A little yelp comes from me when I'm suddenly pushed to the mattress. I'm lying flat out when Aiden lowers his body onto mine, the roughness of his clothes adding an extra layer to the feeling. Knowing that he's still fully clothed while I'm naked is such a turn on. It’s a show of power, letting me know I'm the vulnerable one between us.
“You feel so fucking good. God, there is no way I can last this time, but next time I promise it will be better.”
Better? If it gets better than it is now, there's a chance I won't recover, but I'm willing to take the risk. All thought rushes from my head as Aiden starts pounding into my body like he's trying to bury himself inside me. I can feel myself getting hard again, but the only thing I can focus on is Aiden. His rhythm starts to change, and I push my hands against the headboard to stop me from head-butting it as I move up the bed. This position also gives me a little more stability, and I press my arse up, opening myself to him so he can get deeper.
“Shit.”
It’s the only thing he says before he sinks his teeth into my shoulder and bites deep. I scream in ecstasy, the pain making my balls throb, and he thrusts one last time before his body shudders. Knowing that he's coming in me, albeit in a condom, makes my heart fucking soar. It feels like he’s claiming me, and even though I know tonight is a one-time thing, I lavish in the feeling of ownership.
I feel something trickle down my shoulder but I don’t have the energy to turn my head and look to see what it is, telling myself it's probably sweat from Aiden. I love the feeling of Aiden’s body weighing down on me, pushing the air from my lungs, and I try to memorise how it makes me feel.
“Shit, I'm so sorry.” His words bring me back to my senses, and back to the stinging in my shoulder. Holy shit, that hurts worse than the burn in my arse as Aiden slips from my body.
“Oh god, I'm so fucking sorry.” Aiden rushes from the room as I watch him over my shoulder. He re-appears a few moments later with two cloths. He puts one on the bed next to me and then presses the other one to my shoulder. It's only then that I notice the red drips running over my skin.
“You made me bleed?” Laughter follows my words at the shocked look on Aiden’s face.
“Yes! Again, I'm so fucking sorry.”
I struggle to get myself upright and close to Aiden. I take the cloth from his hand and throw it to the floor. “Don’t be sorry, I'm not.”
Aiden’s eyes heat and I want him to bite me again, this time in a more private place.
* * * *
A car alarm outside wakes me from the deep sleep that I'm in. I stretch my body, moaning when all my muscles ache at the movement. What did I do last night that would leave me so sore? I snuggle into the pillow, enjoying the feeling of the sun against my back. The sun? But my bed isn’t near the window.
My eyes open wide and look around the room. It takes a second to realise where I am and when I do, the memories from the night before come rushing back all at once. Aiden, his teeth, his skin hitting mine, and his dick pounding into me. My cheeks burn as I turn my head and I groan when I see Aiden still asleep next to me. He has scratches on his back and I remember them happening. He had me pinned to the floor in the bathroom as he fucked me again and I was gripping on to him, trying to keep him close. I felt the skin break under my nails but neither of us cared. It wasn’t the first injury of the night and it turned out not to be the last.
Shit, shit, shit. I need to get out of here. As unbelievable as last night was, now in the light of day with no alcohol running through my system, I realise what a colossal mistake it was. I let Aiden see a side of me that I've kept secret up until now, never admitting out loud how much I'm turned on by the thought of being dominated. Okay, so after everything that happened last night I know it's not just the thought that turns me on, the experience makes me come harder than ever.
That doesn’t matter now. What matters is getting out of here before Aiden wakes up. I don’t know how to react to him, so it's simpler if I just leave. I know it’s a shitty move but I'm confident he will understand. Last night was so fucking intense and I can’t face having to talk about it this morning.
I ease myself off the mattress, watching Aiden carefully for any signs of him waking up but thankfully he still looks sound asleep. I tiptoe around the room picking up all my clothes. I'm thankful that I spent time last night putting it all in a pile because it makes it easier to make my quick escape. I ease open the door and slip out of the room, closing it silently behind me. I keep quiet as I make my way across the hall into my room. As soon as I'm inside, I grab my mobile and text Handy, telling him to come get me. I don’t wait for a reply, gathering the few things I hadn’t previously packed and shove them into my bag. I look around to make sure that I haven’t missed anything and when I'm confident that there isn’t anything, I turn and leave.
I struggle not to go back and check on Aiden one last time, just to look at him while he's lying there looking so fucking beautiful, but I can't risk waking him up. Forcing myself to keep moving I head down the stairs and put my bag next to the front door. I take my mobile out and see that Handy is on his way. It will take him about thirty minutes to get here but I will be out before then. I put on my shoes and grab my jacket, throwing it over the top of my bag so I don’t forget it. My keys and wallet are by the door and I pick them up, tucking them into the pocket of my jeans. If I leave anything today then it will stay left, I can’t come back no matter what.
