by K E Osborn
“When are you going to see him again?” Sarah asks impatiently.
“I’m not sure. Soon, hopefully,” I gush excitedly.
Sarah’s face lights up in delight. “I’m so happy that you’re happy. We’ll have to go on a double date.” Her eyes light up like it’s a flash of brilliance, though Chris shakes his head, rolls his eyes, and continues to fiddle with his phone.
Suddenly, a phone rings in the distance making us all perk up.
“It’s not mine,” Chris states.
Sarah pulls hers out of her pocket. “Must be yours, Jeni.” A slight gleam of hope shines in her eyes, the same hope that’s in mine. I’m guessing it’s Aiden. “Go get it, doofus,” Sarah encourages, pushing me off my chair.
My feet fly to the floor, carrying me weightlessly as I run to my room and answer just in time. “Hello?”
I notice Sarah peeking through my door.
“Hey, Jeni, it’s Aiden. Hope I didn’t wake you.” His gorgeous voice melts my soul all over again as I sit on my bed.
“No, it’s fine. I’m up. How are you?” Butterflies surge through my stomach like a whirlwind, making me unbelievably excited.
Sarah tiptoes into my room, then sits next to me. She leans in close, and I position the phone so she can hear what he says.
“I had a nap, so I’m feeling refreshed… I had a great time last night and this morning. I’m hoping you did, too?” he asks.
“He sounds sexy,” Sarah whispers as I cover the phone so he can’t hear.
“Shh…” I murmur. “I definitely had a great time. Thanks so much. It was incredible,” I reply sincerely.
He’s quiet for a second like he’s contemplating. Sarah and I stare at each other as my stomach flitters with nerves. How can one man affect me so much?
“I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me tonight? I have a work function to attend, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have on my arm than you.”
My eyes widen at Sarah as she bounces up and down on the bed, mouthing ‘go’ to me.
Inhaling a deep breath while trying to find the courage I need, I steady my shoulders. “Okay, sure. What should I wear?”
“Don’t worry about a dress. I’ll have Mike pick up something suitable for you.”
Sarah’s still jumping on the bed, making me bounce around. She puts her thumbs up at me with excitement as curiosity washes over me. “But how will he know my size?”
“Don’t worry it will fit perfectly.”
Of course, it will. “Where should I meet you? What time?”
“I’ll have Mike pick you up and bring you to my apartment. You can get ready here… if you like.” The last part of that sentence he says tentatively, then continues, “The dinner starts at seven thirty. I’ll get Mike to pick you up at, say… five thirty. Is that suitable?”
Sarah collapses on the bed with a gigantic smile on her face. I look back at her with my eyes wide as my heart races frantically in my chest. “Yeah, sure. Five thirty sounds great. Thanks for inviting me.”
He chuckles down the line, the sound like freaking heaven to my ears. “No, thank you. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“See you soon,” I reply shyly as I bite my bottom lip and inhale sharply.
“Bye, Jeni.”
As I end the call, Sarah pulls me, so I’m lying on the bed with her, breathing in and out to try and calm my nerves.
“Oh my God, he sounds utterly gorgeous.”
“He is gorgeous.”
“We better do something with your hair then.”
I laugh as we both sit up, and then it hits me, making me break out in a cold sweat. “Oh my God, Sarah. This is a work function. He works in the family business… holy shit, I’m going to meet his family.”
Sarah sits in shock, blinks a couple of times, but then she tries to hide it. “He must really like you. You thought me meeting Chris’ parents next weekend was too soon—” She stops and turns to face me, grabbing my hand. “Hey! Don’t freak out. I see it in your eyes. You’re starting to panic. Don’t! Take each day as it comes with no expectations, and you’ll be fine.” She stands, grabs my hands, and pulls me off the bed. “Now, let’s do your hair.”
“We have three hours. I don’t think we need to start right now.”
She looks me up and down. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I wonder what type of dress they’ll pick for you.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. But seeing Aiden’s choice in clothing, I bet it will be something gorgeous.” We both laugh, then head to the dining area and sit down at the table with Chris.
