by Melissa Jane
Abruptly, he rose to his feet while I stole a glance in his direction. With hands stuffed into his jean pockets, the muscles in his arms bulged underneath his tight shirt. Even when he was furious, Aiden could still make me feel giddy.
He moved to stand before me, his body a looming threat over mine, all perverse thoughts about his rippling muscles bolting from my thoughts. I was barefoot and so was he, our toes only centimeters apart. My spine stiffened when he made no movement, yet I was bracing for impact. Aiden had never laid an abusive hand on me in all our training, but this was different, he was irrefutably mad.
His fingers pistol gripped my chin, roughly pulling my face up toward his, our eyes meeting in challenge. It was the first time we had looked in each other’s eyes for nearly a week. It was always overwhelming when our eyes connected. I knew he felt the invisible pull too, I could see how he struggled with it. His beautiful viridian eyes could be filled with so much expression and emotion, yet seconds later that depth would be replaced with a bleak flatness.
Aiden’s jaw tightened into a hard line before releasing my chin. He stalked toward the bar, placing his hands either side of him, dropping his head down between them. Minutes passed by and I wondered if I should ask if he were alright. I had never seen him like this and, in all honesty, his behavior was unnerving me.
“Is everything ok?” I asked tentatively. He rounded on me upon hearing my voice.
“You just don’t listen, do you?” He wasn’t as mad as I thought he was, but his voice didn’t lack disapproval. “Don’t mention your brothers’ name while I am gone. If Juan happens to get to you, which I have no doubt he will try at some stage, remain quiet.”
“Y-yes master,” I stammered. “I just thought…”
“Don’t think,” he spat. “Juan will come for you. He knows I am leaving and he will do everything within his power to seek you out. It won’t be hard for him. Jorge will ensure you are kept safe, but Juan will want inside your head.”
I nodded, not really knowing the right thing to say. I appreciated the heads up. I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared to deal with Juan, but at the same time I couldn’t comprehend why Aiden was being so protective. He wouldn’t be there for me after I was sold so why place so much emphasis on keeping me safe now.
“Mentioning Ethan’s name is a show of weakness for him and he will pounce. I have been trying to get you into the practice of not thinking of him while you are under this roof, but you are just too fucking stubborn for your own good.”
“I know you told me once before that saying his name could get me hurt. I am sorry. I guess I am losing my mind a little bit here.” That was an understatement.
“Don’t apologize,” Aiden heaved a heavy sigh of resignation. “I know it can’t be easy for you.” The magnitude of what he said was not lost on me.
“Laila,” he began, his voice so beautifully gentle it stilled me, “I want to tell you that everything will be ok, but for now you just need to trust me concerning the events that will unfold over the next week.”
For the second time in five minutes, I didn’t know how to respond to what he was saying. Could I indeed trust him as he requested I do? After everything that had transpired over the last couple of weeks, how could he begin to think it as a plausible notion?
Notably calmer, Aiden stepped back to rest his torso against the bar where he remained silent and still for what felt like an eternity, his eyes the only movement as they critically roamed my body from head to toe. It made me terribly self-conscious, but I didn’t dare move.
“What did you do before all this happened?”
I was momentarily stunned at his query into my life. No one had asked me about my life before I was taken and he and I hadn’t spoken with familiarity since the night he instructed I call him master. What did he want to hear exactly?
“Master?”
“I’m curious. I want to hear about it.” His voice sounded sincere and encouraging. Anxiety made my skin flush and I grew hot from within. Every time he allowed me to talk freely, I always ended being humiliated, tricked into dropping my game only to face the consequences. Remaining quiet, I rubbed my hands together until the skin was red and sore.
“Laila?” His voice softened. “It’s ok, you can talk. What did you do before you ended up here?”
“I studied at NYU and in Paris on scholarship,” I stated quietly.
“Both excellent places to spend your college years.” I nodded at his compliment, but said nothing. “So, what did you study?”
“Art History and curatorship.” There was silence after my answer and I began doubting if he had actually heard me.
“Look at me.”
Hesitantly turning my gaze, I reminded myself to proceed with caution.
“Tell me more. I know there is a story behind those eyes of yours,” he said intimately and I knew in that second I was a fool for being drawn into his light. Here I was, being that stupid moth again.
“Go on,” he urged, interrupting the battle in my head.
“I, ah… I graduated two years ago.” The look on his face made me want to cry. It had been an eternity since I had seen any humanity extended from him and now it was simply overwhelming. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I wiped at the pools of sweat gathering in my palms. “I was offered a place a New York gallery as a curator as well as doing some art restoration here and there.”
“So, you are an art connoisseur?” he asked, genuinely intrigued.
“Ah… I wouldn’t go that far. I mean, I do love art,” I replied sadly.
“What about it do you love?”
I had never been asked this question before, but to me the answer was easy. “It’s always a story about someone or something and I love that. It’s a way of informally documenting our lives.”