Taking one last look around, actually feeling a little sad about leaving, I say a silent goodbye to Aiden before I grab my bag and walk outside. I close the front door as silently as I can and start walking down the street in the direction that I'm sure Handy will come in. I can feel pain in my shoulder from the bite that Aiden gave me last night as well as a few other bruises and hickies that mar my skin, but the main ache comes from somewhere more surprising. My chest. It feels tight and the further I get from Aiden’s house the worse it gets. The tightness moves up my throat and I'm suddenly struggling not to cry. I don’t know what the hell is happening, I didn’t even feel this way when I left William.
When I turn the corner at the end of the street, I stop and lean back against one of the trees that line the pavement. I've dropped my bag next to me because I seem to have lost all my strength and now I'm struggling to breathe deeply. Holy shit. I lean my head back and stare at the sky, watching the clouds as they move slowly across the early morning sky. The weather is clear so far but I can see the clouds getting darker which probably means it's going to rain later.
I don’t know how long I'm focused on the clouds but a car pulls up beside me and I hear the electric window going down. I'm scared to look in case it’s Aiden, but when I hear the driver shouting out at me my mouth curls up into a smile.
“How much for a blowjob?”
Just hearing Handy’s voice brings me back down to earth. I lean down to grab my bag, realising how fucking stupid I'm being. Last night with Aiden was fucking amazing, something I will never forget for the rest of my life, but that’s all it was. It was a night of fantastic sex and now I move on. It's time to enjoy my freedom and live my life like it's one big party.
Chapter Eighteen
Aiden
“You here, butthead?”
I hear Jer’s voice and walk out from the kitchen to greet him. I've picked up my phone at least a dozen times to cancel coffee with my brother, but I knew he wouldn’t listen, so there was no point. I'm not in the mood for company today, not after waking up alone this morning. It was a shock when I opened my eyes to find the opposite side of my bed empty, but I didn't think he had actually left. In my head he had gone to get coffee or use the bathroom, but when I searched the house though there was no trace of Ralph. If it wasn’t for the broken glass still on the kitchen floor and the ache in my body, I would think I had imagined the whole night. Finding the house empty was the turning point of my mood and I haven’t been able to recover since.
“Who kicked your puppy?”
“Seriously, Aiden. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t sleep well last night.” Isn’t that an understatement? I leave out the bit about my lack of sleep being caused by the huge sexy soldier who I pinned to the bed and fucked like a man possessed. I'm sure he doesn’t need to hear that shit. I take a large gulp of my coffee and my eyes water when it burns my mouth. I can see a smirk on Jer’s face because he knows what’s happening, but I keep my face straight so he doesn’t get the satisfaction of seeing my pain.
“How did the work thing go yesterday?”
I think for a minute wondering what he is talking about before I remember about the meeting with my client. It had completely slipped my mind after everything that happened when I got home. “Yeah, it was fine. I have no idea why they needed to see me in person again, I've already met with him once.”
“Him?”
“Yeah, Christian Gallagher. He runs a chain of fitness studios, and he wants to rebrand everything. Apparently, another gym has a similar name and he isn't happy about it.” Christian is what I would call a control freak. No matter how much I tell him that I'm on top of the project, he can't let go, needing to meet me again and again so he can micromanage the whole thing.
“Ever think he might want to see you cause he likes you? Maybe he wants to see you all sexy in your suit.” He wiggles his eyebrows and I wish there was something close at hand that I could throw at him.
“Don’t do that, it's disturbing.”
“I'm being serious though, little brother. Maybe he genuinely likes you and just doesn’t have the balls to ask you out.”
I roll my eyes, not wanting to have this conversation with Jer again. He is forever pushing me to go out and find someone, telling me that I will never meet the man of my dreams in my living room. Little does he know that I did just that. No, not the man of my dreams, just a man. A hot, sexy man who does strange things to my body and makes me want things I'd never wanted before, but just a man.
“I've told you before, I’m not a man that’s in demand.”
“Fuck that, Aiden. I know I'm your brother, and I think you look like the nerd you always were, but I've heard differently.”
“What?” I have no idea what he's on about, and as much as I should try and get as far away from this conversation as possible, my warped curiosity wants more information.
“Do you remember Derek?”
I rack my brains to try and think of a face to go with the name but I'm at a complete loss.
“He supplies the flowers for the Bistro. Tall, curly hair down to his shoulder, thick-rimmed glasses. Ring any bells?”
The description brings to mind a face that I'm pretty sure belongs to said Derek. I've only met him maybe twice when he had been delivering flowers, but if I remember he was quite attractive. Not Ralph hot, but cute. Shit, I can’t use Ralph as my measuring gauge for all future men, it's not fair to them or me. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Well, he's been asking me to introduce him to you for months now. Apparently, he saw you one day when you were cooking alone in the kitchen and he has been smitten ever since.”
“Smitten? Seriously, who uses that word?”
