The Awakening Aidan - By Abby Niles Page 0,33

wall to the left. Red pillows placed on top of the mattress and on the chairs brought color into the room. Two wall-size shutters across from the bed had been folded back, opening the room to the salty air and revealing a small deck with two lounge chairs positioned to face the ocean with a petite wood table between them. The suitcase handle slipped from her hand and the bag clattered to the floor.

She’d never seen anything so breathtaking. She stepped farther into the room, noting that the wall beside the bed was made completely of thick glass and looked out onto a private outdoor terrace—complete with an outside Jacuzzi, shower, and sink—all surrounded by high, smooth stone walls. A generator hummed in the background.

She could live in here forever—which was a huge possibility considering she had to keep Aidan at a distance. But, boy, the man knew how to go all-out. She hurried around the room taking in everything. A door led to a private indoor bathroom. She glanced down. A business suit was certainly not the attire for the setting.

After grabbing a pale yellow tube-top sundress from her suitcase and quickly changing, she hurried over to the fully stocked bar stationed in one corner. She quickly opened a bottle, poured herself a glass of wine and gulped it down, enjoying the little tingles that erupted in her belly. She refilled her glass, then walked around the room. She didn’t know if Aidan meant for this room to be hers, but it officially was. He could have the couch for all she cared. She had everything she needed, including a lock on the door.

A grumble came from her belly.

She frowned. Well, except food.

She hadn’t eaten since early this morning. And she so wasn’t venturing out in search of a meal. She’d just power through until she figured out what she was going to do. And she needed to figure it out quickly. This house screamed romance. A couple. Love. And she’d only seen the freaking kitchen and bedroom. God only knew what the rest of the place looked like.

She figured Aidan had planned it that way. Take her off guard. Spoil her. Show her what she’d be missing. The thing was, all the money in the world didn’t get rid of the major problem between them.

He was a shifter. In Drall.

She stepped out on the deck. Tilting her head up toward the sun, she soaked in its warmth and inhaled that special salty smell only the ocean created. Her stomach growled again.

Sighing, she opened her eyes. Why did one need food to survive? Couldn’t wine and a gorgeous setting be enough? If only.

A flash of movement caught her attention by a thicket of palm trees down on the beach. The greenery moved and shimmied before a cougar burst out of the foliage and raced down the white sand.

Her breath caught tight.

Muscles bunched and expanded along its furred back as it sprinted down the beach, its paws hitting the lapping water, the spray glistening off its pelt. The animal didn’t slow as it reached the other end and tore into the tropical trees on that side. She listened to the rustling of the foliage before it charged back out. It made it about halfway across the sand before it stopped suddenly, sensing something. Its feline head turned toward her and stared.

Even from a distance, she felt the human staring at her from inside, felt the raw determination, and her heart pounded against her breast.

Aidan’s beast was a cougar—gorgeous, all slick lines and strong muscle that moved with a deadly grace. He was breathtaking in animal form.

Aidan then turned his back on her and continued his run.

Something about his rejection hurt. Why was that? Wasn’t getting him to let her go what she wanted? Swallowing, she went back inside as her belly protested again. She might as well get something to eat while she had the chance. If he was running, he’d be at it for a while.

She slipped from the room into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she saw that they were well stocked up on food. She grabbed the roast beef and mayo. As she closed the door, a man walked into the kitchen. She screamed, which made him scream.

Throwing the meat at him, she took off for the door and was outside within seconds. Aidan’s cougar was already up the stairs running toward her, but he shifted to human form without missing a step as he neared. She