by Ward, Alice
“And that’s more than enough reason for me to not want that here,” I snapped. “I deserve a break from the tabloids, don’t ya think?”
I leaned my head against the leather seat and closed my eyes again, wishing I’d sent Janine into the car first so I could stare out the window on our trip. Instead, I pretended to sleep so the barrage of questions would end.
The car came to a halt just as I almost fell asleep for real. I opened my eyes and looked out the window past Janine, noticing we had stopped at a rest area along the highway. The doors opened, and Janine and Elle both got out, leaving me room to scoot from my middle position and out onto the hot pavement.
None of the filming crew pulled their cameras from the vans, so I saw it as a chance to steal some time alone with Aiden. He must have been thinking the same thing because as soon as my feet hit the ground, he was headed in my direction. He gripped my arm and gently tugged me towards the small brick building with restroom signs.
“This has been killing me,” he muttered, slinging me into his arms and pushing my back against the wall of the building. His lips pressed into mine, and his tongue furiously devoured me. I instantly melted into his arms at his touch, and my heart raced with panic at how close I was letting him get to me, how much I was needing him.
Elle was right, this was supposed to be a fling, a rebound from my decade long romance with Royce. I was here to cook, to win, to boost my career into high gear, not fall for Aiden or anyone.
“Get a room,” Derick teased as he passed us to enter the men’s room.
Aiden pulled his lips from mine and moved his hands down my side to pull me into his erection. “This week has been hard,” he said.
“Not as hard as you are right now,” I teased.
“Five minutes,” Gretchen announced loudly.
“They’ll be getting their cameras out any minute if we aren’t careful,” Aiden warned.
I gave him a quick peck on the lips, and he squeezed my ass cheeks before we separated. He walked into the men’s room, and I walked around the other side of the building, taking the long route to the women’s.
“I’m sorry you’re going through all this. You don’t deserve it,” Elle said as I approached the bathroom sink. She pulled a towel from the dispenser and winked at me. “But on a good note, no publicity is bad publicity, just remember that. Just lighten up and enjoy the ride.”
I stared into the mirror. My eyes were red and blotchy from pretending to sleep so long in the car, and I knew stress was taking its toll. Janine popped out of the bathroom stall and quickly ran her hands under the water, meeting my eyes in the mirror. She wiped them dry on her jeans, then used her hip to push open the door, giving me a little wave before leaving.
Maybe Elle was right. I needed to lighten up and just have fun for a change.
CHAPTER TWELVE
e
Vermont was a beautiful place and the farm the most magnificent one yet. But, the tension in the air between Shep and Aiden was so thick it took away from the splendor of our location.
I sat in a lounge chair outside my assigned camper, just gazing at the hills that seemed to roll on forever. The line of trees looked like they were painted onto a canvas against the blue and orange sky. I sipped on a bottle of wine I snagged from dinner and let my body melt into the plastic straps of the chair.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Shep’s voice pulled me from the vacation I had taken in my mind.
“Yes, it really is,” I agreed as tension entered every cell of my body and I struggled not to look dismayed at seeing him.
“May I?” he asked, motioning to the empty chair beside me.
“Sure,” I murmured, even though I was certain it was a bad idea.
“How are things going?” Shep asked, his dark eyes studying my face.
“Things?” I replied with an eye roll at his indifference. Things had been horrible, that’s how things had been.
“I just mean with the other contestants,” he clarified. “I know they were giving you a pretty hard time when we first got here.”
“I haven’t been inside yet, but I’m certain there is some retaliation waiting for me when I do,” I said with a sad smile.
It had been a rough week, to say the least. First, someone exchanged my sugar jar with salt, but luckily I taste everything as I go and had plenty of time to redo my dish. Second, I had my suitcase dumped out onto the floor of my camper and ‘GO HOME’ written on my mirror in lipstick. Wonder who wears that shade of pink, Barbie? And the third and last thing that had been done was the camera crew was sent into the woods to catch Aiden and me making out. Thank God I still had my clothes on. Five more minutes and the footage they would have captured wouldn’t have been suitable for TV. I wasn’t sure what was next, and I was to the point I no longer cared.
“I’m truly sorry,” Shep said. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Didn’t you, Shep? I wanted to scream at him, ask him why he decided to choose me to favor on the show, ask him why he continued to show signs of jealousy and try to sabotage Aiden, and most importantly, why are you here right now?
His dark brown eyes looked soulful, genuinely apologetic and harmless. He didn’t seem like the womanizer Aiden made him out to be, and since we had been shooting the show, I hadn’t once seen him take a drink.
“I better leave you alone before the cameras come out,” he said.
