Read Online Aris: A Sexy Romance Novel (Thief of Hearts Series Book 1) by Elody Knight - Free Book Online Page B

Denise grabbed Saoirse’s arm, pulling her upstairs.

Chapter 5
    Jerith was scowling at Aris.  “Of all the women in the world, that would kill for a chance to have your attention, that would torch half the earth to bear you children, that’s what you’ve been hurting for all these years?  That’s not a woman Aris, that’s a damned monster!”  Jerith was still pointing up the stairs in the direction Saoirse had gone.
    “She’s not a monster Jerith.  We were having an argument when you walked in.  She was already upset, then to see Denise looking like that, when I told her Denise was in the market with you...what would you think?”
    “She’s only been here two days, what could you possibly have been arguing about?”
    “Contracts.” 
    “Contracts?  You’re a nice looking guy, with good manners and an easy conversationalist who’s madly in love with her, and she wants to work?”
    “She doesn’t remember time off.  She hasn’t had a vacation in seven years at least.  Noah will tell you Denise didn’t understand the concept either when he talked about it in the limo.”  Aris plopped down on the couch in the outdoor room on the side of the house.  “The Feds told her we’re terrorists.  I said the complete opposite, Noah blew his temper at her over losing Leo, and somehow the Feds thought we were part of Misha’s people so they showed her pictures of all the ‘wonderfulness and good times’ his friends can be.  I made some serious errors in judgement.  I didn’t know they’d showed her the gruesome pictures of Misha’s handiwork.  I didn’t realize that seven years was a very long time for her.  I knew she was working herself to death but I didn’t realize it had become her whole life.”  Aris rubbed his eyes, “She is a strong woman, and there is a loving woman in her, I know there is.  I just did not take into account what it would do to her to pull her out of her world, where she is constantly in control, and drop her into ours where we make up our own rules as we go along.  This is my fault.  I just don’t know how to make it better.”
    “You could just decide you don’t want her.  Send her home.”  Noah sat down in a chair opposite Jerith.  “You could let me put another thousand women in your path, that are worthy of your affection, and choose one of them.” 
    The lovely Anaya followed behind Noah sitting down on the couch next to Jerith.  “What are we talking about?”
    “Noah, you have run enough operations to know that everyone handles pressure differently.  She is not hateful, she is stressed out.”
    “Hi.”  Denise looked at the group sitting in the outdoor room.  She had showered so there was less blood everywhere but now all the small nicks and cuts looked scarier than they had with the blood.
    Noah grimaced looking at her,  “What happened to you?”
    “You see!” Aris said to Jerith, “There is my point exactly.  If your friend walked in looking like this, would you not presume that someone had hurt her?”
    “Jerith, are you alright?”  Denise asked.
    “I’m fine.  I didn’t realize what it must have looked like to other people when you came through the door.”  Jerith took a deep breath looking at Aris.  “Perhaps Saoirse was right, I didn’t take such good care of Denise today.”
    “No, that’s not true!”  Denise came into the room scratching,  “I had a great time.”
    “What is it you did to look like that?  I have trained clumsy people to handle barbed wire that looked better than that at the end of the day.”  Noah was still frowning.
    “I learned to cut pineapple!”  Denise beamed.  “I only look this bad because it all itches.  I can’t seem to stop scratching.
    Jerith stood up.  “I don’t know how to help you Aris.”
    “What problem?”  Denise’s ears perked up.  “Are we talking contracts?”
    “No, we’re talking Saoirse.”  Noah looked up at the trees overhead.
    “You are not