Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“Sweetheart, Mr. Rahim can take the seat next to Paul,” his mother said with a strained smile.
Squeezing Zain’s hand harder, Aiden shook his head and pulled Zain into the seat next to him. He couldn’t bear having him that far away, not when he finally had him back.
After a moment, everyone took their seats, and the sounds of cutlery filled the room, breaking the awkward silence.
Aiden had to let go of Zain’s hand so that they could eat, but he kept sneaking glances at him every few seconds, to reassure himself that he really was there. To his relief, Zain didn’t seem to be much better: his gaze barely left Aiden, watching him eat as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
Someone cleared their throat.
“Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?” Eloise said with a chuckle. “Or are we all going to keep pretending that it’s completely normal that Aiden is making moon eyes at the man who bought him like a thing and had him locked up for a year?”
Tearing his gaze away from Zain, Aiden glared at his sister, his face far too warm. “Shut up, El,” he grumbled. Did she have to humiliate him in front of Zain?
You don’t need anyone humiliating you. You already did a great job yourself, clinging to a married man the moment you saw him—in front of your entire family, no less.
Aiden’s mood soured at the thought. He’d been so ridiculously happy to see Zain that he’d completely forgotten all the reasons they could never be together. What was Zain even doing here? Where was his wife?
“Why are you here, Mr. Rahim?” his mother said, as if reading his thoughts.
Zain’s face was completely inscrutable as he looked at Aiden’s parents. “I’m here to get Aiden back.”
Aiden sucked a breath in, staring at him wide-eyed.
Zain didn’t look at him, his gaze locked with Aiden’s father’s, who was nearly purple with rage.
“You—you have some nerve—”
“Darling,” his mother said, laying a hand on her husband’s arm. Although she didn’t look as angry as he was, there was obvious dislike in her eyes as she looked at Zain. “I was under the impression that you were married, Mr. Rahim.”
“Our divorce was finalized yesterday. Not that it matters. She was my wife in name only.”
Aiden breathed out.
“Your marital state doesn’t matter,” his father said sharply. “You’re delusional if you think we’ll let you take our son away.”
“It’s not a question of letting,” Zain said, his gaze cold. “Aiden is an adult. All that matters is what he wants. And he wants to be with me.”
Aiden spluttered. “Nice of you to ask my opinion, you asshole,” he said, but to his embarrassment, the censure in his tone didn’t quite hit the mark—it sounded far too fond.
Zain’s lips twitched, and he shifted his gaze from Aiden’s dad to Aiden, his expression significantly warmer. “I already got your answer when tried to climb me in front of your parents.”
Flushing, Aiden kicked him in the shin. “I just forgot what an arrogant dick you are. You’re much more attractive when you don’t open your mouth.”
The asshole was full-on smiling now, as if Aiden was amusing him. Unfortunately, his smile made him even more unfairly attractive, and Aiden could only stare at him helplessly. Longingly.
God, he’d sell his kidney to be able to crawl into his lap and kiss him.
“Okay, this is just embarrassing,” Eloise said. “I feel like a voyeur. Aiden, you can look away from him, right?”
His face burning with mortification, Aiden glowered at his grinning sister. The amused smile on Jordan’s face wasn’t much better. Seriously, he hated being the youngest kid sometimes. His siblings always bullied him—lovingly, affectionately, but still.
“Leave him alone,” Zain said, as if he hadn’t just been teasing Aiden too. He laid his hand on the back of Aiden’s chair. “He can look at me all he wants. He’s mine. He didn’t stop belonging to me when you took him from me.”
Aiden’s mother choked on her wine and started coughing. His dad looked like he’d swallowed a very sour lemon.
Aiden didn’t know whether to feel pleased, amused, or horrified by Zain’s words.
“That’s certainly an interesting tactic,” Damiano murmured to Jordan.
Aiden gave Zain a look. “Are you actually trying to piss them off?” he hissed, lowering his voice. “They aren’t me. They aren’t used to your charming attitude. You really aren’t endearing yourself to anyone by reminding them that you owned me.”
Zain’s hand moved from his chair to his shoulder. His knuckles brushed against Aiden’s neck, making him shiver. “I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not. I don’t care what they think of me. They don’t have to like me. The only opinion that matters to me is yours.”
There was nothing particularly romantic about those words or the tone of his voice. But Aiden still melted into a puddle of sappy goo.