by Amanda Rayne
“Do you know who the father is?” I asked.
“Ella, that was three.”
“I know. Please answer the question,” I requested softly.
Exhaling a heavy sigh, “No. I’m not the father.” I pressed closer to him. Was there a hint of irritation to his voice? I suspected it was his father and then tension that took over his body confirmed it without him answering.
“You’re planning a trip?” he asked.
Confused, I lifted my head to look at him. “What?”
The slight grin swept over his face as he pointed to my computer that was slightly turned towards us.
I nodded. I explained everything in my conversation with Jules to him. And as I spoke he busied himself: rubbing his hands over my legs, caressing my body, touching me erotically. Heat piqued in me and all I wanted was to feel his hands moving over my naked body, his tongue leaving trails of warmth as it explored it, and his hardened cock inside of me.
Aiden slipped his hand around me, cupping my ass as he stood and then lowered me to the floor. He kissed me hard, his tongue exploring mine. “I love the way you taste.”
I grinned, “Yeah, this week. Next week you’ll love the way another woman tastes.”
His lips quirked into a smirk, his tongue flicked my bottom lip, “It’s a good thing I feel like an Ella this week. Now isn’t it?”
He slipped off my shirt. His hands snaked around my back and unhooked my bra. Taking my breast in his hand, he teased the pink pebbles until they were hard and did the other. As he made his way down my stomach he left trail of warm kisses. Sex wasn’t carnal and primal always—but it was with him. Attentive light touches, brushed against my skin until he came to the edge of my jeans. He unbuttoned them, and jerked them and my panties off in one sweeping move. Shivers roiled over me as he settled between my legs, his tongue teasing the delicate area between my legs as he created a heat that needed to be extinguished. His tongue wasn’t enough as he stroked my clit. I wanted and needed more.
When he moved above me, I touched his arm, feeling the thick bulge of them under my grasp. He kissed me again, I could taste me on him. Unbuttoning his shirt, I watched as he removed it. Cords of muscle expanding and contracting as he moved. His broad chest just as defined as the abs that pressed against me as he lowered himself on me. I moaned, as he entered me, widening my legs to accommodate his thickness. With long hard thrusts, he pounded inside me, I mewled and writhed under him feeling the rise of an orgasm. I shuddered, my fingers clawing at his back and he continued to stroke me. His kisses became more commanding. He slipped my hair out of the band, his fingers intertwined in my tresses, as he pounded into me harder. Another eruption, my body trembled under his. My breath beat against his lips. I tightened my legs around him ignoring the exhaustion, wanting more. For him to go deeper and harder.
He moved, rolling to his back. I straddled him, sinking further onto the turgid rod, impaling me. I moaned into his mouth as he grabbed a fistful of my hair pulling me closer, as he devoured me with hungry kisses. I rode him. The warmth of sex that was purely hedonistic and carnal. His firm fingers pressed hard into my back as he came, and I did too. I collapsed on him, warmth enveloped us. He brushed the hair from my face and kissed me on my forehead.
After several moments of me lying on top of him, he startled me by smacking me on the ass. I rolled off of him and laid next to him, where we stayed.
An hour later when Aiden got dressed, I didn’t know what to expect. He peaked out the door, it was late afternoon, but the dark clouds made it look later. Rain was predicted but based on how it looked outside it was probably going to be a storm.
“Looks like we’re staying in. Do you have food or should we call delivery?” he asked as he went into the kitchen. He looked so out of place in my small apartment that could fit in just his guess room, and my kitchen, which I considered a nice size, was nearly a tenth of his. He opened the fridge and smirked.
“Delivery it is,” he said as he grabbed a couple of the menus off of the fridge and brought them to me. “Which place?” He spread out the menus and I picked the Chinese restaurant just a couple of blocks away because they were fast, I was starving and they could probably arrive before the storm.