Aiden advanced forward, his hand slipping around mine and pulling me up off the sofa. Standing cheek to cheek with me, his mouth grazed my ear. My stomach became a mixing bowl of panic, apprehension, lust and desire. The peculiar combination made my insides lurch and my skin ached to be touched. Aiden’s voice was deep and seductively smooth, but only slightly louder than a whisper. There was electricity charging between us at every point of contact and every nerve ending became alert and tingly as I listened to the rhythmic tone of his voice.
“I want to know your story, what makes you tick, what goes on inside that head of yours.”
As my knees weakened, his muscular arm circled my waist engulfing me in a powerful embrace, my feet barely grounded.
“Look at me,” Aiden demanded. I did as he said, my mind focusing on the rise and fall of his chest as it grazed my breasts, the delicious heady scent of his cologne taking control of my senses.
With his imposing frame enveloping mine, Aiden lifted my face with a single finger under my chin. Although there had been times when we were dangerously close in my training, there had always been an invisible barrier between us preventing any loss of control. That line drastically thinned with each breath that passed, but neither of us did anything to prevent it. I ran my tongue along my dry lips and Aiden’s hooded eyes moved quickly to the movement. Before I could blink, his mouth descended on mine, the force and urgency behind it surprising me. His hand snaked around the nape of my neck, holding me in place as his other arm circled my waist, pressing my hypersensitive body against his.
It was delicious. It was sexy. And I relished every minute of it.
Aiden’s lips were soft and tender despite the passionate force behind it. I returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm and allowed his tongue to rhythmically caress mine.
I craved him, his affection, his lust.
I wanted Aiden and tonight he evidently wanted me. I didn’t know what had caused this shift in his behavior, but I wanted at all costs to prolong it, despite knowing that playing with fire always ends in disaster. In this present and glorious moment, I couldn’t have cared less about the warning bells sounding in my head.
Aiden’s
urgent hands moved to cup both sides of my face as a low groan rumbled in his throat, heightening my own desire. He deepened the kiss with such tender care I found myself silently pleading for more. As if hearing my wicked thoughts, he lifted me into his strong, capable arms and I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist. Feeling his desire swell against my sex and driven by a sudden longing, I shamelessly rubbed against him, his reaction making me smile against his lips.
“Jesus Christ, Laila!” Aiden mouthed, before carrying and lowering me to the bed. His body lay on top of mine, his sheer size dominating my petite frame. His eyes gazed down at me, our breathless bodies synchronized with each shaky intake and harsh exhale. As he came down to meet my lips, I circled my arms around his neck, his chest endlessly teasing my hardened nipples. I wanted him without a doubt. I wanted this because he had the power to make me so easily forget everything else around me, including every dark thought that relentlessly plagued my mind.
His urgent kisses travelled down my face and neck leaving a tingling trail in his wake. Hooking each shoulder strap, he slowly pulled the dress down to my waist, his mouth greedily taking in my breasts, his tongue flicking and circling my sensitive nipples. I was in a state of ruin and loving every delicious second of it.
My hands slid through Aiden’s hair, his teeth grazing over my stomach and ticklish sides. Everything he did was electric and both my mind and body were exploding with sensory overload.
A roaming hand slid to my thigh and under the hem of my short dress. He raised the skirt higher to reveal my lace panties, something akin to a growl escaping his lips. He shifted down the length of my body, positioning his face between my legs, taking his time to admire the view. I could hear and feel his warm, ragged breath against my now sensitive skin and I craved to feel his lips against me.
“You are incredibly beautiful, Laila. So goddamn beautiful.” His voice was raspy, his eyes turning serious as he looked into mine. I felt my heart drop at his sudden refocus. “I need to hear you say you want this.”
Was he serious? Could he not see the physical state he has me in?
“Yes! I want this and I want you.”
“Do you mean it, Laila? You have to be sure.” I knew why he was asking. He didn’t want to repeat what Juan did to me.
“I – I am sure. Please, Aiden.”
Aiden’s eyes remained fixed on mine for a few more painful seconds, carefully considering each word I said before making his next move. No longer needing any confirmation, he moved further back on the bed, pulling my panties to the side.
He swallowed hard as he took in the sight and wasted no time in pressing his wet lips against me, his tongue travelling through my folds to my swollen clit. The intense sensation left me gasping and, in response to the sound of my pleasure, Aiden increased the pressure of the licking and sucking. Appreciative groans emanated from his mouth, before he paused only to grip the top of my panties, lowering them over my curves. It was such a sexy sight watching him pull them down over my legs, and his eyes twinkled with unadulterated lust as they met mine.
All the aggression, disappointment and confusion I had seen play in his eyes over the last week had all but vanished. He was extraordinarily striking in any situation, but seeing him so sexually charged blew my mind. My panties fell to the floor while Aiden’s face fell back between my open thighs and he mixed high pressured stroking with soft tormenting swirls of his tongue. His arms hooked under and over my thighs, pulling me further against his mouth as he had his way with me. I could do nothing but allow the delicious feelings I was experiencing to build to a point of release. But was I allowed to?
Don’t chase your own pleasures, he had said. As if reading my mind or sensing my doubts, his eyes met mine for a brief second before he said the words I needed to hear.
“Let it happen.”
