I have to take multiple deep breaths to calm myself enough to go on. When I do, I tell him what happened after in a shaky voice. “The next thing I remember is the car door being jerked open and seeing my brother, Shane’s face… I can never explain to you how happy I felt at seeing his face. He was there to rescue me, I thought. And there was no greater feeling in the world at that moment. Shane grabbed Imran off of me and slammed him hard against the side of the car. I heard more voices then and turned my head around to see two of Imran’s closest friends ogling me, pointing and laughing. I scrambled to put my clothes on as fast as I could… I didn’t hear any coherent conversation between Imran and Shane’s shouting and shuffling at first, but then…the words I heard then were so shocking they are forever etched in memory.” I release a deep sigh and attempt to control over my emotions before I say the next words. But it’s not easy. I count to ten and take deep breaths until I feel I’m ready to repeat those words without breaking into a sob.
“Imran told Shane, I was asking for it. He said I had been teasing and begging him for weeks. He said, ‘You don’t know your sister. She acts all shy and mighty around you guys, but then in private she’s a complete slut. I have texts and pictures to prove it to you.’ I couldn’t believe my ears. I thought it was a joke. But then he pulled out his phone to show him a picture and I remembered what pictures he was referring to. Imran had snapped a few pictures down my blouse a couple of times as a joke, and the last few times we were making out he took some selfies. He did that laughing and in a joking way. Since I wasn’t caving in on having sex with him, and didn’t want to appear like a complete prune, I didn’t say anything. Now he was showing my brother those pictures to prove that I was the one who instigated this... I was so shell-shocked that I just stared at the scene with my mouth dropped open. Imran had just raped me in broad daylight in front of some of his friends. I had a cut in my throat and blood on my underwear to prove it. Who would buy his story, I thought.” I shake my head at my own naivety.
“I was wrong. I’ll never forget Shane’s face after he saw those pictures. He turned to me in such a rage that I was immediately scared for my life. He grabbed my arm and practically dragged me to his car. I started yelling at him on the way there, telling him how Imran was lying, but none of my words were getting through to him. Once we were both sitting in the car, he slapped me hard multiple times. I kept telling him over and over again through my tears that Imran had just attacked me. I tried to show him the cut on my throat, but it was like seeing those pictures had turned him into another person. He wasn’t hearing a word I was saying. He drove to our house, threw me on the floor when we got there, and started hitting and kicking me everywhere. My mom came screaming and yelling at him at some point, but when he told her he had found me banging Imran in the back of his car and Imran had pictures from me to prove I’d done it before, she became very quiet. She stood by while Shane hit me until I almost lost consciousness.”
I release a deep sigh and notice for the first time since I started talking the expression on Aiden’s face. His face is turned red and his jaw is clenched. I take note of how tense his muscles are underneath me and contemplate whether I should tell him anymore. Can Aiden handle the rest of this story? Do I even want him to know the extent of my family’s madness?
He doesn’t say a word, but nods his slowly, urging me to go on. I don’t have to think too long to decide that since he hasn’t given me anything but honesty and openness, he deserves the same from me. Now that I’ve opened up to him, he should know the rest.
“What happened next is almost as bad as the attack itself. Everyone in my family and friends took Imran’s side. No one would listen to my side of the story. I asked my family to take me to the hospital to prove that I’d been raped, but my dad said they didn’t want to bring that kind of shame to the family. Instead, they took my car keys and my bank cards away and locked me up in my bedroom. I had to drop my classes, because they wouldn’t let me go to school. The story Imran told people spread like wildfire. He sent the pictures to everyone, and since those pictures showed me in such a different light than I had portrayed myself my whole life, everyone saw me as a two-faced liar. My brothers and my dad thought I had brought shame to the family and they were determined to fix the situation… Their solution was to marry me off.” I choke on the last words, the memories too painful to recount. Aiden wraps his arms around me, gently rubbing his hands slowly up and down my back, and kissing my hair over and over again until I’m calm enough to continue.
“They were going to marry me off to someone almost thirty years older than me in Pakistan who already had two wives... When my mom told me that, I had no choice to run away from my home. That’s how I met your grandpa. I was penniless with no friends and family and on the verge of homelessness. I…I was contemplating taking my own life. David literally saved me from taking the plunge. He gave me a job and a place to stay and a chance at life… That’s why no matter what, I’ll always remain grateful to him. He literally saved my life.”
I lift my head up to look at Aiden, and notice the lines of tension on his face. I can tell he’s trying very hard to remain calm for my sake. But he can’t hide his body’s reaction to this story.
“I’m sorry you had to listen to that,” I tell him. “I told you I’m damaged goods.”
He turns me around so fast I have to catch my breath. He positions me so I’m straddling him, and he can look directly into my eyes.