“I gather that was him? All that giggling gave the two of you away.”
Sarah can’t help herself. “Yeah, she’s going on another date tonight and meeting the family.”
Chris looks over at me as though he doesn’t believe her story.
“Yeah, all true.” I shrug.
“Looks like you’ve made quite the impression on this guy.”
I smile, biting my bottom lip. “He’s made quite an impression on me as well.”
He tilts his head. “Fair enough,” he says it matter-of-factly and continues to tinker with his phone.
I laugh at his apparent lack of interest as Sarah can’t help herself and starts to fiddle with my hair.
A couple of hours later, Sarah wanders to her room to grab her makeup and hair supplies. While she’s gone, I pick up my cell and send Aiden a message.
Jenifer: Hi, Aiden, just wondering if I should bring shoes? I’m looking forward to this :-)
I begin to get changed, putting on a skin-toned strapless bra and some matching underwear—not the prettiest or sexiest lingerie but probably best when you don’t know what dress you’ll be wearing. As I’m getting dressed, Sarah comes in, and she looks at me in awe.
Aiden: Shoes are included. You don’t have to bring a thing. Just your beautiful self. See you soon. xoxo
I can’t help but smile. Obviously putting the ‘xoxo’ at the end of my text message wasn’t such a big deal after all. Sarah, being as nosey as ever, grabs the phone from my hand and reads the message.
“Hugs and kisses at the end, and he called you beautiful. What a sweetheart... when am I going to meet him?” she asks, putting her hand on her hip and jutting it out.
“Ahh… I don’t know? But I’ll let him know you want to.”
“Good. Now let’s get your hair and makeup done.”
I have complete trust in Sarah’s makeup ability. Our mothers work together as beauticians in their own salon. Sarah’s mother taught her everything she knows. My mother never taught me anything as I was never interested in the industry, and she never pushed me into it either.
Sarah gets to work fixing my look, and before I know it, she’s standing back admiring her handiwork. “What a masterpiece,” she marvels as she points to the mirror.
I stand making my way over. When I see myself, I double-take. I look pretty. Beautiful even. Sarah’s outdone herself—smoky eyes, hair down with loose curls, and a section pulled back with a bling comb in a pretty swirl pattern. I look like me, just a more made-up version. I didn’t know I could look like this, and I don’t even have a dress on yet.
“Thanks, Sarah. You sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself.”
“Jeni, you’re beautiful. Even without all… this.” She gestures to my makeup and hairdo. I roll my eyes and pull on some strappy shoes.
We both walk out to the living room where Chris is watching football on the television. The roar of the crowd streaming through the open space makes me smile.
“What do you think of my masterpiece, Chris?” Sarah asks, pointing at me. He looks up from the screen, then looks back to the television. Suddenly, his head whips back to me again. “Fuck! I wasn’t expecting that. You look great, Jeni.” He exudes genuine enthusiasm.
I laugh as Sarah claps. “I’m too damn good,” she chortles, doing a little dance.
“What time is he picking you up?” Chr
is asks casually, half paying attention, half watching the game.
“He said at five thirty. So, any time now, I guess.”
As Chris goes to reply, the doorbell chimes. “Have fun. Be safe. Be home by midnight, not a second later,” Chris jokes as I walk toward the kitchen.
“Thanks, Dad.” I chuckle while answering the door.
“Hi, Mike,” I cheer happily seeing his kind face.
“Good evening, Jeni.” He tips his hat as I turn to face Sarah, then kiss her cheek.
“Thanks for your help. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
She hugs me, hands me my purse, and pushes me out the door. “I won’t wait up,” she smirks as she closes the door behind me. Shaking my head, I walk with Mike to the car. He opens the back-passenger door for me to hop in, but I hesitate.
“If you don’t mind, Mike, I’d rather sit in the front with you.”
