Happily Ever After: A Romance Collection

by Amelia Wilde

  “You don’t?”

  “I quit. I hated my boss and when I had the money from that night…I sort of thought, why the hell would I subject myself to her anymore?”

  “I like the sound of that,” he says, smiling.

  “You like the sound of unemployment?”

  “No, I like the sound of a woman pursuing her dreams.”

  I blush. “What makes you think that that’s what I’m doing?”

  “I don’t know. But I have a feeling. You love to write. And that sort of thing tends to eat at you if you don't do it.”

  How did he know so much about me? It’s like he looked into my soul and it gave him access to all of my deepest and darkest secrets.

  “So, what made you so smart?” I ask.

  He shrugs and looks away. That ever-present twinkle in his eyes seems to vanish for a moment.

  “What?” I press.

  “I just know a creative person when I see one,” he says after a moment. “There was a time, a long time ago, when I was interested in something other than computers, too.”

  “Really?” I sit up a little. “Like what?”

  “Actually, I liked to paint,” he says. “Watercolors, but sometimes with oil, too. It started with drawing, but I wanted to make a little bit more of a mess than colored pencils permitted me to.”

  “Wow, I had no idea,” I whisper.

  I’m actually taken aback by this.

  On the surface, Aiden Black is a put-together, alpha billionaire with a big company to run and oversee. He’s practically the last person you would ever imagine painting in their spare time.

  “So, do you still paint?” I ask.

  “Sometimes, late at night. When I can’t sleep,” he says. “Unfortunately, I don't have much time for hobbies.”

  “See, that’s what I thought, too,” I say. “Until a certain someone told me that there are some things in the world that are more important than money and a job.”

  Aiden throws his head back as he chuckles.

  “What’s the matter? You don't like someone throwing your own advice back at you?”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just that I don't just have a job. I run a whole company. Owl’s main competitor is Amazon - so it’s not even any small business either. And actually, I really like doing it. Painting - it’s a passion, of course, but not as much as Owl.”

  I nod. I can see in his eyes that he’s telling the truth.

  When the waiter arrives with the dessert menu, I shake my head no and say that I’m too full.

  “Okay, how about we get dessert to go?” Aiden asks. “Their chocolate mousse is to die for.”

  “Okay,” I give in.

  “We can have it back at my place.”

  My eyes widen at the thought. “Your place?”

  “Yes, that is if you want to come over for a nightcap. We can have some coffee and dessert.”

  “And that’s it?”

  “I’m nothing if not a gentleman, Ellie,” Aiden says with a wink.

  Oh, yeah, right, I smile.

  I know exactly what kind of gentleman he is.

  I’ve seen some of his work in the bedroom.

  But that just makes me even more excited about going to his apartment.

  Aiden pulls over to the valet in front of his Park Avenue apartment building.

  After tipping the valet, he says hello to the doorman who holds the door for us and welcomes us inside.

  The foyer has all the charm of a pre-war building, but also all the amenities of a contemporary apartment building. There’s 24-hour concierge and staff service, a fine dining restaurant, housekeeping on demand, and a fitness center.

  Aiden’s apartment is on the twenty-fourth floor of Emery Roths fabled Ritz Tower, high above Park Avenue.

  Once he shows me inside, the first thing I notice is how pin-drop quiet it is. None of the noise of the city below penetrates inside.

  It’s so quiet that it sounds as if we are somewhere in the country, miles away from Manhattan. My heels make a loud clicking sound as we walk along the herringbone hardwood floors.

  Looking up, I see thick crown moldings and soaring twelve-foot ceilings throughout.

  The elegant foyer welcomes me to this sophisticated home, leading to the sprawling and sun-filled corner living room, which features five oversized windows.

  We walk past the state-of-the-art kitchen with custom cabinetry, marble countertops and backsplash, and beautiful stainless steel appliances.

  “Do you cook often?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “Not as much as I would like.”

  Hmm, a lover who also likes to cook? I could definitely get used to that.

  “I can’t even make scrambled eggs,” I confess.

  “Well, we’ll have to remedy that, won’t we?”

  Aiden opens a cabinet, which I thought was the pantry, but is actually a large wine cellar.

  He takes a few moments to decide on the particular wine that he wants.

  “Before we have that, can I have a tour of the rest of the house?” I ask.

  “Of course.”

  Aiden leads me down a private corridor toward the bedrooms.

  The master suite faces west over the Park and features a spacious and windowed marble bath and walk-in closet and the other bedroom also contains an en suite.

  The third bedroom is just off the living room and is a large library with built-in oak bookcases.

  “You have a beautiful home,” I say when we get back to the living room.

  I look out of the floor-to-ceiling window onto the city below. It’s hard to imagine that a bachelor lives here.

  “Thank you,” Aiden says, taking a step closer to me. I can feel his breath on my neck, and it sends shivers up my spine.

  Putting his arm around my lower back, he turns me around to face him.

  His eyes turn a deeper shade without giving up the innocent and mysterious quality that drew me to them in the first place.

