บททั้งหมดของ TAMING THE BILLIONAIRE; My Brother's Best Friend : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

Aaron's POVIt was 3 a.m. and I had yet to get any rest.The laptop screen blinded me with its light as I stared at a half-written email, the blinking cursor seemingly taunting me. I'd spent over two hours writing up a proposal to the board, but each sentence wilted to dust the instant his face popped into my head. Ethan.Cursed Ethan.The manner in which his lips had been crushed against mine ran on a repetition loop forever. The soft resistance, the sudden suck of his breath when I'd filled the space, and then—like gravity spent at last—the way he'd relaxed for that fleeting moment. I hadn't kissed him; I'd devoured him whole, selfishly, greedily, like a man dying who'd just found water. And he was owed none of this."Fuck," I muttered to myself, rubbing my hands over my face. My whole body was tense, restless, like something inside of me was trying to get out.I shouldn't have touched him. I shouldn't have bet, used the situation, pushed that dumb button to trap him in that metal r

Ethan's POVIt had been a week since I'd agreed to this… arrangement.A week of attempting to persuade myself this was revenge, not madness.A week of lying to myself so intensively I was starting to believe it.I'd done stupid things in my life, but maybe marrying Aaron warner could be the gold medal winner.My stomach twisted as I looked at the boxes in my apartment — well, my old apartment. Every shirt, every memory, every part of me was being shipped to a man who once vanished like I was a contract that had run out. I stayed a little longer, holding onto my keys before I tossed them into the sink. I wasn't going back.The idling car downstairs was black, sleek, and utterly humorless — like everything about Aaron these days. The drive was quiet, just the soft whoosh of tires on road and the weight of my thoughts pressing down until I was dizzy with the silence.When the car pulled up in front of his building, I almost laughed.Where else would Aaron warner live, of course — top flo

Aaron's POVSleep was far from me, it wouldn't be a first.The moment I shut my eyes, I could almost see him standing there in that kitchen again—half glare, half shock, half glare, bare chest, water bottle clutched in his hand like it was his ultimate protection against me.Ethan.The echo of his name in my head was a curse.I lay out on the black sheets, sheets of twisted fabric wrapped around me, my body thrumming with the same agitated energy that had dogged me since I laid eyes on him at the firm again. Reasonable minds cautioned me to stop thinking about him. To stay vigilant. To be in command.Control had left the room the instant I kissed him in that crazy elevator, though.And now after witnessing him walk into the kitchen tired and still manage to knock the wind right out of me—I was completely done.He'd gotten different, however, not in the significant ways. His tone remained the same resolute rhythm, his eyes still flared when he was angry, and God, the way he'd looked at

Ethan's POVThe rest of the week had flown by faster than I could have imagined,And for the most part I could gladly say that being married to Aaron wasn't all that bad.He gave me space,so much space, it felt like he did it on purpose. We barely said a word to each other, even when we were alone, free from the clatter of his staff in the house. It wasn't easy silence, no. It was cold and heavy silence on my chest, heavy as stone, but somehow still appealing.Because the other—the conversations, the rationalizations, the apologies that I knew somewhere deep inside him—would have killed me completely.Yet, there were moments when I would catch myself glancing at him along the length of a dining table or at the far end of a corridor, just so I could catch him glaring anywhere else but at me.How maddeningly serene he appeared, how self-controlled. As though he hadn't snapped me in two once upon a time.Connor, of course, was determined to come and check on me. His constant checks, his c

Ethan's povI walked into the office Monday morning, my whole body thankful. For once, I was human again. I'd had a wonderful weekend—slept like a baby, ate until I was half-sick, and lounged around the mansion like it was a luxury resort. For a few fleeting hours, I almost forgot that my marriage to Aaron Warner came with terms, clauses, and a lawyer's signature. Almost.Aaron was gone most of the weekend, occupied with one business meeting after another. The man worked like a machine—no breaks, no soul. I told myself I was grateful for the silence. That having the house to myself was a respite. But deep down, I knew I was lying. My head was in conflict with my heart, and if I wasn't careful, it would break me all over again.However, I had the biggest meals, long walks in the garden, and a personal movie session in the home theater that could comfortably seat half of AW Group's board of directors. I even mentally reminded myself to explore the pool—something I'd heard rumors of but