Submit (Out of the Octagon, #1) Read online

  He was like no man she’d ever met.

  THE CHIRP OF HER CELL phone woke her up. She was groggy, stumbling out of bed, searching through the pile of clothes on the floor for her purse.

  “Hello?” Her voice was raspy with sleep.

  “Rosa? Oh, shit. I woke you up, didn’t I?”

  She was instantly alert. “Oh, Aedan. Yes...no, I mean. It’s okay. I’m glad you called.” She crawled back in bed, sitting up against the headboard. There were noises in the background, yells and shouts, the unmistakable sounds of someone being punched. Aedan’s voice was almost lost in the din. “Where are you?”

  “At the gym.”

  She laughed. “That explains the noises. I thought for a minute you were in another fight.”

  In the background, she heard someone yelling Aedan’s name.

  “Listen, I gotta go in a minute. But I want to see you, soon.”

  “Tonight?” Her heart did a little flip.

  “I have something else to do tonight...tomorrow?”

  “Oh...” A date? Did he have a girlfriend? She’d never thought to ask.

  “Sorry. If I could, I’d change it, but it’s work.”

  So no girlfriend then? “Oh. Okay. I’ll let you get away with that. Tomorrow then.”

  There was a low laugh on the other end of the line. “Yeah...tomorrow. I’ll take you some place nice for dinner.”

  The yelling in the background grew louder, someone near the phone shouting Aedan’s name. There was a muffled conversation and then Aedan was back. “I’m up next. Look, I’ll call you tomorrow with the time and place, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Rosa...” There was a pause. The noises on the other ended faded away for a moment. Aedan’s voice was startlingly clear. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you... I had a really great time last night.”

  She could almost see Aedan’s lips curving into that seductive grin, even though at the moment he sounded like a shy teenager thanking her for going to the movies.

  “I had a...wonderful time too, Aedan.” She cringed. ‘Wonderful’ didn’t quite describe how it had been.

  The noises in the background started up again. She could barely hear Aedan.

  “I’ve got to go.”

  And then the line went dead.

  Rosa lay back against the pillows, the phone in her hand. She thought about Aedan, the contradictions in him. And she remembered the scars on his back, across his chest. She wondered if she’d ever know how he got them, if he’d ever confide in her.

  She shook her head. You’re getting ahead of yourself here. Let’s have an actual date first.

  An excited little shiver ran up her back. A date with Aedan. She smiled. Laura would cringe, give her a lecture. And Sophia...she wasn’t sure what Sophia would say.

  Impulsively she dialed Sophia’s number. The answer was almost immediate.

  “You! You went home with him! How could you?”

  Apparently, Sophia wasn’t going to be happy to hear that Rosa had accepted an actual date with Aedan.

  “Well...it just sorta happened.” That’s close enough to the truth.

  There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “So...did you make out? Did you spend the night?”

  “Make out? How old are you, Sophia? Twelve? And yes...” Rosa hesitated. “I spent the night.”

  She wasn’t sure how much detail she wanted to give Sophia. Part of her wanted to go over every look, every word said, every move made, like she’d done with every other boyfriend. But part of her wanted to keep this private, to keep this...whatever it was...between her and Aedan. He seemed like such a private person. The last thing she thought he’d want was her telling Sophia about their night together. Or anything else about him, at this point.

  “And? Details, please. You know it’s been a long time for me.”

  Rosa could almost picture Sophia, her eyes bright, waiting to hear every last thing that was said, every kiss. Everything else.

  “Sophia, I don’t think so. Not this time.”

  “Is he really that terrible in bed?”

  “No...I mean, that’s not it.”

  There was a beat of silence. “Are you ready to admit it was just a one-night stand and you made a mistake? That slumming with some Bronx punk who beat up some other guys really wasn’t all that you thought it would be?”

  Rosa frowned at the phone. Sophia wasn’t usually so catty. “Um, no. I meant, it’s private. Why are you so upset over this?”

