Free Beyond Chance by Karice Bolton Page A

slid my feet into the
slippers next to the bed as I almost wished myself back under the
covers. The longer I was awake, the more our little encounter
wedged itself in my mind.
    I had to find out what Aaron had been
hiding, but more importantly, I needed to understand why he didn’t
tell me. Our relationship had steadily grown into something
profound and beautiful, and the thought that there were pieces of
his history that I wasn’t privy to made me internally cringe. No
matter how foolish it sounded, it made me doubt who he was or at
the very least how he came to be. I felt like it was impossible to
see him as a whole person if I didn’t get invited into his life
fully.
    I trudged over to the table and took a sip
of orange juice before toothpaste wiped out the pleasure of fresh
squeezed juice. I picked up the brioche and inhaled the buttery
scent as I smeared more butter on top and crowned it with a tiny
amount of jam. Taking a bite, my tongue met with the buttery
goodness, and I took a seat on the chair next to the window. I
opened the curtain and looked out onto the street below. People
were walking down the sidewalks, and cars were driving by on the
street with places to go. I leaned against the back of the chair
and pondered this last revelation. I didn’t have any place to go. I
wrinkled my forehead and took another bite. I’d have to change
that.
    Polishing off the brioche and juice, I saw
that Aaron had already connected my iPad and phone to the wireless.
He had them sitting on the chair. My stomach knotted as my
grogginess exchanged for trepidation. With only a few swipes I
might be able to see what Aaron Thatcher was hiding from me. I took
in a deep breath and reached for my iPad. I’d never been one to sit
and speculate when I had answers so close to my fingertips. I
swiped my fingertip along the screen and waited for the home screen
to flash on. Quickly typing in Aaron Thatcher, I waited impatiently
for the results but was interrupted by someone’s footsteps, but I
couldn’t tell where they were coming from.
    I set my iPad down on the bed and followed
the mysterious noise down the hall and through the kitchen, only to
find Aaron pushing open the hidden door in the dining room. It was
going to take some getting used to all these strange noises in such
an ancient building.
    Aaron’s snug-fitting jeans were splattered
with solder, and his thermal shirt had a thick coating of metal
dust entwined in the fibers. His hair was completely disheveled,
and he had a few dark smudges under his left eye, and for some
reason, that combination was sexy as hell. When his gaze landed on
me he grinned and shook his head.
    “Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” he teased,
closing the door behind him.
    “Do you blame me with all that champagne you
force-fed me.” I smiled and walked over to him. He placed a quick
kiss on my forehead and was about to go for my lips when I shook my
head and took a step back, bumping into a dining room chair.
    “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”
    Aaron rolled his eyes. “Like I care.”
    “You would. Believe me,” I teased, following
him through the hall. “Thank you for the delicious breakfast.”
    “The least I could do. Would you like a
mimosa?”
    “Hardeeharhar, Mr. Sullivan.” I narrowed my
eyes at him. “I think I’m just fine in the booze department.”
    “I was only checking.” His playful grin made
my world spin more than it already was. He opened the fridge and
grabbed a bottle of Perrier. “Would you like one?”
    I shook my head. “I prefer not to burp after
water.”
    Aaron laughed and shut the fridge door. “I
think I prefer that too.”
    “Did you get a lot of work done?” I asked,
reaching for a glass to get some tap water.
    “I did. I had a lot of time to think as
well.”
    “Did you?” I asked, filling my glass.
    He nodded. “Do you know what time it is, by
any chance?”
    “No clue.”
    “It’s almost four o’clock.”
    “In the afternoon?” I almost