Aiden (Members From Money Book 8)

by Katie Dowe

  “I want you,” she whispered back.

  “Tell me what you want me to do,” he urged as he fought to take off his clothes. Without care, he threw them in a pile onto the carpeted floor.

  “I want you deep inside me.” Her mouth was dry and her body felt hot. “Please, Aiden, now.”

  He took out his erection and held it between his hand, pulling up the foreskin and exposing the dull red tip of it. “Touch what is yours,” he urged. To his shocked surprise, she came up on her elbow, and bending her head, she used her tongue to lick at the liquid that had pooled there. Aiden gritted his teeth and threw back his head as she took him into her mouth an inch at a time until he was deep inside her throat. He eased out a little, not wanting to make her gag, and she moved her mouth up and down the length of him.

  “Christ!” he muttered, looking down at her. He had always gone down on her, but this was the first time she was doing it to him and he felt as if he was going to explode! She reached beneath and closed one hand over his testicle, putting a little pressure on it as she moved her mouth up and down the length of him. He bellowed, his body jerking as he felt the orgasm erupting inside him starting from the base of his crotch and heading upwards. “Ciara, baby,” he groaned and went limp as she sucked him dry, swallowing every drop of him. He reached down and pulled her up, fastening his mouth on hers, his lips bruising and his hands tight as he pushed her back onto the pillows. He entered her swiftly, pushing deep into her as he thrust into her, his mouth hard on hers!

  *****

  They went to Paris for a week and apart from waking up late in the mornings and exploring the various attractions, they spent most of the time in bed. Ciara fell in love with him all over again as he made love to her by the pool without the slightest fear of them being discovered. She saw a totally different side of him that she prayed she would see again. He bought her frivolously expensive gifts like perfumes and body creams and several cute outfits in neutral colors for the baby.

  The week flew by too fast and she wished they could stay longer. “We will come back this time with Holly and our baby,” he told her quietly, reading her expression correctly. It was their last night and they had decided to spend it in their room.

  “I am in wine country and cannot drink any alcohol. You got to drink all the samples at the wine tasting we went to on Wednesday,” she complained as she leaned back against him. They had decided not to go anywhere for the night but stay in and enjoy the view from the balcony. She had been impressed that the concierge knew him by name and he had told her he did business here.

  “You tasted the champagne,” he reminded her.

  “I did not like it that much.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “So, you had a good time?”

  She turned around and looked up at him. “I had a wonderful time,” she whispered as she leaned into him. “I could not have asked for better.”

  He picked her up and took her to the bed where he showed her how much he needed her.

  Chapter 10

  Ciara watched the grainy monitor as Dr. Whittingham ran the instrument over the gel on her belly. She was fully six months pregnant, and although Aiden had made plans to come with her to the appointment, he had had to fly out of town unexpectedly. He had wanted her to put off the appointment, but she had told him that she would let him know as soon as she finished at the doctor. “I am supposed to be there, Ciara,” he had told her grimly.

  “It cannot be helped.”

  So, she had come by herself because Angela had an emergency at the hospital. She had brought Holly with her and the little girl was being entertained in the waiting room by one of the nurses. She was planning on taking her to the park as soon as they were finished. It was a lovely June afternoon and she had every intention of them enjoying the day. The honeymoon was over and it was business as usual. Aiden had been distracted and coming home late. She was determined not to show how disappointed she was that he was not the same person who had been on honeymoon with her a week ago.

  “Both of you want to know the sex?” the doctor asked her quietly, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Yes.”

  He pointed to something at the monitor and she peered at it not sure what he was showing her. “He is being very stubborn about not showing his private parts, but you and Aiden are having a son.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked him dazed, her troubled thoughts shelved for the moment.

  “I am.” He put away the instrument and reached for some napkins to wipe the gel off.

  “I am going to go into my office and send back a nurse for you to get dressed. Congratulations,” he told her with a smile.

  Ciara collected Holly, who had one of her favorite dolls and a lollipop that the nurse had given to her. “Mommy, look what I got!’ she said, jumping off the chair and coming towards her.

  “I see it.” She touched the top of the little girl’s head and smiled at the nurse who had been attending to her. “Ready?”

  “Are we going to the park now?”

  “Yes, we are.” Ciara opened the back door of the SUV and made sure she was strapped into her car seat before going. Aiden had insisted that she drive something else and she had given her mother the car she had been driving. She adjusted the mirror and looked back at Holly, who was busy pressing the button so she could watch something on the monitor there. “All set?”

  “Yes, Mommy,” she said in a distracted tone.

  Ciara adjusted the sound at her end and pulled out of the parking lot. She made the call when she was near to the park.

  “Rushing to a meeting,” he said as soon as he answered.

  “You want me to call you back?”

  “No. Are you on your way home?”

  “We are going to the park, and we are almost there.”

