The Accidental Slave (Aya's story Part 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

day Aya thought about the man
from the marketplace. His amber eyes, his good looks and the
pulsating connection between them. Why had she reacted so strongly
towards him? Had he felt it too?
    She hadn’t told Tara because really… there was
nothing to tell, and Tara was so restless that night and kept
pacing the floor between their beds.
    “I wish Aston would admit his feelings to me,”
Tara complained.
    “What do you mean?” Aya asked, suppressing the
need to say, “Here we go again.”
    “I mean, we’ve been seeing each other for four
months and I’ve told him I love him, but he just won’t say the same
to me.”
    “Are you sure he loves you then?”
    “Of course he loves me. I mean he’s horny all
the time. He can’t get enough of me and I feel the same way about
him.”
    “Okay… but love and lust aren’t always the same
thing… you know that, right?”
    Tara snorted at her. “Don’t be stupid. I’m
twenty-four, not fourteen; of course I know the difference. But
Aston loves me all right, he just won’t admit it to himself.”
    Aya waited for Tara to continue, knowing that
she soon would.
    “I’m leaving in two weeks and I want him to come
home to England with me. God knows he’s been in the war for long
enough…”
    “So what’s the problem?”
    Tara rolled her eyes and with a high-pitched
voice she pointed out the obvious: “That he won’t go with me, of
course.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because he’s scared.”
    Aya frowned. Scared was not something she
connected with Aston. He was incredibly tough to look at with his
army hair, his muscled body, and his sharp intelligent eyes. There
wasn’t anything that signaled fear about him.
    “Scared?” Aya repeated as an invitation for Tara
to elaborate.
    “Yeah, he’s scared of loving me. I know he is.
But I’m going to ask him to marry me.”
    Aya swallowed air. “Really? Do you think that’s
wise?”
    Tara pouted. “Why not?”
    “I just worry that…”
    “That he’ll reject me?”
    “Well.”
    “I don’t think he will. I think he needs to see
my commitment and then he’ll allow himself to love me back.”
    “But Tara, why would you want to marry someone
who isn’t crazy about you?”
    Tara raised her voice. “Aston is crazy
about me. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
    Aya wasn’t so sure, but she wished Tara good
luck when she left the tent.
    Half an hour later Tara came storming back,
sobbing and cursing Aston to hell. Aston came storming after her
and Aya left the tent with big eyes. The level of drama between the
two really was extreme. Aya had nowhere to go and didn’t feel like
wandering around the camp at night. It wasn’t safe. She stayed
outside the tent and waited, trying to distract herself from the
heated discussion inside the tent, but their loud voices made it
impossible.
    “I’m sorry Tara, it’s not you.”
    “Right, the good old ‘It’s not you, it’s me’
phrase!”
    “Honestly. I’ll never marry anyone. That’s just
the way it is.”
    “Who made that stupid rule?”
    “I did,” Aston said firmly.
    “Why?” Tara demanded.
    “Because I don’t want to marry.”
    “So what do you want, Aston? What happens in two
weeks when I leave?” Tara was sniffling.
    “I don’t know, Tara, but if you are looking for
a long-term relationship I’m not your guy.”
    “Screw you, bastard. You love me!”
    “Tara, I…”
    “Say it!
    “Say it!”
    Aya could hear Tara break down crying and then
something was thrown around the tent.
    “Stop it, Tara.” Aston’s voice was low and
commanding. It sounded like muffled rumbling. Are they
fighting?
    “Please, Aston. I need it.” Tara’s voice was low
and begging.
    “Don’t! Tara, stop it, this is a bad idea. I
can’t give you what you need.”
    “Yes, you can. You just don’t want to.”
    “Tara, stop. Please stop… Oh, fuck… that’s not
fair.” Aya could hear a low growl from Aston, and from the sucking
sounds coming from the tent she had a