Page 1 of Tainted Gifts
Chapter 1
The Perils of the Scorned Woman
“Aria?” Simone asks while walking in with a cup of tea.
She sighs when she sees me fully dressed, hair fixed, but makeup destroyed as I lie there still crying heavily into the soft folds of the pillow on the seventh day after my breakup.
“Aria,” she sighs. “They’re expecting us to all be at this meeting. Are you going to be able to do this? You'll have to see him.”
“I know,” I whimper. “I have to though. Seminole was my home, and I want to know how we’re going after whatever that thing is. I’ll just have to bring a pile of contacts.”
She frowns, but then she pulls out several cases full of false hybrid blues while sitting down on the bed and brushing my hair with her fingers in a comforting motion.
“I’ve been working on these for a while. They're still not perfect, but they'll stand up against the acid in your tears for up to an hour instead of dissolving instantly.”
I smile appreciatively while grabbing her in a violently jolting embrace, and I feel her worried breaths warming my hair.
“The United members are downstairs in the hotel lobby. They decided to meet here because of the added soundproofing. Only United personnel will be allowed on the premises today.”
I just nod, and then I climb free from the bed that has been burned over and over from my acidic drips. I check my secret phone, but there’s still no message or call from my masked crusader.
“He’s okay. I’m sure he’s okay,” she soothes while tugging at my hand.
I reluctantly follow her to the mirror, and I wipe my eyes before slipping in the new contacts. I smile as the lingering bits of tears don’t dissolve the special blues, and then I nod in approval before following her out the door.
Very solemnly, I make the journey downstairs with the same enthusiasm someone exhibits while carrying a casket to the grave. My hand tightens on Simone’s and my tears threaten to emerge the second I smell sex and candy over all the other scents around us.
Damn it.
I try to clear my mind, and then I lean over to whisper to Simone.
“Don’t forget what I said about keeping your mind blank.”
“Already done. I’m thinking about cats and puppies… and puppy breath, which is so disgusting.”
That actually forces a small laugh through my trembling lips, and she smiles while we walk through the doors. My heart sputters, stops, and then plummets to the pit of my stomach when I see the man I’ve avoided for seven long days.
His black suit is tailored to him the way a commander’s pristine attire should be. His blood red tie stands out against the black shirt, and his pale blues shine as he stares at his phone.
Oh damn. He looks so fucking good.
His eyes dart up immediately upon hearing my stupid slip of the mind, and he puts his phone away while making it his mission to get to me. I almost hold my breath as he blurs through the crowd, and I hear Simone release a slight squeal when I squeeze her hand too tightly.
“Aria,” his silky, perfectly beautiful voice murmurs so sweetly. “I’m glad you came.”
I try to release my held breath, but it just clings to the insides of my lungs as Simone pries her hand from my death grip and dips away, abandoning me with my lying ex. I finally manage to exhale, and then his heavenly scent consumes me with its intoxicating power.
“It was my home, Commander. I wouldn’t miss this meeting,” I murmur very formally, so proud my voice sounded steady instead of broken.
He purses his lips, and then he pulls my shaky hand in his.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I can’t say that enough. I love you, Aria.”
The center of my chest becomes pained by the sickening breaths I’m forced to take out of panic. The heat of the breath trapped surpasses my hybrid scorch, and it actually burns inside me as my dreaded headache pounds mercilessly once again.
“You have a headache?” he asks worriedly while taking a step closer, and I look away to steer free from the hold of those incredible eyes.
Considering I’ve done nothing but cry for seven straight days, yes… I have a fucking headache.
