by Vivian Wood
He looks at me funny. “What?”
“Have sex with me?” I ask.
Aiden doesn’t need any more than that. He’s already pulling off his jacket and tossing it aside.
“Fuck yes,” he says, grinning. “I’ve been waiting for this.”
He moves to the bed, his eyes telling me just what he intends to do with me. I sit up straight and reach up to him; he kisses me eagerly, nudging me back onto the bed. He kneels over me, his lips roaming to my neck, my collar bone, my exquisitely tender breasts.
“Ohhhh,” I breathe.
He works a finger beneath the sash of my robe, undoing the bow. He carefully pushes the silk aside, baring my body to him.
I feel shy, my hands covering my huge baby bump, but he’s having none of that. He grabs both of my hands, pinning them above my head, looking down at me.
“Do you even know how fucking hot you are?” he asks. He kisses my lips slowly. “I’ve wanted you so bad the last couple of weeks, Olivia.”
Aiden releases my hands, pulling down the cups of my bra to expose my pink nipples. He looks at me, maintaining eye contact as he takes a nipple in his mouth. I squirm; his tongue abrading my nipple feels so damn good.
He moves his lips from my nipple back up to my mouth. I growl with sudden impatience, pushing him to the side a little so I can get my robe off. He unhooks my bra with one hand, and I slide my bra straps down my shoulders, baring my breasts.
“Jesus,” he says, his eyes fastened on my breasts. He reaches out with one hand and cups the heaviness of my breast. “Your tits have literally never looked better. They’re so fucking perfect.”
Now that I’ve got my bra off, I’m only interested in seeing more of him.
“You’re wearing too many layers,” I say, tugging at his shirt.
He pauses for a second, then backs up, taking his shirt off. Then he takes about three seconds to kick off his tennis shoes and strip off the rest of his clothes. I’ve never been so glad to see my own boyfriend’s cock as I am in this moment when he shoves his boxer briefs off.
Aiden stands there for a second, stroking his rock-hard cock, looking at me. And I stare right back at him; he’s all lean flesh and muscle, dark hair and stubble. I’m not sure how I got so lucky, having such a man’s man want me, but I don’t question it.
“How are we going to do this?” he asks speculatively, looking at me. “I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
“You won’t,” I promise. I bite my lip suggestively and turn over, putting my ass in the air. It takes everything I’ve got to balance myself with my pregnant stomach, but he doesn’t have to know that.
He growls and falls over me, stopping himself with an arm. He kisses the back of my neck and I shiver. Aiden’s hands cup my hips, and he kisses me on the lower back.
“Mmmm,” I sigh. He peels off my underwear, and then I’m bare before him.
Excitement skitters down my spine as his big hands shape my ass, and he reaches between my legs. I suck in a breath as he finds my clit with two fingers. It feels so incredibly good, I grind against his hand.
“You like that?” he says. I look back at him, blushing at the dirty tone of his voice.
“Yes,” I say. “You know what would be better, though?”
He just grins and slips his two fingers into my pussy. “Fuckkkkk. You’re so wet, Olive.”
“So fuck me already,” I say, pushing my ass back against his hand.
“If you say so.”
Aiden withdraws, fisting his cock and positioning it near my entrance. He notches his head against my pussy, going very very slow. He only gets the head in before he starts to curse.
“Fuck,” he says. “God damn, it’s been too long since I’ve had you.”
“Oh, god,” I moan, clutching the sheets. “I need you so bad. Please.”
He slides home, filling me up all the way. I’ve never been quite so full, but I feel that in the best way possible. I feel him hesitate, so I encourage him.
“Yes,” I say as he withdraws and begins to plunge back in. “Right there, but harder.”
He starts up a steady rhythm of thrusting, and reaches around to my front. Aiden begins strumming my clit, which sends waves of sensation through my body. I start moaning, using one hand to tweak my own nipple.
“Fuck, Olive,” Aiden groans. “I’m not going to last long.”
“Then do it harder,” I whisper. “Fuck me like you mean it.”
