Lush & Lovely (Big & Beautiful Book 2)

by Mary E Thompson

  Phoenix was just as crowded as Chicago but we were heading out of the airport to find our car so Aidan just held me close as he led me out of the airport. We found an SUV waiting for us and threw our bags in the back before we settled into the front. Aidan pointed the car in the direction of Flagstaff and we headed out.

  Twenty-One

  The next morning Aidan woke me up early. He was already dressed when I got up. While I showered he went and got us breakfast and brought it back to the room. We ate and headed out to see the Grand Canyon.

  The drive up had me nervous. I’d imagined what it would be like to look out over those cliffs for so long that I wasn’t sure it would live up to my expectations. Aidan and I played car games from when we were kids, finding license plates, yelling when we saw old cars, and a crazy game of I Spy, which I won, of course.

  Aidan stopped at the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park and we paid our admission and got a map. I was so excited that I was practically buzzing. The road took us deeper into the park but we still couldn’t see the canyon.

  The Visitor’s Center seemed like a good place to stop so Aidan pulled in. We walked from the parking lot to Mather Point, the closest outlook to the Visitor’s Center, and finally got our first look at the Grand Canyon.

  I’d never seen anything so beautiful in my life. The canyon stretched out in front of us and further than we could see on both sides. The colors were spectacular, a mix of pinks, browns, and tans with a few greens and grays sprinkled in. We could see the layers of rock and the dips and curves in the earth. It was amazing, truly spectacular.

  A few other people stepped up beside us and Aidan turned to the man next to him. “Could you take a picture of us?”

  The man, who was there with his wife and kids, stepped back and Aidan handed over his phone and said something to the man about it.

  He walked back toward me and the rest of the man’s family stepped away so they wouldn’t be in the picture. I smiled at them and completely missed Aidan on one knee in front of me.

  I gasped when he grabbed my hand and I looked down at him. Tears sprung to my eyes and he smiled up at me. “Claire… I love you with all my heart. I love you for the beautiful woman you are, the kind and caring woman you are, for how you open up to me and let me love you even though I know you’re scared sometimes. I’ve loved you for years and even though we’ve only been together for a short time, I know you’re the only one I want to spend my life with. I have to know, Claire Murphy, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  My breath caught in my throat and tears ran down my face. Aidan still held my hands and I felt frozen. Aidan’s face started to fall as he processed that I wasn’t answering. He turned toward the family watching us intently and then back up at me.

  Finally, I found my breath and I whispered, “Yes.”

  Aidan froze. “Did you say yes?”

  I smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’d love nothing more than to marry you. Yes.”

  Aidan jumped up and lifted me, spinning us around as he kissed me. “Oh, shit. I forgot the ring.”

  He set me down and dug into his pocket, producing a small black velvet box. He opened the lid and presented me with a platinum ring with an emerald cut amethyst. Two diamonds fanned out from the amethyst, almost like a giant plus sign. It was gorgeous. And way too much.

  “Aidan, where did you get the money for this? You’ve been saving for a house.”

  He smiled as he pulled the ring out of the box and slid it on my finger. “Our house was a lot less expensive that we’d planned and I’d been looking at this ring for a while. I went the other day when I realized the money we needed for the house wasn’t as much as we’d thought. Now my perfect woman has the perfect ring.”

  I smiled at him and pulled him in for a kiss, sealing our engagement. We pulled back and Aidan finally went to retrieve his phone from the family, who all congratulated us, then went back to looking at the canyon. “They were recording all that,” Aidan said when he got back to me.

  “What? You got all that on video? Oh, God, I probably looked like such a crazy person!”

  “You’re beautiful, my fiancée.”

  “Ooh, I like the sound of that,” I cooed as I wound my arms around his neck again. I pressed a kiss to his throat and he made a strangled sound before his hands went to my waist.

