“Of course.”
As soon as we reach the top step, Ayden crowds me against the door. His mouth hovers over mine, a fraction of a centimeter separating us, until he closes the gap and his lips seek mine hungrily. I stop caring about anything—like Ayden leaving town, if I should go with him, or that anyone could drive by and see us. I want to kiss Ayden forever. I never want him leaving my front step.
His hands skim along my hips and over my breasts, ultimately cupping my face. We could make love right here on the steps, and that would be just fine with me. I’ve never felt like this before when I’ve kissed anyone, and I feel it with Ayden every single time. It’s the most incredible high, and every second his lips burn into mine just makes me want him even more. I slip my hands underneath his shirt and start to pull it off of him. But just as it feels like we really will be naked and intertwined in about two seconds, Ayden breaks away.
“I’m sorry if I’m rushing things, Bella. Do you want me to go?” he says, breathing heavily and backing up so that I can’t touch him.
I pull him back to me. “No. Stay.”
“Thank Christ. We’ve waited long enough already.” He puts his hands on my hips and lifts me up. I automatically wrap my legs around his waist as he buries his head in the crook of my neck. “I don’t ever want to leave you again, Bella. Not even for a moment.”
His mouth returns to mine, and with my lips firmly locked on his, I fiddle with my purse, trying to get my house keys out. My back is up against the front door, and somehow I manage to hand Ayden the keys.
He never stops kissing me, never even lets up, as he works the key in the door. He holds me tightly in his arms, and we stumble over the threshold as he closes the door behind us.
We collapse on the living room rug together, and Ayden’s hands are already underneath my sundress.
“Bella.” Ayden’s deep voice rumbles in my ear as he lifts my dress up to my waist. “I want you so much. But tell me if this is too fast, and we’ll slow down.”
“Not. Too. Fast.” My words come out choppy. “Make love to me, Ayden. Please.”
He halts, my dress halfway up my stomach. “I literally can’t think of anything lately other than making love to you, Bella Wesley.”
His hands move lightning quick as he peels my sundress up past my breasts and over my head. It lands next to us on my living room floor. Ayden grabs a blanket off the couch and rolls us onto it, and then he drags my panties down my legs. His groan sends shivers down my spine, and his mouth is between my legs so fast I don’t have a chance to close them. Instead, I squirm, trying to shift backward.
“You know I love that,” I say. “But you don’t have to…”
“Bella.” He says my name like a prayer. “Don’t. Be. Ashamed.” He plants one gentle kiss on my most sensitive spot. “You’re beautiful. You’re perfect. And you’re so damn wet.”
His warm breath brushes against the soft skin of my inner thigh. A strangled moan catches in my throat.
And then he kisses me. Right. There. Within seconds I’m clenching Ayden’s head between my thighs, and when I come, I see goddamn stars.
He reaches behind his head and takes off his shirt in one motion. I’ve already got my fingers on his waistband, and I quickly unsnap his jeans and slip my hand inside his boxers.
He’s so hard, and as I run my hand up and down his thick length, he pulses against me.
“Bella…fuck.” He leans down and groans into my mouth as he kisses me.
He pulls his jeans and boxers the rest of the way off, and then he crawls up my body and leans on his forearms to brace himself over me. I wrap my hand around his erection again, and the moment I touch him, his teeth sink gently into the skin on my neck.
“Shit.” His breathing gets erratic as I keep moving my hand. “That feels so good, B. Keep doing that. Actually, don’t. I want to be inside you more. But let’s move to a bed so you can be comfortable.”
He picks me up and carries me down the hall to my bedroom.
As soon as he’s on top of me again, I grab a condom out of my drawer and help him roll it on.
And then we’re just a tangle of limbs and moans as Ayden Wild pushes inside me for the first time. I cry out in bliss as he enters me inch by inch, and when he pauses to let me adjust, I whisper, “Does this feel different? It does, right?”
“What do you mean?” His voice is raw.