  “You never said anything about going to the park, Ciara.” His tone was cool and distant, and she felt as if he had put up a wall between them.

  “I was not aware that I had to clear everything with you.”

  “I don’t have time for this,” he said impatiently. “Have you asked one of the drivers to come with you?”

  “No, and before you start on that, I just want to share the news I have which you have totally spoiled right now.” She stopped the car and looked swiftly behind her, making sure that Holly was not hearing the argument. “We are having a son.” She did not wait for him to say anything but cut off the call and got out of the vehicle.

  “Okay, honey, let’s go.”

  ************

  Aiden heard the dial tone in his ear and could not believe it! He tried calling her back, but she was not picking up. Dammit! He was going into a meeting now and he wanted to tell her how happy he was. A son! He knew he had been pushing her away, but he was confused and had been shying away from the powerful pull of attraction he was feeling for her. It could not be just attraction! Whenever he was around her, he felt weak and foolishly gauche and he was not used to feeling this way. She had not told him she loved him again and he could not blame her. The honeymoon had been magical, but he had not known how to act around her after leaving himself bare for her to see him when they were in Paris. He had been arguing with himself that she was his wife and she had shown how much she loved him already so what was holding him back? With a sigh, he dialed a number. “My wife and daughter are at the Golf View Park. Ensure that they are okay.”

  ******

  “I feel a little guilty,” Angela murmured as she took the glass of lemonade from him. She had made plans with William a month ago to go sailing with him today, the first day of July, and had not been able to go with her daughter-in-law to the doctor. “I told my son that I had an emergency at the hospital and I feel like a little girl lying to her parents.”

  William lowered himself into the lounge chair opposite hers and started sipping his own drink. He had been at the wedding two weeks ago and had hated that he had to pretend that they were just friends. “I am tired of hiding, Angela, and I want us to g
o public.”

  Angela reached over to touch his arm briefly. “I know but I need more time.” She sighed. “They are having a son! Isn’t that wonderful news? But I have a feeling that my son is being his usual ornery self and giving Ciara a hard time.”

  “In what way?”

  “She loves him, William. Any fool can see that, but he puts up a shield around himself and it is driving them apart. This is the time when they should get closer together. His father was like that: unapproachable and cold! I endured it for the duration of my marriage and I had my career so I had something to cling to. Ciara is determined to be a stay-at-home mom even though she could use her degree to some use. I was thinking that we could use her in the hospital in the children’s unit, she could do wonders with those kids who are suffering from terminal diseases.”

  “You could ask her if she wanted to come in a few days for the week,” William suggested.

  “I will.” She leaned back and closed her eyes, loving the feel of the sun on her skin. “I love this.”

  “How about helping me to catch our dinner in another few minutes?” he said with a chuckle.

  “I hope you are not using those poor worms as bait.”

  “What else?”

  *******

  “Daddy!” Holly screamed as she jumped up and down in the clear blue water of the pool. Ciara had not heard him come up because she had an earphone in and was listening to some music. She slid the shades over her eyes, determined not to show any reaction to his presence. He had been calling her all yesterday and she had not picked up.

  “Hi, sweetie.” His smiled and waved to his daughter and looked at her lying there. He had not slept very well in his luxurious hotel suite because he had been calling her and not getting her. He had ended up calling the house phone only to be told by one of the maids that ‘Miss Ciara’ was sleeping.

  “Are you coming into the water?”

  “Maybe later, Holly, I need to talk to Mommy for a little bit.” He crouched down beside her and still she did not react. “Will you at least look at me?” he demanded softly.

  “Why?”

  “Ciara, stop playing games.” He reached over and plucked the shades from her face. She was wearing a one-piece white bathing suit that looked great against her flawless skin. “I am entitled to be concerned, dammit.”

  “Of course you are.” She turned and looked at him and her breath caught. She could not stay mad at him no matter what and she was afraid of the power he had over her. He was dressed casually in faded denims and black T-shirt and his hair was slightly tousled. How could she not love him in spite of the way he behaved at times? “Welcome home.”

  “I missed you.” His hands spanned her belly and stayed there, feeling the movements of his son inside her with wonder. “I wanted to talk to you about our son.” His voice was husky and he felt as if he did not have her he was going to explode, but it was too early in the evening and there was Holly to consider. He wanted to take her right here in the open.

  “Your daughter needs our attention now.” Ciara felt her flesh quivering at his touch.

  “I will go and change.”

  He came back a few minutes later wearing low slung, black knee-length shorts with his chest bare. She had instructed a maid to bring out something for them to eat as it was still light out. Angela had gone to some charity function which Leesa had invited her to, but she had declined. His body was well built and muscled because of his outdoor activities. She had finally gotten the chance to explore the grounds with Holly in tow and had been fascinated by the lush greenness of the place and how big it was. The two gardeners, Juan and Caleb, spoke to her about the pruning of the plants and the landscaping going on even though she had no clue about what they were doing. Holly was still in the water when he came out and he went to the diving board making a clean dive and coming behind Holly much to her delight.