His eyes widen like he’s shocked, and then he draws his eyebrows together. It’s like no one’s ever asked him that before. “Ahh… sure thing.” He closes the back door and opens the front.
“Mike, I’m sorry about last night. I honestly had no intention of falling asleep and leaving you in the car like that. Actually, I never knew you were waiting. If I had, we wouldn’t have done that to you.”
He shakes his head. “Oh, don’t even worry about it. I’ve slept in far worse places than the back seat of a luxurious car.” He smiles. “Honestly, it’s all part of my job, and I love working with Aiden.”
I look at him inquisitively. “Is this while you’ve worked for Aiden? That you’ve had to sleep in the back of cars?”
“No, when I was a teenager, I used to sleep just about anywhere. It wasn’t until Patty, Aiden’s grandfather, took me in and made me see there was more to life than partying.”
I nod but don’t say any more. I don’t want to push him on the matter. “Do you know how many people are going to this function tonight?”
“Yes, quite a few, by the sounds of it.”
I tiptoe around my next question while fiddling my thumbs together. “Will all his family be there?”
Mike smiles, noticing my nervousness. “Yes, ma’am, they will be there. Don’t be nervous. They’re mostly nice people.” He tries to reassure me, but I’m not sure it’s working all that well.
“Will you be going, Mike?”
He chuckles again. “Yes, but not for the function. I’ll be there to drive.”
“Oh, that sucks,” I reply without thinking.
“It’s the way it is. It’s my job. I’m not much of a party person, anyway. Not anymore.” I can’t help but think about what Mike must have been like when he was younger. Why isn’t he married instead of spending his life serving Aiden and his family? I’m assuming he’s not by the lack of ring on his finger. There’s more to his story, but I need to know him better before I can push him for further details.
We haven’t been driving long when we pull into the underground parking garage of an apartment building. A large electric sliding gate opens, and we drive into a reserved parking spot right by the elevators. I open my door to see the Aston Martin parked next to us and smile, knowing I’m now a lot closer to seeing Aiden again.
Mike rushes to my door to help me out. “Oh, Mike, you really don’t need to do that,” I tell him honestly.
“It’s my pleasure and also part of my job.”
“But I don’t expect it.”
He smiles and nods. “I know. Thank you. You’re very kind.” He takes my arm in his and escorts me to the elevator. Mike holds his key card to the reader, pushing the button for the top floor.
“That’s high tech,” I say in awe with a nervous giggle.
“Got to keep safe these days, Miss… Jeni.”
I laugh. “You’re really struggling with calling me by my first name, aren’t you?”
He winces. “Yes. I’m not used to it. Again, all part of my job with Aiden, which I’ve been doing for nearly twenty-three years.”
My eyes widen as shock floods through me. “You’ve been driving Aiden for twenty-three years?”
“Yes, since he was five.” I smile at the thought of a five-year-old Aiden and quickly do the math in my head.
“He’s twenty-eight now?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I laugh at his answer. “Mike, if it’s more comfortable for you to call me Miss Taylor or ma’am, then I’m happy for you to do so.”
He sighs, his body slumping with the obvious relief rushing through his body. “Thank you, Miss Taylor.”
I don’t want to make his life hard, so I laugh and tighten my grip on his arm.
We reach the top floor, and as the elevator doors open, I observe an expansive all-white living room—white carpet, white chairs, white sofas, white end tables—it’s almost sterile-looking. Mike leads me into the room, and I try not to touch anything because it all looks so expensive.
A middle-aged lady wearing gray pants and a white shirt walks around the corner, then jumps when she notices us, her hand shooting to her chest. “Gosh, Mike, you scared me.”
“Sorry, Marissa. Leaving for the day?” he asks as her big-lashed eyes search me up and down but in a friendly way.
“Yes, sir.” She walks up to me, dipping her head. “Nice to meet you, I’m Marissa, Mr. O’Connell’s maid, but you’ll hardly even know when I’m here.”
I raise my brow. “Nice to meet you.”
