Beyond Chance (9 page)

Elizabeth looked perplexed and then a wry
smile surfaced. “You looked up Aaron Sullivan.”

I nodded.

“Try Thatcher. That’s what he went by in the
service. He changed it briefly to Bernie’s last name.”

I felt absolutely gobsmacked.

“When did he change it back to Sullivan?” I
asked.

“When Mr. Sullivan decided to start speaking
to him again. He figured it would be better for business. Bernie
might have been his biological father, but he didn’t raise him.
Aaron said it didn’t feel right to turn his back on the man who
had.”

“But Mr. Sullivan turned his back on Aaron
when he found out. He stopped speaking to his own son.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Yeah, but he did
eventually come around.”

I shook my head. “It just never occurred to
me.”

“I only knew because I was there during all
the turmoil.”

“So you must know Jason?” I asked

She smiled. “Absolutely.”

The click of the door opening alarmed
Elizabeth, and she spun around and took off before I even had a
chance to say goodbye. I glanced up the steps and saw Aaron poke
his head out.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“I have no idea,” I said, walking up the
steps. “But I have a feeling it will get a lot more intriguing
soon.”

Aaron gave me a quick peck on the cheek as
he slid his hand into mine. “I was getting really lonely.”

Guilt worked its way through me and I
smiled, taking another flute of champagne off the tray as we
entered the foyer.

“Are we okay?” Aaron whispered, his eyes
connecting with mine.

“We’re always okay,” I said, sipping my
champagne. “But I think it’s time we both start sharing a little
more.”

Beautiful music began funneling through the
hallway, and as if on command, I watched as all of the people began
trickling out of the sitting room, following the beautiful melody
down the hall. I finished my champagne and placed the flute on an
empty table as the music poured into all my senses. I absolutely
loved waltzes. It sounded as if a small symphony had joined the
evening’s festivities.

Aaron slid his arm around my waist and
pulled me to him.

“I’m sorry for not telling you everything.
Do you forgive me?” he whispered next to my ear. My skin tingled as
his lips lightly touched my ear lobe before his hand slid up my
back.

I looked into his eyes, feeling dizzy with
emotion, and nodded. “I’ll forgive you if there are no more
secrets.”

“Then I have a lot of explaining to do,” he
whispered, as he brought my body to his.

A waltz echoed down the hall and he smiled.
“I think the festivities have begun.”

“I thought these were the festivities.”

He smiled and backed up a few steps, giving
a slight bow. I knew he was teasing, but I had to admit that being
in this new city, surrounded by ghosts from another era made me
fall right into his plan. I was forgetting the earlier events
already. I was forgetting Elizabeth.

Arching my hand in his, we walked down the
hall and turned into a room that made my jaw drop. It sounded like
a symphony was playing because one was playing. The orchestra was
set up in the far corner of the ballroom, and the entire space was
filled with graceful couples waltzing on the gleaming marble floor.
It was like a scene out of a movie. I looked up to see not one, but
three crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The walls were
painted peach, which somehow fit the entire décor. Ivory and gold
columns and pedestals were spaced evenly down three of the walls,
and the fourth wall was filled with paintings and sculptures. It
was absolutely fanciful, and I was beyond grateful to Aaron for
picking out my dress. Seeing the women dressed in their beautiful
gowns as they glided across the floor made my heart override my
mind as I looked on in awe as the entire crowd swayed from one
direction to the other. This was what I wanted to remember from my
first night in Paris.

The waltz drifted away and the crowd
stilled, and I suddenly felt all eyes on Aaron and me as he took my
hand in his and walked me to the floor.

Gregory Sennet announced to the room that
Aaron Sullivan would be taking my hand in our first waltz in Paris
and my entire body seized up. I suddenly felt like I was thrust
into a high society gambol that I wasn’t fit for. Gregory repeated
what he said in French and before I had a chance to object, Aaron
brought me into his arms as Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite II hummed
through the air. It was my favorite waltz in spite of it appearing
in
Eyes Wide Shut
. I was surprised that Aaron remembered,
but that was who he was. Regardless of what information I’d found
out tonight, this was why I loved this man.

“You are way too slick,” I laughed, feeling
his arms tighten as our bodies melted into the waltz.

Our bodies swayed and flew to each beat of
the waltz as the rest of the couples joined us. We were swallowed
into the ballroom as the waltz serenaded through the air, and my
world felt whimsically misplaced.

“I love you more than anything, but you have
a lot of explaining to do,” I whispered.

“Don’t I always?” His eyes twinkled and
between the bubbles of the champagne and the magic of the moment, I
let myself drift into another world as he carried me across the
floor.

I pushed down the sheets and stretched my
arms as the bright light shone through the sheer curtains,
introducing my first Parisian morning. I saw brioche and a glass of
orange juice sitting on the small table by the window. Aaron had
gotten up a couple hours earlier. I vaguely remembered him kissing
me and telling me to sleep as long as I needed and that he’d be in
the studio. Every so often, I’d hear a scrape of metal against the
wood floors or his footsteps walking quickly across the floor
upstairs, but I generally slept through most of whatever he was
busily working on.

Now I was faced with nursing this slight
headache from too many flutes of champagne and too little to eat.
We were out late last night, and I’d crawled right into bed the
moment we got back to our apartment. Between the champagne and my
flight, I was completely exhausted and every welcome home move I’d
thought about unleashing on Aaron was extinguished the moment my
eyes closed. It also didn’t help that I ran into his
ex-fiancée.

Elizabeth!

I grumbled aloud and slid my feet into the
slippers next to the bed as I almost wished myself back under the
covers. The longer I was awake, the more our little encounter
wedged itself in my mind.

