever.

  AIDAN

  Walking Giovanna up to her front door, I pull her house keys out and shove them in the lock. Opening the door, I quickly key in the alarm code, pushing her a bit farther into the house before closing and locking the front door behind us. She’s quiet again, and I find that I fucking hate it.

  “They’re lovely, Aidan,” she mutters.

  Lifting my eyes to look into her dark blue ones, I nod. “They are. They liked you,” I murmur.

  She smiles, and it lights up her entire fucking face. It’s almost blinding how beautiful she is in this moment. I reach out to her, my fingers practically aching to touch her. Cupping her cheek, I run the pad of my thumb across her bottom lip.

  “What are we really doing here?” she breathes.

  “Right now? I’m going to fuck you.”

  Her smile turns sad and she lets out a sigh. “And in a month, two months, three? You’ve introduced me to your children, Aidan. What happens next?”

  I chuckle, unable to hold in my laughter at her obvious worry. “You’ll be right here, at my side, Vanna,” I smile. “You’re not going anywhere, and neither am I.”

  Her brows tug together before she shakes her head slightly. “You’re confusing,” she sighs.

  “You’re mine, Vanna. There’s nothing to confuse. Let’s just see how all of this plays out. For now, you’ll live here. You’ll get to know the children, and maybe, one day, things will change. But for now, let’s enjoy the fact that there is no timestamp on our relationship. There is no looming threat of you going anywhere else, hmm?”

  Lowering my face to hers, I brush my mouth across her own, tasting her sweet lips. This woman—my woman. Reaching down with the hand that isn’t on her face, I fist the fabric of her dress in my hand, sliding it up her thigh. “Take your panties off, A rùnsearc,” I rasp against her mouth.

  She doesn’t hesitate. I feel her shift around, my hand sliding over to her pussy. I’m unable to control the groan that escapes as my finger slides through her already wet center. Keeping my eyes on hers, I fill her with two fingers and enjoy the small gasp that comes from her lips.

  Curling my fingers inside of her, I make a come-hither motion, pressing my thumb against her clit.

  “Aidan,” she moans.

  Pressing my lips to hers, I don’t kiss her, instead I speak against her heavenly mouth. “I’m fucking you with my fingers until you come, Vanna. Then, I’m fucking you with my mouth, and finally, you’re going to fuck me with this sweet cunt until I come. Maybe then you’ll realize that you’re mine and this is us—together.”

  She whimpers as I fill her mouth with my tongue, my fingers fulfilling the promise that I’ve just made, in record time. She comes twice before we make it to the bed.

  I watch in awe as she rides me, coming a third time before she pulls my o
wn climax from me, milking my cock with her tight cunt. She’s mine, not only because I’ve purchased her, but because I choose her as my own—my woman.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  GIOVANNA

  Shaughan walks me into the showroom and I cringe. I’m supposed to pick out an entire houseful of furniture and I have zero clue on where to start. I was not schooled in décor or style. I know one thing and one thing only, and that is not which brand of sofa is a better quality than the other.

  “Shaw,” a woman practically squeals.

  I watch her walk as quickly as she can in her four-inch heels toward Shaughan. She throws her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his. His hands automatically wrap around her waist as he returns her excited kiss.

  Shaughan sets her down on her feet as she asks what he’s doing here. “Buying furniture, baby.”

  “For what?” she questions.

  Shaughan looks over at me and I watch as her body goes completely still at the sight of me. I’m wearing a pair of jeans and one of my loose t-shirts. Clothes shopping is next on my list, but Shaughan is putting it off, and I don’t blame him one bit, I really don’t want to go either.

  “Hi, I’m Giovanna,” I say, offering my hand.

  The woman looks at my outstretched hand, then up at my face, then back down at my hand again. “Keanna, this is Aidan’s new woman,” Shaughan introduces.

  Her eyes widen, and she takes my hand, albeit reluctantly. “Aidan’s new woman,” she says slowly, as our hands pump up and down a few times.

  “She needs an entire house, everything but the master bedroom,” he announces.

  Keanna’s hand falls from my grasp and she looks from me to Shaughan, then back to me. “Okay, what’s your style, then?”

  I can tell just in the tightness of her voice that something is wrong. I chatter away, nervously telling her that I have no clue, but I want Aidan to feel comfortable in whatever we decide. She snorts but doesn’t otherwise verbally respond.

  It doesn’t take long for me to become a bit more comfortable as I walk around the store and look at the different styles of furniture. I decide on modern and comfortable with clean lines and neutral colors, mostly medium colored grays.

  “I’m going to head to the restroom,” I say, once I’ve made all of my big decisions on the house. I quickly walk away from Shaughan and Keanna, the tension between them so thick that I can actually taste it.

  I spend as much time as I can in the restroom, without it being too long. Looking at myself in the mirror I let out a breath. I don’t know what’s really happening here. The future is nothing but a bunch of unknowns and it makes me nervous.

  A week ago, I would have guessed that he would keep me locked up in this house, away from his everyday life, but then he introduced me to his children. Now, I’m not sure. I don’t want to hold out hope that my dreams are on the brink of becoming a reality, but I’m giddy at the idea, completely unbelievably giddy. I can’t contain my excitement and I just know that I’ll end up devastated, but I don’t care.

  Leaving the bathroom, I walk out and am surprised to see Keanna standing across from the door. I step out and bite my bottom lip with nervousness.

  “Shaughan and I are engaged. I didn’t know he was spending time with you. I’m sorry if I came off as abrupt or rude,” she says, trying to smile. I can tell that it’s forced though.

  My eyes widen. “You were worried that there was more between us?” I ask.

  She snorts. “It’s Shaw, of course I was worried.”

