by Amy Brent
They paid the bill and walked out to head to their part of town, comfortable as they walked closer together but didn’t hold hands. Aaron wanted to but he wanted things to look professional for the public since she’d already been through so much. Once they reached his building, he asked her where she lived as they paused on the sidewalk. It was a few blocks further and he licked his lips as he looked into her eyes. “Want to come in? I can order in some dinner later and we can get to know each other.”
“I…should we?” Holly asked, her green eyes heavy with need as she stared at him. They both knew what would happen if she said yes, and he nodded.
“I won’t do anything that you’re not comfortable with, Holly.” Aaron promised her, telling his cock to calm down as it hardened painfully. “I'm not that guy.”
“Yes. I want to.” They walked into the building as he greeted the doorman and led her to an elevator. “This is a nice building.”
“I bought the apartment a few years into playing with the team. It suits me.” Aaron replied, wondering what her apartment looked like as he realized he might not see it at all. He pushed the button for the twentieth floor as her eyes widened, moving a bit closer to her in the empty car.
“Mine is just on the third floor.” Holly admitted, watching as he joined their hands together with the same eyes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Aaron opened his door just a few steps away from the elevator, his heart picking up the pace in his chest as he watched her walk in slowly. She smelled like a mixture of cherries and lime, something he hadn’t noticed until he was this close to her. Her hair bounced around her lean shoulders, looking loose and free as she looked around the large living room. “This is beautiful, Aaron. I mean, I’ve been in places like this but wow.”
“You’ve traveled in some good circles in your business.” Aaron walked over to the shelf to drop his keys into the bowl of rocks and looked at her. “It still takes you by surprise though, yeah? You didn’t grow up with money, did you?”
“We just did okay. Average really. I worked hard in school to get my scholarship and take as much as I could early so I could work sooner.” Holly admitted, smiling as she spoke about her family. “They’re in Kentucky with my sister. Abby is in tenth grade and Dad works for the State while my mom is a travel agent. They’re very happy but they’ve always been simple. I guess I feel guilty sometimes for what I’ve seen but I help them out when I can.” She looked around again. “New York has really been overwhelming to me.”
“I grew up over in Philadelphia. Dad moved them here when I started playing for the team though they have a house out on Long Island. Mom isn’t a fan of city life.” Aaron told her, watching as she walked over to him. “Dad did well investing what he made at the bank as a manager and mom sold houses part time. My two older sisters are married to nine-to-five guys and have families out there as well. They taught me to work hard for what I have.”
“You have.” Holly murmured, dropping her bag onto the floor by the couch and licking her lips. “I can’t believe I am going to kiss Aaron Neller.”
“Are you?” He asked her in a husky voice, feeling her response in the way that she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his softly, guiding the kiss before she moved his mouth against hers slowly. Holly moved to her tiptoes as she took a deep breath through her nose and parted her lips for him, inviting him to taste her mouth as he pulled her closer. Aaron slid his tongue against hers slowly, dragging out the feeling of it as his body started responding.
He’d kissed a lot more women than he’d actually slept with, but nothing had ever felt the way her hot mouth did as he dragged his tongue back over hers harder as she moaned against him. It was intoxicating and he slid his hands up and down her body over the jacket before she pulled away to shrug it off. Her lips were swollen and pink as she stared at him with a drunken look, making him want to shove her against the wall and kiss her into oblivion. Aaron had to remind himself that she’d been through something awful even though desire was the only thing that he saw in her eyes as she looked around the room slowly. “This is surreal,” Holly told him as she sank onto the couch and leaned back, inviting him with her eyes.
Aaron joined her, pulling her face to his to claim her lips roughly in a deep kiss that she immediately returned, tilting her head to allow him to go in harder. He kissed her with everything that he had as his cock hardened and his nerve endings twitched with need, careful not to push her too far as she whimpered against his lips. Holly moved over him, pushing the dress up to straddle him as she sucked his tongue between her lips and moved against him with a slow movement of her hips. He gripped her ass with one hand and let the other drag in her hair as he guided her movements, their kisses getting careless and sloppy as she moved against him in a torturous movement. “Holly…I want you so bad.” Aaron told her as he pulled away, closing his eyes and taking a breath. “How much do you want from me, baby?”
