by Fox, Regina
“He’s fucking asleep,” Aiden argued.
I locked my jaw. “He’s awake. I can tell. And I also would appreciate it if you don’t mention the eff word or any other curses while we’re at your house.”
“You're tellin’ me what to do, babe?”
I shook my head no.
Aiden grunted, “Looks fuckin’ like it.” I sighed, and he nudged me toward the driveway. “Let’s go.”
“I told you, I need to—,” he cut me off.
“I heard you. I ain’t deaf. You can go to the grocery store and grab some of the kid’s shi—I mean, things, before we go back to my place.”
“Jack needs his toys, and we need clothes.”
A smirk curled up my former boss’s lips before he rolled his eyes upward, no doubt attempting to control his temper. I could see a muscle ticking on his neck; I just hoped he wouldn’t lose his temper while Jack was with me.
“Pick up your things, then. But you gotta fuc—freaking hurry.”
I pretended to nuzzle his downy head, but in truth I was hiding my smile and the laughter that threatened to erupt from my mouth.
“Are you gonna move or what?” Aiden barked.
I cleared my throat and said, “I’m coming.”
“You will be when I’m done.”
Chapter 12
After a few seconds of arguing, Aiden finally saw reason and agreed to take my car. A baby riding on the back of a bike was insane, and I refused to say yes to Dave’s offer to take Jack and my car to Aiden’s house. He was my baby and would ride with me.
With Jack comfortably seated in the back, I opened the driver side door of my car just to have it slammed shut again by Aiden. I stared at his gorgeous face with pouted lips. “What the hell, Aiden?”
“You ain’t drivin’, Abby. I am.”
I took a deep breath and shook my head, thoroughly annoyed. However, seeing as there was no point in arguing with him, I walked around the car and took my seat on the passenger side. Aiden waited for me to get my seatbelt on before driving away from my home.
During the drive to my local grocery store, I kept looking back at Jack. Although I had recovered from the initial shock of Vince’s surprise, I was still edgy about it and needed to make sure that my son was okay.
“You can relax. He ain’t goin’ anywhere—not on my watch anyway,” Aiden assured, looking at me briefly before he focused his gaze back on the road.
I stole a glance at Aiden, completely confused. The man changed moods like people change clothes. When he hopped out of his bike earlier, I was sure he would yell and curse at me for leaving him like I did. Instead, he was being sweet—in his own gruff way, of course—and telling me that everything was going to be fine. He made me swoon almost as much as he made me pull at my hair.
“Mama!” Jack’s enthusiastic call broke my reverie as Aiden parked the car at the grocery store.
I turned around to see Jack swing his legs in the air. His round, childish eyes followed the movement of his feet unblinkingly.
“Yes, baby?”
“Tots!” Jack exclaimed, pointing down at his wiggly toes.
I smiled at his attempt of saying toes. “Yes, Jack. Toes. Do you want to show Aiden your toes?”
He nodded. “Aien, tots!”
A laugh bubbled up from my throat as big-bad-Aiden chuckled and turned his body around to tickle Jack’s foot. His lips tilted into a smile as my son wiggled and pulled his legs up, evading his touch. I could be wrong, but he seemed as fascinated with the toddler as I was with him.
I forced my eyes away from the two of them and looked around for my purse. On my necessities run through the house, I grabbed his bottles, a bundle of clothes and personal hygiene items, my laptop and some of his toys—including the stuffed dog he was clutching at the moment. However, I was down to two diapers and half a scoop of formula, which were definitely a problem and the sole purpose of our trip to the store. He couldn’t go without those items and apparently, in my haste, I’d forgotten my purse back at the house.
I looked at Aiden, mortified and humiliated knowing I would once again need his help, and took a deep breath before opening my mouth to speak. Before any sound could come out Jack cried once more from the back seat, “Look, mommy, boys!” He pointed out the window at twins walking out the grocery store with their parents.
“Yeah, Jack. Boys,” I agreed.
The toddler nodded and giggled like there was something funny in what I said. I smiled back at him as I gathered my strength again.
