But he didn’t regret it.
Because he now knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that a croie had been created for him and him alone.
His perfect mate.
The other half of his soul.
Chapter Eleven
Now that he’d consciously accepted what he suspected some part of him had known since New Year’s Eve, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. There was no more doubt, no more worrying or wondering if he would ever find a woman capable of satisfying all of his needs.
Mary was genuinely kind and compassionate. She owned her own business and was a valued member of a small and close-knit community. More than capable of caring for herself, she allowed him to care for her without being needy or clingy. And even though she had the sub thing down, she liked to take control once in a while, too, as her little surprise on the drive last night proved.
Most importantly, she did all this without knowledge of his wealth and power.
That would change soon enough. Convinced as he was of her sincerity, he no longer had any wish to keep such things from her. On the contrary, he was very much looking forward to showing her just how much better her life was going to be soon.
Mary sighed softly, but she did not wake. As much as he wanted to take her again, he would let her sleep a little longer. She had earned an extra bit of pampering.
He eased himself from her bed, being careful not to wake her. She frowned in her sleep at the lack of contact, making him smile.
Max was waiting in the hallway. He greeted Aidan as if he emerged from his mistress’s bedroom every morning.
“Mary’s still sleeping,” Aidan said quietly when Max kept looking at the door. “What do you say you and I make her breakfast?”
Aidan started to chastise himself for talking to the dog as if he was a person, but then stopped when Max seemed to think about it for a minute, then gave him a big doggie grin.
They padded into the kitchen together. Max went right over to his dish, picked it up in his teeth, and brought it over to Aidan. Aidan stared down at him in disbelief, then took the bowl from him. Max moved over and stood in front of one cupboard in particular, nosing the knob. Guessing at what he would find there, Aidan followed him and opened the door. Yep. Dog food.
Shaking his head, he filled Max’s bowl and got him some fresh water. He’d always thought caring for a pet would be a pain in the ass, but he found he actually kind of enjoyed this.
“I don’t suppose you know where she keeps the coffee, do you?” he asked, only half-jokingly. Max tilted his head and regarded him. If he knew, he wasn’t telling.
As it turned out, the coffee was in a canister (helpfully labeled “coffee”) right near the coffee maker, which was an old-fashioned percolator. He’d never actually used one before, but he figured the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation should be able to figure it out. It took a great deal longer than he would have liked (he really should have paid more attention when taking out the innards), but eventually he got it.
Resisting the urge to thump his chest in victory, he began a methodical search for mugs, sugar, and maybe a box of cereal. Still riding high on the success of figuring out the whole coffee thing, he briefly considered attempting scrambled eggs, but there was no sense getting crazy.
Soon the rich smell of brewing coffee filled the kitchen. Max nosed the string of little bells hanging from the back door. Aidan guessed that was a polite way of asking to be let out, so he opened the door. Before he could close it again, he saw an older woman from the house next door openly gaping at him. Wearing only a pair of unbuttoned jeans riding low on his slim hips, Aidan took great delight in offering her a huge smile and a cheery wave. No doubt Mary would pay the price for that later, but he’d find some way to make it up to her.
Even more pleased with himself, Aidan resumed his quest for carb-laden sustenance. By the time he’d worked his way half way around the kitchen, he wondered if maybe Mary didn’t even eat cereal.
Success! He finally found several boxes tucked away in the lazy-Susan shelves in the corner cabinet. Count Chocula, Reese’s PB Puffs, and Lucky Charms. He grinned. He should have known his croie would have a sweet tooth.
Unable to choose just one, he grabbed all three boxes with the intention of mixing them together, going on the assumption that if one tasted good, all three together would be even better. (There was a reason why Lexi was very adamant about Aidan handling the business side of things and letting her oversee the menu).