The food came faster than I thought and when we ate, it still seemed odd having Aiden, sitting at my table eating cheap Chinese food and drinking wine that was nowhere near the quality at his home. I expected him to make disparaging remarks about things, something that Jason did often, but he didn’t. He seemed just at ease and comfortable as he was at his place.
The comfort and ease didn’t change as we sat on the sofa after dinner. The storm had decreased to a light rain. I though Aiden would leave but instead he grabbed the remote off of the table, turned on the tv and started scrolling down until he found Netflix and then he clicked.
“You can tell a lot about a person by their Netflix viewing,” he pointed out as he smirked.
“No you can’t. It’s just entertainment.”
“Ah, of course, says the woman who seems to like a lot of vampire shows and…” he continued to scroll through my recently viewed, “and vulgar animation. You, Ella, are a very unique woman,” he teased. And then he clicked on the Originals, first season.
“It’s a complex and intriguing story about a family who just happens to be vampire,” I offered, but I couldn’t defend it enough to wipe the smirk off his face.
“I’m sure it is. Let’s see these complex vamps in action,” he said starting the episode. We sat next to each other, it seemed weird. He moved to the corner and pulled me back against him. For a few minutes we watched in silence. And then he asked.
“Why did you send Kieran away the other night?”
“Because I’m not a whore.” I had a lot of nerve, judging others and calling them a whore while I was sleeping with a man that whose real name I’d learned no less than a three weeks ago. “Because it is dirty.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because is not an answer. Lie back.” I did. “Close your eyes.”
I hesitated, “No weird stuff.”
He chuckled. “I will never do anything you don’t want to do. Now close them. No judgment. For a moment I want you to ignore your parents, religion, media, your friends and whoever or whatever has established your ideology of what a good girl or bad girl is.” His hand lightly moved over me, gentle, light yet commanding. Exploring me with just a touch, his breath bristled against my cheek as he spoke. “Think about your darkest most taboo fantasy. You don’t have to tell me, but I would like it if you did.”
I tried to push out the thoughts of Aiden touching me. Think about my fantasy. Besides Aiden, Jason was the only man I had ever been with. We didn’t have wild sexy nights. Flashes of Kieran popped in my head. Sinful delicious mannerism, his entrancing green eyes, and his air of deviance. Even his touch, how he could make something as benign as holding hands, feel like he just took me in the middle a room with everyone watching. And I didn’t care. With him I couldn’t care. Flashes of him melded with thoughts of Aiden, the way my body responded when he touch me. The heat that surfaced and seemingly engulfed me when he simply said my name. His enticing smell the way I felt conquered when his body draped over me. How he’d made pleasure synonymous with his very existence...
Aiden’s fingers dipped inside of me, “You’re wet. What are you thinking about?”
“You.”
“And that’s it?” he whispered as he removed his hand.
I turned around to face him. “No. I thought about Kieran, too. But it wasn’t the same.” I looked away trying to find the right words that didn’t come easily. “I have fantasies—some of them are quite dirty, but I don’t have to satisfy them all.”
He grinned, “Are they that bad?”
I turned around and said, “Yep, you don’t want to even want to know. There’s cosplay involved, food, even a clown. There’s all types of weird stuff floating around in my dirty dungeon
of fantasies and I’m happy to leave them there,” I teased.
He pulled me closer into him. He turned the volume up on the tv. “Let’s find out about this complex vampire family,” he said as he unpaused the show.
A few minutes into the show he pressed his lips against my ear. “Are we okay?”
I nodded.
Aiden stayed longer than I expected and when he shut off the television and slipped from behind me, he said. “That wasn’t that bad. I’ve spent four hours doing worse.”
“We watched two episodes, that’s two hours at most.”
“Hmmm.” He smiled, “Then that may be the worst way I’ve ever spent two hours.”
Before he left, he kissed me on the cheek. It was the most chaste thing I’d experienced from him. He didn’t leave immediately, instead we stood there staring at each other in a moment of frozen silence. Uncomfortable silence. It was on the tip of my tongue but I was too afraid of the answer to actually ask it. What happens next?