I heard a rustle beside me and felt a large, warm hand fall atop mine. My eyes traveled from my son to the place where one of Aiden’s hands covered mine, on his other was a credit card. Despite the gratitude I felt, I looked up at him with a frown on my face.
“What’s this?” I asked.
He raised a brow but refrained from the sarcastic, obvious reply my question entitled. “You left your purse in your house, right?” I nodded, and he continued, “Use this.”
Reluctantly, I shook my head. Yes, I needed the stuff and had no way to pay for them myself, but I’d troubled him enough. I didn’t want to bother him even more.
“Thank you, but I have money. I’ll just call Dave and ask him to bring my purse.” I patted my pants for my cell, but I didn’t have it. It was in my damn purse too. I closed my eyes. “Can I borrow your cell? I left mine back in the house.”
Aiden exhaled forcefully and grabbed my hand, placed the card on my palm and curled my fingers around it. I opened my eyes and made a move to hand it back to him, but he growled. “Fuckin’ take it, Abby. I want to go home, the kid needs a change, and I don’t want him bawlin’ his eyes out later because of a wet diaper.”
“That’s what babies do, Aiden,” I said.
The muscle on his neck popped. “I ain’t gonna argue. It’s late, and I’m tired. Just go inside and buy what the kid needs, and come back. I’ll look after him.”
“Aiden,” I began.
“Go!” he growled and nudged me toward the door.
Still chewing my bottom lip, I looked back at Jack and hopped out. As I walked, I kept looking back to where Jack was seated inside my car marveling that he was giggling and playing with Aiden and his toy.
I stepped inside the grocery store and grabbed everything we needed as quickly as I could. As I handed the card to the cashier, I told myself that I would pay Aiden back as soon as I had my stuff.
As walked back to my car, I made a mental note to call my job and dad as soon as possible. With everything that was happening I doubted that Aiden would allow me to go to work. I was certain they would fire me for missing work for two weeks, but I was bound and determined to do everything I could to try and save my job. As for my father, I was determined to avoid that call for as long as I could. I could already see the enraged yelling and the drama. Not things I was in the mood for.
As I opened the car door, I was surprised to find Aiden sitting at the back, playing with Jack. Grumpy Aiden had Jack’s dog in his hand and was making funny voices that made my son holler with laughter.
I melted at the sight, a goofy grin on my face when I caught Aiden’s gaze. He grinned back at me, causing a gasp to spill past my lips as his gaze shot down to the southern part of my body. The heat of his stare made me shiver. The intensity of his blue eyes on me traveled straight to the tight, little nerve endings between my wet folds.
I feared that Aiden had screwed me over already.
Chapter 13
After fifteen minutes driving, the car stopped in the driveway. I looked out the window at a modern looking wooden house with a wide front porch and nice yard where Jack could play. A set of white rocking chairs gave the house a homey feeling.
I jumped out of the car, and grabbed the grocery bags inside, eager to go inside. Juggling the plastic bags, I opened Jack’s door and unstrapped him from his seat. I was about to pull him out, when I felt a hand on my waist, pulling me away from my baby.
“I can take you a
nywhere you want to go,” he said. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I smiled. “Positive.”
I stepped inside and looked at my surroundings. The open concept space was divided into living, dining and kitchen areas, at the right side an archway led to what I assumed was the hallway leading up to the bedrooms. The white walls and the dark hardwood floors were offset. The mostly black, modern looking furniture, giving the space a cozy feeling.
My eyes focused on the kitchen, where the black-tiled walls and the white porcelain floors contrasted with the rest of the house. The fluorescent lights glinted against the steel-colored sink, reflecting the white cupboards above the basin.
I smiled at the maleness around me, thinking it looked exactly like Aiden—mostly dark, but with bits of light here and there. I could picture him cooking breakfast here in the morning, wearing a pair of dark-blue boxers while he yawned. His eyes still droopy from the lack of sleep.
“You hungry?” Aiden’s voice cut through my thoughts, making me blush.