  Suddenly, he reaches out and brushes his fingers along my bottom lip. His fingertips feel both rough and soft at the same time. He leans closer to me and I feel him breathing in and out on my face. I lick my lips in anticipation.

  Aiden buries his fingers in my hair and tilts my head slightly to the side. It’s about to happen. I close my eyes and wait for our lips to touch.

  His lips are soft, almost effervescent. He tilts my head back and drops his. His tongue feels foreign and familiar at the same time.

  His kisses are so soft and slow that the hair on the back of my neck stands up with each touch. Slowly, his lips make their way away from my lips and onto my neck.

  Aiden’s hands run down my back and then come back to my shoulders.

  He presses his hard body against mine.

  Our legs touch, sending shivers through me. I open my legs a little wider and he pushes himself even closer to me. A moment later, we intertwine as one.

  “Aiden, wait,” I whisper.

  “What’s wrong?” He pulls away from me and looks into my eyes.

  When his hair falls into his face, it touches my forehead and it feels like little butterfly kisses.

  “No, nothing.” I shake my head.

  I don't even know what I’m thinking. I don't really want to stop. I’m just having trouble losing myself in the moment.

  If I let this happen, what does it mean?

  Where do we stand?

  Suddenly, a million contradictory thoughts rush through my mind.

  Aiden continues to kiss my lips and neck, but not going any further without my saying so. I can feel him waiting for my permission.

  You need to get it together, Ellie, I say silently to myself.

  You want this.

  You want him.

  And as for the future?

  Who the hell ever knows what the future holds?

  In between our kisses, I look up into Aiden’s eyes.

  Even though this strong, alpha male doesn’t seem like the type, he makes me
feel incredibly safe and comfortable.

  A big part of me feels like I’ve known him my whole life. Like we should’ve been together way before this weekend.

  It’s as if we belong together.

  “It doesn’t feel like I’ve just met you,” I finally say.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I don't know what it is. I just feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”

  He smiles and licks his lips. The twinkle in his eyes makes him look like his old mischievous self.

  “Okay, fine, laugh at me,” I say. The smile quickly disappears.

  “Oh, I’m not. I’m smiling because I agree with you,” he says with all seriousness.

  “You do?”

  “I’m falling for you, Ellie,” he says quietly. We stare into each other’s eyes until we see each other’s souls.

  “I feel like I’m falling for you, too,” I say after a moment.

  Aiden tilts my neck back and kisses me. A minute later, he pulls away, grabs my hand, and leads me to the bedroom.

  The lights in the bedroom are dimmed low and he pauses for a second at the foot of the bed.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.

  “Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Aiden whispers without missing a beat. I blush and turn away. Now that can’t be true, can it?

  “No, you have to believe me,” he says.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s the truth,” he says. “I know you don't believe me. But I wish that you would. I wish you could see yourself from my eyes.”

  I look up at him and see a gaze of adoration staring back at me.

  He really does think that I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

  The confidence in his voice is disarming, and I can’t help but blush again.

  Aiden leans over and kisses me again. Unlike before, his lips are now more forceful, more powerful. As he presses his body into mine, all I feel is the hardness of his muscles.

  His kisses become harder and begin to border on pain, but the good kind.

  The kind that sends shivers through your body. As I push back at him, I feel him rise a little above me and with one swift motion he tosses me onto the bed.

  After he lowers himself on top of me, our bodies begin to move as one. Through his pants, I can feel the girth and the substantial size of his cock.

  I want to see it and feel it in my hand.

  I need to taste it.

  His hands make their way down my body with expert precision.

  Quickly, I regret the fact that I wore jeans.

  Unlike a short dress, which would be near my waist right about now, jeans, especially tight jeans, require a lot more maneuvering.

  But they don't faze Aiden one bit.

  He unbuttons the top button, flashing me a smile, and then pulls down the zipper with his teeth. I blush again, but wait in anticipation as he sits up and pulls my jeans off me.

  Once my legs are freed, Aiden slides his hands back up, across the curves of my hips and up my hipbones. He stops briefly around my belly button, teasing me and making me even more wet.

  Suddenly, he kisses me lightly around my belly button and then runs his tongue down to the top of my panties.

  My body rises and falls with each kiss.

  I pull my legs closed to try to stop myself from getting even more aroused, without much avail.

  As Aiden continues to tease me, by kissing me along my panty line, my mouth suddenly dries up of all moisture and feels as parched as a desert.

  When he returns his gaze to my eyes, I can see that he’s planning something.

  A moment later, I realize that he has his mind set on pulling off my blouse. I give in immediately.

  Along with my blouse, he unclips my bra, letting my erect nipples fall nearly into his mouth.

  “Wow,” he whispers, placing the tip of my nipple into his mouth and sucking on it lightly.

  “Your breasts…wow, Ellie. Just wow,” Aiden says, sharing his time between my breasts.

  I lie back down and indulge in the moment.

  “I love the way you say my name,” I confess.

  “Oh, you do?”

  “Yes. And I want to hear you say it when you cum.”

