Chapter 29
Some Questions Are Better Left Unanswered-Jenna
JENNA: Aiden just asked me out on a real date. And he kissed me this morning.
Maya: WTF!? The one weekend we aren’t there. OMG. This is huge. What are you going to wear?
Kennedy: Holy shit! AH! How was it?
Jenna: Amazing. The best kiss I’ve ever had. No surprise there.
Maya: Wear the black dress in my closet with your leather jacket.
Kennedy: I agree. Wear the dress and use my big earrings. Wear your hair up.
Maya: Yeah, you have a long neck.
Kennedy: You should probably curl your hair, too.
I laughed and set my phone on the counter. I missed the hell out of them when they weren’t here, and the one time I actually needed their advice, they were gone.
I showered and blow-dried my hair so it was wavy. I did listen to their advice about putting it up, though, and for the outfit choice. I paired the dress and jacket with my leather boots. It was still me, but I looked a little nicer.
Jenna: Here’s a pic of what I’m wearing. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Maya: Ken, our girl is growing up. Look at her.
Kennedy: I just showed my parents, and I thought they were going to cry.
Jenna: Fuck off.
Maya: LOVE YOU. HAVE FUN.
Right around six, I took one final look at myself in the mirror. “Here goes nothing.”
Aiden knocked on the door, and I opened it to see a bouquet of white roses. His eyes were brighter than normal, his posture a little more confident. I loved seeing the new Aiden, one who fought for his future. He wore it well. He coughed awkwardly and shoved the roses at me like a teenager on his first date
“These are for you.” His voice was a little shaky.
“Wow. Those are beautiful.” I smiled, biting my lip. I wasn’t shy at all, but this attention…I fought a blush.
“Jenna, you look amazing.” His voice was huskier than normal.
“I love white roses.” I grabbed the arrangement and took a huge whiff, instantly remembering my grandma. She always had roses in the house. I eyed him over the flowers. He was wearing black, fitted pants, a collared shirt with a tie, and he looked like he’d just come from a photo shoot.
“They reminded me of you,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, how so?” I asked, motioning him inside so I could put them in water.
“I sound like a sap right now, but they just stood out among all the others. They were the strongest ones in bloom.” He ran his hand through his styled hair and paused. “I wanted to get you something nice. Flowers seemed too cliché, but I had to. You deserve it all.”
“I think I’m swooning.” I put my hand on my forehead to mimic fainting, but the teasing helped ease the awkward tension building between us. Because at the moment, I wanted to climb him like a pole and promise him the world.
Aiden just laughed and winked. “You ready, shorty?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
He put his hand on the small of my back and held the door for me. He’d always done the gesture, but I now noticed everything about him. “Damn, this view.”
“Where are those manners you just had?” I teased, his compliment making me feel all hot and bothered.
“Fuck manners. You look hot as hell, and I’m regretting the pact I made with myself to be a constant gentleman.” He growled, his hand on my hand becoming a little more possessive. It pleased me.
“I think I prefer a little mixture of the two.” I grabbed his hand before it migrated to my ass, and he laughed, pulling me in to a half hug.
“So where are we headed?” I pinched his side, causing him to yelp.
“To the best Italian place in the Southwest, punk. And be careful if you want to start a touching game. I’ll be sure to win.”
I gave him a skeptical look. “Big statement. You assume this place has the best Italian and you’ll win. But I’m pretty good with my hands.”
“Shit. Now I’m going to be thinking about your hands…” He growled again and pulled me closer. I felt like we were in a three-legged race. I fucking loved it. “But it’s true. They have the best Italian food in the world. Well, besides Italy. Plus, it’s close to Trumpet House.”
“I think I’ve heard of this place before. It’s supposed to be authentic. What’s it called? Pamo?” I wracked my brain, trying to remember.
He nodded. “Pomo’s. Close, though. It’ll be as if we’re in Italy. I promise.”
“You’ve been to Italy?” I asked in disbelief, with a little jealousy.