I looked sideways to see him carrying Jack in his arms, his tattooed arm around my little toddler. I smiled at him and nodded as I made my way toward the kitchen and set the groceries over the granite counter top. I hadn’t realized that I was hungry until he’d brought it up.
“You know how to cook?” he asked, placing Jack down on the floor. The little boy ran toward me. Just as he was about to reach me, he turned around and ran to Aiden to retrieve his stuffed dog.
“What do you have?” Aiden shrugged. “Check the fridge. I’m sure I’ve got some eatable shit in there.”
I made a disapproving noise in my throat, letting him hear that I didn’t bode well with him swearing in Jack’s presence. He simply rolled his eyes at me.
As I searched his massive fridge for our next meal, Jack squeezed his tiny body between me and the fridge’s door and started playing a game of removing things. Everything his little hands touched was lifted from its spot and placed on the ground. Knowing this game would end in tears when I tried to close the door, I looked behind me at Aiden.
“Do you mind…?” I trailed, moving my eyes toward Jack.
His eyes followed mine and his lips curled up. “I’ll keep him entertained,” Aiden promised, and I breathed in relief.
With Jack out of my hair, I got busy with dinner. It was only when the casserole was ready for the oven that I realized I hadn’t thought of Jack in half an hour, and that was a novelty. During the years we’d been together, I’d always been anxious to leave him to himself, even though he was never more than a few feet away.
As I waited for it to cook, I looked at the living room. Aiden was laid back on his couch, eyes trained on the TV, as Jack was sprawled sideways over him. My son rocked back and forth over Aiden’s inked torso, and he giggled like he was having the time of his life.
I felt something in me softened as I regarded the pair. Tears welled in my eyes when Aiden peeled his eyes from the TV to laugh with Jack, moving one hand around the little boy’s head to pet his head. I observed them for a little longer before getting back to dinner.
Once the food was ready, and the table was set, I called Aiden into the kitchen. The thumping of his feet against the floorboards announced his arrival, and somehow, I wasn’t surprised to find Jack trailing after him. I lifted him up to my arms and pressed a kiss on his cheek. I snuggled him and nuzzled his neck, laughing along when I heard his giggle.
Since we didn’t have a highchair for Jack here, he sat on my lap as we took out seats to eat. My little boy kept his eyes on Aiden the whole time he ate. His fascination with him was adorable and probably the reason why he wasn’t cranky despite being way past his bedtime.
As for Aiden, he wolfed his food. Seeing the amount of food he stuffed in his mouth it was hard to know how he maintained his shape. On the plus side, I was glad that he liked my casserole. It made me feel good when it kept telling me how delicious it was and that he enjoyed a homecooked meal. By the time his plate was finally empty and his fork was down, mine was still completely full.
“Here, pass him to me.” Aiden stretched his arms for the baby.
I looked at him with relief. I loved Jack to death, but my stomach was growling, and he wouldn’t stop bouncing and moving in my arms, making it impossible for me to eat.
“Thanks,” I said as he took Jack from me.
“You givin’ your ma a hard time, son?” Aiden asked the boy who smiled mischievously and nodded.
As I took my first bite of the night, my heart melted once more. Aiden just called Jack son. Not that it meant anything. But it was cute.
Chapter 14
It was well after ten o’clock when I finally finished cleaning up the dishes. Jack had been asleep since before we left the dinner table, and I was exhausted. Noise coming from the TV in the living room filled the kitchen letting me know that Aiden was still awake. Turning off the lights in the kitchen, I walked toward him.
“Where’s the bathroom?”
He glanced at me. His gaze ran over my figure, his eyes hot and heated when his azure spheres met mine again. “It’s upstairs. Turn left and you should see a door. There are clean towels in the cupboards. The master bedroom is on your right.”
“I’m gonna take a shower now,” I said.
“I’m gonna give you ten minutes. I don’t care if you’re done or not. We’ve got some talkin’ to do.”
“Aiden,” I began.
“Ten minutes.” He lowered his eyes to his wristwatch. “I’m countin’. So, either you haul your ass into the bathroom and shower, or you don’t at all.”