  OMG, did I really just say that?

  I’ve relaxed a bit too much.

  I can’t believe that I let that slip.

  That’s not something I should say, or anyone should say, out loud. But it just makes Aiden chuckle.

  “I will as long as you promise to scream my name when I make you cum.”

  I stare at him, dumbfounded, having lost all ability to speak.

  A part of me wants to die of embarrassment, and another part wants to wrap my legs around him and force him inside of me.

  Aiden pulls off his pants and briefs, exposing his large and very sexy member.

  It’s tan just like the rest of his body and straight.

  He climbs on top of me and I wrap my hands around his strong, toned butt. The skin of his butt is soft and delicate, but the bulging muscles underneath are powerful.

  My legs fall open for him and he grinds on me for a few moments. There’s only a thin layer of lace panties separating us and I want him so much that I wish he would just tear them off me as soon as possible.

  A moment later, as if he had read my mind, he jumps up and pulls my panties off, tossing them onto the floor.

  The area in between my legs is begging for him. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wet before.

  “I want you,” Aiden whispers, pushing himself inside of me. I let out a moan of pleasure.

  “I want you, too,” I whisper when I regain the ability to speak.

  His motions in and out of me are elegant and powerful. Quickly, we begin to move as one as he moves deeper and deeper inside of me.

  A few moments later, my legs start to feel numb and I know that I’m getting close. I point my toes as my body seizes up. A soothing sensation starts to fill my entire body and I get closer and closer to that blissful release.

  “Oh my God, Aiden!” I moan loudly. As soon as he hears me, he starts to move faster and faster, driving me wild.

  “Aiden!” I scream as our movements speed up and then a warm sensation pulses through my whole body. I give up and give in and let go of myself completely.

  “Ellie!” he screams, a few moments after my body goes limp under him.

  “Ellie!” he screams again and again into my ear, moving his hips faster and faster.

  “Aiden,” I whisper when I finally come back to my senses.

  “Ellie,” he whispers one last time, collapsing on top of me.

  27

  Ellie

  What happens afterward…

  Lying in bed after making love to Aiden makes me feel alive and invigorated.

  It’s almost like I have been asleep for a long time and I’m just waking up.

  I glance over at Aiden and the way the covers cradle his toned torso, making him look even more tan and sexy.

  “Ellie, are you staring at me?” Aiden asks, keeping his eyes closed.

  “Yes,” I say, pulling lightly at the covers. They easily slip off his manhood, exposing all the yummy bits.

  “I need a break, honey,” he mumbles. “You wore me out.”

  I laugh.

  While I feel full of energy, the evening’s activities have clearly drained Aiden of his.

  After a few moments, he opens his eyes and gives me one of those looks that pierces through my very soul.

  If I weren’t already naked, I’d feel completely naked. Exposed.

  Yet, the feeling is not threatening in the least.

  I feel safe with him.

  Safe and well-taken care of.

  “Since you don’t seem to be the least bit tired,” Aiden says, turning toward me and propping his head up with his hand. “Why don’t we talk?”

  “I like the sound of that,” I say. “So, where are you from? What�
��s your family like?”

  The expression on his face tells me that he was not ready for my quick fire questions, but these things have been on my mind ever since we met. I mean, I hardly know two things about him.

  “I guess you didn’t google me yet.”

  “No, I did,” I say. “But you know, newspaper articles. They’re often full of falsehoods. Plus, I want to hear it from you.”

  “Okay…well, I grew up in a pretty average family. My parents fought a lot, but refused to get divorced. I think they couldn’t really afford to live apart, so they stayed together and made everyone’s life miserable.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I say.

  “It’s okay. I’m way over it. My way of dealing with it was just to spend all of my time tinkering with computers.”

  “Where did you grow up?”

  “Near Boston. My mom was a nurse at a hospital, she often worked the night shift. My dad was a garbage man. He didn’t work much during the day, so he spent most of his free time drinking.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He shrugs and looks away. “They loved me in their own way, I know that. But I knew from a young age that the only way I wasn’t going to have the same life that they had was to study hard and go to college.”

  “That’s why you went to Yale?”

  “Yep. It was my dream school, actually. And I still feel bad about dropping out to start Owl.”

  “Even though you’re the founder of Owl and it’s such a huge company now?”

  “Yeah, even so,” he says. “Just thinking back, I don't think it would’ve made much of a difference if I had just finished my degree, you know? I mean, what’s a year in the long scheme of things?”

  I’ve never thought of that myself. As much as I had enjoyed my college experience, I’m not sure if I’d be for expanding it for another year.

  “How was college for you?” he asks.

  “It was fun. It had its hard parts. But mostly, it was a blast. Also, very different from the real world.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I guess that’s what I liked about it most. It just felt like this layover between high school and adulthood. I mean, we are adults, but we’re not expected to be adults. Not in any real way. I just think about all of those people who don't go to college and just go straight to work. Or have kids at a young age. I really admire them because I definitely couldn’t do that. There was no way that I would be ready for any of that now, let alone when I was eighteen.”