HOLY FRICKIN’ SHIT!, she screeched in her head, MINA CALM DOWN, HE’S DRUNK BUT damn he smells goo– MINA NO HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND!
“So…tired,” he breathed, “and lonely.”
Mina took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around his neck, spreading a hand of reassurance across the back of his head, “You’re not alone. You have me and mom now.”
He sighed softly and wrapped his hand around her back, pulling her to him. Mina squeaked lightly as she felt herself against his hard muscles. She unconsciously counted his abs against her stomach. Eight.
Mina, could you not?!, She mentally scolded herself. She felt hypocritical judging guys for being horny when drunk. She was completely sober and her body was begging to pounce on him. But he was drunk, and now her brother. He was her best friend. She would never do that to him. Not ever. He needed to get over his drunken state with sleep, and she needed to prepare stuff to deal with his hangover to come.
“A’right, then,” she breathed, “Aaron, bedtime.”
His head abruptly rose to look at her, “I want hot chocolate.”
“Boy!” she huffed exasperated. His eyes were red, clothes crinkled and hair a mess. A hot mess falling over his hazel eyes that had darkened from the alcohol. His hands slid up her waist to her face, and she shuddered.
Could he NOT?, she wailed internally as his thumbs ran under her eyes.
“Your eyes are so big…”
Well, that was the most surprising thing she’d ever heard. Her female cousins would always tell her that she had the smallest eyes in the family whenever they did her make-up as a child. She had the mind to figure out that they could be lying, because theirs didn’t seem any bigger. She didn’t let it get to her much, but it did warp her perception of how she looked by a little bit and there were times she’d become insecure about them. The most part of her university were spent wearing circle lenses that helped make her eyes look bigger, but she got fed up with herself and stopped halfway through her time there.
He was still staring into them curiously, and she wondered how she hadn’t combusted into flames yet. But she didn’t want this to stop. His hands were so large and so warm, enveloping her jaw and cheeks. She wanted to rub her face into his hands. They brought so much comfort, and she felt so safe. It had been a while she’d felt so strongly for anyone.
She wanted to take care of him. She wanted to treat him better than Greta ever did, and she knew she could. If she could help it, she would shower him with all the affection she so badly wanted to, and the gifts she wanted him to have. She wanted to be the one who he turned to, could be vulnerable to, and be his absolute worst like most children were with their mothers. She wanted to be his safe space. Because God knew how much hurt he was carrying behind those eyes and how much he wanted to let it all go.
But understanding her boundaries, she took hold of his hands and moved away from them, dragging his arm over her shoulder to give him support as she pulled him to her bedroom to put him to sleep. He stumbled along, yawning. Reaching the door, she kicked it open and helped him inside the relatively small room. The difference in the size of the house and room was enough to sober him up a little.
Even he notices, she thought with a chuckle. He said nothing, though, and soon flopped onto her bed face down. Mina laughed and pushed his body until he was on his back. She took off his shoes and socks, gagging at the smell of sweat that rose from it. Turning on her air freshening humidifier, she returned back to Aaron to remove his tie and empty his pockets. He watched her through his sleepy gaze, head tilting as he observed her fussing over him, fluffing the pillow around his head and unfolding her comforter over him.
“This feels nice,” he whispered.
“What does?”
“Being taken care of,” he replied in a way that broke her heart, “I don’t remember being tucked into bed or anything. I rarely get drunk because I know I won’t be looked after.”
This was not a side of him she saw. She knew his mother had died in a horrible case of conviction and suicide, but how bad was she to make someone as grateful as Aaron feel so neglected? She didn’t pity him, but it took a lot of mental strength to live through something like neglect. She understood how bad kids vied for their parents’ approval, and she had none of that from her lazy father while her mother was too busy working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Maybe they were all happy now, but there were scars from the past that needed healing.
