Aiden did his best to stay composed, though his pulse was anything but steady. His eyes kept scanning the crowd for the only person who mattered right now—Tatum. Magnus and Frank's words still echoed in his head, their threats against her twisting his stomach into knots. Why her? Why would they even see her as a threat? What history bound them together? None of it made sense, and it surely was eating him alive.
His head was spinning, and all he knew was that he needed her. Needed to see her, to make sure she was safe. Somewhere along the way the roles had shifted and he was no longer the one being protected. She had done everything to protect him, every single time danger came too close. But who was protecting her?
And then there were the almost-kisses. Too many to dismiss, including the one tonight that had nearly undone him. He had seen the way her pupils dilated when he leaned in, felt her pulse quicken beneath his touch, watched how she never pulled away. God, her lips haunted him.
Marco had tried to steal the moment when Aiden wanted to ask her to dance, dragging her into a dance with him instead, putting his hands where they didn't belong. The memory made Aiden's jaw tighten.
No one else would touch her. Not anymore.
"Mr. Kyle!" He nearly collided with his assistant, eyes still darting across the room.
Kyle smirked, swirling the wine in his glass. "She's looking for you too, sir. Last I saw, she was by the bar."
Relief crashed over him. Without another word, Aiden strode toward the bar. And there she was scanning the room, until her gaze caught his. Something inside him loosened.
He didn't hesitate. He reached her in a few strides, took her arm, and pulled her toward the stairs.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, keeping her voice steady. "You don't have to drag me, I can walk on my own, sir."
Fucking hell, Tatum stop calling me that. After what happened on the balcony, you know damn well I'm not just 'sir' to you.
"We need to talk. In private," he muttered, ushering her into the nearest empty room. He scanned the space quickly, then shut the door behind them.
"What's the emergency?"
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" His eyes searched her face, her arms, desperate for proof she was unharmed. The light wouldn't turn on, so he had only the faint wash of moonlight to guide him.
Tatum's soft laugh cut through the tension. "Hurt? Why would I be hurt?"
"Magnus and Frank Schulz are here," he said grimly.
Her expression faltered. "What?"
"They know you. Magnus recognized you after that fight, after you put him on the ground. What's going on between you and them?"
Tatum rolled her eyes. "There's nothing you should worry about. I have no idea, maybe he enjoyed the beating he got and wants another one," she said with a faint, teasing smile.
Aiden's gaze locked on her, the pale moonlight spilling across her face and catching in her eyes.
"I want you safe," he murmured. "Is there something you're hiding from me, Tatum?"
"As I said, Mr. Black, there's nothing here that should concern you. I can protect myself and you, if it comes to that. Are we good to go now?"
That answer wasn't enough. Not tonight.
Before she could turn away, Aiden pressed her back gently against the wall, bracing one hand beside her head. The air tightened between them as he leaned closer, his breath mixing with hers. Her scent curled around him, soft and intoxicating, pulling him deeper into her gaze.
"Remember what I told you that night?" His voice was low, rough with restraint. "That outside of work, I'm just Aiden?"
Tatum's teeth caught her lower lip before she smirked, a spark of defiance glinting in her gaze. "Why?"
"Because sir and Mr. Black" His thumb brushed along her neck, tilting her chin upward slowly. "…don't sound very fitting for the situation we're in right now. Do they?"
Her smirk faltered, but her voice stayed steady.
"The situation we're in right now shouldn't exist, Aiden."
The sound of his name on her lips unraveled him. His thumb lingered beneath her chin, tilting her face higher until there was barely a breath of space between them. His other hand slid to her waist, fingers curling into the fabric as if holding her there was the only thing that mattered.
"You say that," he murmured, his voice husky, "but you're not pulling away."
Tatum's hand rose, pressing flat against his chest meant as a barrier, but instead she felt the steady, fast rhythm of his heartbeat. Her breath hitched, lips parting.
Aiden dipped lower, his nose grazing hers, his lips hovering just above hers. For one taut second, the world melted away, the moonlight, her pulse beneath his touch, the fire sparking between them.
BANG!