When he spoke, it was of quiet resolve. “I’ve enjoyed my time with you, Ella. Take care.”
I had my answer. He was on to the next.
CHAPTER 10
Natalie grabbed the bag of M&Ms off the table and poured herself a handful. When I called her earlier, I didn’t have to invite her over, she offered. I’m not sure what it was that she heard in my voice but ten minutes into the conversation she’d invited herself over. I’d spent the day exercising, grocery shopping, and trying to stay away from the city. I knew that if I’d gone, my first stop would have been Biscot, the coffeehouse where he frequented and I first met him, in hopes of seeing him. I didn’t need to see him and the more I tried not the think about him, the more I did. It had only been two days and I wanted desperately to see him.
“So what’s up?”
“I screwed up,” I admitted, washing my hands over my face. I wasn’t sure where to start so I started from the beginning; the first time I’d had drinks with Aiden. I knew she didn’t need a recap of the story, she’d hear it before. But I needed to hear the retelling. Maybe it was what I needed to just move one.
“He’s fun, I get it. The opposite of Jason. There’s nothing wrong with that. And doesn’t hurt that he’s hot as hell. But—” she paused and I could tell she had switched from my friend who encouraged me to approach the situation vicariously, to my very cautious friend that I was used to. “—he served his purpose. I know it seems crude to think that. You haven’t thought about Jason in that time. And I wished I could have been there when Aiden called him. I’m sure it was epic. But Ella, it’s over.”
I sighed into the resignation and nodded. She was right.
“Delete his number. Don’t call him. And tomorrow it will be easier. I know I sound like a walking cliché…I saw that eye roll. But it’s the truth. And weeks from now, he’ll be just a memory of the time you spent nearly two weeks with hot rich guy. That’s not a bad memory.”
She grabbed another handful of M&Ms. And winked and smiled, “Perhaps you can write a tell all about the Congressman and his dirty little secret. He’s the baby daddy of his campaign manager who happens to be his ex-daughter law. Scandalous.” She laughed.
Natalie opened the bottle of wine, went to the kitchen to grab a bag of chips and then pulled my Mac onto her lap. “Let’s see where we can go on short notice for cheap.”
We spent the day planning a fantasy vacation that neither one of us could afford and by the end of the day, of spending hundreds of imaginary money we realistically settled on girls day out the next day. She said she would go on a mini vacation with me but they were celebrating their second month as newlyweds and I couldn’t take her away from her husband because I was pining over someone that I shouldn’t be.
Two rom-coms and a bottle a wine later, Natalie left me and I sat on the sofa, staring at the phone. I picked it up and scrolled through the numbers to find Aiden’s to delete it and wondered what would happened when I returned to work and went to Biscot? Would he treat me with the same casualness as before?
It was Thursday, just a little after eight. Natalie had been gone for three hours and I didn’t want to sit in the apartment alone, so I’d decided to go to the club just a couple of blocks away. I couldn’t believe I was going out alone. In the past if I wasn’t with Natalie, I was with Jason, or at home waiting for him, while he spent the evening with someone else.
The two times I’d gone out alone I absolutely hated it, but it was something I’d only done twice and I absolutely hated it both times. I needed to be around other people, dancing or just listening to music. Even if I had a bad time it was better than sitting at home playing the horrible game of “what-if?” It never led to a good place. What if Jason had never cheated on me? What if he hadn’t married someone else? What if Aiden had asked me to stay longer? What if I’d stayed that night with Kieran and Aiden, what would that experience be like?
Pushing the “what-ifs” aside I looked at myself one more time before I headed out. I had on a pair of fitted dark blue jeans, ruched silver embellished shirt, with a low v-cut that accentuated my breasts. The loose curls cascaded over my shoulder. I settled on a simple pink gloss and coated my lashes with enough mascara to draw attention to my eyes. Once again my mind slipped to Aiden and the hungry way he looked me. Stop it! I scolded myself.