“I haven’t wanted this for a long time, Aaron. I do now.” Holly told him, making him think that it had been since the attack over a year ago. “I need you.”
“Tell me to stop anytime.” Aaron reminded her before he kissed her again, softly and deeply before running his hands up and down her back down to her legs as she shivered. She was so soft and hot as he stroked her outer thighs, jolting against him as she brushed against his cock. Her nipples were hard and pressed against his chest as he memorized the feeling of her in his arms, feeling like it was going to end all too soon. “Can I take this off?”
Holly glanced at the window, high and private before she nodded at him with a heated look. Aaron lifted the soft dress over her head, admiring her pale curves and deep pink nipples as he dropped it to the couch, smoothing her hair down her back. Her skin was damp and he leaned in to kiss her lips again as he stroked the underside of her breast slowly, making her moan. He tugged softly on her hair before he kissed her jaw gently, thumbing her nipple as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. “You’re gorgeous. Sexy and so ready.” Aaron told her as he kissed her neck softly, slipping his hands down to cup her bare, rounded ass gently as she rocked against him.
This was better than anything he’d ever had before, taboo or not. He wasn’t even in a great rush to be inside of her as he kissed down her chest slowly, tasting her sweat from earlier as he inhaled the scent of her desire. He cupped a breast with his hand, still squeezing her ass with the other one as he leaned in to tongue her teasingly before sucking it between his lips. She groaned as she dropped her head back, her hair tickling his hand as she murmured words that he couldn’t focus on as he tasted her sweet body eagerly. “Oh God.” She rode him harder, whimpering with each thrust of her hip as he sucked harder, drawing the nipple between his teeth as he waited for her reaction. “Ahhhhhh, yes.” Holly gripped his hair as he watched her fall apart before him, shaking and wetting his shorts with her release as her skin flushed a deep pink and she dropped against him. “I’ve never done that like that before.” She was stammering, breathless and gorgeous as he felt her twitch through the long orgasm. “Ohhhhhh,” Aaron ran his fingers through her hair as he felt her relax against him with a soft giggle. “That felt really good.”
“I agree.” Aaron told her as she lifted her head to look at him, embarrassed by the sun.
“You didn’t get to…” Holly pressed her lips together as he leaned in to kiss her.
“I didn’t have to. This isn’t some quick thing for me, Holly.” Aaron confessed to her as she frowned at him.
“How will this end?” Holly questioned as he kissed her again, sliding her arms around his neck.
“Let’s take it day-by-day for now. I just love feeling you like this.” Aaron whispered to her, hearing her breath catch in her throat.
“I want to feel you inside of me, Aaron. I don’t think that I can get enough of you.” Holly told him, moving back to tug at his shirt as she eyed him greedily. “I couldn’t stop staring at you in the gym today.” He as
sisted her in taking it off and then moved his hands to the shorts. Holly tugged them, moving to free them from his feet as she gasped and stared at him. “Will that even fit?”
“Perfectly. I can wear a condom for you but I’m clean. I am checked a lot if you feel comfortable with me going bare.” Aaron told her, having been a bit worried during his wilder days.
“I have been on the pill forever. Bad periods.” Holly told him, reaching down to stroke him with her hand. She stared into his eyes as he breathed slowly, focused on the squeeze of her small hand around him.
“Do you really want this?” Aaron asked her, feeling close to coming as he started to rock against her hand.
“Why are you so worried about me?” Holly asked him, her eyes darkening in the light of the room. “Oh, Aaron…you looked me up. Didn’t you?”