  I press my lips together, trying to think of some type of response. I don’t see how she could be worried about him at all. Keanna is absolutely stunning. She has gorgeous long deep red hair, a light smattering of freckles on her nose, and a lithe body to die for. Any man who would mess around behind her back is an idiot, not that I haven’t seen an idiot or two in my day, but Shaughan doesn’t seem stupid to me.

  “You’re marrying him, but you don’t trust him?” I question.

  Her eyes snap to mine and she tilts her head to the side. “He said the same thing to me,” she states.

  “Shaughan’s a nice guy, really nice, actually. But he’s only taking me places because Aidan’s told him to. I don’t have any friends, and I don’t have a license to drive myself anywhere. If you don’t trust him though, that’s a whole other ballgame.”

  She nods, rolling her lips together a few times. “You’re right. I think I was just caught off guard, I wished that he would have told me,” she sighs.

  Reaching out to her, I take her hand in mine and give her a gentle squeeze. “He’s a man, they’re dumb. I doubt he even gave me a second thought. He’s just doing his job, nothing more, nothing less,” I smile.

  “Listen to the woman,” Shaughan’s voice booms as he walks toward Keanna.

  She smiles up at him and I can tell that whatever concern she had is now gone. The way they look at each other, I feel like a voyeur as I stand here in this hallway with them. “Shaughan has to take me clothes shopping the rest of the day, why don’t you come with us?” I blurt.

  Both of them turn their heads to look at me. Keanna looks like a deer in headlights, but Shaughan is grinning. “Two future O’Neil women shopping, sounds like a fuckin’ nightmare,” he laughs.

  Keanna slaps his chest playfully. “With the commission from your brother’s credit card purchases today, I can afford to take the day off.”

  “Then it’s settled, let’s get this shit over and done with,” Shaughan grumbles.

  The rest of the day is spent with Shaughan and Keanna. We shop until we almost drop to the ground. I’ve never had so much fun in my entire life. When I lived with Madam Carmella, my lingerie was purchased for me, along with my street clothes as well. I’ve never actually gone shopping on my own before. Luckily, Keanna loves to shop, so she took great pleasure in helping me pick out an entire wardrobe.

  “Oh, you need a fancy dress for the wedding,” she practically squeals when we walk by a bunch of ballgowns.

  I stop in my tracks and look at her in confusion. “Shaughan and I are having a black-tie affair. You have to wear a ballgown of some kind,” she explains.

  Shaughan winks as he heads over toward the wall, sitting in an empty chair that’s pushed up against it. He sets down the dozens of bags that he’s been kind enough to carry around for us today, and I smile as they litter the area around his feet. He’s been an extremely patient sport about the entire afternoon.

  “I don’t know if I should even be looking at these,” I whisper.

  My fingers dance over the expensive beading work of the dress in front of me. Keanna wraps her fingers around my wrist to halt my movements. Turning my head to face her, I see the serious look on her face and I brace myself for whatever she’s about to say.

  “Why wouldn’t you, Giovanna? If you’re Aidan’s woman, then you’ll be at my wedding. It’s only three weeks away.”

  I press my lips together, my fingers curling into the fabric of the dress. A wedding, a family wedding, it’s such a private, intimate event. I highly doubt that Aidan is going to bring his whore with him. However, my mind shifts to the memory of meeting his children last night, and the hopes that I had just hours ago of really being his woman.

  “Shaw, call your brother,” Keanna shouts.

  I watch in horror as Shaughan’s back straightens and he digs his phone out of his pocket. I shake my head, my eyes pinned on his, but he only smirks, raising the phone to his ear. His mouth moves but I can’t hear him from where I’m standing. “He’ll be here in an hour. Better pick out a fuckin’ dress, Vanna,” he shouts from across the room.

  “I like this one,” Keanna states, a gigantic smile on her face.

  I sift through the dresses and grab my size, irritated that they’re turning this into some big thing. If Aidan wanted me as his date, he’d tell me. I don’t want him to feel like he has to ask me, to be pressured into anything. I’m not that to him, last night was just in case the
kids ran into me somewhere, I’m sure. It didn’t mean anything, as much as I wanted it to.

  Walking into the dressing room, I strip down to just my white lacy panties. It doesn’t take me long to pull the light blue dress on and I hold back a moan as the silk slip slides over my body.

  The top layer of the dress is a soft netting with a deep silver beaded leafy pattern that covers the entire full length of the gown. I glance down at the chest and am surprised that I’m covered at all. The neckline is a deep V and held up by only two extremely thin spaghetti straps.

  The door swings open and I gasp as my eyes lift to the mirror. Standing behind me isn’t Keanna as I’d anticipated. It’s Aidan. I watch as his eyes roam my body’s reflection and then his gaze meets mine again.

  “I’m buying that fucking dress,” he growls.

  Turning around quickly, I take a step toward him. “No, you don’t have to. Keanna doesn’t know our arrangement. Don’t feel obligated.”

  AIDAN

  I take a step back; her words are like a punch to my gut. “Our arrangement?” I ask.

  Giovanna’s eyes widen at the warning tone of my words. I watch as she nods, but I can tell by the way she’s holding her body tight, her muscles bunched with nervousness that she doesn’t know what to expect from me next.

  “What exactly is our arrangement?”

  She gulps, her eyes glancing down before she brings them back up to meet mine. “You’re going to make me say it?” she asks.

  “Since I’m confused as fuck, yeah, I am.”

  She presses her lips together, rolling them a few times. I watch as her pretty pink tongue wets them. My cock presses against my zipper, begging to come out. It knows where it belongs, and that’s nowhere but between Vanna’s sweet thighs.

  “You bought me, Aidan. I’m your property. You have zero obligation to treat me as anything but. I’m grateful that you seem to want to be more than just owner and servant, but at the end of the day, that’s what we are,” she says.