“Yeah, one summer when I was in high school. I ate three pizzas every day. Pretty sure I gained ten pounds in a week. It was so worth it, though.” He rubbed his tummy playfully.
“Nice.” I pinched his stomach again and regretted it because it was hard as a rock. I agreed with his vow of being a gentleman. I was so not feeling ladylike when I touched him.
We walked the rest of the way, pausing every now and again to laugh or take a picture of something. Downtown Phoenix was an odd place—a mixture of nice, old, new, and hipster. We passed a picture of a penis on a window, and I burst out laughing. I snapped a photo to send to Maya and Kennedy, and Aiden enveloped me in his arms, our reflection staring back at us in the glass. His signature cologne poured over me, and a sense of belonging shrouded me.
I took a deep breath, and he laughed. “You just smelled me again.”
“Did not.” I blushed, caught. His eyes never left mine in the reflection. My heart fluttered, words becoming impossible.
“Sure, sure. Whatever you say. I know I smell good.” He pulled me in close and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “You smell amazing, too, by the way.”
Goose bumps broke out down my arms, stomach, and legs as he ran his nose from my ear to my shoulder and took a gentle bite. “Hey!”
“Don’t worry too much. If I wanted to leave a real bite mark, I would.” His tone was playful, but I knew he meant it.
I dared looking up, and his eyes had a steel glint they had whenever he got predatory on me. It turned me on, and I was feeling ridiculously hot.
“Now try not to smell or grope me the rest of the walk.” He baited me, grabbing my hand as we finished the block to the restaurant.
“You say these things, but it makes me want to challenge you,” I admitted, swinging our arms.
“Challenge me anytime, any day, baby.” He winked.
“Table for two, please,” Aiden told the hostess as we walked into the small restaurant. He kept his hands on my shoulders and lightly massaged them as we waited to be seated. I almost turned to mush at the contact. I bit my tongue to keep from moaning out loud. I mean, we were in public.
I took in all the people. The servers were all speaking in Italian, and the aroma made my stomach growl and my mouth water. Fuck being ladylike, I was going to pound a pizza.
Aiden snuck a glance at me with one eyebrow raised.
“Hey, you know I can eat. I’m hungry. Not a huge surprise there.” I patted my flat stomach, and he grinned.
“It is one of the reasons we get along so well. We both have an obsession with food.” He lowered his head to my ear and added, “It is hot as hell knowing you never try to impress me.”
I swallowed, unsure what to do with his statement. So I ignored it, trying to keep my cool.
The hostess seated us at a cozy table for two in the back, and Aiden didn’t even give her a second glance. Normally, I would give him crap about it, but tonight was different.
We tried pronouncing the names of all the pizzas and totally sucked at it.
He suddenly became nervous again and nibbled at his lip. I knew he’d eventually say it, so I waited patiently for him to work up to it. After a minute of him staring at me, I’d had it. “Aiden, spit it out. You’re getting me nervous now. What’s going on?”
He intertwined our fingers. “I
wanted to say thank you. Those words are hard for me to say for some reason. But thank you for helping me stand up to my father and realize I needed to fight more for my future and what I want. You’re inspiring to be around.”
“You’re welcome.” Another wall around my heart crashed down—no, the final wall fell.
He gazed at me with his warm gray eyes, and his dimple came out. I loved the damn dimple. Loved? Did my brain just say love? Oh. Shit.
We continued to hold hands, but I caught him staring at me a couple times, so I just stuck my tongue out at him.
He chuckled under his breath, and we were once again back to our comfortable routine. It was as if our hearts got caught up in a moment, and our brains reeled us in real quick before we did anything stupid.
We ordered our pizza and a bottle of wine, and I realized how easy it was to talk to Aiden. I thought it would be awkward since we were on an actual date. It wasn’t. Nothing changed except we both acknowledge our attraction to each other. I had no idea where this ride was going to take me.
I caught him up on the story of how I met his brother.
“So you just ran into him at the elevator?”
