Taste Read Online Free Page B

his last visit—I went to meet Aiden’s flight at the airport. I was happy—the happiest I’d truly been for a long time—and although the private detective hadn’t found out anything substantial, he was still looking for answers, as was Aiden.
    The passengers started to disembark, and I stood there anxiously waiting to see his gorgeous smile again. When I saw him, I ran, jumping up into his arms as I tangled my fingers in his hair and slammed my mouth against his. He’d dropped his bags and grabbed my ass, holding me to him as he returned the kiss and laughed into my mouth.
    I pulled my head back to look at him, just happening to look over his shoulder and stopped breathing at what I saw.
    That was because the man I’d known as Barrett stood right behind him, and the look on his face was murderous.
     

 
     
     
    “Aly?” Aiden asked as he dropped me slowly to my feet. “What’s wrong?”
    I couldn’t answer him because I was in shock. My anger hit me hard and a red film covered my eyes.
    “Aly?” he said again, his voice full of concern as he turned around to see what had rendered me speechless.
    I finally managed to close my mouth, but was still unable to tear my eyes from the man who’d sweet-talked me, wined and dined me, kissed and groped me, then finger-fucked me before walking out. Seeing him brought back the rawness of it all—the lies, the deceit, everything.
    “That’s Barrett,” I whispered harshly.
    “What?” Aiden asked incredulously as he switched between the two of us.
    “That man there”—I pointed straight at the man who had the audacity to scowl at me—”that is Barrett fucking Matthews. The man paid to fuck with me.”
    “That’s Mark Lucas,” Aiden replied, his brows furrowed. “He was on my flight.”
    “No, he’s not,” I argued, as I moved to the side to get a better look at Barrett.
    “Alyssa,” Barrett said gently, which pissed me off even more.
    “You asshole,” Aiden growled and quick as a flash, he had Barrett backed into a wall with his forearm against his neck. Barrett’s arms gripped Aiden’s shoulders as he struggled to push him off.
    “Lawrence, you don’t wanna go there.”
    “You might think that,” Aiden spat out, “but you’d be fucking wrong.”
    When Barrett’s face went red and Aiden did not show any sign of letting him go, I rushed toward the two of them and pushed Aiden away.
    Airport security arrived, and two men took Aiden in one direction and Barrett in the other. They left me standing in the middle of the two groups, my head switching between Aiden, who had flashed his badge at the security guards and appeared to be talking calmly to them, and the man who broke my heart.
    Barrett had turned and braced his hands against the wall, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Against my better judgment, I wanted to go to him and make sure he was okay. Then there was Aiden, who just wanted to protect me and who had acted on impulse to do exactly that.
    Knowing what I wanted to do was not the logical, or even smart thing to do, I bottled up my anger and took one last look at Barrett. My breath caught when I saw him leaning against the wall, staring right at me. His eyes were conflicted; that war I’d seen waging there back in Vegas was stronger than ever.
    Gone was the cocky smile and sexy smirk. Instead, his face was blank and unreadable.
    “Aly, let’s go,” Aiden called out from behind me, and taking my last long fill of Barrett, I turned my back and took Aiden’s outstretched hand then walked away.
    When we got to my car, Aiden pulled the keys from my hand and bleeped the locks. He walked to the passenger door and held it open while I took my seat. Once he’d put his luggage in the trunk, he took his place behind the steering wheel but didn’t start the car.
    “How did it feel?” he asked, his voice strangely terse.
    “What do you mean?” I spun my body toward him and placed my hand on his forearm.
    “To see him