Chapter 22 Boundaries And Desire
Aiden’s POV
By the time evening rolled around, I was reviewing quarterly reports when Lucas stepped into my office without knocking.
“Sir, you might want to see this,” he said, placing his tablet in front of me. “Miss Jones just responded to Sophia Clarke’s statement.”
I scrolled through Sophia’s pathetic attempt at damage control-crocodile tears wrapped in fake apologies. Classic manipulation. What caught my interest, though, was Aria’s response: a simple audio recording that shattered Sophia’s carefully constructed facade.
A smile tugged at my lips.
Watching Aria rise from the ashes of Liam’s betrayal was proving far more satisfying than I’d expected.
“It’s trending, sir,” Lucas reported, pulling up the analytics. “Her post is gaining traction rapidly.”
“Make sure it reaches the top spot,” I said, studying the numbers. “I want everyone to hear this.”
“Already on it. Our media team is amplifying it across all platforms.”
I nodded, scrolling through the comments flooding in. Public opinion was shifting dramatically- overwhelmingly supporting Aria now.
“And keep it trending. Increase the budget if necessary. I want this audio to be the first thing everyone sees when they open their apps tomorrow morning.”
“Understood.”
As Lucas turned to leave,l suddenly remembered I needed to set boundaries with Aria. This was getting out of hand. What the hell was I doing?
“Lucas, wait.”
He paused, turning back. “Sir?”
I hesitated, then shook my head. This wasn’t about Aria-it was about destroying Liam White. The fact that it benefited her was merely incidental.
“Nothing. Continue as planned.”
He gave a short nod and turned again. But before he could make it to the door, I noticed him hover-just slightly-as if something was still on his mind.
I looked up.
“Something else?”
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“Yes, sir. Mr. White’s team has been contacting our connections at the social media platforms. They’re trying to get the audio removed and suppress the trending topic.”
I actually laughed at that. “Of course they are.And?”
“And they were told it won’t be possible at this time.” Lucas couldn’t quite hide his smirk.”Apparently there’s… technical difficulty.”
“How unfortunate for them,” I said dryly. “Make sure those technical difficulties persist.”
My phone rang-an internal call from our tech department. I put it on speaker.
“Mr. Carter, we’ve detected multiple attempts to access our systems from an IP address traced back to White Industries.”
“Interesting,” I said calmly. “Strengthen our firewalls and document every attempt. We may need this
information later.”
“Yes, sir.”
After hanging up, I turned back to Lucas. “It seems Liam is getting desperate.”
“Very.” Lucas hesitated before adding, “There’s something else. We’ve received a request for a meeting from White’s team. They want to discuss ‘mutual public relations concerns.”
“And Lucas? Send a message to White’s team. Tell them if they continue these pathetic attempts to silence Miss Jones, I’ll personally ensure that every bit of dirt we have on him and his precious Sophia gets released to the press.”
Lucas nodded, a slight smile crossing his face. “With pleasure, sir.”
After he left, I picked up my phone and called Aria. She answered after a few rings.
“Don’t forget about tomorrow,” I reminded her quietly, referring to our planned visit to my grandmother.” She’s expecting you.”
“I won’t,” she replied, her voice soft with exhaustion.
The sound sent a jolt through my body, dragging my mind-unbidden-back to the dream I’d had earlier.
The way her body had molded perfectly against mine, her scent filling my senses.
I wanted to hear that sound again-wanted to be the one to draw it from her.
My grip tightened on the phone as heat pooled low in my abdomen. “Goodnight, Aria,” I managed to say, my voice rougher than intended.
“Goodnight,” she whispered back, the word like silk against my ear.
I hung up quickly and tossed the phone onto my desk, leaning back in my chair with a frustrated exhale.
My cock throbbing painfully against my zipper. Christ, just the sound of her voice was enough to make
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me hard. This was getting pathetic.
Had it really been that long since I fucked someone?
I pulled out my phone again, scrolling through my contacts until I found her-Victoria, a high-end model I’d bent over every surface in my penthouse several months ago. No strings, no complications. Exactly what I needed to purge Aria from my system. 1
Victoria answered on the second ring, her voice instantly dropping into that practiced seductive purr.
“Aiden… what a delicious surprise.”
“I need you. Tonight.” No point wasting time with pleasantries.
“For you? My legs are already spread.”
Twenty minutes later, I was at her door. She answered wearing nothing but black lace that barely covered her nipples and a thin strip between her legs, her body still as flawless as I remembered. 1
“I’ve been waiting for your call,” she purred, pressing those perfect tits against my chest as I stepped inside.
I didn’t bother responding, just grabbed a fistful of her hair and kissed her hard enough to bruise. She moaned appreciatively, her manicured fingers already working my belt open with practiced efficiency.