“Than it ever has before? Because it feels…”
His eyes are feral as they fix on me. “Like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I feel like I’m going to explode.” His breath is heavy on my neck. “You’re so perfect, Bella. Being inside you is so perfect.”
“Can you…move now?”
He kisses me, and pulls back before driving inside me slowly.
Oh, God. My nails claw into his back.
“I love you, Bella,” he whispers. “I love you so fucking much,” he mutters before he starts to move for real.
I can hear the angels calling to me as we make love. I can hear the ocean waves crashing against the shore, even though we’re nearly ten blocks from the beach. I can hear my own heart beating as I feel Ayden’s pounding against mine. His breathing gets erratic as he gets close, but he waits for me to clutch at his back and call out his name in ecstasy before he joins me in release. We come together, our eyes locked together.
When we eventually pull apart, Ayden’s gaze meets mine.
“God, I didn’t know it could feel like that,” he says, his voice hoarse.
“You mean sex?”
His smile is beautiful. “That’s just it. It’s not just sex with you, it’s like…” He inhales. “So much more. The most intense experience I’ve ever had.”
We have the whole night ahead of us, and we take full advantage as we make love again and again.
In the shower with Ayden’s teeth nipping at my earlobe as he drives into me from behind and sends me into a mind-blowing orgasm and then follows me with his own release.
Against my bedroom wall after we leave the bathroom and can’t wait to make it to the bed. Ayden holds my wrists over my head with one hand while he grips my ass with the other and sends me spiraling into yet another climax.
Again when we climb underneath the sheets and Ayden begs me to ride him hard. He comes with me, calling out my name and pulling me down on top of him so it feels like we’re one.
I run my hand over his bare chest as we’re finally drifting off to sleep. “Being best friends and doing this is pretty incomparable.”
His lips seek mine. “There’s no comparison to you, Bella. There never was.”
Best second date ever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The following week passes quickly.
Except for my final college exam, which I pass with flying colors, Ayden and I are inseparable. He even meets me after I pick up my graded test so we can celebrate together.
I wave the test with a big red “A” at him, and he grins.
“I need to release all the stress of being a college student,” I say to him when he kisses me outside the school building. “Do you have any ideas?”
His eyes darken with heat. “I have a fucking amazing idea, actually.”
I laugh as he puts his hands on my waist and urges me toward his car.
And instead of going to the bar for a drink like we had planned, we go straight to my house. More like, my bedroom, where Ayden takes off my clothes and sinks inside me until I’m screaming his name. Best way to release tension ever.
We stay in bed the rest of the night.
The next evening, Ayden, Tari, and Peter come to the Sea Urchin Club to hear me perform. Singing has become fun for me again, and I invite Ayden up for my last song.
“This man has been my muse all summer,” I say as Ayden blushes and looks like he wants to be anywhere but on stage. “This next song is all about following your heart.”
As I sing Wild Love, I sing it only to Ayden. When I strum the last note, Ayden pull
s me into his arms and kisses me, and the whole audience cheers.
Afterward, we go to Tari and Peter’s for dinner, and as soon as we’re finished eating, I’m cuddling in Ayden’s lap on the couch.
“You need a drink?” he murmurs into my neck as he wraps his arms around my waist.
I twist around to kiss his cheek. “I’m good.”
“You want something else?”
I nuzzle his neck. “Maybe something else.”
He kisses me, his tongue lightly touching mine and his hand slipping underneath my shirt before he pulls back with a smile. “I love you.”
Across from us, Peter breaks into laughter. “Get a fucking room, you two.”
But Tari squeals. “I love it! Whenever either of you dated in the past, you looked like you wanted to run in the other direction when your date got mushy.”
“That’s because we were with the wrong people,” Ayden murmurs. “This is the only real thing I’ve ever known. With this girl right here.”
As Tari ahhs and takes out her phone to snap a picture of us, I snuggle further into Ayden’s lap. I love him. That’s all I know. And hopefully that’s enough.