  “I’m not.” There was a petulant note to her voice, something Rosa recognized. She was jealous. Rosa remembered going through this with Sophia in high school. You’d think she’d have outgrown it by now. “Sophia, really? I think you’re jealous.” Rosa tried for a teasing tone to her voice, not sure it worked.

  “Me? Over that guy? Please...” There was the sound of a lighter; Sophia only smoked when she was upset.

  Rosa realized it was time to change the subject. “Okay. So what are you doing today?”

  “Me? Well, Mark’s coming by to take me out tonight, on a real date.”

  Rosa heard the smug note in her friend’s voice, thought about letting the comment pass, but couldn’t resist. “Oh, so Mark is your boyfriend now? I thought you two were ‘just friends.’ Your parents don’t like him, do they?” Mark was a nice guy, a junior something at some firm. Sophia’s parents thought he wasn’t quite what they wanted for a future son-in-law.

  “At least we’re going to a place where the floor isn’t sticky with spilled beer or worse.”

  “Well, as it happens, I have my own real date with Aedan tomorrow.” Rosa cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. That probably hadn’t been the best way to bring it up.

  Sophia took a deep breath on the other end of the line. There was whoosh as she exhaled cigarette smoke and then a cough. Sophia wasn’t adept at smoking and talking at the same time. She was usually inhaling at the wrong moment. Rosa suspected there was a scathing reply waiting to be uttered. But she cut her off.

  “Listen, someone’s looking for me here. I’ll call you later.”

  Rosa flung the phone down on the bed. She’d known Sophia since primary school and she loved her dearly, most of the time. But lately, there’d been times when it was all Rosa could do to not fly into a fury with the girl. This was just the latest example.

  Her stomach responded to her thoughts with a loud growl. She realized she was hungry. No one had called her for dinner and she wondered if anyone was even home.

  Sophie was in the kitchen, putting away dishes.

  “Sophie, is anyone here besides me?”

  “Oh, Miss Rosa. You’re awake. No, your mother is out and your father called to say he was having dinner with a client. Would you like me to make you something? There’s salmon or I can make you a salad.”

  Rosa made a face. “Not salmon. I’ll have salad, please.” She slid onto one of the kitchen island stools. “How long has my mother been out?”

  Sophie was rummaging in the refrigerator and Rosa waited while she piled ingredients for a salad on the counter.

  “I don’t know, Miss Rosa.” Sophie busied herself with the lettuce and tomatoes, not meeting Rosa’s eyes.

  “Did she say when she’d be back?” Rosa reached for a slice of carrot, popping it into her mouth.

  “No...You should probably ask your father. I don’t know anything else.”

  Rosa frowned. Sophie was the eyes and ears of the household. “Did my father say when he’d be home?”

  “He said late, probably not until after ten o’clock.”

  Sophie passed the plate of salad to Rosa, setting out a glass of iced tea. Rosa picked at the greens, wondering, not for the first time, where her mother was. Something wasn’t adding up, but she couldn’t really place her finger on what it was, aside from Sophie’s sudden lack of knowledge in household comings and goings.

  After she’d finished dinner, she headed back upstairs, finding the novel she’d star
ted reading. It was long past midnight when she heard someone coming down the hall. There was a brief knock and her father stuck his head into her room.

  “You’re up late, angel. Can’t sleep? Or just a good book?” He nodded at the novel she held in her hands.

  “A little of both. I had a nap this afternoon, so I’m not tired. And the book’s really good.”

  “Well, I’m tired enough for both of us.” He smiled, as exhausted as he sounded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Good night, Dad. Sleep well.”

  Rosa slipped a bookmark between the pages, setting the book on her nightstand. It was a romance, a Scottish highlander in love with an English woman...a terrible combination, given the time and place. But they were in love and that was all that mattered. Rosa thought about her parents, wondered if they’d ever been that much in love.

  And she thought about Aedan; wild Aedan, unpredictable...maybe dangerous. But so very handsome and...well, the rest made her blush.

  It was a long time before she fell asleep, images of Aedan interwoven with dashing Scotsmen filling her head.