“I want that thick cock inside me,” she whispered, dropping to her knees and looking up with those calculated bedroom eyes.
But something felt… wrong. Her perfume was cloying, artificial. When I closed my eyes as she unzipped me, all I could see was Aria.
Victoria’s mouth wrapped around me, her technique flawless as always. But instead of losing myself in pleasure, I found my mind wandering. This expensive distraction wasn’t working.
My body responded-how could it not-but in my mind, it wasn’t Victoria on her knees. It was Aria, looking up at me with those innocent eyes while doing something decidedly not innocent.
“You like that, don’t you?” Victoria murmured, her voice pulling me from my thoughts. “I bet that frigid wife of yours doesn’t do this for you. Poor baby.”
Her words cut through the fog of arousal like ice water. I grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back.
“Stop,” I commanded, my voice sharp as I stepped back and fixed my clothing.
She looked up at me, confusion evident on her perfect face. “What’s wrong? Did I do something-”
“This was a mistake. Get up.”
“Are you fucking serious?” Her confusion transformed into fury. “You can’t just ”
“I can, and I am.” I pulled out my checkbook, scribbled an amount that would buy her silence, and tossed
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it onto her glass coffee table. “For wasting your time.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Take your pathetic money and get out. Clearly you can’t get it up anymore.”
I slammed her door hard enough to make the frame crack. Walking back to my car, rage built with every step. What the hell was wrong with me? Victoria was exactly the type I usually fucked-gorgeous, skilled, and easily dismissed afterward.
Yet all I could think about was Aria fucking Jones. Her timid smile. The subtle vanilla scent of her skin. The way she bit her lip when nervous.
I drove back to my penthouse, nearly breaking the steering wheel with my grip. This had to end. Aria was a business arrangement, nothing more. The fact that I couldn’t get her out of my head-couldn’t even enjoy another woman’s mouth on my cock-was becoming a serious problem.
I needed a distraction. Or at least another voice in my head besides my own.
I dialed Ethan Reynolds-the only person who might understand my current predicament without making it into a bigger mess than it already was.
“Tell me you’re not busy,” I demanded when he answered.
“For you? Never too busy,” Ethan replied, amusement in his voice. “Boardwalk Club in twenty?”
“Make it ten.”
The private back room at Boardwalk was exactly what I needed-dark, quiet, and serving the kind of whiskey that burned away thoughts. Ethan was already there when I arrived, lounging in our usual corner booth, a glass dangling from his fingers.
“You look like shit,” he observed, raising his glass in mock salute. “Marital bliss not working out?”
“Fuck off,” I growled, signaling the bartender for a double.
Ethan Reynolds, heir to Reynolds Industries and my closest friend since boarding school, had the kind of carefree life that came with being the second son. While his older brother Henry carried the weight of the family empire, Ethan enjoyed the privileges without the responsibilities. So he was a playboy.
“Trouble in paradise already?” He smirked, leaning back. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Marriage was never going to suit you.”
I downed my drink in one go, welcoming the burn. “It’s not the marriage that’s the problem.”
Ethan’s eyebrows shot up. “Do tell.”
“I can’t get her out of my fucking head.” The admission felt like gravel in my throat. “It’s becoming a problem.”
“Who? Your wife?” He looked genuinely shocked.
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I hesitated, then told him about Victoria-the failed distraction, the intrusive thoughts, the humiliating
retreat.
Ethan listened without interrupting, which was uncharacteristic enough to be concerning. When I
finished, he let out a low whistle.
“You’ve got it bad, my friend.”
“I don’t ‘got’ anything,” I snapped. “It’s just inconvenient.”
“Bullshit.” He laughed, the sound grating against my already frayed nerves. “The great Aiden Carter-who once fucked twins during a board meeting break-couldn’t get it up for Victoria Simmons? Because he was thinking about his wife? That’s not inconvenient, that’s fucking historic.”
“Are you done?” I growled.
“Not even close.” He topped off my glass. “Look, why are you fighting this so hard? You’re married to her. She’s technically yours. What’s stopping you?”
I raked a hand through my hair.
“This isn’t supposed to happen. It’s a business deal. She was never meant to get in my head.”
He held up a hand. “God knows I’ve never made it past brunch with the same woman twice. But you?” He pointed at me. “You married her.
“Why not give it a shot? Worst-case scenario? She breaks your heart and we get to do this again in Mykonos with better liquor and worse decisions. Best-case? You stop looking like someone ran over your dog every time her name comes up.”
“You’re the worst fucking advisor,” I muttered, but there was no real heat in it.
I didn’t answer. I just poured another drink.
Because the worst part was-I wanted to try.
Maybe this could turn into something real?