I try to zone out. It’s not hard, between Aiden’s thrusts and his clever fingers on my clit. I close my eyes and concentrate on the orgasm building inside me. With each thrust, I get closer until suddenly I shatter, crying out Aiden’s name.
He comes just after me, his breathing ragged. I sag, losing the will to hold up my body any longer. Aiden chuckles and kisses my lower back before he withdraws.
Then he pulls me onto my side, spooning me. I sigh as I’m snuggled into oblivion. He chuckles.
“What?” I ask.
He keeps chuckling. “Between the endorphins from working out and getting laid, I just feel a little empty headed at the moment.”
“Aww,” I say, reaching back blindly to pat his cheek. “Lucky for you, I never liked you for what’s in your head anyway.”
He laughs. “Fair enough.”
He nuzzles the nape of my neck, sighing contentedly. The baby squirms inside my belly, viciously attacking my ribs.
“Oof,” I gasp.
Aiden puts his hand over my belly, feeling her wiggle. It seems like she knows his touch, because soon she stops trying to attack me and goes quiet. She always does that when he intervenes.
I sigh, thankful for some peace. “Do you think that means she’s going to be a daddy’s girl?”
I can hear the grin in his voice. “She’d better be.”
“Hopefully she decides to arrive soon. My obstetrician said if she’s still not out by Tuesday, they are going to do a C-section.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds, then inhales a deep breath. “I was thinking about names.”
With a great deal of difficulty, I turn onto my back and look at him. He keeps his hand spread out over the top of my belly, which makes me feel close to him in a way I can’t quite describe. “Is this about how you like the name Shania again? Because I am not raising a Shania.”
“Actually,” he wrinkles his face up. “I was thinking of Margaret.”
My eyes go wide. “Really?”
“You don’t like it?” he guesses.
I shake my head.
“No, I don’t like it. I love it,” I say.
Chuckling, he brushes a kiss over the top of my head. “Alright. That’s a keeper, I think. That means that we almost have everything set for the birth.”
I tilt my head. “Almost?”
“Almost.” He smiles. “There is really only one thing that we have missed.”
Crinkling up my nose, I count things off. “Let’s see. I packed my bag. You have the route planned. I have a birthing plan. We have Carter and Grayson and Rachel on alert…”
Aiden stretches a little, then reaches over to his bedside table. He digs around for a second. I frown.
“Aiden, what am I forgetting?”
When he gets up and drops to one knee, I am flabbergasted. Aiden produces a black velvet ring box this time, cracking it open. That same pink diamond winks at me from inside. My heart starts pounding.
“Do you wanna sit up for this?” he asks.
Instantly my eyes mist over. I push myself up with a great deal of effort, coming to sit on the side of the bed. “Oh, Aiden—”
“Shhh.” He gives me a stern look. “Let me at least ask you.”
He holds out his hand to me. When I slip my hand into his, he squeezes it. Aiden takes a deep breath, looking at me with his dark, intense gaze.
“Olivia Sellwood. You’ve been a constant in my life. And for the last ten months you have brought me so much happiness. You’ve brought me to my knees and forced me t
o admit that I was crazy in love with you. Not just that, but you are about to bring our daughter into the world. Will you please, please do me the honor of being my wife?”
My free hand covers my heart. I begin to cry. “Aiden…”
He entwines our fingers. “Please don’t say no.”
I give my head a tiny shake. “No. I would never.”
His eyebrows rise. “So… that’s a yes?”
I nod enthusiastically, trying not to be overcome by my tears. “God, yes.”
He slides his body between my knees, hugging me. “You are not going to regret it, Olive. I swear to you.”
I laugh even though I’m crying. “I know, Aiden.”
He pulls back, plucking the ring from the box. Its gold band feels cool as he slides the ring onto my finger. It stops only halfway up because my fingers are swollen. He wrinkles his nose.
“Maybe when the baby comes,” he says gently.
I just pull him close, kissing him soundly. The kiss is all the things I want it to be: intense and passionate, knowing and hungry, kind and wild. When I break away, breathless, I whisper against his lips.