As he stood, his tall frame blocked the evening sun from my view and drew a beautiful orange and blue shadow around his body. His smile was thin, his eyes wide and his tone soft and gentle. “I know you’ll go far, Claire, just hang in there.”
I smiled politely and nodded, wishing things weren’t this way. I wish I knew who to trust, what was going on, and what I could do to make it different.
Aiden walked over to me, passing Shep along the way. I watched as their eyes locked and their stances hardened. I found it foolish the way they acted around one another, like peacocks spreading their feathers and puffing up their chests ready to rumble.
“What did he want?” Aiden asked.
I lifted a shoulder. “To check on me, apologize for all the drama, and to give me a pep talk.”
Aiden’s eyebrow shot up. “Oh really? So he admits to starting all this drama?”
“No, he didn’t admit to anything, and I don’t think he intended for all this drama to occur.”
He scoffed. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to hang out like that. The other contestants are already gunning for you,” Aiden warned.
“We weren’t hanging out,” I snapped. “And do you not think I know how the others feel about me?”
He blew out a breath. “You want me to stay with you tonight?”
I blinked at him. “Do you seriously think that’s a good idea?” I lifted the bottle of wine to my lips and tilted it high in the air to get the last drop. “That would be a great intro for the show, you walking out of my trailer first thing in the morning.”
“Everyone knows we’re together, Claire. It’s just Shep they’re concerned about,” he reasoned. I wasn’t so sure. Yes, they knew Aiden and I were together, but I think that added fuel to the fire as well, thinking I was just a hussy sleeping with anyone and everyone to get ahead.
“After this, we will be the final five,” Aiden said. “And then you’ll have one less person to worry about.”
Out of everyone left, I thought I could moderately trust Elle, and was certain that I could trust Aiden, but Janine made it clear she was frustrated with me hogging the spotlight. The other two men that were left snickered behind my back, often huddled up listening to whatever Janine was saying, but I don’t think they were sneaking into my camper and tampering with my stuff.
“I hope it’s Janine leaving this week.”
Instead of arguing or agreeing, he stood and held out his hand. “Come with me for a little while.”
My body was melted into the lounge chair, and I dreaded going in
side to see what was in store for me, but his seductive blue eyes pushed me to take his hand. My feet hit the ground, and he pulled me into his arms, his lips pressing against my neck. The stubble on his chin tickled my shoulder as he playfully brought me out of my funk.
“Okay,” I whispered. “But, you can’t stay.”
Aiden guided me into the camper with his hands around the small of my waist. I opened the door and let him push his body into mine as I looked around the room. Everything seemed to be intact — no tampering, no warnings, and no signs of foul play.
Good, maybe they finally grew tired of punishing me.
Aiden’s hands roamed my body while his erection made itself known against my hip. I began to lighten up and let my eyes close as my head fell back and I released a soft sigh.
“Damn, that’s sexy,” he whispered in my ear.
I felt sexy with Aiden. He had a way of making me feel sexier than I actually was, and that was something I loved about him.
My arm squeezed between our bodies, and I gripped the erection that had been grinding into my hip bone. His grin was delicious and his eyes full of hunger as he growled through his teeth before lifting me off my feet. I fell onto the mattress as his strong arms secured me from behind. My body flushed with excitement as he pressed into me, and another soft sigh escaped my throat.
My lips searched for his, finally finding them and pressing hard as I curled my body around his. I opened my mouth, eager for his tongue to tangle with mine. His kiss was so eager, so aggressive that I began to moan.
“You need this, darlin’,” he murmured, his face just inches from mine.
“Yes,” I said softly, pulling his mouth back down. He pulled away, teasing me with the smile that I adored.
I watched as Aiden stood and rolled his t-shirt from his body. I reached out to his chest, caressing the ripples in his abs and teased the button on his jeans. He bit down on his bottom lip as I popped open the button, then slid the zipper slowly down.
No boxers, just cock. Yes, he was a bad boy.
His hands gripped the jeans that now clung to his hips and pushed them down his legs. I took advantage, stroking his erection, feeling it pulse under my fingers.
“Do you want me?” he asked playfully, his hand fisting in my hair, forcing me to look up at him.
I leaned forward and kissed the tip. “Yes,” I gasped as my tongue circled the head, tasting the saltiness of his pre-cum. “I want all of you.”
Aiden closed his eyes as I took him into my mouth, forcing myself not to gag as he slid into my throat. I loved the weight of him on my tongue, the smooth skin that glided past my lips, the sounds he made when I lifted a hand to cup and caress his balls.
He moaned and pulled at my hair. “So good,” he murmured and fed me his cock again. I greedily accepted each gentle thrust, wanting more.