“Don’t ever, ever say that. The people that did this to you are the damaged disgusting ones. You, you’re nothing but pure light. For you to have gone through all that and stay as strong and positive as you are is nothing short of incredible. If that happened to most people, it would turn them bitter and angry. But you…look at how you’ve handled your life since then. The way you live your life, after what you went through speaks volumes about your inner strength.”
“I don’t feel strong, Aiden. Most days I feel like I’m so fragile, I’m ready to crumble at the slightest sign of trouble. Didn’t you see how I fell apart tonight?”
“That’s because you’re only human, baby. With everything that you’ve gone through, it would be impossible not to have scars, but the point is you don’t let those scars darken your soul. You’re still all pure light.”
He gently grazes his finger over the scar on my throat, before bending his head to place a most tender kiss there. I look into his eyes and the amount of affection and compassion I see in them takes my breath away. My lips move on their own accord to descend on his.
The kiss starts as sweet and gentle, but it quickly turns desperate. I have so much pent up emotion in my body, that I just can’t control my actions. I grab the back of his head with one hand and press my body close to him, as I deepen the kiss. My other hand starts roaming all over his muscles, but it’s not enough. I need to feel his skin. I grab the edge of his shirt to pull it off. Aiden tries to pull back then, but I lean in closer. He has to gently push against my shoulders to get me to stop. I turn my head around so he doesn’t see the disappointed look in my eyes.
“We have to stop, baby.”
“Why? I want you, Aiden.”
“I want you too, but tonight’s not the night.” Noticing the hurt look in my eyes, he tries to explain. “You’ve had a rough night. You just had an emotional breakdown. I don’t want the memory of our first time together to be tainted with what happened tonight. When I make you mine, it will be beautiful and perfect.”
I get what he’s saying, but I still feel rejected. I try to get off his lap so he doesn’t see my teary eyes. But before I have a chance, he pulls me back against him. “That doesn’t mean I can’t show you how you deserve to be treated,” he tells me.
I raise my eyebrow in question. “You deserve to be loved and taken care of like the angle that you are. Not only that, you need to be cherished. Every inch of you deserves to be cherished… Will you let me cherish you, Aleah?”
I’m not exactly sure
what he’s asking of me, but a look into his eyes reveals so much affection that I simply can’t say no. He gathers me up in his arms and carries me to his bedroom, where he places me in the middle of his mattress. He grabs my face in his hands and directs his glistening gaze into my eyes.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
I swallow against the lump in my throat and slowly nod my head. “Do you trust that I won’t ever physically hurt you?” he asks again. This time I nod with more vigor.
He gently grabs my ankles and takes my shoes off one by one, before slowly pushing my shoulders down, so I’m lying on my back. He kneels in front of my feet on the mattress and stares directly into my eyes.
“I want to show how you deserve to be treated. I hope you’ll enjoy what I’m about to do, but if at any point I do anything that makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable, just say the word and I’ll immediately stop, okay?”
I nod my head. “I want to hear you say it. Say you’ll tell me if you don’t like something,” he insists.
“I’ll let you know if I’m uncomfortable, Aiden.”
He seems satisfied by my answer, as he directs his attention to my feet. He brushes first his fingers and then his lips against my smallest toe and looks up to see my reaction. I give a small smile to let him know it’s okay. My assurance gives him permission to run his finger in the slightest touch from my toe down the middle of my feet to my heel and back up again, before bringing his lips down to my toes and taking the first one inside his mouth. I immediately feel shocked and self-conscious by his action, as I ponder why anyone would put my toes inside his mouth. But once I let the initial uneasiness pass, I notice the tingles of pleasure moving up my body. He teases and massages every single toe expertly with his tongue, all the while massaging my heel. His touch creates a tingle in my body that runs from the tip of my toes to the crown of my head and I have a feeling he’s just getting started with me.
Once he’s done teasing my toes, he places small open mouth kisses on every inch of my right foot before moving to the left one to give it the same treatment. He takes his time, treating my feet as if they are the last treasure on earth. Once he’s done with them, he lifts his head up to read my body language. I feel relaxed and thrilled all at the same time. What I don’t feel is scared or uncomfortable. He moves up the bed so his face is close to mine, before running his fingers slowly along my jaw.
“Is it okay if I take your jeans off? I promise I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable.” His promise gives me the courage I need to respond positively. He lowers his body then to slowly unzip my jeans, looking up to study my eyes every few seconds to gauge my reaction. The fact that he’s paying so much attention to my body language to make sure I’m not uncomfortable warms my heart and assures me that I’m in good hands.
Once my jeans are off, he resumes his torturous assault with his fingers and his mouth from my ankle all the way up to my knee. When he gets to my knee area, he runs his tongue in circles in the back of my knee until I start squirming and yelping underneath him. He moves up my thigh then to continue his assault. He starts with a featherlike touch that turns my skin on fire and moves on to open-mouthed kisses and running his tongue gently up and down the length of my thigh. Every time he runs his tongue up against my inner thigh, he moves up one inch higher than the last time, until he’s so close to my core, I’m certain he’s about to touch me there. Just then he shifts his body up to come face to face to me.
