Aidan had no words. He swallowed hard, pulled back onto the road, and drove to Mary’s house.
Mary had managed to do something no one else ever had: she had calmed the dark beast inside him. Oh, it was still there. But instead of clawing at his insides to get to her, the beast sat quietly, biding its time. It had been fed, provided a little snack to tide it over before the true feast began, and that would allow it to savor what would come next with the appreciation it deserved.
As Aidan turned into Mary’s driveway, she retrieved the automatic door opener from her small clutch and they pulled into the garage in silence. Aidan turned off the Benz. They removed their seat belts and got out as the garage door closed, shielding the SUV and them from prying eyes. Without a word, Aidan lifted his black overnight bag from the back, grasped Mary’s hand in his, and together they walked into the kitchen.
*
Aidan petted Max, then disappeared toward the bedroom. Mary said nothing. She let Max out. Fixed him a late snack with the doggie bag she’d brought back with some rolls and rice (Max was all about the carbs), and got him fresh water. Then she turned off all the lights except the small one over her sink and followed in Aidan’s footsteps.
She wasn’t sure what she would find; Mary only knew that every nerve in her body was fired up like an electric company’s central power grid. Some of it was anticipation, but there was a trace of fear, too. Not fear that Aidan would hurt her, she knew he wouldn’t do that, but fear of the unknown. Moisture built and beaded on her skin as she recalled the ominous black bag in his hand and the promised retribution in his eyes earlier.
It took a few moments of standing at the closed door before she worked up the courage to open it. Holding her breath, she forced her hand to grasp the knob and turn. She did so quietly, as if she could somehow sneak in without him hearing or seeing her. For several moments, she had to fight the nearly overwhelming urge to turn around and simply run. To grab Max and get away as fast and far as she could.
But then she would never know. And wouldn’t she always wonder?
Mary stilled just inside the door as she closed it, pressing her back against it and allowing her eyes to adjust to the low red (red?) light. A brief glance at the two small reading lamps on either side of her bed confirmed that the bulbs had been switched out, the usual soft white CFL’s replaced with crystal crimson ones. And her bed looked different. The cheerful hand-stitched quilt of creamy white with yellow and blue flowers was gone. In its place was what looked like a black hole. Mary squinted. No, not a black hole. Black satin sheets.
Mary gasped slightly. The sound was like a sonic boom in the muted silence.
No, not complete silence. She could hear Aidan moving around in the bathroom. Which meant she had a few more moments before whatever was going to happen, happened.
Her next inhalation brought with it an unusual mix of scents. Some she recognized as vanilla scented candles, but the other stuff conjured up shadowy, nebulous images of leather and heat and musk and decadent, dangerous male.
Of Aidan.
The black bag sat menacingly on the night table flanking the far side of the bed, calling to her, daring her to discover its secrets. With another glance toward the bathroom assuring her he was otherwise occupied, she tiptoed lightly across the carpet. Her feet sunk into the thick fibers noiselessly, but her heart pounded so hard against the walls of her chest it surely would have drowned them out anyway.
The bag was already open; the zipper that kept it secure undone enough that she could look in without actually having to touch it. She leaned over slightly, peering down, and caught a flash of silver...
“No peeking, Mary,” said Aidan, his voice sounding more like melted chocolate than ever. She jumped, but before she could take a step, Aidan was fitting a blindfold over her eyes. “I don’t want you to ruin any of the surprises,” he explained.
Mary opened her mouth to say something, but his finger pressed against her lips. “Ssssssh,” he whispered. She couldn’t see him now, but he was close, so very close, that she could feel the heat of his breath at the base of her neck. “No talking, either.”
She pressed her lips together, making Aidan chuckle. “So eager to obey. I will reward you for that, Mary.” She whimpered slightly, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to count against her.
“Don’t move,” he commanded softly, in front of her now. She might not be able to see him, but she was very aware of his presence as he began to unbutton her dark red silk blouse (a new purchase). He took his time; it felt as if he was doing his best to avoid actually touching her.