I shook my head and took that as my cue to leave the room. I walked to the instructed bathroom and took a quick shower. My mind kept wondering to where the night might lead us, and I couldn’t help but feel excited.
About nine minutes later, I wrapped a towel around my naked body and was toweling dry my hair when the bathroom door opened. Aiden walked in with only his boxers.
My eyes ran down his amazing body. I took in the hard planes of his chest, his tanned skin that glinted under the fluorescent lights above. The black, inked lines made my mouth water just by staring at them.
When I ran my eyes upward, I saw the quirk of his lips. I flashed a sheepish smile and dropped my hands to my sides, still clutching the towel in my hand.
“I need to get dressed,” I said.
He leaned on the door frame, crossing his arms across his chest. “No, you don’t. You look so fucking sexy. In fact, I ain’t planning on letting you wear clothes unless there are other people around.”
“Excuse me?”
Aiden pushed back from the doorway and walked toward me in answer. I backed away as he advanced, his stare hot and heated, sending a tingle down my spine.
“Aiden,” I started, but he ignored me.
“You took the deal. You knew what you were getting into. I gave you plenty of opportunities to back out.”
My back hit the wall, bringing out a gasp as my legs trembled. It was impossible to deny that I was getting aroused just staring at him. My clit throbbed as I grew wet; my cream soaked me, begging for him to take me.
Aiden planted a hand on the wall, caging me in with his body. I tried not to quiver as he hooked his index finger on the towel. With one move of his finger, my covering came undone, revealing my naked body to him.
He stared for a moment and then, slid his hand down my body until he reached my breasts. My nipples hardened immediately as he rubbed the pad of his thumb on the pebbled peak. I bit off a moan, not wanting to embarrass myself by letting him see just how much he was actually affecting me.
“Your skin is so soft, honey,” he said, smoothing his hands up my chest and down my arm.
His touch was gentle and soothing against my skin. I shivered as he dipped his head, nuzzling that sweet spot behind my ear. This time, I didn’t bother stifling the soft moan that slipped through my mouth.
I felt the last thread of my self-control loosened. I was
screwed. I was addicted to Aiden, and I didn’t know how to untangle myself from being intoxicated. At this point, I didn’t even know if I wanted to.
He pressed hot, wet kisses on my neck. My neck tilted to the side, giving him more access to my body. He growled as he reached my chin, no doubt pleased at my responsiveness. His whiskers brushed lightly against my jaw, the friction sending a jolt of pleasure right to my pussy.
“Aiden,” I moaned. My eyes fluttered closed as he gripped my hips. I bucked my pelvis, grinding it against his already hard cock. My head rolled back in ecstasy as I reached up and curled my arms around his neck.
His head descended and took my mouth with his. I parted my lips as he coaxed me to open. He moaned as he slid his tongue inside my mouth. His hand clenched around my butt cheek when I latched my own tongue with his.
Aiden untangled himself from me to pull his boxers down. His thick cock sprang out of his underwear, standing fully erect. I could see a muscle ticking in his neck as his head rolled back.
I cried out in surprise when he lifted me up by the hips, carrying me in his arms across the hallway to his room. Inside, he dumped me on his bed making a loud thud.
He grabbed the back of my legs and spread me open, the cool air hitting my bare sex. I watched entranced as he his thumbs parted me, revealing the tight bundle of nerves that ached for his attention. Soft, mewling sounds erupted from me as he massaged my clit, causing my hips to arch.
He dipped his head between my legs and ran his tongue through my folds. I moaned and combed my fingers through his hair, encouraging him to lick me up until I came. Aiden focused his attention on my clit, sucking and flicking until I cried out. My grip on his hair tightened as I rode my orgasm; my inner muscles clenching and unclenching and my pussy bucking against his tongue.
As I basked in the afterglow of my climax, Aiden opened his nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom. Bringing the packet to his mouth, he tore it with his teeth. It took all my self-control not to pressure him as he rolled the rubber on his dick. I needed him inside of me now.