  I felt him growing hard against my belly and ran my tongue along his jaw, making his cock jump against me. “Jesus. I should have waited until we got back to the hotel. I don’t know if I’m going to make it all day without being inside of you. Especially if you keep doing that.”

  I rubbed myself against him and he groaned before capturing my mouth with his. His kiss was rough and aggressive, claiming me as much as his ring did. He leaned me against the railing separating us from the canyon floor and let his hands slide down my hips to cover my ass.

  “Fuck, you feel so good,” he rasped in my ear. “I want to take you right here and now, let your beautiful screams echo over the canyon below us.”

  “I thought we had a helicopter ride to get to?” I asked, partly to tease him and partly because I didn’t want to miss it.

  “We can catch another one. I think I’m going to explode. Seeing you with my ring on your finger, knowing we belong to each other, you teasing me… it’s going to be a long day.”

  Aidan eased back from me, his erection tenting the front of his shorts. He leaned on the railing next to me and looked out over the beautiful scenery around us. “I didn’t mean to get you so worked up,” I teased.

  “Yes, you did. But I loved it. I love you, Claire. Thank you for agreeing to be my wife. Nothing will ever make me happier.”

  “I love you, Aidan. Now let’s go get on that helicopter.”

  We grabbed a light lunch from the Visitor’s Center then headed toward the helicopter pad. The drive around the South Rim to Tusayan didn’t take long. Aidan stopped every so often so we could see different views of the Grand Canyon. I took more pictures than I thought my phone would hold, including a picture of my new engagement ring to text to Mandy, Sam, Addi, Lexi, and Charlie.

  We still had time before the helicopter tour so we wandered through the museum and ruins then waited for our flight. A handful of other people were there with us and we traded small talk while we waited for the helicopter to be ready.

  “Are you nervous?” Aidan asked while we waited.

  “No, I’m excited. We’re not in an airport so I’m not paranoid like I was before. Plus, I have my fiancé here to take care of me.”

  He wrapped his arms around my waist and stood behind me as the pilot walked up and introduced himself. He explained the trip would last about an hour and we would fly over the entire Grand Canyon, going a bit lower in some places where he was allowed. We would always be at a safe distance from the ground, but there were the normal safety precautions we had to take, like wearing seat belts and staying seated. The group of us filed into the plane and took seats. Again, Aidan let me sit by the window.

  The helicopter took off and spun around to fly over the Grand Canyon. It was breathtaking, even more than seeing it from the ground. Through our headphones, the pilot pointed out the smaller canyons that spread out from the main Grand Canyon. We tracked the Colorado River west as it wound through. We could see dots of people kayaking down the river and a few groups hiking down into the canyon.

  He wound back around flying closer to the North Rim and pointed out a variety of temples and a rock formation called Dragon Head. I couldn’t see the dragon, but Aidan insisted it looked just like one. I thought he was a bit crazy.

  Before we knew it the hour was up and we were landing back on solid ground. With my phone full of pictures and empty bellies, we headed out of Grand Canyon National Park, promising we would spend another day there.

  On the drive back to the hotel Aidan peppered me with questions about my ideal wedding. I had to admit I’d never really thought about it much. “I honestly never thought I’d get marr
ied so I didn’t plan it out. Plus, I’m not one of those super girly girls who imagines being a princess one day. I don’t know what I’d want our wedding to be like.”

  “Well, do you want a big wedding or small?”

  “Definitely small. I don’t like being the center of attention and I don’t want to have a ton of people there who barely know us. A part of me would rather it was just the two of us for the ceremony and then we throw a big party for all our friends and family later. Do they really need to be around to hear our vows?”

  Aidan laughed and shook his head. I had a feeling he would spend the rest of his life doing that. “What about your parents and Rebecca? Or Mandy and your friends?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I think if we had a wedding, that’s the only people I’d invite. Weddings seem like too much craziness. Sam talks about the brides she works with sometimes and it’s like they’re more worried about how everything looks than about enjoying themselves. People say your wedding day is the happiest day of your life but it seems like people make it harder on themselves, or at least don’t really enjoy it.”