  Chapter 5

  It was late the next day when she woke. Her father had already left for work, her mother wouldn’t be back from wherever she’d gone till dinner. Even with a sleep-in, the rest of the day crawled by. She could barely sit still, waiting for Aedan to call. Sophie was busy and didn’t have time to talk. Television boring. Instagram repetitive. Snapchat, well she felt up to the snapping, not so much with the chatting unless it was with one male in particular. Nothing seemed to make the time go faster, not even reading about a rogue Scottish Highlander.

  She finally dozed off on her bed, clutching her book to her chest.

  Sounds from the hall woke her, voices trying to be quiet but not quite succeeding.

  She let out a sigh, stretching, and then glancing at the clock on her bedside table. Nearly evening? She hoped her mother was home, or, better yet, that her father was home from work.

  As she came down the stairs, she followed the sound of the voices in the study, recognizing her father’s deep voice and her mother’s higher pitched and seemingly continuous. By the sound of it, her mother must have had a few drinks and was launching into her complaint list for the day.

  Rosa sighed, walking through the door.

  “And I don’t understand why you can’t be...” Her mother broke off in mid-sentence, catching sight of Rosa. “Rosa, darling. Why are you in those clothes? It’s almost time for dinner. You know I can’t abide you not being dressed for dinner.”

  Rosa rolled her eyes. “Okay, Mother. In a minute.”

  “You don’t have a minute. The Prestons are expected shortly. You need to get dressed. Now.” Her mother rose from her wing chair, all pearls and fluttering hands and clucking tongue.

  “Oh, Celeste, leave her alone for a minute.” Her father rose from the loveseat, beaming at Rosa. “Come here, angel. Give your old man a kiss.”

  Rosa sidestepped her mother, walking into her father’s embrace. She loved the scent of his clothes: his cologne, starch from his shirt and sometimes tobacco from the pipe he occasionally smoked. It was so rare that he had time to give her attention like this, and she craved the closeness.

  Her father hugged her hard, kissing the top of her head before holding her away from him, hands on her shoulders, looking down at her like he was studying her. He let her go and sat back on the loveseat, picking up his glass.

  “Did you sleep well?” Her father took a sip of his bourbon.

  “Have you recovered from your wild night out on the town?” Her mother added, looking at Rosa over the rim of her cocktail glass.

  Rosa’s father shot his wife a withering glance, then looked back at Rosa with a question in his expression. “Rosa?”

  Before she could answer, her mother cut in again. “Sophie told me all about it, so there’s no denying it.”

  Rosa made a face, rolling her eyes before turning back to her father. “I wasn’t going to deny it. I was out with Sophia and Laura. I tried calling, but no one was home.”

  Her father shook his head. “You know I don’t like you staying out all night, but if you were with Laura and Sophia, I guess it’s all right.”

  Not really a lie. He didn’t ask about morning, what happened after midnight. “I’m not a little kid anymore, Dad. I survived college, you know.”

  “I know,” her father replied with a grin.

  “So why do I need to be around for dinner with you and the Preston’s?” Maybe he would be sympathetic to her plight. “I sort of already have plans-”

  “Because they’re bringing Thomas and you two are dating. Why else?” Her mother interrupted. She’d settled back into her wing chair, taking a delicate sip from her martini, a smug look on her face.

  Rosa slumped down on the loveseat next to her father and scowled at her mother. “Really? This again, Mother? I told you last week Thomas and I aren’t dating anymore. I don’t want to sit through a dinner with him. It’s going to be horribly uncomfortable.” She turned to her father. “Dad, please?” Rosa tilted her head at him in the way that had always persuaded him to buy her something new.

  “I’m sorry, Rosa. Your mother’s right. It would be rude not to be there. You can always change your plans. I’m sure Sophia or Laura will understand.”

  “But—It’s not...I have a date.” Rosa didn’t want to explain who the date was with, but she definitely did not want to sit through dinner with someone she’d just broken up with. Who in their right mind would?

  “Rosa, I’ll have no more arguments. I’m sure it’s just a silly disagreement between you and Thomas.” Her mother consulted her watch, a faint frown creasing her forehead. “You have just about thirty minutes to be presentable.”