“Holly, I didn’t know what I ‘d find. I just don’t want to hurt you.” He assured her, cupping her face and staring into her eyes. Her eyes teared up and she closed them slowly. “I just wanted to start a normal life again and there you were.”
“I’m the first since it happened?” Aaron asked her and she nodded slowly. “I want it to be good for you, Holly. I want you to trust me.”
“I do,” she told him and he kissed her as he pressed her onto her back on the couch. “Make love to me.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Aaron looked at his body poised over hers for a moment before asking her if she wanted to use a condom again. She shook her head no and he parted her legs with one hand as he stroked her wet center with his fingers, feeling how ready she was! Holly cried out as she felt him rub her clit softly with his finger as he slipped a finger inside of her. He moved in front of her entrance, stroking her softly before he slipped inside of her with a low groan.
Holly was tight around him, her legs spread and her head dropped as he moved slowly and deeply inside to allow her to adjust to his size. He leaned down to suck a nipple into her mouth as he pulled out of her slowly, moving back in as she lifted her hips. Aaron buried himself inside of her as she met his thrust, begging him to go harder as he gasped and pulled out again. Slowly, they began to increase the pace together as he fought not to come too fast inside of her tight walls.
Once she tightened around him and cried out, Aaron released inside of her long and forcefully with a low moan against her neck. They both relaxed against one another as she stroked his hair and he kissed her skin softly. “I didn’t think that would happen so fast. It wasn’t my plan.” He almost apologized to her as she sighed underneath him.
“I wanted it too. I couldn’t stop thinking about you once I saw you again and when it seemed like you wanted me as well, I had to try.” Holly told him, wrapping her arms around him. She kissed him and he returned it quietly, their tongues dancing together lightly.
They drifted to sleep together, lips pressed together as each one fought to keep their eyes open. Aaron carried her to his bed when he woke up first, placing her gently on the mattress as he looked her over. This was more than just sex and he knew that he couldn’t tell anyone about it. This was wrong so he could never tell anyone how good it was.
What if they got serious? What would he do then?
Aaron climbed onto the mattress beside her, pulling her into his arms as he inhaled her again with a slow breath. They slept on and off through the afternoon, waking up starving as he ordered some Thai food to be delivered. He handed her a tee shirt from his drawer, hating to see her covered up as he slipped on a pair of track pants. Aaron went to get some water from the fridge as he felt light and happy for the first time in a long time. Too bad it had to be kept secret.
He brought her a bottle of water, watching her bring her knees to her chest as she rested against his pillows with a sweet smile. She sipped it slowly as they talked about what to do the next day at work, both of them somber at the idea of having to hide it. When the doorbell rang, Aaron told her to stay put until the delivery guy was gone and left the room to pay him with a generous tip. He’d made sure to order something she would enjoy and he locked the door and set up the table with the containers and some plates. “Come on out and eat.”
Holly walked down the hallway, looking absolutely gorgeous as she walked into the light. She sat down with her water, declining anything else as she started spooning vegetables and rice onto a plate. Aaron chose the chicken and made a big plate as she smiled and shook her head. “You can eat like that because you work out so much.”
“It’s decent food though. I eat pretty clean for the most part.” Aaron told her, stabbing the meat with his fork as he looked at her. “Look who’s talking, yoga girl.”
“I love it. It balances me and I have struggled with my weight a little bit here and there.” Holly defended herself, laughing as he took his bite. “I need to be fit with what I do. Particularly now with a team instead of just a couple of clients!”
“You’re stunning.” Aaron told her, making her blush. “I was checking out your legs at the interview in those heels.”
“Oh my God.” She laughed and took a small bite of rice. “I was so nervous.” She shook her head and swallowed the food. “I still can’t believe I’m even here.”
“Nor can I. I didn’t think anything like this would happen, at least not this fast.” Aaron said again, looking at her for a long moment. “I don’t feel like I can claim you with the situation, Holly. I know that we have to hide this so I don’t want you to close yourself off to anything else that might come along.”