  “Yeah, I can see that. Maybe we’ll do something small for our immediate families and then have a party for everyone. I like that idea. What about the big white dress?”

  I quirked an eyebrow at him. “I think you already took care of the white part. Maybe I’ll wear a lavender dress to match my ring and throw everyone off.”

  Aidan’s laugh filled the car and made me laugh, too. “That’s why I love you,” he said. “You always make me laugh. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my fingers. I squeezed his hand and he lowered our joined hands to my thigh. “Okay, small wedding, lavender dress… What would our first dance be?”

  “I’ve always loved ‘At Last’ by Etta James. It’s got this undertone of sorrow, but it’s such a beautiful song. I guess in a way I feel like it fits us because I never thought I’d find someone like you but, at last, I have.”

  Aidan brought my hand to his lips again. “That’s a great song. I feel the same. You’re exactly who I’ve always hoped to find and I’m beyond myself that you feel the same way.”

  We pulled into the hotel parking lot and headed to our room. “What about wedding night? Sex or no sex?” Aidan asked as he wrapped his arms around me, already growing hard against my belly.

  “Definitely sex. Maybe that’s another vote in favor of a small wedding. I don’t want to be too worn out from the wedding to enjoy our first night as husband and wife.”

  “How about our first night as fiancés? Is that a word? Are you too tired to enjoy our first night being engaged?”

  I giggled and reached around to grab his ass. “I think I could be persuaded to have a little fun tonight. At some point you need to feed me though. You did say you liked a woman who would share a steak with you and then use sex to work it off.”

  “Ooh, and I do,” he said as he nuzzled my neck. His tongue danced over my skin and my head fell back to give him access to my neck. “I think you like this,” he teased.

  I thrust my hips into his, his erection rubbing between us. “I’m pretty sure you’re enjoying yourself too.”

  His fingers dug in sharply to my hips. “Fuck baby. You know I’m enjoying it. I’ve barely been able to stop myself all day. But now I need to show you exactly how much I love you.”

  His mouth was on mine before I could respond. He nipped my lower lip, drawing a gasp from me which he took advantage of. His tongue slid into my mouth as his fingers slid to my ass. Aidan backed me up toward the king sized bed as he kissed me. His kiss was gentle, soft, and not what I expected. After holding back all day I figured he’d be ready for fast and hard sex. Instead, I was getting slow and sweet.

  We reached the bed with our lips still locked together. I lowered myself down as he crawled over me. Once lying down he covered me, positioning himself between my legs as he did our first night together on the couch. He thrust against me over and over and I felt my body already building in response to him. I broke our kiss on a moan and he threaded his fingers through my hair.

  “Come for me baby. Just like this. Just like the first time. I want to hear you first, then I’m going to feel you, then I’m going to taste you.”

  His ragged voice amped up my body’s need and I fell hopelessly over the edge as his cock rubbed against me. “Less clothes. Now,” I begged when I came back down to earth.

  Aidan crawled off me and stripped his shirt over his head. He drew down his shorts and was back on the bed, naked, in seconds. I however, was still fully clothed. “Hey, you said less clothes. Why aren’t you naked?” he teased.

  I tried to lift my already aching limbs and he laughed at my drama before reaching over to help me. He slid my shirt up, exposing my belly, kissing the skin as it was revealed. I shifted to help him move up until he had my shirt on the floor. He lowered his head to my nipple and closed his warm mouth around one and cupped the other breast in his hand.

  My body was already starting to tighten again, just under the manipulation of his hands and mouth on my breasts. My eyes dropped closed and my panties soaked through while Aidan sucked, twisted, and teased my nipples until I was writhing beneath him.

  Aidan slid his arms around my back and flipped my bra clasp open then threw it onto the floor. His mouth returned to my breast but his hands went for my shorts. He slowly slid the fabric over my legs, releasing my nipple with a pop when he couldn’t reach any longer. His mouth lined up with the apex of my thighs and I nearly came with one swipe of his tongue over me.

