For Crying Out Loud: The laugh out loud romantic comedy that everyone's talking about! (The False Start Book 1)

by J. Preston

  “Wake up, beautiful,” I murmur into her hair and lean over to kiss her lips as she huffs disapprovingly. That’s when I decide that I want to wake her up that way every day for the rest of my life. I am never letting this girl go. She kisses me back, then suddenly pushes me away. “Jenny, what’s wrong?” I ask quickly as she puts her hand over her mouth, her eyes huge.

  “Morning breath!” she mumbles through her fingers, making me burst into laughter. I stop as soon as I see her pissed off expression.

  “I don’t care about that, I just want to kiss—” I start but am interrupted when a shadow looms over us.

  “You guys ready?” Jason yawns from behind me. “I slept like a beast!” he beams groggily. We nod in response and grab our things, getting off the plane and slowly walking down the long corridors of Heathrow Airport.

  After a long while, we’re finally through passport control and getting our bags. Jenny slips on one of her warm jumpers, and we all put scarves and jackets on. December in London can be brutal even though we hardly ever get snow.

  When we go through to arrivals, I look around for John, my family’s driver, but, instead, I’m surprised to see my father standing to the left leaning on the wall, too busy to pay attention as he furiously types into his Blackberry.

  I walk over to him, confused by his presence. “Father? What are you doing here?”

  “Aiden!” He looks up briefly from his phone before looking back down. “How’s my lawyer son doing?” I wince at that comment, but it’s not like he can see it, not looking at me and all. “I just flew in from Zurich and decided to surprise you. John is waiting in the car.”

  “Well, I’m certainly surprised,” I reply.

  “Aiden?” I hear Jenny’s voice from behind me and I turn to her. “Our dad should be here in a couple of minutes, if you need to go.”

  “Great,” my father mutters, looking up again. “Have you got all your luggage? Let’s go then. I’ve got a meeting I need to be at in a couple of hours.” He doesn’t even look at Jenny or Jason.

  “Father, this is Jennifer and Jason Cowley, my friends from University. You met them when I was in Grammar School, remember?” My father’s head lifts up again, away from his Blackberry, and he slowly looks them up and down. I can see the instant judgement forming behind his eyes. “Jennifer is the one who talked me into studying law,” I blurt out.

  “Jennifer?” Jenny mouths, confused. I just shake my head at her and continue to watch my father’s face. As soon as he hears my last words, his whole demeanour changes. He instantly smiles at Jenny and reaches out with his hand, taking hers into his large one and shaking it vigorously.

  “Jennifer,” he booms, smiling. “James Vaughn. So pleased to meet the voice of reason in my son’s life.”

  Jenny seems a little confused, but does a good job of covering it with a smile. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”

  “Please! Sir, makes me sound so old. Call me James.” Well, that’s new. My father never lets any of my friends be this familiar with him. He turns towards my best friend. “You must be Jason. Are the two of you siblings?” Jason nods and shakes my father’s hand. Wise move. Best not to speak in front of my father.

  “They’re here for Christmas, visiting with their father,” I interject this abnormal behaviour. I’m starting to sweat a little. Fortunately, my father’s phone rings and he steps away from us, excusing himself. “That was weird…” I say, patting Jason on the back and turning to Jenny to say goodbye.

  “He seems…” Jenny starts, scrunching her face a little. “Nice?”

  I chuckle. “Trust me, my father is anything but nice.” I envelop her in a hug, inhaling her scent one more time. “I’ll see you tomorrow, kitten?” I ask hopefully, pulling myself away from her and looking into her eyes.

  “And the day after,” she replies, winking at me. My heart skips a beat.

  “And the one after that. I’m going to show you that I meant every word.” Jason makes vomiting noises behind us. I wave him off.

  “I can’t wait,” she says, smiling. I lean down and place a kiss on her lips.

  “Until tomorrow then.”

  As I reluctantly pull away, my father makes another appearance, his gaze drifting between Jenny and I.

