"I'll make arrangements immediately," Sitting up, I looked at the clock on the bedside table. "I should get home a little after seven o'clock your time, this evening." I stood from the bed and walked out of the room. "Let me make some calls and I’ll call you back. You can then brief me on the situation."
"Aidan, you aren't going to like it when you hear it." Liam paused.
"Spit it out, Liam. I have arrangements to take care of." I groaned out impatiently.
"Regalie is concerned with the well-being of AIS...due to the 'conditions'."
"What? I just got married for God’s sake! How can they..?"
"Not the marriage, the heir. The link that secures AIS to the Iverson family. Regalie only wants this venture if they can be sure they will be dealing with the family, not the board." Liam sighed heavily.
"Jesus, am I supposed to just produce a child immediately?" Taking a deep breath, I counted silently to ten. We were going to lose a large venture I’d worked long and hard to secure. It ticked me off that this would sway them.
"I understand that. You know I do, we all do. However, that’s their reasoning."
"I don’t mean to take it out on you. I’m sorry. How the hell did they get the details of my inheritance anyway?" No one in the family would hand over that information, create such a risk.
"I’m not sure. But, they know a lot, son."
"I'll call you back. Thank you, Liam." Softening my tone, I closed the phone.
"Should I start packing? What do you want me to do first?" Looking up, Lilli was leaning against the wall across from me. I’d been too distracted to notice her entrance.
"What did you hear?" Concern filled me. Would she run now, knowing the pressure we were under to reproduce?
"Enough. What do you want me to do?"
Running my hand through my hair, I released a frustrated sigh. What the hell was 'enough' supposed to mean?
"Nothing."
She looked at me confused while I started calling Jeremy, the pilot for the jet. Listening to the ringing, I tried to ease her confusion.
"I'm leaving, but I’ll be back in a couple of days. There’s no reason for you to leave too, unless you want to?" Part of me hoped she would stay and wait for me to come back. I wasn't ready for our time on the island to be over.
"Oh...ummm...okay. What do you need me to help you with?" She walked over and sat on the couch.
When the click of an answer sounded, I motioned for her to give me one minute.
"Yes, Mr. Iverson?"
"Jeremy, I need the jet to pick me up. I am taking a boat in a few hours to the mainland and will need to get back to New York immediately. Can you get it taken care of?"
"Yes, sir. I’ll call you with the details in a half hour." We hung up and I dialed my receptionist, Amy.
"Lilli, you don't have to do anything, just go get some sleep. I'll take care of this." She rolled her eyes at me and sat back on the couch.
"Mr. Iverson?" Amy sounded confused and groggy.
"I'm sorry to wake you, Amy, but I need to make sure you are ready for the day ahead of us..." I quickly explained part of the situation to her and what to be ready for before I hung up and called for the boat.
Once all the arrangements were made for my departure, I stood and went to pack my things. Lilli followed me into the bedroom and climbed onto the bed, stretching out.
Having to leave with her stretched out on the bed was completely unfair. I just wanted to stretch out over top of her. Shaking the thoughts off, I threw some clothes into a duffel bag.
I showered, shaved and got dressed. Coming out of the bathroom, I noticed that Lilli was no longer in bed. I grabbed my bag and laptop, picked up my cell and dialed Liam.
"Aidan?" Liam answered quickly.
"I'm preparing to leave now. I’ll call you from the boat to discuss the issue." We both said goodbye. Looking up, I saw Lilli had made eggs, toast and coffee.
"Eat up," she said walking by me towards the bedroom.
Reaching out, I grabbed her arm, stopping her. I cupped her face and looked into her shocked eyes.
"Thank you," I kissed her forehead.
"Uh..." She swallowed her surprise, "you're welcome." She gave me a small smile and started to move away.
Reluctantly pulling away, I took in her stained red cheeks. She moved away from me, making an attempt to collect herself.
"You better eat before it gets any colder." She nodded towards the food before making her way to the bedroom.
While eating, I heard the boat reach the dock. I went to the bedroom to tell her goodbye. Lilli wasn’t in bed. The shower was running.
I knocked.
"You leaving?"
Taking a chance, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. Leaning in, I lost the ability to speak. There she was, completely naked, the outline of her body showing through the steamed up glass. I cast my eyes to the floor.
"Yeah...um...leaving now. I'll call you, okay? The phone is in the study."
When she didn’t respond, I looked back to the glass shower. She was frozen, her arms draped over her chest.
"Oh...okay. Travel safe."
"I'll see you in four days, at the least." She nodded and I reluctantly closed the door.
I was going back to New York, sexually frustrated, while the only release that I longed for remained on the island.
~
Lilli