The next night, Ayden and I stop by Grandpa’s.
Ayden gets a call from Michael the second we step inside, and he immediately starts talking to him about the best way for Ayden to send his checks for the mortgage payments. To give him privacy, Grandpa and I step out on the outdoor porch and enjoy the night air.
“Your mother’s doing much better,” he says. “She sounded like a different person when I talked to her today.”
“Oh, she’s still Lucy Wesley,” I assure him, and he chuckles. “She can be bossy and cranky and a bit of a snob.” I laugh. “But you’re right. It’s only been a short while, so the new medication is still getting into her system, but she says she already notices a difference from before. And her therapy sessions, especially the ones she’s doing with Dad, seem to be helping. I’m cautiously optimistic.”
“And just as importantly, your father seems much more invested in his marriage,” Grandpa says. “Did you have anything to do with that change?”
“Not really. Mom’s overdose was a big reason.” I lower my voice. “Plus, when he needed a push, Ayden may have said something to him.”
Grandpa’s face lights up. “Ayden, huh? Good man.”
“He is.”
“And have you given it more thought? Moving to L.A.?”
I fidget with my ponytail. “I’m still thinking. I do want to, but of course, with everything that happened with Mom, I’m more than a little terrified to even contemplate it.”
“Have you talked to your father about your concerns?”
“No. Maybe I should. But I don’t want to get in the middle of his progress with Mom.”
Grandpa nods. “Why don’t you leave that part to me?”
“No, Grandpa. You don’t have to say anything.”
He just gives me that stern look that always tells me to stop arguing him.
Then, glancing inside to make sure Ayden’s still on the phone, Grandpa takes full advantage of the moment alone with me.
“You and Ayden seem cozy,” he says, his gaze assessing me. “Just something about the way you are with each other seems different than before. Almost like…”
I feel my cheeks flush.
“Are you two going steady now?” he asks with a twinkle in his eye.
I tap him playfully on the arm. “Stop. We’re…”
“A happy couple,” Ayden says as he puts his arms around me from behind. “We’ve been dating for just over a week and I’m going to marry her one day soon.”
I drop my jaw as I twist around to look at Ayden. He winks at me and murmurs into my ear, “I’m serious about that last part.”
My stomach flip flops and I break into a smile.
Grandpa beams and reaches out to shake Ayden’s hand. “You take good care of my granddaughter. She’s special.”
“I know she is. I will, sir.”
“Oh, my God, this isn’t the nineteenth century, people!” I throw up my hands. “And I’m right here between you as you talk about me!”
Grandpa chuckles. “You make the perfect couple. The only man I could ever imagine my Bella with is you, son.”
I feel Ayden’s jaw clench with emotion against my cheek. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
Ayden drives me to the music lounge so Guy and I can do a final dress rehearsal for our performance tomorrow night. Guy insists Ayden stick around so we’ll have practice in front of an audience.
We’re still undecided on exactly what our set list is, but we’ve definitely decided on a song by the Beatles. Guy pulls out his sheet music. “Let It Be. We’ve done it once already.”
“That’s fine.” I lean my elbows on top of the piano and smile over at Ayden, whose eyes are focused on me.
“And then our second song is set. Except for that one bridge…” Guy shuts his eyes and starts tapping his fingers on the piano.
I sit quietly and let him figure it out. I feel like I have no creative power whatsoever when I think about my father’s party.
“Our collab is cool. And I think we can work out the bridge tonight.” His lip quirks up. “Angst pop combined with acoustic rock. This has been fun to work with, Bella.”
I laugh. “Our two styles mesh pretty well, right?”
“They actually do.” He gestures to Ayden. “You ready to be our first audience?”
Ayden gives him a thumbs up. “Go for it.”
Our first song goes great.
“That sounded amazing,” Ayden calls out.
“Ayden, can you actually sit in the far back of the lounge?” Guy asks him. “We’ll run through that same song one more time. I want to see if you notice any problems from a different angle, and I want to make sure you’re hearing us okay.”