  “Jennifer, Jason,” he says, looking only at Jenny. “It seems I should probably try to get to know the both of you better. Why don’t you come down for dinner on Boxing Day?” he asks, authority ringing through his words. He will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Shit.

  “That’s very kind,” Jenny says quietly. “But we’re here with our father and we wish to spend as much time as possible with him. We don’t get to see him enough.”

  “Obviously, he is invited too. That’s sorted then. The three of you shall join our family for a small get together on Boxing Day.” He nods to himself. “Perfect.” He turns on his heel and starts for the exit. “Aiden, please hurry. I’m on a tight schedule here.”

  I look apologetically at both Jason and Jenny and mouth ‘sorry’ before placing a kiss on Jenny’s cheek and running after my father.

  He’s quiet throughout our drive, typing away on his phone. His jaw is set and I can see a muscle twitch in his left cheek.

  “Son, I’m not against you dating anyone, but I wish for you to focus on your studies. I don’t want any distractions for you,” he says finally.

  I take my time forming a reply. This is a delicate subject.

  “She’s not a distraction,” I finally say. “To the contrary, she makes everything come into focus.”

  My father nods once. “We can discuss this later.”

  I breathe steadily. I’m not going to let him destroy what I have only just put back together.

  “You’ll just have to come to terms with this, Father. She’s clever, driven, and very, very important to me,” I say through clenched teeth.

  “So it seems,” he replies as his lips form a small, barely visible smile.

  28 Well, The Dogs Like Her

  A blank is the only thing I draw well.

  - Aiden

  Jenny

  The truth of the matter is, if I was a fourteen-year-old girl with a diary, my entries would look something like this:

  Dear Diary,

  I’m in love.

  The city of London is seriously one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to!

  Aiden is not too bad either, what with all his broodiness and muscles…

  Joking, joking!

  Aiden has been nothing but attentive, thoughtful, and amazing. It’s weird, thinking about us as a couple. Because that’s what we are now, a couple. The thought alone makes me smile every single time it comes to the forefront of my mind.

  This trip has been close to perfection. Each day, the boy of my dreams shows up in our hotel with a bunch of flowers—Dad says my room smells like an expensive florist shop—then whisks me away to a different part of London. At times, Jason and Dad join us, and we do the touristy stuff we never got to do when we lived here. It helps that Dad actually loves Aiden. It’s like Jason infected him with their bromance disease. The three of them are so awkward sometimes that I feel like I should just step aside and let them date. I don’t. Instead, I just revel in the idea that my dad and my boyfriend get along.

  My boyfriend… Eeep!

  Who would have thought? Well, me. I mean, I hoped. A lot. But I never thought that it would become a reality and, now that it has, it’s kind of better than what I imagined. The other day, Aide, Jason, Dad, and I went to South Bank to see the Thames all lit up with Christmas lights and visit the Christmas Market there. My boyfriend (Eeep!) secretly hired out one of the pods in the London Eye and surprised us with ‘a flight’/ride out of the blue. The views were amazing! Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of busy London life, you can forget how incredible this city actually is.

  One look at the skyline basked in the fading sunlight can take your breath away. Especially when Aide’s strong arms are wrapped around you, pressin
g your body into his, and when he’s nuzzling your hair muttering incoherent things about strawberries. Makes a girl’s knees go weak, you know?

  Aiden says that London during the Christmas season is his favorite, and I might have to agree with him, although I think London with Aiden holding my hand is my actual favorite. No, that’s a lie. London, with Aiden’s lips on mine, is the real winner.

  The weeks go by too quickly. Aiden and I get closer and closer, so much so that I have to fight myself every minute we’re together not to just blurt out that I have flat out fallen for him. Because, the truth is, I’m head over heels for that boy.

  The moments we’re alone are too few and too short with either my dad or Jason bursting into my hotel room, interrupting any devious plans I might have had of getting Aiden to lose any item of clothing. Not that Aiden is eager either. It’s like I have to rip everything off of him and pray his newly acquired chastity belt has somehow fallen off.

  For now, I am limited to kissing, not that I’m complaining. Aiden is a master in that discipline. His tongue is so skilled in the art of making me go gooey that each time we kiss I have to hold on to my clothes for fear of them just dropping off my body.