She reached a hand out to his forehead, delicately moving away a few strands of hair that were falling into his eyes. Her fingers slid forward to lightly massage his scalp.
“We’re here now,” she reminded him, “Ma and I will take good care of you, okay? That’s what we’re here for, because that’s what we want to do for you.”
He smiled faintly, and she knew her fingers were doing a job against his skin to bring him some peace. She felt his tense muscles visibly relax under her touch. His breathing deepened, chest rising higher with each breath to come until it was slow and constant. A light snore resonated in the back of his throat, and Mina was sure he had fallen asleep. Running an affectionate thumb over his cheek, she rose from the bed to wash up and change into something more comfortable.
She left the bathroom with a fresh face, cotton shorts and a loose tee. She headed over to her wide grey couch dragging a spare blanket and pillow along, but before she could get in and get comfortable, Aaron’s personal phone rang. She immediately attended to it, but hesitated before accepting the call.
It was Greta.
“Aaron? Is the wedding over yet?” Greta started hurriedly, “We can talk it over at her place and you could stay the night if you want to this once.”
It surprised Mina that Aaron had never spent the night at Greta’s before. Just how bad was she for Aaron to refuse letting her take care of him.
A mischievous smile took over Mina’s lips as she realized how upset Greta would be to hear all that was to come from her mouth. Her voice especially.
You’re awful, her rational part deadpanned.
What?, she retorted innocently, This will be funny, okay?
“Oh, Aaron’s asleep right now at her place, Greta,” Mina spoke into the phone softly, “Mina here. Anything you’d want me to tell him when he wakes up?”
Silence. It was so quiet that she almost heard static, and she tried not to laugh.
“Um, what is he doing at your place?” Greta demanded, trying her best to keep her composure. Mina only smirked. God, she hated Greta’s petty ass.
“Sleeping,” she stated as a matter-of-factly, “He needed someone to take care of him tonight.”
“Well, excuse me, but you’re well aware he has a girlfriend.”
“That he didn’t want to go to,” she shot back, “Call him in the morning and you can ask him everything for himself, but he needs rest. And proper care, so maybe you could-”
“Mina?” came from a sleepy Aaron. Mina froze and turned around slowly, almost guiltily. He was squinting at her, as if disturbed from his slumber, “Who is it?”
Mina pulled the phone away slowly, “Erm…Greta.”
He huffed in annoyance and gestured for him to hand the phone to her, and she did as he wanted. He pressed the phone to his ear, “Hello?”
There was a pause from his as incessant chatter poured out from the other end. He sat upright and held the bridge of his nose in absolute despair, “Shut the fuck up for a second… No, listen, I’m breaking up with you right here, right now… We’re over, Greta. I can’t put up with your racist and ungrateful shit anymore. We’ll talk more tomorrow, but please leave me and her family alone for tonight for fuck’s sake.”
He groaned under his breath, “Yes, that means Mina, too. Leave her alone before I really cut off all contact with you. Just let everyone be tonight, Greta, please.”
Chapter Five
He hung up without missing a beat and let his fingers slide and crash against the screen. Mina figured he was probably blocking he
r, but he was too hungover to function. She was sure he didn’t mean to leave her and it was just the alcohol talking, but she didn’t feel bad at all. She felt relieved and hoped that he’d finish it off with her for good once he was sober. Greta was toxic and Aaron was a lot better off without her clinging to him almost every day.
His hands continued to fumble and Mina moved forward to gently pry it from his hands. She set it on the table and laced her hands in his hair once again as she lightly massaged the top of his head. He seemed to like it there. It was almost as if he was a cat. He sighed in frustration.
“I’m getting sick of her, Mina,” he whined, “I can’t take it anymore.”
“Sleep,” she whispered gently, “I’ll take care of everything, a’right?”
Aaron dropped back into the pillows, bouncing lightly as he gazed at Mina while she took the liberty of blocking Greta. His lids fell lower over his eyes with each passing moment, and he was soon fast asleep again pretty quickly. Placing his phone back on the bedside table, Mina gave him a careful look and turned to head back to the couch.