I nodded. “Yes. You know my grandpa and uncle are working on their floor. I went to visit them, and just out of habit, I picked up some tools and helped out.”
He gave me a disbelieving stare. “You know how to use those tools? It is safe?”
“Wow, don’t sound so stereotypical, Aiden. Yes, of course it’s safe, or I wouldn’t be doing it. I was raised by those grumpy men. They taught me well.” I shook my head in disbelief.
“Damn. Owns a bar, uses power tools, knows how to roll a cigar, headlocks customers, and likes to eat. You are every man’s dream,” he said with a sarcastic curve to his mouth, but a look of longing crossed his face. Normally, he would shake it off, but he let his gaze hold.
I was once again getting swept up, so back to my defense mechanisms. “Well, I can make your dreams come true. Just let me play with your tool.”
He laughed. “Ohh, she got game.”
“Damn right I do. Did I tell you how good you look tonight?” I rested my chin on my palm.
“Not sure, but you can always tell me again. It’s good for my ego you’re always putting in check.” He mimicked my stance and batted his eyelashes.
“Okay, well, you look really good tonight. You look…What’s the word I’m looking for? Dashing? Charming?” I shrugged because it was the truth.
“I think you meant uncontrollably hot?”
I shook my head. “No way. You’re more than just a pretty face to me now.”
“Well, thank you.” He even blushed a little bit, and it was the fucking cutest thing. He was going to kill me.
“Ah, food’s here! Yes!”
Our pizza was placed on our table, and I was shocked when I heard someone say my name.
“Jenna?” I glanced up and saw my ex-boyfriend, Blaze, standing there. Same ex-boyfriend who said I was an ice queen and only good for sex because I didn’t have real feelings. I sighed, not feeling anything but disdain toward him. He would choose this moment to ruin, though. He had always been bitter.
“Hi, Blaze. Been a while, eh?”
I noticed Aiden staring at our food runner curiously, but I didn’t make the introduction. He didn’t need to meet him.
“Yeah, how’ve you been?” Blaze glanced at Aiden and raised an eyebrow. “You’re out with him? Are you for real, Jenna?”
“Not seeing how it’s any of your business, but yeah, clearly I’m out with him. Thanks for the pizza. Bye.” I flicked my hand in dismissal. I never liked his assumptions. What a tool.
“He’s going to play you for a fool. You’re better than him, Jen…” He shook his head. “Actually, maybe you’re not. Have a good night.” Blaze walked away, still shaking his head at us, leaving me pissed at the interruption.
I nervously looked up and saw Aiden frowning, his hands fisted on the table. “Hey, he’s an asshole. Also a sort of ex-boyfriend. Sorry I didn’t introduce you, but he isn’t worth our time. Trust me.”
He shook his head, and regret shone through his eyes. “I’m not upset about meeting him. Shit. It’s how he spoke to you. I didn’t appreciate his tone.”
“Thanks for jumping to my defense, but he’s not worth thinking about. Seriously. I’m not mad.” I tried to smile, but turmoil boiled in Aiden’s eyes.
“Also what he said about me.” He ran his hand over his chin in frustration. “Do you believe him?”
“Please.” I took a sip of my wine and waved my hand in the air to dismiss his insecurity. “As I said, he’s an asshole, and it’s not like I didn’t know about your past. Trust me. I know and I don’t care. I trust you, and if you said you haven’t slept around lately, then you haven’t. Plus, if you do lie to me, just remember I know how to use a lot of different tools. And all of them involve sawing.”
That got a small smile out of him, but the painful expression still remained.
I grabbed his tense hand and squeezed it lightly. “Come on, stud muffin. Eat your pizza and let this go. I’m about to max on it, and there’s no promising I’ll be able to handle a conversation with you while I make love to this deliciousness with my mouth.”
“I know how hangry you get, so you win this round, shorty.” He sighed in defeat.
“That’s what I like to hear.”
He went back to being normal, and the worry around his eyes disappeared. We ate and talked about whatever came up: our friends, family, and school. He picked up the check and scowled at me when I tried to pay for some.