“I love you, Aiden Moreland. I will always love you.”
His lips curve against mine. “I love you too, Olive. I will love you for the rest of my life.”
I’m crying again, but it doesn’t matter. I have everything I need, right here, right now.
Forever.
Sinful Enemy
1
Cate
I will never, ever understand what the big fuss is over Luca Leone.
As I sit across from him in the airport shuttle bus, rocking and swaying with the motion of all the stops and starts, I look at my best friend’s older brother skeptically. I’m wedged into this three person seat, Luna Leone on one side, our other bestie from college Harper on the other. Luna leans forward, looking out the window into the still bright early evening light.
And Luca sits opposite of us with his two closest friends, the three oversized men comically jammed together on this crowded bus. One dark haired, one blond, one ginger. They are quite a matched set. I see dark-haired Luca say something to his friends and laugh, though I can’t hear it. The engine is loud and the bus is packed so I can talk to Luna and Harper without being worried that Luca will overhear.
“Cate! Harper! When we get to the hotel, I call the biggest room. It is my birthday after all.” Luna grins at me and Harper, wiggling her eyebrows.
“No argument here,” Harper says, muffling a yawn.
“Mm,” is my only comment.
I scrunch my face up, studying Luca as he talks to Bradford and Owen. Whatever they are talking about, his expression is sly. Probably making fun of somebody, I bet.
What is Luca’s deal?
He’s tall, yeah. Probably six foot two or three, without an ounce of fat on his big frame. I’ve seen him with his shirt off at the pool; his six pack abs and well-muscled arms are nothing to sneeze at. He’s got dark hair with just a hint of a curl. His angular cheeks have two days of dark stubble growing on them, which is kind of hot.
And then there are his eyes, a gorgeous dark brown-black wrapped in long, dark lashes. His gaze is always penetrating, making me feel like he sees right through me. Sees my darkest secrets and greatest wishes.
Swoon-worthy? Yeah, maybe. But all of that can’t make up for the fact that he is a jerk. He’s always antagonized me from the first moment that I met him when he picked up Luna and me from the mall. He pulled up in his too-expensive car, arched a brow, and uttered the words that would come to define our relationship.
“Honestly, Luna. This is who you think you should be bringing home? God, remind me to count all the silver when she leaves.”
My whole body filled with shame. From that moment on, Luca was the ultra-rich older playboy and I was the girl whose family just scraped by. We were entrenched.
Ugh. His smug smile makes me feel so… so tense. Like I have to be vigilant at all times, to be on my guard in case… well, of what, I’m not sure.
I’ve known Luna and Luca for almost nine years, since my first day of high school. And it has always been like this. Luna is the adorable one, playing younger sister to Luca. Luca is the brooding, taunting one… and I’m the one that is rushing to catch up with them, desperate and flushed while trying to keep pace.
Luna elbows me. “Are you okay, Cate?”
She tucks a strand of dark hair behind one ear, looking flawless as always. She pulls off her bob and her white wrap dress so easily. I flush, looking down at my threadbare jeans. I won’t make a big deal about money, though she has infinitely more of it than I do…
“Yeah, sure,” I say, trying to brighten my tone. “Just worried about work. Javier wasn’t thrilled when I told him I had to take this weekend off. I told him I covered my shift but he gave me this whole lecture about responsibility.”
Her brows lift. “But you’ve never taken a sick day or requested vacation at all in the time that you’ve been working at the cafe! You’re just one barista… what is the harm in you asking for a few days off?”
I wrinkle my nose. “I know. You would think from the amount of hassle he gave me that I’d just asked him to give me a kidney or something.”
Our other best friend from college Harper leans over from Luna’s other side. She’s blonde and pretty, but she doesn’t pull a single punch. “Your job sucks.”
Luna nods emphatically. “It really does. You should make Luca hire you to work at his bar. I heard one of the bartenders talking last week about how much she makes working just three days a week. Can you imagine just working the weekends and making way more than you do now?”
“My kitten Lyra would like if I just never worked again. So much more time to devote to petting her!” I joke. “Will your brother pay me just to knit and pet my cat, I wonder?”