The noon after was quiet, and it felt awkward. The two had woken up at 12 and Mina handled Aaron with his hangover, getting him medicine and water to help with. They both then took to the kitchen where Mina prepared breakfast while Aaron was lost deep in thought.
“I broke up with Greta, didn’t I?” he spoke so suddenly that Mina almost dropped the bacon. She nodded, and Aaron sighed. She didn’t know if he was relieved or exasperated.
“Thank God, then.”
“Wow, really?” Mina chuckled, “I thought you loved her.”
“I do, Mina,” he said. It stung. More silence ensued, “I just don’t get the point of being with her if she can’t return it properly. All she does is take from me. I’m just being unfair to herself if I keep going, aren’t I?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, “You should love yourself enough to be strong enough to walk away from what’s bad for you, despite how much you care. You should always come first.”
“It took me quite a while to accept that,” he breathed and leaned on his elbows at the kitchen island, “I mean, who’s going to be with me until the end but herself? If I can’t be there for me, then no one can.”
“Exactly what I grew up telling herself,” Mina supported with a smile as she came forward and place a plate in front of him piled high with breakfast, “Eat up now. You’re not finished dealing with her yet, and you need the energy.”
Aaron groaned, but picked up a fork and knife. He dug in appreciatively as Mina took a seat next to him with her own plate piled just as high.
“I want to cook for you one day,” he mumbled through his stuffed face and Mina almost choked on her orange juice.
“Good grief, Aaron,” she coughed, “you look ridiculous when you do that.”
Aaron grinned at her and continued eating. They gorged down their food and Mina announced she had to brush her teeth, “And I’ll leave out a spare toothbrush for you on the sink.”
“Sure, you go ahead,” he said pointing to his phone, “I’ll deal with Greta in the meantime.”
“Good luck,” she laughed and left to freshen up properly.
They were soon on the living room couch, swearing incessantly at each other as the slammed their fingers onto their controllers, indulged heavily into the Xbox 360. Aaron hadn’t played Resident Evil in forever and was out of touch with it, but he did well enough. Mina, though, was an absolute monster and he’d never seen someone so playfully aggressive like her. How could someone be so angry yet so cute at the same time? He doubted he could ever take her seriously if she were to get mad at him, but from the stories she had told of her high school days when it came to dealing with bullies, he was careful not to underestimate her true wrath, if was ever unlucky enough to see it.
They lost their lives again and Mina gave a frustrated yell. Aaron reached over to tickle her and curb the flow of profanities she was spewing from her mouth. She screamed as his hands pinched her sides, rolling off the couch as she laughed holding herself to keep his hands away. She almost met the floor with a scream but Aaron was quick to catch her before the impact took place. He tried pulling her up, but his arms were weak with laughter and he ended up falling onto her. That set them off and they laughed even harder.
It wasn’t until they had calmed down did they realize how precarious their position was. Aaron lifted his head from the crook of her neck and supported himself on his elbows that were on the either side of Mina’s head.
“God, I’ve never laughed this hard in her life!” He cried out. He looked down at Mina and stopped short before he could say anything else. His mouth went dry looking at her. It scared him to admit how much he wanted her in the moment. He’d just ended it with Greta for good, only allowing her to still be friends with him so that he could help her out when she needed him. He’s already told Mina he loved Greta, but now he was wondering if he’d been lying to himself for the sake of not being alone. He feared loneliness. He only felt guiltier because he’d been with Greta on and off since his promotion as CFO. Five years was a long time with someone, and he was sure it would end earlier with him constantly busy and so invested in his business.