“This is a date, Jenna. I asked you out. I’m paying for your goddamn meal, woman.”
“Testy, but okay. Thank you.”
He grabbed my hand when we walked out the door. “Can you believe we were there for three hours?”
I looked at his watch, and it read past ten “Wow. Tonight flew by.”
“And I enjoyed every second of it.” There was the dimple again.
“Who knew you could be this charming?” I teased him and he grabbed my hand, bringing it up to his mouth to press his lips to the backs of my fingers. My stomach dropped at the contact. “Oh my God.”
He licked his lips and smiled but didn’t respond. We walked in silence back toward my apartment. This was one thing I always yearned for, the comfortable silence that wasn’t plagued with worry or what-ifs. It was just a peaceful quiet with someone you enjoyed.
“For the record, I don’t think you’re cold at all,” he said softly, his thumb lightly tracing circles on my hand. His words warmed me. “You’re so passionate about so many things, and you care so much about people. You may not use pretty words, but you prove it day in and day out with your actions.”
I couldn’t respond, just nodded. I squeezed his hand tighter and tried to express how much his words meant to me. He must’ve understood because he smiled down at me with so many promises in his expression.
We arrived at my apartment, my nerves at an all-time high. Should he come in? Should he not? What did I do? I wanted him to come in, but could I control myself? Did he even want to?
He said something, and I froze. “Huh?”
“I was just saying this was unlike any night I’ve had.” He kept his hand on my back as we walked to my door. His palms were sweaty as hell, and it appeased me. He was nervous, too.
I unlocked my door and heard a sound.
He dropped his keys on the concrete and wiped his brow with the back of his arm.
“Aiden, thank you for the best date I’ve ever been on.” I turned toward him, leaning against the door.
He nervously swallowed, his eyes wild, and I watched the movement in his neck. I placed one of my hands on his face and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. He didn’t react at first, but then he picked me up and kissed me back. This was even better than the one earlier. This was frantic, like he couldn’t get enough of me in one taste. H
is tongue was more demanding this time. He kissed like he lived his life: confident, badass, and full of energy.
His hands grabbed my ass over my dress, and he pushed me into the door. We stayed like that, touching and grasping in every direction. I didn’t know what to do next. I wanted his clothes off and his mouth on me. Somehow, Aiden opened the door with one of his hands, but I wasn’t sure which one because I felt his touch everywhere.
“Sweet Jenna,” he moaned into my ear as I kicked the door shut with one dangling foot.
I wrapped my legs around him and felt how hard he was. Holy shit.
He continued kissing me, slowly exploring my mouth with his. He knew how to kiss; that was for damn sure.
“You taste amazing. I’ve dreamed about this far too long. I won’t be able to get enough of you. Your mouth is fucking perfect. Jesus.” He pulled back far enough to make me look at him, and his gray eyes were clouded with desire and joy. “Damn it, woman.”
I grabbed his hair and dragged his lips back to mine, matching his passion inch for inch. Eventually, we ended up on the couch, and he was ripping off his tie. He had a wild look to his eyes, and my body shook with anticipation. Then he yelled, “Fuck! This is hard.”
“What?” His distressed tone freaked me out.
He jumped up off me so suddenly I shivered.
He started pacing my living room. His voice sounded tortured. “Jenna, babe. You have no idea how hard this is for me to do, but I need to stop right now.”
“Why?” I asked breathlessly.
“Because if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this right. You deserve the best.” He closed his eyes, looking miserable.
“Aiden, stop being ridiculous.” I was beyond turned on and didn’t appreciate his sudden nobility. “Get back over here.”
He held up his hand, and I noticed it was trembling a little. “No, you gave me a shot tonight. You went on a date with me. I haven’t been on a date in years, Jenna. Years. I have a bad record with girls, and I refuse to fuck this up. I’m doing it the right way.”
“What do you mean, then, Aiden?” My voice found its wrath again.
Let Life Happen Page 21