  I arched and moaned and screamed as Aidan’s tongue slid over me. He plunged his fingers inside and my orgasm washed over me in a flash. I bucked into him, holding his face against me, as I rode out my orgasm. When I could finally breathe again I let go of him and he kissed his way up my body, dipping his tongue into my belly button, the folds beneath my breasts, and the hollow space between my collarbone.

  “God, you taste so good,” he moaned against my lips. His cock probed my entrance and I opened for him, teased by the feel of him rubbing against my sensitive skin.

  Aidan slid his tongue past my lips as he entered me. I moaned at both sensations, feeling full and very satisfied by my fiancé. He slowly slid out, just barely keeping the tip inside me. As he arched back into me, he slowly filled me and I moaned at the feeling of him.

  “Can you give me another one sweetheart?” Aidan asked at the sound of my moan.

  “I think so. You feel so good,” I moaned on another gentle thrust.

  Aidan slowly moved in and out of my body, drawing out my pleasure and amplifying his. My entire body pulsed, energy flowing from him into me and back again. We moved as one, our hips meeting with each arch of our backs, our speed increasing together as though we could read each other’s thoughts.

  In that moment I knew Aidan would love me forever, and that my life would never be the same again.

  The pressure and pleasure built quickly as our thrusts became faster and more erratic. Aidan grunted above me and I pulled him down for a kiss as I exploded. My body split wide open grasping desperately at his to prolong my pleasure. Aidan broke our kiss with the bellow of my name and a rough jerk of his body as he followed me over the edge.

  Aidan collapsed on me, his breath becoming mine, his sweat becoming mine, his heartbeat becoming mine. I held him tight to me even as the weight of his body stole my breath. He rolled to the side after a few seconds, turning me with him. “I love you,” he whispered against my hair.

  “I love you,” I said back to him, kissing his neck as our arms circled each other and we held each other close.

  “Please tell me we can sleep in tomorrow. I need to recover from that. And hopefully do it again.”

  I laughed and wriggled against him, getting comfortable. “We can definitely sleep in. But before you get too comfortable you promised me dinner. You can’t deny a fat woman food. It’s not a pretty sight.”


  “You’re not fat, you’re perfect. But yes, I will treat you to dinner. And then dessert when we get back. Maybe we can do a road trip tomorrow. Like Phoenix or Vegas or California somewhere.”

  “Vegas? Really?”

  Aidan leaned back and looked at me with obvious surprise. “You want to go to Vegas? Why?”

  I laughed at his shock and explained, “The cheerleader in me has always wanted to see Cirque du Soleil. When I was in high school I actually dreamed of being in those shows. That wouldn’t happen now, but I’m baffled by the way they move. Do you think we could get tickets?”

  “For you, baby, anything. Let’s sleep in then head to Vegas for the afternoon and evening. I think it’s only a few hours from here so we should be okay to drive back after the show.”

  I jumped up and clapped my hands. “Hey, maybe we should get married while we’re there,” I teased as I searched through my suitcase for clean clothes.

  I turned around when I didn’t hear Aidan getting up, ready to beg him to get up. Instead he laid there with a stupid grin on his face. “Seriously? You want to get married tomorrow. In Vegas?”

  “I was just joking, Aidan. We’ve only been engaged for a few hours.”

  “Yeah, but there’s no rule about how long we have to be engaged before we get married. I think we should do it.”

  I laughed at him and finished pulling on my clothes as he finally climbed out of bed. He dressed quickly and we headed out to find a place to have dinner. “We don’t have to, but it was just an idea,” Aidan said as we got into the car. “I just can’t wait to have you as my wife.”

  I patted his cheek and smiled at him. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. For now, I just need food. Lots and lots of food if your performance in there was any indication of what the rest of this trip is going to be like.”