  “You need to stop this.” Aiden’s deep voice brings me back from my musings.

  He arrived in my hotel room a few minutes ago, a half an hour before the scheduled time, buying us a full thirty minutes of making out. Minutes which I was currently wasting ogling his body. The problem is that he surprised me as well! I was in the process of walking out of the shower, hair wet and nothing but the fluffy hotel bathrobe on, when he knocked on my door.

  I was hoping for room service with my pre-ordered slice of chocolate cake, but Aiden was certainly a good replacement.

  “Stop what?” I ask innocently, looking him up and down. The truth is, I’ve been staring at him hungrily all the while I was replaying those past two weeks in my head.

  “Looking at me like that, and making those noises.” His voice goes husky and his eyes turn to dark emerald. He takes a few steps towards me, and I turn away from him, looking out the window, his gaze on me so hot, for a second, I am worried it might incinerate the bathrobe. Not that I’d mind.

  “It’s hard not to look at you like that. Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?” I smirk. My breath hitches when I feel his hot breath on my neck. Goosebumps rise all over my body, and I turn in one swift motion, making eye contact with him. He doesn’t answer my question; instead, he leans down and covers my mouth with his. I moan with pleasure. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to his hot lips on mine and how they make me feel.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and take a step backwards, a part of my ‘Get Aiden and I into a horizontal position’ campaign. Aiden growls and moves his face away from mine, making me frown. I don’t know what he’s made of, but it must be steel, because he’s been seriously so chaste with me that it’s infuriating.

  “Kitten,” he whispers. I move away from him and settle myself on the bed, positioning my bathrobe just so, in hopes of him following me. It’s then I notice the small package in his hands.

  “What’s that?” I nod towards the box. My ’shiny things’ antenna is working overtime. Aiden’s cheeks go a bit red.

  “I know we exchanged Christmas gifts yesterday, but I had one more for you, one I wanted to give you when it was just the two of us,” he says, coming towards me and sitting on the bed. Score one, Jenny! Aiden is on the bed, everyone. I repeat, ON THE BED.

  I look at the small blue box in his hands, remembering how, yesterday, Aiden joined Dad, Jason, and I in our Christmas celebrations. How Dad’s face lit up at all the American food I wrapped up for him. How Jason decided, after finishing a bottle of wine, that Christmas karaoke was the best way to celebrate Christmas, whether or not there was any music, and how we had to endure a full hour of Jason singing Last Christmas by Wham! Over and over…and over. How we Skyped Jake and Carter, and how Carter encouraged my untalented brother to sing more, all while laughing his butt off.

  Ahhh, Christmas. The time you want your family exterminated. What I wouldn’t give for one little Dalek yesterday.

  “You got me another present?” I perk up, shifting from my ‘sultry’ position into one that is full on ‘gimme, gimme, gimme!’ Aiden’s dimples make an appearance as his gaze drops down to my chest. I expect one of my boobs is half exposed. I let it slide since the boy came bearing gifts.

  “Just a little one,” he replies, handing me a small, greenish-blue box. I rip the white ribbon away with one strong movement and carefully lift the cover to reveal a delicate necklace with an infinity symbol pendant. I look back up at Aiden, my hands shaking as he takes the box away from me and lifts the chain out. “This is so that you know,” he says, putting the chain around my neck, fastening it, “that I’m here for the long haul.” He lets his hands drop to my shoulders.

  “Thank you. It’s beautiful,” I say, putting my hand over the infinity symbol now resting on top of my collarbone.

  Aiden smiles at me with his cute little half smile, and I all but lose it. Having had enough of the chit chat and wanting to express just how much I like the chain, I climb on his lap, straddling him and wrapping my arms around his neck. Before he can protest, I fuse my lips with his. To my surprise and utter delight, he doesn’t protest. Instead, his arms drop from my shoulders and snake around me, causing my body to light up like a Christmas Tree. Through my incoherent jumble of thoughts, I can barely notice that his hands are touching the skin on my back.