He places the sweetest, most tender kiss on my forehead before covering my whole face with butterfly kisses, but he makes sure no part of his body other than his fingers and lips touch mine. He kisses every part of my face except for my lips, before directing his attention to my neck and throat area. He runs his finger up and down the edge of my ear in a featherlike touch, before drawing circles on my neck. His tongue follows the path of his finger. Goose bumps form all over my skin. His touch arouses feelings in my body I never knew existed. Every cell in my body is on fire, screaming for more, but he takes his time with his delicious torture.
I start squirming under his fingers, craving much more than he’s giving me. After spending what feels like eternity on my neck and throat area, when I’m about to start begging him, he finally brings his lips to mine. He flicks his tongue slowly against my bottom lip running from one corner of my mouth to another before deciding to torture my upper lip. Once he’s done teasing me, he slams his mouth against me pushing his tongue in a rough invasion, and every cell in my body welcomes his entrance. Our tongues dance in a rhythm that changes from fast and desperate to tender and affectionate and everything in between. He kisses me until I’m out of breath and moaning loudly underneath him.
After pulling back, he studies my eyes carefully. He is searching to see if I’m comfortable with where we’re heading and I know he won’t see anything but the extent of my desire. Getting the confirmation he needs, he moves down, grabbing the edge of my t-shirt and slowly lifting it up. He rolls it up about an inch, covering my revealed skin with open mouthed kisses before rolling another inch up. He tastes every inch of my skin unveiled before moving on to the next. He lifts his head up when I’m finally down to my bra and my underwear and takes an appreciative look down the length of my body and then back up.
“You’re so beautiful, you take my breath away…and every exquisite inch of your skin deserved to be cherished… You need to be treasured because you are that incredible… I relish every single part of you, baby. But do you know what I cherish the most?”
I shake my head. He brings his lips up to place a tender kiss on my forehead. “Your beautiful mind…” Then he dips his head to kiss the spot right above my heart. “And your pure heart.”
Tears begin flowing down my cheeks at his words, as a myriad of emotions overtake my body. My heart quenches at the sweetness of his actions, and my body hums with desire from the force of his torturous treatment. He kisses my tear stained cheeks. “Will you let me make you happy, baby? Will you let me show you more?”
I nod my head against the lump in my throat and let Aiden show me with his expert fingers and his mouth what it means to be savored by a man. He brings me to the edge and takes me to places I never knew existed. He tortures me until my heart is about to jump out of my chest and my insides are turned to mush and my lips are screaming his name. And then he shows me more.
Aiden comes back to bed after a quick trip to the bathroom and I curl up into his arms, covering my face in the nook of his arm. I’m embarrassed by the sounds that escaped my mouth and the reactions my body showed. But I can’t deny that every inch of my body feels, oh, so good. He places a kiss on the back of my head and starts running his hands gently through my hair.
“That was incredible,” I finally find the courage to admit. “But what about you?”
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“I mean you… You know. You didn’t get anything out of that. What about you?”
“Are you kidding me, baby? I’ve had plenty of sex in my life. So believe me when I say this; watching you was way better than most of them. For you to trust me with your body after you’ve been scarred so bad, to allow me to touch you the way you did was a gift to me. A treasured gift that I don’t take lightly. What you just gave me was worth way more than an orgasm for me… Plus,” he says with a wicked smile, “you gave me enough materials for months.”
I feel heat rise up my cheek and cover my face with my hands.
“Come on, baby. Don’t be shy now. That was incredible. You’re very sexy. Own it.”
“That was incredible. I’ve never… I’ve never been touched like that before. I never knew it could feel this good.”
I feel Aiden tense under me at my words, and immediately question what could cause this reaction. I notice his chest rise and fall more rapidly and can feel a question bubbling up in his mind. “What’s wrong? Did I say something?”
“I know this is probably not a good time to ask this. Buy you said something
that brought back a question that’s been on my mind for a while.”
“Go head. Ask it.”
“You just said you’ve never been touched like that before. Did you mean not this good or just not all?”
“What are you asking, Aiden?”
He pauses for a few seconds before responding. “What… What about my grandpa?”
I immediately sit up, realizing I need to clear this up for him once and for all. “Aiden, that marriage was just in name. You have to know that. There was nothing, absolutely nothing physical or sexual between me and David, ever.”
He releases a deep sigh of relief as if a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders.
“Thank you for telling me that. I tried really hard to not let that bother me, but the idea of you being with Grandpa… that just made me feel sick.”
Redeeming Love (Resilient Hearts #2) Page 8