Obviously I am just kidding; the idea of Luca being my boss makes me nothing short of queasy. I know I’m stubborn but the idea of taking anything from anyone is hard. I almost refused when Luca texted me an invite to this weekend.
An all exclusive weekend, all airfare and hotel already paid for? The idea still makes me squirm and blush. I could never afford that, not when I’m only a year out of college and making a whopping nine dollars an hour.
Well, nine dollars an hour plus tips. I roll my eyes to myself. Like that really matters.
Luca looks up at me. His casual smile falls just a little and he cocks an eyebrow. What are you looking at? he seems to say. I blush, darting my gaze away. When I glance back for a moment, he is focusing on what his friend Owen is saying.
“I can’t believe we are actually in Vegas for the weekend,” Luna says to me and Harper. She grins excitedly. “I might actually start my day tomorrow at the pool. Try to soak up all the sun that I don’t get at home in Seattle.”
“I can’t believe your brother paid to fly all of us out here,” Harper says. She eyes Luca, who sits between two of his best friends. She sighs wistfully. “What a birthday gift. He’s paying for the flight, the hotel, and basically everything else? I am so jealous that you have Luca.” Dropping her voice, she whispers the last bit. “And having your brother and his two hunky best friends to stare at doesn’t hurt, either.”
“Mm,” I say again, giving her my most disgruntled expression. “Luca’s hot, but so rude. No offense, Luna.”
She shrugs. “None taken. I know my brother can be a tool.”
“Well, I’m totally gonna get drunk tonight,” Harper declares. “And so are you, Miss ‘My Birthday Isn’t Until Tomorrow’ and Miss ‘I’m Catholic And Perfect’.”
She casts an eye over us. Luna laughs. “It will technically be my birthday at midnight… can you believe I’ll be twenty-five?”
“You’re so old,” I tease, elbowing her in the ribs. “I won’t be twenty-five until April.”
“We should do something for our birthdays again this year,” Harper says. “Yours is the 14th, right? Mine is April 20th.”
She looks thoughtful.
The shuttle lurches to a stop and Luca stands up, clearing his throat. “This is our hotel. Come on, everybody off.”
The next few minutes are taken up by struggling off the shuttle bus with our bags. Our huge hotel and the Vegas strip are a blur as we lug ourselves through the fancy marble lobby, receive our keys, and head up the elevators. To my surprise, Luca has booked two enormous suites on the same floor, one for the girls and one for the guys.
I use my keycard, stopping in my tracks with wide eyes as soon as I burst into our suite. It has an enormous window at one end, two stories high, looking down on a fancy white kitchenette and a big white living room. Everything is white and lavish, without a doubt.
“Come on, let us in,” Harper says, gently pushing me aside with her shoulder.
“Sorry,” I say, nervously moving out of the doorway. “This place must have cost Luca a small fortune to rent for the weekend. And there is one like it for the guys too?” I whistle.
Luna shrugs, looking around. “He said he got a deal. Where are the bedrooms?”
Harper is already making her way down the little hallway tucked away almost out of view. “Over here.”
“Yesssss,” Luna says, rolling her suitcase over. I drift behind them as they go down the hallway, opening bedroom doors. She launches herself into one of the rooms, jumping up and down on the bed. “This bed is so nice!! Oooh and look! Complimentary champagne…” She grins at me. “We are gonna be so drunk before dinner.”
Smiling, I shake my head at her. Finding my identical room, I wheel my luggage in.
Harper yells from her own room. “It’s time to change for pre-dinner drinks!”
“And Cate, do not come out of that room wearing jeans!” Luna calls. “I mean it! Wear something a little daring for once in your life.”
No one is around to see my blush. The girls like to rib me about how I dress conservatively, about how I don’t usually drink or do drugs. What can I say, I was raised to be a good, God-fearing Catholic.
Like a go to Mass on Wednesdays kind of Catholic. A visit the cemetery to talk to Mom and Dad even though it makes me super sad kind of Catholic.