But now he was wondering if he ever really loved her in the first place. He found it easier to make time for Mina than he did for Greta. Or he was purposely avoiding her, knowing that the two didn’t really connect on the level he wished for them to. He wasn’t sure anymore. Maybe he loved her at one point when he was deluded university student pining after his junior who could’ve cared less about him back then and had plenty of boys drooling at her feet to do her bidding and have fun with. Aaron was always serious when it came to commitment.
And Mina got that. She felt the same about long term decisions like he did. He did not judge Greta one bit for her ways, but he was definitely not her type to satisfy her back then. She only understood what he wanted as she grew older and was definitely more than ready to commit long term, because she had fallen for him, too. For real, this once, she had fallen in love and was ready to settle. For him, getting her was a lifelong goal achieved. But now he wondered what was it was about her that attracted him to her.
He blinked himself out of his thoughts and focused on Mina. She was looking at him through her long dark lashes, eyes pools of melted chocolate. Cheeks stained pink as her short black hair spread out in a mess behind her head.
This girl right here was making him feel alive for once. He was a 35-year-old man acting like a complete teenager, yelling and screaming, playing videogames and having food competitions, and talking about the weirdest things like philosophy combined in paranormal realms and making stories out of nowhere and having burping competitions. They were an absolute nonsense of adults.
And he loved it. He’s missed it all as a child, and for good reason. He cherished it with all his heart now.
“A-Aaron,” Mina stuttered nervously. Well, dammit, he was falling in love with her. Because she was here with no make-up and a puffy face going red, and she looked just as good this way.
“Would you mind if I kissed you right now?” He said softly, looking at her rosy full lips. She gulped nervously and he felt bad, almost moving away until she spoke.
“You’re not going to believe me but,” she stated bashfully, “I’ve never been kissed before. So I don’t know what to expect.”
He looked at her with wide eyes.
“Damn, Mina,” he smirked with a gentle hold on her chin, and murmured over her mouth, “you sure are missing out.”
Mina’s heart literally exploded against her chest as she felt Aaron’s lips press against hers softly. It was a gentle kiss that didn’t last long, and he was pulling away to look at her.
Too soon.
I definitely want more of that, she thought and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him to her. He willing complied and kissed her again, a hand holding her by the waist, thumb rubbing at the skin under her shirt.
The desp
eration surprised the both of them. For someone with no experience, Mina was very confident and willing. It was no different than going into a new rollercoaster with multiple loops for her. Literally. Heart pounding and lower abdomen strangely pulsing with an all too familiar, unsatisfied flame, she knew that she would have to pull away and stop soon before she had all of her first times that day.
Aaron slid his arm under her back and pulled her against himself, tongue sliding past her lips, startling her. She always found tongue kisses weird on TV, but he tasted of the mint toothpaste he had, and his tongue was smooth against the crevices of her mouth, making her moan lightly. The sound of her only made him tighten his arm around her, hand moving to her neck and angling her head to swallow every little noise to made.
They were getting impossibly closer to each other, legs tangling, mouths wandering, breathless moans, and finger tracing everywhere they could, exploring each other as if they’d never touched a body before. And for Aaron, it seemed like as if he was kissing for the first time, because his brain was a gooey mess sliding down his spine.
Right to his groin.
Mina gave a startled yelp and he pulled away instantly. Mina’s face was flaming now and he smirked, “What?”
“Do you, er, like…have a stick somewhere in your pockets?”
He raised a brow at her and she shook her head bashfully and cried out, “Just don’t make me go anywhere near it right now!”
“Jesus, Mina,” he laughed, “it’s just her-”
“Aaron!”
“Good grief, you’re such a baby,” he sighed and rolled over so that she sat on his abs, and he pushed himself up to stand, grabbing Mina’s thighs and lifting her off with himself. She yelped and came face to face with him. She was very impressed with his strength.
His mouth was on hers again and she melted against him, arms wrapping around his shoulders and a hand in his hair. He started to move and spoke in between kisses, “Are you…sure…this is…your first…kiss?”
Daddy In Charge_A Billionaire Romance Page 50