  His hands.

  On my bare skin.

  A feeling I’d need a Masters Degree in English to be able to even begin to describe.

  I mewl with pleasure, ripping the tie of my bathrobe open. I don’t think. There’s nothing I want more than to feel what his body feels like on mine. And the fact that he hasn’t stopped us yet propels me to pull his shirt up and press myself against him.

  This time, Aiden is the one to groan. His fiery kisses are becoming frantic, and his hands now move all over my body, causing me to shiver. From the small of my back to my hips to my bottom, touching, squeezing, kneading. I break our kiss to pull his shirt over his head and thank the heavens and all that is holy he lets me. He pulls me against him, and the feeling of my erect nipples against his hard chest sends me into a frenzy. How can this feel so good? Aiden skillfully moves his lips from mine and down to my earlobe, nipping at it before moving lower and sucking at my neck, while his rough hand finds my nipple and tweaks it. I cry out in pleasure.

  “Fuck, kitten, so responsive,” he mumbles into my throat as his hand trails down, down, down over my belly button, caressing my skin and inching towards my pussy. When his fingers connect with my slit, he swears. “So wet. So fucking wet,” he moans. “You’re so beautiful, so ready for me.” I moan in reply, and thank God he knows exactly what I mean by it, because he starts rubbing small circles around my clit while sucking my nipple. I rock against his hand, desperate for more friction.

  “Aiden…” I moan.

  “Yes, baby,” his hoarse voice sends shivers down my spine. “Tell me what you want.”

  I’d blush, but I’m in too deep. I’m consumed by need; need for something. To feel him inside me, anyway I can. “I need you.”

  “Not now, kitten,” he groans. “But I’ll make you feel good. You want that?” He continues rubbing my clit as he speaks.

  “Yes!” I exclaim as his finger slides down and plunges into me. “Yes, please.”

  “Please, what?” he growls, slowly stroking me while his thumb continues its assault on my clit. I can’t think, I can only feel as I lift my hips in unison to his movement. This feels so amazing, right until he stops. “Please what, kitten?” he demands, biting my nipple.

  “Please Aiden, make me come.” I writhe against him as his fingers start up again, pumping into me with renewed vigor. I’m so close, I can see the edge, and when his lips connect with mine, I fall. I fall hard. His name on my lips.


  He kisses me gently and starts pulling away, so I grab his neck and press my lips against his fervently, wanting to make him feel as good as he just made me feel.

  I reach for his zipper and…that’s when Mr. Chastity Belt decides to make an appearance. Seriously? How does he have control?

  “Jenny.” His voice is pained. “We have to stop.”

  “Don’t you want me? Don’t you want this?” I gesture to my body in all its disrobed glory.

  “Fuuuuck,” Aiden mutters under his breath, looking his fill greedily at my body before closing the robe and sitting up. I can see he’s hard through his jeans, and he’s straining to regain control. “I want you. More than anything,” he says, his eyes dark and focused on my lips. “But I will not take your virginity in some shoddy hotel room, with your father and brother in the room next to us,” he says, leaning over and placing a delicate kiss on my collarbone where the chain he gave me is resting. “There’s no hurry. I can wait for you to be ready. And, when we do it, which, trust me, we will, I will need a lot longer than half an hour. I’ll devour you over and over with my mouth until you forget everything and all that’s left on your lips is my name. That’s when I’ll take you. Slowly, delicately, and lovingly because that’s the way you should be made love to.”

  I all but lose my mind on the spot. Did I just hear him right? Because, if I did, I am so freaking ready to have that happen right now!

  “Uh-huh,” I manage incoherently before getting up and zooming to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face. I take my time untangling my hair, which dried into a very pretty knot, then put on the dress I had hanging on the bathroom door.

  When I get back to the room, I no longer experience hot flashes every single time I think about Aiden’s mouth.

  “You look beautiful.” Aiden smiles at me from the armchair he’s sitting on. I’m about to thank him for the compliment when my eyes land on the empty plate on the coffee table next to him, one with dark chocolate crumbs on it.