My keys in hand, I grabbed my purse to put my phone in it, when it buzzed. I expected it to be Natalie checking on me. It was Aiden.
“Hi,” I said.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“About to go out?”
There was a long pause.
“Alone?” he asked in a low even voice.
“Yes?”
“What did you do today?”
“Day drink?” I admitted with a soft laugh.
“Now that sounds a hell of a lot better than what I did. Interviews, kissing babies, flattering the masses with insincere platitudes and compliments while trying to convince the people that they should trust Councilman Matthews to represent them.”
I took off my heels and curled up on the sofa. “That sounds like fun.”
He let out a dry laugh. “You and I clearly have a different idea about the definition of fun.”
“Would you change your plans if I asked you to join me tonight? We can have a couple of drinks here?”
“Are you asking me to change my plans?”
A couple of beats of silence passed and I’m sure he was considering his request as well. Did he think it was as bad of an idea as I did?
“Yes.” He said his voice dropped to a low velvet drawl. “I would like to see you. Bane will be there in a half an hour.”
As soon as I hung up with Aiden, I texted Natalie.
He asked me to come over. Ella
When are you going? Natalie.
How did you know I said yes? Ella
She sent me smirk emoji.
This is a mistake, isn’t it? Ella
The phone rang, “I don’t’ know.” Natalie responded as soon as I answered. “But I think you should go.”
“Really?” And once again, Natalie, Ms. Conservative and the Princess of logic had shocked me with her advice.
“This might be the biggest mistake of your life. If it is, I’m sure it’s going to be the one you had the most fun making. Just no more freaky stuff. No way with three way.” Then she repeated it in a playful little chant. “Now say it with me.”
I laughed so hard, I could barely speak. “You’re ridiculous.”
“That’s why you love me. When you see him, tell him to add that to one of his rules. You have permission to use my song, too. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Bane escorted me upstairs and as usual his look was indecipherable and I couldn’t help but wonder how many times he’d escorted a woman to Aiden. No matter how I tried to push those thoughts aside, they were there and a constant reminder of Liz’s words about me being the “flavor of the month”, Jessy, and him stating that he looked for
what he wanted at the time. I was just an at the moment choice. Right. As I struggled with the thoughts going on in my head the elevator door opened and the only thing I could think about was this was a mistake. I’d prepared to tell Aiden that I couldn’t do it when he opened the door. My apprehension dwindled down to nothing but desire.
His gaze slowly roved over me taking me in before he moved closer and kissed me. Light, a feather touch against mine. I moved into it, needing more. He teased me with his tongue as he pulled me closer. Then he pulled away giving me a taunting grin as he made a few more steps back.
“I invited you over for drinks, right?” he went to the bar and made two. He handed me one. “Drink.”
I took a sip. And followed him into the living room and took a seat next to him. “Why did you come back?” he asked.
“Because you asked?”
He raised his brow, “Because I asked.” A hint of mischief laced his words. “Then tonight should be fun.”
“You said drinks.”
Guiding my glass to my lips he said, “Drink.” I took another one. “No, I inquired whether you would change your plans to come here.”
“Why did you come here?” Aiden asked.
“The better question is why did you invite me?” I asked in a faint voice.
“Ella, you know why.”
“Because you like fucking me.” I offered, and winced at my response.
His eyes narrowed on me. I blushed under the intensity of his intense stare, “Yes, I do enjoy it and all the other things you let me do to you,” he offered in a low deep voice
“It’s just sex. You can enjoy it with anyone,” I offered. Would I get anything more from him? Why couldn't he just say he wanted to see me—just because he wanted me, not sex. I'm not sure why I longed to hear it; but I did. I wanted to be more than someone that scratched that itch. Once again, I scolded myself for coming and allowing my libido and puerile need for me to be more than the woman he wanted at that time.