  There was a finality in that statement that made Rosa realize there was no winning this argument. Even her father knew when to back away from her mother. Rosa cast one more glance at her dad.

  He shook his head, shrugging. “Sorry, love. It’ll be fine. Just go get ready.” He leaned over, kissing her cheek.

  “Fine.” Rosa trudged up the stairs in resignation. What was she going to say to Aedan?

  She grabbed her cell phone, flipping it open. How was she going to tell Aedan? The number he’d called from showed as Murray’s Gym. She’d assumed he’d called from his cell phone.

  “Oh, shit.” She dialed the number. It rang for way too long before a gruff voice answered.

  “Murray’s.”

  “Um...hello. I’m looking for Aedan...”

  “This isn’t his answering service, lady.”

  “It’s...it’s sort of an emergency.”

  “He ain’t here. Try his home or cell phone or something.” The phone banged down, making her wince.

  Rosa paced back and forth, finally tearing open her closet, looking for something to wear for dinner. “He said he’d call...he said he’d call...” She repeated it like a mantra as she pulled on a simple green dress. Her hair was disheveled, slept-in messy. The comb tangled in the knots as she dragged it through her hair, but she barely felt it. Call, Aedan. Dammit...call.

  Dinner was interminable. The Prestons were apparently oblivious as well to the fact she’d broken up with their son. She knew as soon as her mother got her alone she’d be reprimanded for being sullen during the meal, but she didn’t care. She and Thomas avoided speaking, even though they were seated side by side. Had he even told his parents they were through?

  She kept her cell phone in her lap, fidgeting, waiting for it to start vibrating. When it finally did, she jumped, spilling water on her dress.

  “Oh!” She sprang back from the table, her phone clutched in her hand. “I’ll be right back.” She ducked around the corner into the hall, pressing the phone to her ear. “Hello?” she whispered.

  “Rosa? I can barely hear you.”

  “I’m...something’s come up. I can’t go out tonight.”

  AEDAN SCOWLED AT HIS phone. Something wasn�
�t right, but he wasn’t sure what was setting off the prickly feeling along the back of his neck. He usually wasn’t wrong about women and he could usually tell when someone wasn’t being honest. Rosa was interested, more than interested. But the tension in her voice told him there was more behind her words, something she didn’t want to tell him.

  Dinner with the parents. Aedan thought that part was true, but her whole manner, speech, whispered conversation, set off warning bells.

  He flipped his phone shut, stuffing it into his pocket. She said she’d call him later. I’ll call her first.

  Aedan stalked down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, Rosa on his mind. He wanted to see her...wanted her again, more than any woman he’d met. That surprised him. Not many women made a repeat showing in his life; even fewer ever made a second appearance in his bed.

  But he wanted to spend time with her, get to know her. Try to understand where she was coming from.

  He walked for as long as he thought it would take for her to have dinner, even a long dinner with her parents. Clouds gathered overhead, but there was no rain. In this part of the city, the streets were growing quieter as night began to fall, not full of tourists just heading out for shows and nights on the town. Pulling out his phone, he hit redial. The phone rang long enough that he thought it would go to voicemail, but she picked up.

  “Hey, babe.”

  “Aedan?” Rosa’s voice was soft.

  “Rosa. I want to see you.” He took a breath and let it out again. “Tonight. We can still go out, still have a date.”

  “It’s late...”

  “It’s not that late.” It was late, not that he cared.

  “I...yes.” Her voice was a combination of eagerness and reluctance.

  “There’s a little taqueria on 138th, in the Bronx. It’s near a subway stop. Easy to find.”

  There was a brief hesitation. Aedan’s heart skipped a beat. She’s not coming. He told himself he shouldn’t be disappointed. It was better that way.

  “I’ll meet you there in an hour, Aedan.”

  She still had that soft breathless quality to her voice, the sound that made Aedan’s heart beat just a little faster, the way she’d sounded that morning in the shower. He could picture her face, her green eyes, her lips parted...and the rest came back in a flood of images and sensations.