“Sure thing.”
Ayden moves to the far back, and Guy starts playing again.
I’ve just sung the first line when I see Jenny Woods out of my peripheral vision. She’s walking down the hall, and she’s staring at Ayden. I clench my jaw, prepared for her approach. And it comes. She strolls into the lounge, and with a loud giggle, starts talking to Ayden.
I force myself to keep singing as Jenny ruffles Ayden’s hair.
At first, Ayden completely ignores her, but she keeps chatting to him.
And I’m so distracted I’m barely getting words out.
“Bella!” Guy whispers to me. “Don’t let her distract you!”
Too late.
I stop singing altogether and stare at Jenny and Ayden like it’s a car crash. I feel like I’m back in L.A. when the spotlight found Trevor and Max.
But life doesn’t always repeat itself. Tonight, Ayden’s eyes never leave mine. He stands up and pulls away from Jenny’s hand.
He crosses his arms over his chest, and with his eyes locked on mine, he says loudly to Jenny, “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m hanging out with Bella.”
Jenny’s eyes widen, but apparently she doesn’t give up easily. “Well, are you free tomorrow night? We could maybe hang out again, like old times.”
“Sorry,” Ayden says. “I’ve already got a date for tomorrow night.”
“What about next week then?” she says, eyeing me.
“Can’t,” Ayden says as he walks up to the piano and takes me in his arms. “I’ve got a date then too. In fact, I’ve got a date every night from now on. Bella’s my forever date.”
With a scowl, Jenny slinks out of the room.
All the tension leaves my body as I look into Ayden’s blue eyes. “You never have to worry,” he whispers in my ear as he hugs me tighter to him. “Okay? Never, Bella.”
Guy shakes his head at me, and gestures to the sheet music in front of him. “Bella, you can’t get distracted like that. I get it, but that can’t happen tomorrow.”
“I know.” I wrap my arms around Ayden’s waist. “It won’t.”
I
dress for my father’s party slowly. I know I’ll be on stage, and the entire town will be staring at me, so I choose a simple black dress with black strappy sandals. The dress comes to just above my knee, and it has crisscross straps across the back. I wish I had a necklace that matched, but I’ll just have to skip that part. I pull my blond hair up into a high ponytail and take one last look at the miniature lighthouse Ayden gave me, now sitting on my dresser. Just seeing it there helps me feel safe.
A few minutes later, Ayden steps inside my front door and immediately grabs me in a kiss. “You look gorgeous,” he says into my lips. “I’ve never seen this dress before.”
“That’s because I only wear it for functions I don’t enjoy,” I say. “You look so sexy, Ayd.”
His black dress pants and simple white collared shirt with the top two buttons undone nearly start me drooling. I reach up and run my hand through his mess of dark hair. I’m still getting used to seeing him without his hat.
“Do you miss your hat?” I ask him.
“Not like I thought I would. Besides,” he says as he kisses my neck. “I’ve been a little distracted lately.”
I grab my purse, guitar, and song notes. “I’m so nervous,” I admit as we walk to the front door.
“Hey. Bella?” Ayden’s still standing in the hallway.
“Yeah?” I turn back to face him.
He comes closer to me. “I got you a little something. For good luck.”
“Like a charm?” I ask.
“Sort of.” He pulls a small box out of his pocket and hands it to me. “I hope you like it.”
His hands return to his pockets nervously, and he bites his lip. I open the box, and stare down at a beautiful sea urchin pendant on a silver chain.
My hand goes to my heart. “I love it, Ayden. Wherever did you find it?”
“The little jewelry store on the corner of Main,” he says. “I wanted to get you something to remind you of your first gig since you came back here. I don’t ever want you to forget your singing gift and how talented you are. So I went looking this morning, and this seemed perfect.”
“It is absolutely perfect.” I lift it out of the box. “I’ll wear it to the party. It will go great with my dress.”
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