I had to find out what Aaron had been
hiding, but more importantly, I needed to understand why he didn’t
tell me. Our relationship had steadily grown into something
profound and beautiful, and the thought that there were pieces of
his history that I wasn’t privy to made me internally cringe. No
matter how foolish it sounded, it made me doubt who he was or at
the very least how he came to be. I felt like it was impossible to
see him as a whole person if I didn’t get invited into his life
fully.

I trudged over to the table and took a sip
of orange juice before toothpaste wiped out the pleasure of fresh
squeezed juice. I picked up the brioche and inhaled the buttery
scent as I smeared more butter on top and crowned it with a tiny
amount of jam. Taking a bite, my tongue met with the buttery
goodness, and I took a seat on the chair next to the window. I
opened the curtain and looked out onto the street below. People
were walking down the sidewalks, and cars were driving by on the
street with places to go. I leaned against the back of the chair
and pondered this last revelation. I didn’t have any place to go. I
wrinkled my forehead and took another bite. I’d have to change
that.

Polishing off the brioche and juice, I saw
that Aaron had already connected my iPad and phone to the wireless.
He had them sitting on the chair. My stomach knotted as my
grogginess exchanged for trepidation. With only a few swipes I
might be able to see what Aaron Thatcher was hiding from me. I took
in a deep breath and reached for my iPad. I’d never been one to sit
and speculate when I had answers so close to my fingertips. I
swiped my fingertip along the screen and waited for the home screen
to flash on. Quickly typing in Aaron Thatcher, I waited impatiently
for the results but was interrupted by someone’s footsteps, but I
couldn’t tell where they were coming from.

I set my iPad down on the bed and followed
the mysterious noise down the hall and through the kitchen, only to
find Aaron pushing open the hidden door in the dining room. It was
going to take some getting used to all these strange noises in such
an ancient building.

Aaron’s snug-fitting jeans were splattered
with solder, and his thermal shirt had a thick coating of metal
dust entwined in the fibers. His hair was completely disheveled,
and he had a few dark smudges under his left eye, and for some
reason, that combination was sexy as hell. When his gaze landed on
me he grinned and shook his head.

“Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” he teased,
closing the door behind him.

“Do you blame me with all that champagne you
force-fed me.” I smiled and walked over to him. He placed a quick
kiss on my forehead and was about to go for my lips when I shook my
head and took a step back, bumping into a dining room chair.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Like I care.”

“You would. Believe me,” I teased, following
him through the hall. “Thank you for the delicious breakfast.”

“The least I could do. Would you like a
mimosa?”

“Hardeeharhar, Mr. Sullivan.” I narrowed my
eyes at him. “I think I’m just fine in the booze department.”

“I was only checking.” His playful grin made
my world spin more than it already was. He opened the fridge and
grabbed a bottle of Perrier. “Would you like one?”

I shook my head. “I prefer not to burp after
water.”

Aaron laughed and shut the fridge door. “I
think I prefer that too.”

“Did you get a lot of work done?” I asked,
reaching for a glass to get some tap water.

“I did. I had a lot of time to think as
well.”

“Did you?” I asked, filling my glass.

He nodded. “Do you know what time it is, by
any chance?”

“No clue.”

“It’s almost four o’clock.”

“In the afternoon?” I almost choked out.

He smiled and took a sip of his water. “Yep.
I knew you were tired.”

“That would explain why I feel so
rested...slightly sore but completely rested.” I stretched my arms
in front of me and caught Aaron’s gaze traveling along my bare
skin. I was only dressed in a skimpy top and loose, cotton
boxers.

“Alas, I think the only thing we can blame
the soreness on is too much champagne. I hope to change that
soon.”

“What exactly do you have in mind?” I asked
innocently, as I walked past him with a little extra wiggle.

He let out a slight growl and followed me
down the hall. I reached our bedroom, and moved my suitcase to a
better place to spread out. I unzipped it and searched for my
toothpaste and toothbrush. Finding my baggie, I snatched it up just
as I felt Aaron come up behind me. I stood up, almost crashing into
him, as he glanced at the iPad I had tossed on the bed.

His gaze dropped to the floor, and he chewed
his lip slightly as he contemplated what I’d so carelessly left on
the screen.

Damn me for never programming it to
sleep!

“So… you haven’t brought up what Tracy
mentioned, and I don’t remember it entailing that.” His eyes moved
to the iPad and then back to mine.

“You mean that or who?” I arched a brow and
he nodded.

I also hadn’t brought up running into who
she mentioned either, but I might leave that for another
conversation. So far nothing was going as planned.

“I was hoping you’d bring it up,” I
confessed.

“Well, I guess I just did…”

“You sure did.” I breathed a long sigh as I
walked over to him. He picked up the iPad and tapped a link with
his index finger.

There was an awkwardness resting between us
that never existed before, and I desperately wanted it to stop.

“So what did you find out about me?” His
gaze didn’t leave the iPad as he continued to read over whatever
information he came onto.

“Absolutely nothing and would you mind
giving that back?”

“I’d say you found out more than nothing,
judging by this story.”

I was so irritated and I wasn’t even sure at
who. “Believe it or not, I hadn’t clicked on any of the links
yet.”

“I’d say not. As nosey as you are, I can’t
imagine you not clicking.”

I wanted to protest, but the truth of it was
that I was nosey, which was why I loved the idea of practicing law.
I’d be able to stick my nose where it didn’t belong. The last
thought took me by surprise. Ever since the accident, I hadn’t
thought much about law one way or another.