“I don’t want anybody else.” Holly told him, staring at him. “Do you?”
“No. Those days are long over.” Aaron told her, watching her push her plate away. “I just don’t want you to not live your life because of this.” He gestured his hand between them, watching her face sadden. “We will spend most of our time here. If you can trust your roommate to keep this secret, we might go there but I won’t expose you to the media by taking you out in public. We’d be in front of the firing squad quickly and they’d be digging into your past. I don’t want that for you.”
“I can find another job if this really turns into something. There’s a lot of companies in the city that would hire me. Not that I want you to throw your position away but I would consider it.” Holly told him, standing to move to the windows. “Was this a mistake?”
“No. It wasn’t.” He stood to walk over to her and gaze over her shoulder out at the expansive city before them. “Let’s just play it down for now so I can see how this would go over in the next few weeks. It might be fine as long as they’re sure I am not showing you any special treatment.” He kissed her hair. “I wouldn’t. I know you can do your job without any help. We checked your references and they were solid even if I couldn’t tell by knowing you.”
Holly left quietly after dinner, kissing him at the door before she went down in the elevator. Aaron remembered why he liked the quickies back in his younger days as he achingly wondered if he was going to end up hurting her in all of this. Holly had given herself to him, body and soul. She’d been through something terrible and she wanted him to replace the memory of her attack, coming so easily in his arms.
He thought again to his father’s words, knowing that Glen would give him a firm lecture if he learned about this. His father had never been thrilled with his shenanigans before but he respected that Aaron kept it out of the public eye and respected the girls as much as he could in the situation. He’d been young once himself and gave his son that much respect.
CHAPTER SIX
Aaron spent the night tossing and turning, missing the woman behind the smell on his sheets and pillow. He got up early to clean the sex off of his skin reluctantly and work out in his building, trying to get the blood flowing through his veins. He needed to be the owner of a team today, not a distracted man. He ran hard on the treadmill, still imagining Holly in his bed and on his couch as he sped up to escape the memory that wouldn’t leave his brain.
Once he was done, Aaron showered again and pulled
out his black suit to hang against the bathroom door. He pulled on his boxer briefs and a white undershirt, sliding a new white shirt over it and buttoning up carefully. His hair was tousled but with product tonight and he slipped a blue tie on to honor the team. Aaron finished buttoning up his pants and slipped the coat on as he grabbed his keys, deciding to drive tonight.
He was nervous as the doorman wished him to have a good game and was aware of the eyes on him and the voices talking about him. Aaron flashed them his traditional smile, accepting their well-wishes as he went down to the garage to get his vehicle. He drove in the crowd to the arena just a few blocks away, seeing his team’s name in lights as his heart burst with pride. They were going to kill it this year.
Parking and entering the busy hallway, Aaron looked around as everyone greeted him. The level of adrenaline was overpowering as he soaked it all in, grinning as he remembered it from before. The team was just coming back in from practice and he high-fived them as they trudged by to shower and dress for the game in two hours, getting food in that time as well.
Aaron headed to his office, pausing in front of the therapy room as he glanced inside. Holly was there, dressed in dark blue workout pants and a white tank with the team jacket draped over the chair near her. She was choosing to watch the game, ready to head back when needed and she looked focused until she glanced up and met his eyes. Heat passed through them as well as sadness and he returned the look until somebody bumped into him and made him break away from her gaze. Aaron gave her one more look before stepping out onto the ice to confer with the coaches and referees, standing to gaze over the empty ice for a long moment. He weighed the love for the game over the possibility of love as he took in the view, watching as the Zamboni moved to clean the ice.
In just a little while, this place would be filled with fans of his team as well as the Bruins, all screaming and cheering their teams. The media would be interviewing him about this first game and the changes as he waited for one glimpse of the beautiful redhead that he craved already. He’d have to hide it from the team, the coaches, his family when they came to sit in his box seats and even the woman that he was protecting.