Read Online Desire Awakened (Aaron's Kiss #13) by Kathi S. Barton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathi S. Barton
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other copies for kids, huh?
Why don’t you take me to those?”
Aaron sat down and looked around the room.
“These are the only books I have, and I trust you with them. If I
didn’t think you’d take care of them, I would never have suggested
you read them. Books are for reading, Mathew, not just to put on
display in a nice room.”
“My mom has some books. She won’t let me
touch them. She said they’re worth more than me.”
Aaron tried to hide his shock that a mother
would say such a thing. “What the hell is wrong with her? Who would
say such a thing to anyone, much less their own child? Why, I would
never have said…that is outrageous, and I think she should be
horsewhipped.” Aaron looked at Matthew, realizing what he’d said
about his mom. But the boy only shook his head when he tried to
tell him he was sorry.
“She doesn’t like me much. She’s never said
it, but I can tell. She said she won’t marry that man she lives
with because my dad won’t have to pay her support any more. Lizzy
isn’t anything like her, is she?”
“No, she’s not. And she’d never say anything
like that of a child. Children are the most precious things we can
create.”
Mathew nodded as he touched the binding to
the book that they’d been talking about.
“I want you to have that. As a gift.”
“I can’t take that, Mr. MacManus. I know
it’s gotta be worth more than me.” He touched it again before
putting his hands in his pocket. “I really would like to read it if
you’re sure.”
Aaron walked over, took the book from the
shelf, and handed it to him. Mathew opened it to the first page
carefully and saw the signature on it. He looked up at him. “It’s
to you.”
Aaron nodded with a barely visible hint of a
smile.
“You knew him? You met Wyss? He wrote this
one book and you have it. That is so cool.”
Aaron looked at the other books he had and
handed Mathew three more, The Iliad, and The Odyssey by Homer, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and for a bit of
fun, Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut. They were all signed first
editions. They moved back to the castle through the special opening
in his office to the delight of the young man.
As Mathew scampered off to read a good book,
Aaron looked at Logan as he sat near Lizzy’s bed. He wanted to tell
him it would be all right, but he stayed away. This was going to
have to be something that he worked out on his own. Sara came to
sit next to him.
“You bonding with your new grandson?”
He smiled and nodded.
“Lizzy’s going to be all right, isn’t she,
Aaron? I can’t lose my little girl.”
He pulled her into his arms. “She’s here. If
she wasn’t, things might go differently. Mel said that she’s called
in the Fates. If Logan doesn’t want her, she’s going to see if she
can get them to break the bond between them so she can live.”
“She’s given up. That’s what this is; she’s
given up and now she may die.”
Aaron thought she was right. He didn’t know
why Lizzy’d given up, but she had all the same. They both stood up
when Logan came into the room.
“I don’t love her.”
Aaron felt his beast surge with anger.
“But I do like her. She’s annoying and bossy
and has a mouth that makes me want to sit up and beg, but I don’t
love her. For now, that has to be enough.”
“It will be. For now,” said a new voice.
They all looked at Elizabeth, Mel’s grandmother, as she walked into
the room. “Lizzy will not go willingly, young man, nor will she be
grateful to you. She’s got a stubborn streak in her that I’ve only
encountered once before, and while I love him dearly, I don’t like
him much.”
Elizabeth looked at Aaron, who smiled. She
loved him. Grinning like a loon, he told her that he loved her
too.
“Tell me what I have to do. And if I have to
be converted…I’m not sure. There’s my son to think of, and my
sister. I can’t leave them, so that part of my day I can’t be with
them.”
“That won’t be an
Why don’t you take me to those?”
Aaron sat down and looked around the room.
“These are the only books I have, and I trust you with them. If I
didn’t think you’d take care of them, I would never have suggested
you read them. Books are for reading, Mathew, not just to put on
display in a nice room.”
“My mom has some books. She won’t let me
touch them. She said they’re worth more than me.”
Aaron tried to hide his shock that a mother
would say such a thing. “What the hell is wrong with her? Who would
say such a thing to anyone, much less their own child? Why, I would
never have said…that is outrageous, and I think she should be
horsewhipped.” Aaron looked at Matthew, realizing what he’d said
about his mom. But the boy only shook his head when he tried to
tell him he was sorry.
“She doesn’t like me much. She’s never said
it, but I can tell. She said she won’t marry that man she lives
with because my dad won’t have to pay her support any more. Lizzy
isn’t anything like her, is she?”
“No, she’s not. And she’d never say anything
like that of a child. Children are the most precious things we can
create.”
Mathew nodded as he touched the binding to
the book that they’d been talking about.
“I want you to have that. As a gift.”
“I can’t take that, Mr. MacManus. I know
it’s gotta be worth more than me.” He touched it again before
putting his hands in his pocket. “I really would like to read it if
you’re sure.”
Aaron walked over, took the book from the
shelf, and handed it to him. Mathew opened it to the first page
carefully and saw the signature on it. He looked up at him. “It’s
to you.”
Aaron nodded with a barely visible hint of a
smile.
“You knew him? You met Wyss? He wrote this
one book and you have it. That is so cool.”
Aaron looked at the other books he had and
handed Mathew three more, The Iliad, and The Odyssey by Homer, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and for a bit of
fun, Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut. They were all signed first
editions. They moved back to the castle through the special opening
in his office to the delight of the young man.
As Mathew scampered off to read a good book,
Aaron looked at Logan as he sat near Lizzy’s bed. He wanted to tell
him it would be all right, but he stayed away. This was going to
have to be something that he worked out on his own. Sara came to
sit next to him.
“You bonding with your new grandson?”
He smiled and nodded.
“Lizzy’s going to be all right, isn’t she,
Aaron? I can’t lose my little girl.”
He pulled her into his arms. “She’s here. If
she wasn’t, things might go differently. Mel said that she’s called
in the Fates. If Logan doesn’t want her, she’s going to see if she
can get them to break the bond between them so she can live.”
“She’s given up. That’s what this is; she’s
given up and now she may die.”
Aaron thought she was right. He didn’t know
why Lizzy’d given up, but she had all the same. They both stood up
when Logan came into the room.
“I don’t love her.”
Aaron felt his beast surge with anger.
“But I do like her. She’s annoying and bossy
and has a mouth that makes me want to sit up and beg, but I don’t
love her. For now, that has to be enough.”
“It will be. For now,” said a new voice.
They all looked at Elizabeth, Mel’s grandmother, as she walked into
the room. “Lizzy will not go willingly, young man, nor will she be
grateful to you. She’s got a stubborn streak in her that I’ve only
encountered once before, and while I love him dearly, I don’t like
him much.”
Elizabeth looked at Aaron, who smiled. She
loved him. Grinning like a loon, he told her that he loved her
too.
“Tell me what I have to do. And if I have to
be converted…I’m not sure. There’s my son to think of, and my
sister. I can’t leave them, so that part of my day I can’t be with
them.”
“That won’t be an
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