“I better be off for today. Have a good night, Mike… Miss Taylor.” She turns and rushes for the elevator as I spin around to Mike, surprised she even knows my name.
“So, Aiden has a lot of staff, then?” I query.
Mike rolls his shoulders, uneasy with my question. “He has the staff he needs… Mr. O’Connell will be with you shortly.”
I smirk. “Should I sit here?” I point to the suede sofa behind me.
“If you wish, Miss Taylor. Mr. O’Connell would want you to make yourself at home, anywhere you wish.”
I’m a little overwhelmed as I take in the grandeur of this place. “Thanks, Mike,” I murmur as he steps back inside the elevator. The doors close, and I’m suddenly alone in this oversized, pristine room as I take it in that Aiden has a maid and chauffeur service. Holy cow!
I run my hand along the suede sofa, then walk over to the shelves separating the living room from the dining area and kitchen. I peek at the photographs in the picture frames. There’s one of Aiden in snow gear surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Another one of two women who I assume are his mother and sister. One of him and another man who looks remarkably similar to him—maybe his brother—but I don’t see any photographs of his father. I crease my brows as I ponder why he wouldn’t have any of his father when the rest of his family is proudly displayed.
I place my handbag on the sofa and pick up the framed picture of him, his sister, and mother. Unexpectedly, Aiden clears his throat to gain my attention. I spin around to see him in black suit pants and an open white shirt, showing off his muscular chest, perfectly sculptured abs, and that glorious V-shape that us girls love. A lump instantly forms in my throat from the nervous energy I’m feeling, and it becomes hard to swallow.
He’s undeniably gorgeous, and the sight of him makes me bite my bottom lip as I clench my thighs together, trying to dull the ache that’s building inside me. Aiden’s doing up the button on his sleeve making him look ever the budding young business tycoon, and damn, it’s a look that suits him well. He’s so damn delicious. The muscles deep in my core awaken at the sight, stabbing and clenching, causing my breathing to hitch. The ache’s more than a little intense.
I want him like I’ve never wanted anyone before.
He smiles at me knowingly. “What do you have there?” he asks, gesturing toward the picture frame.
My daze is broken as I look down, then back up at him. “Shit, sorry. I was just looking. I didn’t mean anything by it. I—”
“Is it the one of my mother, sister, and me?” he interjects loo
king at me with a raised eyebrow.
“You love watching my awkwardness, don’t you?”
He strides over to me. “Yes, I do. As I’ve said, you’re very entertaining, Jeni.” He smirks.
I turn, placing it back onto the shelf, then he spins me around to face him. “Hi,” he whispers as he pulls me closer.
I look up at him through my long lashes. “Hi,” I whisper back.
He leans in, and our lips meet again as though they’ve never parted while a sense of urgency washes over me. My arms loop around his neck as his wrap around my waist. He pushes me against the shelf with such force that one of the picture frames falls off onto the plush carpet. Neither of us stop to check if it’s broken. We’re completely lost in each other’s steamy embrace.
He leans against me, so I’m completely pinned against the shelving. Our breathing becomes rapid and so intense that I start to feel lightheaded. My hand runs down his naked chest as I feel his every muscle clench beneath my fingertips. I slowly edge his shirt down over his shoulders as we feverishly remain locked in an endless kiss. The shirt catches at his wrists by the cufflinks and hangs lifelessly from the ends of his hands. My fingers tighten on his biceps as the muscles in my core react strongly.
His breath catches as his soft lips move from my mouth to my neck, and his hips thrust against mine, pressing his hard cock into me. I feel everything. My head falls back while I moan, desire sweeping over my entire being, making my body flush red-hot.
He works me up, and everything about Aiden screams lust to me. The connection we have is intense. The fireworks never fail to explode, and I have no idea how I got myself in this position with a man I hardly know, trying to control myself as best I can, but failing miserably every time I see him.
My clit throbs persistently as his lips trail along my collarbone.
I need him so bad, but I want him even more.
Fuck the dinner! I want to stay right here in this moment.