“You didn’t go to their wedding.”
“How could I? Back then it was all too fresh.”
“Including what happened between you and Ayden?”
Maya rolled her eyes. “Let’s not talk about him, okay?”
“Why not? If I recall what you said back then, it was the best sex you’d ever had in your life,” Callie said, making air quotes. “Yet after your night with him and his failure to acknowledge what happened, you quit your dream job.”
Maya sighed heavily. She wished she’d kept that secret to herself. Five years ago, for better or for worse, her life had changed. She’d accepted it and moved on.
She began running in place again. “C’mon, my muscles are starting to tense up. We have to finish our run.”
“You go on ahead,” Callie stated. “I’m going to sit this one out. I’ll call you later.”
“Sure thing.” Maya jogged off in the opposite direction. As she did, she thought back to that horrible night.
She’d been working late because Ayden needed a presentation for the following day. She’d picked up takeout to bring to her boyfriend, Thomas. Using the key he’d given her, she’d opened the door to his town house and found it dark. It was surprising, given his car was sitting in the driveway. After placing the bags on the kitchen counter, she’d heard voices.
Who was visiting Thomas? It was well after eight o’clock, so Maya had walked upstairs to investigate. She’d never forget the sight that greeted her: her baby sister, Raven, on top of Thomas as they writhed on the bed. Maya had screamed bloody murder. Raven had rushed off the bed to the bathroom while Thomas tried to cover himself with a sheet as he’d attempted to explain. What was there to discuss? She’d caught him banging her sister. Maya had rushed out of the room, damn near falling down the stairs and losing a great shoe in the process to make it to her car. Fumbling with the key, she’d eventually started it up and was pulling off when Raven came running out the door in Thomas’s shirt calling after her. The whole incident had been humiliating.
How long had their affair been going on?
How long had both of them been laughing behind her back?
Maya ran harder. Faster. But she couldn’t outrun the memories. They must have really thought she was a fool for believing his lies that she was the kind of girl he wanted to marry. Her mother was right. Raven was the beauty in the family.
That was the state she’d been in when she’d arrived on Ayden’s doorstep. Maya hadn’t known where else to go. Callie lived in San Antonio and Maya had just lost her sister to a man she thought she loved. Over the five years of their working relationship, she and Ayden had shared some personal stories, especially when he’d told her about his past; she’d hoped he could lend her an ear now when she needed someone to listen.
Ah, Ayden. He’d been her secret crush for years before she’d met Thomas. When she’d started working for him, Maya had thought the sun and moon hung on the green-eyed devil, but Ayden hadn’t seen her like that, like a woman. All he saw was a smart, efficient PA who did his bidding—which included making reservations for his dates with beautiful women, and sending them expensive flowers or trinkets as a parting gift when he was done with them. And yet, she’d chosen to go to Ayden, the man who didn’t believe in love and thought it was a hoax meant to sell greeting cards.
That night, he’d offered her comfort. A shoulder to cry on. Comfort in ways she’d never been able to forget. Initially, he’d been shocked by her disheveled presence on his doorstep, but as soon as he’d seen her puffy, red-rimmed eyes, Ayden had immediately taken her into his embrace and closed the door behind him. He’d sat her down on the couch and listened as she’d told him of Raven and Tom’s betrayal, of her failure. No one was ever going to love her, want her. She was a nothing. A nobody. A plain Jane that no man would ever be compelled to marry. Ayden had refused to hear of it. Had told her she was wrong. He’d stroked her hair and told her everything was going to be all right. With tears in her eyes, she’d glanced up at him, and then she’d done something desperate. She’d kissed him.
The surprising thing was he hadn’t pushed her away. Instead, he’d kissed her back. One thing had led to another and the next moment, she and Ayden were making love on his bear skin rug on the floor of his living room. To this day, Maya had never been able to fully understand what had happened. One minute, he’d been consoling her and telling her she was beautiful and worthy of love, and the next, she’d been wrapped in his arms having wild, passionate sex.
It had literally been the most exciting sexual encounter of her life. Maya had experienced true bliss and one hell of an orgasm, but as soon as it was over, Ayden had pulled away. What she’d thought was heaven on earth had soon turned into a nightmare. Ayden told her he hadn’t meant for it to happen. Maya had been crushed for the second time in one night. She’d dressed as fast as she could and had left to lick her wounds in private.
She’d relived that moment many nights since, wondering how their relationship had taken such a turn. Maya had always harbored feelings for Ayden in the past, but she’d never thought for a second that they were reciprocated. She’d eventually come to the conclusion that he’d made love to her out of pity because she’d been so pathetic. Knowing how he felt, Maya couldn’t face Ayden again and had tendered her resignation.
Looking back, Maya realized that she’d been more upset over Ayden’s rejection than Thomas’s. Sure, she’d been hurt by Thomas because she’d loved him, but it had been her sister stealing her man that hurt the most. She’d never forgiven Raven, and they hadn’t spoken in five years. It was Ayden who’d really broken her heart.
Once Maya had pushed herself to the limit with ten miles, she stopped running. It was time she faced the past with her sister so she could move forward with her life. And there was no better time than the present.
“Do you think she’ll come back?” Ayden asked his best friend on a transatlantic call later that evening. It was before 7:00 a.m. in London, but he knew Luke Williams would already be up. How did he know? Because they were alike—notorious workaholics and driven to succeed. Luke was a financial analyst making millions.
“After the way you treated her when she left?” Luke said. “I wouldn’t.”
Ayden frowned. “Was I really that bad?”
“Hmm, I don’t know, let me think,” Luke paused for dramatic effect. “You were a slave driver at the office, rarely giving the poor girl a day off. And at a moment of weakness, you shag her and then tell her to kick rocks. I dunno, I might have a problem with that.”
“Thanks a lot, Luke.”
“You did call me, you know,” Luke responded. “If you didn’t want me to keep it one hundred with you then you should have called another mate.”
“You’re my only mate.” Ayden replied. He didn’t have many friends. He’d never had the time to make any because he was too busy pushing himself to excel, to make something of himself despite Henry Stewart turning his back and leaving him and his mom with an abusive stepfather.
“Yeah, that’s true. No one else can tolerate you. Except maybe Maya, and you made a royal mess of that relationship.”
“I know I messed up, but I can fix it.”
Luke snorted. “By offering Maya her job back? Why on earth would she ever agree? What does she get out of it?”
“I’m prepared to offer her a generous salary.”
“And if she wants more?”
“What do you mean?”
“C’mon, man, don’t be an idiot. Maya