Free Hadaen [The Marujan Brothers Series] Book One by Hannah888

twelve attached to the keychain of one and
the other, she flashed a toothy smile. "Well, here you are. Have a
good night."
    Hadaen nodded his gratitude and tossed
one of the keys to his brother.

    As soon as they were within the hall
leading to their rooms, Amelia sounded her discomfort. Hadaen knew
it would only take a matter of time before she did.
    "Esyth and I will take one of the
rooms. I'm sure you two wouldn't mind."
    Hadaen didn't stop walking. "As a
matter of fact, I would mind. You're staying with me. End of
discussion."
    "Amelia, it is fine. Really..." Esyth
muttered softly, aware of Gideon's gaze on her. It felt frightening
and welcoming both at the same time. He was walking too close
behind her, his breath on her neck and she knew he was doing it on
purpose.
    "I hate to burst your bubble,
sweetheart. But you're stuck with me. There is no other
alternative."
    "Must you be an asshole 24/7? How much
more arrogant could you get?"
    "Do not push me, Amelia," he
growled.
    Amelia shoved past him and stopped
directly in his path, causing him to still in his tracks. She
pointed a finger in his face. No other woman would have dared. "You
don't own me. And you don't get to tell me what to do. The past
cannot be unwritten and you're still an egotistical
prick!"
    Hadaen looked her over for a minute,
watching the anger burn in her eyes. He loved those eyes. His gaze
roamed further down. And those lips too; they were made to tempt a
monk into oblivion.
    "I don't have an ego," he muttered,
pretty sure that Gideon and Esyth had already left them. He then
walked around Amelia, coming to a stop at a door with a large
number '12' painted into its center top edge. "I don't give a damn
what you think." He shoved the door open after twisting the key in
the lock. "Now get in."
    It took all the strength within her to
step over the threshold, and when she did she was so shocked she
was confident her limbs shook. She turned to glare at him as he
locked the door behind them.
    "Nice bed, isn't it?"

    * * *

    I t
was hardly what Amelia would call a nice bed. The four-poster
monstrosity sat in the center of the room, covered by snowy linen
sheets and half a dozen plush pillows. It was very inviting...and
for that reason alone, she hated it. For it would only mean that
she would be at a dilemma: lay there with him edging only inches
away from her or spite herself and sleep sitting up in the armchair
by the fireplace. It was late summer there was not yet need for
firewood. The air was merely cool.
    She observed the interior of the room.
There was a TV in front of the bed, a low wooden stand holding its
weight. A mini-fridge stood at the other side of the room with a
table and two chairs next to it. A dresser and a chest of drawers
were the rest of the furniture, and a narrow closet peeped its way
past a long silk drapery near a door she supposed led into the
bathroom.
    Amelia wiped her palms against the
sides of her pants. She was badly in need of a shower. She was
feeling rather sticky from the events of the day before.
    Pulling her bag to the foot of the
bed, she sat and dug around for clean underwear, a blouse and
shorts. She could feel Hadaen's ogling. Her mind had been out of
sorts ever since she had woken up in his arms the previous morning.
The worst part of it was that she had found her arm thrown over his
broad chest, her face snuggled against his neck. She had woken up
smiling only to look up and see the face that had once scared her
half to death.
    So she had jumped off the bed like a
cat cornered by a dog, and run from the room. She hadn't expected
to see his face again, to recognize him. The man who had threatened
to brand her as his own. She had been terrified, she still was.
Amelia felt like a different woman. Centuries ago, she would have
never dared challenge Hadaen Maruj the way she had in the last few
hours. But she did and she feared she might just be setting herself
up for his wrath once again. It wouldn't come as a surprise,