Relinquishing one of my legs, Aiden thrust two fingers inside me as his tongue flicked and rubbed at my clit, bringing me to the climax I so desperately sought. He moved with me as my hips rose and fell with the waves of my orgasm, my hands balling into fists above my head, clutching at the sheets for dear life. His tongue continued sliding in deeper as I clenched around him, a shudder racing through me when I could take no more. With a final lick over my sensitive clit, Aiden hovered over my slack body, bringing his mouth to mine.
“I want more,” I begged against his mouth.
A smile danced in his eyes. “Say it again,” he demanded softly.
“I want more! Don’t stop, I want you inside me.” My voice had become a raspy whisper.
He moved back off me to stand next to the bed. Instinctively, I reached for him thinking he was leaving until he pulled his shirt above his head revealing his finely honed Adonis body. I was rendered speechless, struck with awe, as he slipped his hands on the waist of his jeans, pushing them down until his impressive cock sprung out like a caged animal finally released. The jeans fell to the floor and Aiden returned to the bed, allowing his body to hover over mine. Our eyes meeting and lingering, taking each other in before his beautiful soft lips came crushing down on mine with such passion I thought we both might explode.
“The things you do to me! You have no idea,” he panted while trying to regain his breath.
“Show me!”
He was intoxicating and my heart was jumping for joy. I was fucking losing my mind in this house of horrors but I simply didn’t care.
While our tongues met, he rocked back slightly, his knee spreading my legs open to receive him. I could feel his throbbing hardness between my thighs and it took all the strength I had to not guide him in myself. To hell with foreplay! I needed him inside me. The ache could wait no longer.
As if reading my mind, Aiden thrust forward slightly so the tip of his length penetrated my opening. I wasn’t sure if I could handle all of him, but I was surely going to try. His kisses lessened, his eyes focused on mine as he pushed himself fully inside me with one swift motion. I gasped at the size of him filling me to the end, my fingernails digging into his shoulders. The pain was there, deep inside, however, feeling him, stretching me, knowing I had this effect on him only turned me on more, allowing the pain to be easily ignored.
“Laila…” he gasped, my name escaping his lips in a whisper as he too relished in the sensation of finally being inside me. “You are too much.”
His hips began a soft, gentle rhythm, thrusting until I had become used to him. Then the movements became more determined, sliding almost entirely out only to re-enter with careful force. I didn’t want it too gentle – my feelings of need for him were overwhelming. He clearly felt the same and increased the tempo, a thin layer of sweat forming over our sensitive skin, our hands exploring the others body with abandon.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, I raised my hips with every thrust to deepen the sensation. Pleasure was mounting within me once again and I didn’t know how much longer I could last without exploding around him.
“Laila, I'll come if you keep doing that,” Aiden panted.
I didn’t stop. I continued raising my hips to meet his until I could take no more and I felt myself tighten around his hardness and allowed the exhilarating waves of a climax to overcome every inch of my being.
Screaming out his name, I bit into his shoulder, muffling my cries as he thrust deeper into me. Moments later, I was left gasping for air, my body trembling and my mind sated from another release.
Gripping my ass, Aiden drove harder into me, the muscles across his chest and shoulders rippling as a groan of ecstasy reverberated from his mouth and he released into me. His movements became less intense the closer he came to finishing so I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer as the final shudder came to a stop.
Aiden’s eyes were cloudy and dilated and simply beautiful as he stared down at me. “I can't resist when you do that,” he said next to my ear, his voice raspy. “I have never seen anyone so damn sexy.” Aiden kissed my lips gently and rested his forehead against mine. “You will destroy me,
Laila.”
A flutter of an untold emotion moved inside my stomach as I listened to his words. Could he really think that of me?
I thought the same of him.
Aiden slowly slid his still hard and throbbing shaft from inside of me. Propping himself on one shoulder, he used his finger to move my chin to face him as he studied the expression on my face.
“You don’t believe me?”
I grew shy at his affection. What we just did was out of a moment of lust and passion, and talking like this was something I thought I would never do, with Aiden or with anyone, now my life had changed. A flicker of emotion crossed Aiden’s eyes, going from post-sex ecstasy to somewhat pensive as a sigh escaped his lips.
“You are painfully gorgeous, Laila. How can you not see that?” Aiden brushed away a tear falling down my cheek with a gentle caress of his finger. “You hold yourself with such confidence it’s unnerving for others, including me,” he laughed lightly. How he had developed that perception of me was unclear, considering my confidence had taken a massive blow since being here. “You’re sophisticated, intelligent and astonishingly beautiful.”
His finger brushed my bangs away from my eyes, his eyes now lost in thought. “Muñequita, that’s what you are,” he smiled knowingly
“What does that mean?” It sounded beautiful, whatever it was.
His hand moved to my face, his knuckles stroking my cheek.
“It means ‘little doll’. You are a beautiful little doll.”
He kissed me slowly and gently, the contact reigniting the flame inside me. I returned the kiss eagerly and felt Aiden’s desire stir once again against my thigh.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aiden
“A girl like you will kill me.”
We lay side by side after making love again, this time with a tenderness she deserved. I had taken my time, worshipping her body, tracing her curves from head to toe and kissing every inch of exposed skin. I wanted her to feel whole again.