Marilyn glared angrily at the television. The obnoxious anchor was babbling about Aiden's surprise wedding to an unknown woman. Finally, the camera was able to zoom close on the face of the unnamed woman. Marilyn was stunned and unable to respond. What were the chances of this happening? Wasn't she supposed to be incarcerated awaiting trial? Where did her strategy go wrong? How in the world did she got Aiden to pay her bail and marry her? She became enraged and snatched the champagne glass from her hand and slammed it at the screen. The screen did not shatter, but the glass did. The screen and the floor were covered in shards of glass and champagne. Marilyn looked down at her phone when it rang. She took the phone tentatively.

"You failed!" A voice said from the other side.

"Look, I tried my best! I don't know what happened...."

"Meet me right now!" The voice said and cut the call.

Marilyn screamed and tossed the phone across the room. She inhaled deeply and reached for her car keys. She wore a scarf wrapped over her neck, a wide-brimmed hat over it, and a pair of large sunglasses. She rode the private elevator all the way down to the basement. She popped her head out to the left and right before rapidly making her way to her BMW, making sure there were no other observers in the parking park. She jumped in her car and sped away to her destination. For a woman, Marilyn was quite statuesque. About 6" with long straight platinum hair. She was a perfect beauty. Her father was one of the richest businessmen in the US. With a background like that world was her oyster. She was used to getting her way, except Aiden.
She arrived at a seedy motel around twenty minutes later and parked her BMW in a hidden location. She double-checked that the coast was clear just before exiting and dashed to Room 102. She knocked, and Eric promptly opened the door for her.



"Your minion didn't do a very good job." He complained as he closed the door behind her.
"Well, my minions are under my command, and they did as I instructed. I knew he was smitten with her, but I had no idea she had him hypnotised." Marilyn responded by tossing her bag onto the couch.

"Now you're blaming your failure on witchcraft. I have to say, this is the most ingenious justification I've ever heard." With a wry grin, he said.

Marilyn gave him a cold stare before collapsing on the sofa.

"Please get me a drink."

Eric approached the bar, pouring the amber liquid into a crystal glass. He handed the glass across to her.

"It's not an excuse; Aiden isn't the type to make snap decisions. There's more to it than meets the eye. I'd have to investigate the true motive for his so-called marriage." Marilyn said as she sipped her drink.

Eric smiled as he looked down at his drink. For him, this was a minor setback. For the Reiners, he had even grander aspirations. They'd have to pay for their transgressions. He'd make certain of it.

******************

Sydney

I had changed into white Capri pants and a sleeveless white turtleneck sweater. Jennifer had already started packing my belongings for the 'honeymoon.' I didn't know where we were heading, and it didn't matter to me.
Aiden was driving, much to my astonishment. He had changed into a navy-blue polo neck and jeans. He looked delicious! I shook my head to dispel such thoughts. He drove along the coast, and it was beautiful. The setting sun cast an orange hue over everything.

I finally inquired, "Where are we going?"

Aiden shifted his gaze to me "To the beach house, it's not too far. Are you liking the scenery?"

I gave a nod.

"It reminds me a lot of my hometown in Australia. Because it's the same ocean, West Coast California looks a lot like East Coast Australia, which makes sense." Aiden was staring at me after I finished explaining.

"Do you miss your home?"

I was undecided on how to respond to him.

"Not really, after my parent's death. I had been mostly on my own. I had a boyfriend for a while, but we broke up. Mike and Leah have been my only friends in a long time." I replied.

He didn't ask any further questions until we stopped in front of a huge beach house. It was isolated behind a swathe of bushland. There was a track leading from the house to the road about two hundred metres away, and another track that went down to the beach. I gaped open mounted at the lovely house.


"Come on," he murmured as he took my hand in his and led me inside.

"Hello, Mr Reiner and Mrs Reiner, congratulations on your wedding." A smartly dressed middle-aged couple greeted us at the door.

"Thank you, Richard and Jenna," Aiden responded.

He introduced me to the housekeeper and the cook. They attended to our luggage while Aiden took me inside. The property was elegant, with open concept living and dining areas, as well as stunning artwork and sculptures. The floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the vast beach and coastline were possibly the most spectacular indoor feature.

"Wow!" I blurted out taking in the view of the darkening seacoast.

He stood next to me and remarked, "It gets better in the morning." I became cold all of a sudden, but I related it to the fact that I had removed my sweater because it was too hot. As a result, I should have been hot. Before tonight, I never knew it was possible to feel so free and so trapped. The staff had all slipped out, like quiet shadows, so that we were utterly alone in the room. Miraculously resisting the impulse to break down or run away, I said.

"I need to take a shower."

Unabashed, his gaze traced my figure. There was nothing hesitant or apologetic about the gleam of desire in his eyes. I was immediately stuck against the wall behind me. He thrust his tongue into my mouth, his large body enveloping mine. I attempted to push him away, but the mouth-watering pressure of his full, warm lips had me dizzy. He let up a little on the pressure to lick and nibble my bottom lip before thrusting his tongue back into my mouth. As he pinned me against the wall, his hips pounding into my pelvis, our tongues danced and duelled. He stopped our kiss and helped me get back on my feet when I whimpered involuntarily.

"That wasn't so horrible, was it?"

It was an unfair question - it might have even been rhetorical since he seemed to be teasing. He was before me, tall and dark against the white backdrop. Slowly, he let his knuckles brush over my cheek, softly.

"Trust me, I'm not going to hurt you; in fact, you'll be begging for more."

Despite my best efforts to prevent the inevitable, it was the brush of his palm that finally shattered me. I couldn't come up with a suitable response. What could I possibly say now that would be useful? Panicked, I moved my head from side to side and began to stammer.
"It's just - I've only just arrived." I struggled to latch onto some excuse, any excuse, which might let me escape for a few minutes more. "I haven't had time to rest."

His hand hadn't retracted; instead, it slid to my hair, and he raked his fingers through my curls, possessively.

"Rest?" he asked, his breath falling on my skin as he spoke. His lips twitched with an amused smile, but the emotion was difficult to discern. "You'll have plenty of time to rest later."


"Can I at least freshen up?" I said desperately.


"Of course!" He said softly, his hand moved to my shoulders, as he steered me towards the inside of the house.

"Let me give you the tour of the house ending in the bedroom." He murmured with a glint.