  Ciara watched indulgently as he played water games with her, bouncing a ball she had brought into the pool, and the little girl’s screams as she caught the ball he threw to her. After that, he put her onto his broad shoulders and waded with her in the water. He was very good with her and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to be a very good father to their son. So, why was he holding out on her? The thought troubled her. For the rest of the evening she pretended that she had not a care in the world!

  ******

  “I want to do it,” she said stubbornly one night in July as they got ready for bed. “It’s three days a week and it is not really a full day. Holly has other activities that she does during the summer days and I need to occupy myself. I am not used to sitting around doing nothing, Aiden.”

  He had just come from the bathroom and his skin was still damp, the towel lung low on his hip. She could hardly tear her gaze away from him! In the meantime, she looked and felt as if she had swallowed a bowling ball.

  “Doctor Whittingham says you should take it easy and relax.” His eyes met hers in the mirror where she had been brushing her hair and bundling it into a ponytail.

  “I have been relaxing since I married you.” She carefully got to her feet and he reached out a hand to help her up. “I need to do something, Aiden.”

  “Leesa and Regina do not work, they are stay-at-home mothers.” His expression was firm as he watched her slip off her robe and climb into the bed. She had gotten bigger with his child inside her and to him she had never looked more beautiful. No matter where he went, he was not in the least bit tempted because all he thought about was her.

  “I am not them!” she cried in frustration. “I am going to be staying with our son when he is born, but for right now I need to do something.”

  He removed the towel and Ciara’s breath caught at the magnificent display of magnificent nakedness. He never slept in anything because he was always wrapping his body around her and ending up making love. He had told her at one time that it took too long to get undressed when he wanted to bury himself inside her. “I am a very wealthy man and my wife does not need to work. I do a lot of entertaining and we are going to have two children, surely that is more than enough to keep you busy?” He plumped up his pillows and rested his head back, looking up at her as she sat up against the headboard.

  “You get to go out to work and you never discuss that aspect with me. We don’t talk, Aiden. You never talk to me about your past or your likes and dislikes. I hardly know anything about you.”

  “What do you want to know?” he asked her mildly. “Do you want to know about growing up in a household that had all the amenities one could ever ask for but with a dad who was constantly telling you that the only thing that matters in life was to be a success? A man who thinks that hugging is taboo and too feminine? Is that what you want to know?” He lifted his eyebrows at her, and she felt pity for the little boy who must have been so lonely.

  “My dad went out of our lives when I was a little girl and I thought it was because of me. I figured that he had to leave because I was one more mouth to feed. My mother was working three jobs and I was the cause of it. If I had not been born they would have still been together so everything was all my fault.” She could afford to say it without feeling the usual bitterness.

  “Do you still believe that?” he asked her softly.

  She shook her head no. “He left because he was not man enough to take care of his family.”

  He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. “You had to be pretty tough from a very tender age, didn’t you?”

  She shrugged and felt the warmth of his touch and his tone. “I felt sorry for my mother and what she went through.” She turned to face him fully. “I have to do something, Aiden. I happen to love children very much, and I not only want to share that love with ours, I want to share it with the unfortunate ones who are suffering at such a tender age.”

  “Two days a week,” he acquiesced.

  She opened her mouth to tell him that she had agreed to three but closed it at the look on his face. “Your feet are sw
elling and the doctor said because of your hormone imbalance you have to be very careful, so I am not going to change my mind about this. Holly needs you, Ciara. Even though she has her activities going on, she loves having you around.”

  “Okay, two days, but after the baby is born and is old enough I am going to think about going in for more days. I can be a mother and contribute to society as much as the next woman. I will never shortchange my children.”

  “I will think about it,” he said, inclining his head. “Are we finished?” His hand drifted to her full breast that was almost spilling out of her lace nightgown.

  “For now,” she told him huskily.

  “Good.” He pulled her on top of him and framed her face, bringing her head down and taking her lips with his in a hungry, seeking kiss.

  ******

  It was not exactly a job; it was more of a bolstering of the spirits of children whose future had been cut short by dreaded diseases. Michael Paul was a cheerful six-year-old who managed to smile a lot in spite of the cancer eating away his skin. Lilly Blagrove was only ten but looked a lot older because of the numerous radiation and chemotherapy she went through regularly. Angela told her that her husband had added a wing to the hospital for the children to have a place where they could stay for an indefinite period of time and not have to worry about the cost of it. There was also a section for parents to stay as well if they wanted to. “Anton had his ways, but he made a lot of indirect contributions to the medical field. This entire hospital has the Carter stamp all over it.” She smiled at a group of children who were sitting around and watching animated characters on television. A nurse was just getting ready to leave the room when they got there. Angela smiled at her and went forward to introduce Ciara to the children.