“Fuck you, Aiden. As I was saying, maybe I could give him your number and when he calls to ask you out you could say yes?”
I think about what he's saying. Maybe it's precisely what I need after what happened with Ralph. It was a mistake having sex with him, there were so many reasons I shouldn’t have done it. He’s a stranger, I was angry and he had been drinking. Those were huge red flags that told me I should have stayed away. Unfortunately, I let my dick do my thinking for me, and I suppose waking up alone was Karmas revenge for being so fucking stupid. “Okay.”
Jer looks shocked at my answer, probably expecting a full on argument to get me to agree. “Seriously? Just … okay?”
“Just okay.”
He stares at me as though he's waiting on the punch line to some joke but I have nothing to give him. Going out on a date is probably what I need to get over last night and since I never go out, Derek seems a safe bet. Anyway, there's no guarantee that he will even call and this will get Jer off my back.
“Well, since you're being so agreeable, I want to talk to you about something else.”
“No.” I pick up my coffee and drink some of the thankfully cooler liquid. Jer kicks me under the table, a dickhead move if there ever was one, and I kick him back a little harder.
“Shut up and listen. I want to train you …”
“I've told you …”
Jer holds up his hand when I start talking. It’s a fight we have all the time but apparently this time he's planning on being more forceful. “Listen to me. The Bistro is getting busier by the day, I have to turn people away, and it's made me come up with a plan. I need you on board for it to work.”
Okay, so he's got my attention now. I lean back in my chair and let him talk.
“My appointment at the bank the other day, it was to inquire about a loan.”
“A loan for what?” Jer has always prided himself on not having a loan outstanding on the business. All his money coming from savings and a small payout after an accident left him injured, so the loan angle is confusing.
“I want to expand the Bistro. There's a shit ton of room out the back and it sits empty most of the year. If I can extend the building back there and then add a covered patio area I could add another ten tables at least.”
I can actually picture it in my head, it would make the whole place look fantastic and the patio would make them unique in the area. God, Jer really does have the brains for business. He can look at something and see where he wants to take it.
“The only problem is it will require another chef and I don’t trust easily.”
“No shit.” I laugh at his statement because Jer has fired more chefs for no real reason than is considered normal. To say he's a control freak would put Christian, the gym owner, to shame.
“Shut up. Anyway, what I was thinking is I could train you while the extension was being built and then when we re-open you could join me. You would be doing me a favour because you are the only person I trust in my kitchen. The staff loves you and you respect them all.”
I think about his proposal, not dismissing it instantly as usual. This could be my chance to follow my dream while helping Jer with his. I've always felt wrong about wanting to be a chef, like somehow I was taking away from Jer by doing the same thing, but he's here asking me to join him in such a fantastic project. “Are you sure?”
“Why do you not want to follow your passion, Aiden? I swear I've seen classically trained chefs that have been doing it for years with less talent than you. You just have this ability when it comes to food and I want to see you do something with that.”
“I don’t want you to feel that I'm taking away your thing. God, I know how stupid it sounds, but you were always the chef in the family.” Saying it out loud to Jer, especially when he's looking at me like I've lost my mind, is making me sounds ridiculous.
“Shut the fuck up. How would you becoming a chef take away from my skill? I said I want to train you, I didn’t say you would be better.”
And just like that, I laugh. Jer always has this way of making me feel better about everything. Ever since we were kids he had my back, making sure I followed my dreams and didn’t let anyone fuck with me. He really is the best big brother ever.
“Okay.”
He gets that shocked look on his face again. “Really?”
&
nbsp; “On one condition.”
Now he looks worried and I don’t blame him. He's probably thinking I'm going to make him eat something gross or tattoo something on his dick –hey, we’ve had bets before – but it's nothing like that this time. “You don’t get a loan.”
“Aiden, I can't do this without it. I need the capital to expand.”
“I know, and I want to give you the money. I want to help you in your dream while you help me in mine.”
I worry again that Jer will think I'm stepping on his toes but instead he gets a broad smile on his face. “Yes. Oh god, this will be awesome.” He holds out his hand and I take it, shaking firmly. “Partners.”
Chapter Nineteen
Ralph
I open the fridge, look inside and then close it again.
“I swear, dude. You do that one more time and I'm gonna tie you to a fucking chair. You have opened that thing about fifty times and not taken anything out.”
I turn to look in Handy’s direction, realising that I didn’t even know he was home. I head to the living room and drop into the chair across from him. “Sorry.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
What is wrong? I wish I could tell him but I've just felt off since I moved in five days ago. It’s not Handy, he has been nothing but his usual self, it’s more that I don’t feel like myself. My skin feels too tight, like I want to burst out of it at any second, like it doesn’t belong to me any more and I need to escape. There is a constant itch that I cant get rid of now matter what I do. “Nothing. I think maybe I've had too much downtime since deployment. Getting back to work can’t come quick enough.”
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