We both groaned when he pulled away, his breath coming in harsh pants. “You’re going to kill me,” he said as he struggled to regain control. “Show me how bad you want me.”
I felt powerful in that moment, knowing I could undo him so completely. I noticed his pupils dilate further as I reached for the straps on my shoulders.
He watched, his hand gently stroking his cock while I pulled the strings and then worked the material down my body.
“Tease me,” he said, his eyes wandering to my bare breasts.
The thought of touching myself while Aiden watched drove me wild, but my hands felt awkward as they roamed across my full breasts. The skin was soft, my flesh tight and full, my nipples begging for attention. I had touched myself plenty, and I knew how to please myself, but with Aiden staring so intently, it felt as if I were touching myself for the first time.
My skin came alive under his scrutiny, my nipples sensitive as I rolled them between my fingers. My back arched, and I moaned as my body reacted to the sensations. When he tugged at my dress, pulling it the rest of the way off, I knew he was as desperate as me.
My panties were next, joining my dress on the floor and I was left fully exposed to his gaze. “More,” he said, his hand on his cock again. “Tease me more.”
I was so hot I would have agreed to anything he wanted. I nodded. His deep blue eyes penetrated my skin, burning into my soul. With a deep breath, I opened my legs.
“You’re so beautiful,” he growled, his hand moving in long strokes. “Tease me, darlin’.”
His voice dripped like honey from his lips to my ears. My hands were already roaming past my breasts and to the heat that burned between my legs. Aiden sat on the edge of the bed beside me, his fingers tracing around my left breast as my finger slid into my slick pussy. “Just like that,” he said softly.
My body tightened around my lone finger, soft throbs surrounding it as I continued to work it in and out of my body. Aiden watched carefully, his lips curled into a sly smile, his hand curled around his thick erection. “Now, tell me you want my cock,” he whispered.
“I want your cock,” I whispered shyly. I was growing tired of his teasing game and was ready for the real action to begin.
He rolled onto his back, his hand making long strokes up and down the shaft. His grin widened. “Come get it.”
I laughed, loving this fun side of him, and did what he said. Reaching for a condom, I ripped it open and rolled it down his length. Within moments, I was straddling his hips, grinding down on the cock still lying thick and long on his belly.
His hands gripped my breasts, squeezing them tightly with his strong grip. He pulled me forward, his cock sliding beneath me until the head was just under my opening.
I was wet, hot, and his teasing game had worked. I wanted him, badly!
His hands slid to my hips, and I reached between us to position him at my entrance. With a quick lift of his hips, he was balls deep inside. The rush of pleasure consumed me, drowning me with ecstasy and erasing my mind. Nothing else mattered but this. Him.
My hips rocked in a slow motion, forward and then back again, his length filling me with a satisfaction I’d never felt. “Oh darlin’, fuck me hard,” he gasped, tightening his grip on my hips.
Aiden lifted himself from the mattress and thrust into me as I began to rock harder against him. My clit ground against his hard abs, massaging it with an intensity that drove me wild. It was bringing me closer to orgasm with each stroke.
“Come for me, baby,” he growled, his eyes locked onto mine. His lips parted, and he let out a low groan as he swelled inside of me. I knew he was close, and as my body began to fill with pleasure, his own released with a powerful gush.
I fell forward, my skin sweaty and a strong pulse throbbing between my legs. My breathing was wild and out of control, and I worked to calm myself down. My head pressed against Aiden’s chest, and his heartbeat soothed me into a trance. His hand brushed my hair from my face and off my shoulder as his lips pressed gently against the top of my head.
“I don’t want to go,” he whispered in my ear.
I didn’t want him to go either.
“Don’t,” I replied softly.
It felt safe and warm in his arms, and his heartbeat had taken me to a quiet place of peacefulness. I didn’t want to move, and I didn’t want him to leave. I stayed where I was, let my eyes close and the world wash away.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
e
The rooster crowed with urgency from what sounded like right outside my door. I lifted my head from Aiden’s chest and gazed at his sleepy face. The calmness I felt was quickly replaced with panic.
“Aiden!” I exclaimed. “Aiden, you have to go.”
His eyes barely opened, and his tongue rolled across his lips as he focused his view on me. “Good morning to you too,” he said with a chuckle.
“This isn’t funny,” I said as he continued to grin at me. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer as I squirmed to be released.
“Relax, darlin’,” he said calmly.
I couldn’t relax. Last night was the first night here that nothing bad
had happened. I desperately wanted it to stay that way.
“I don’t want anyone seeing you leave my camper this early,” I pleaded.
“Okay, okay, I’m going,” he said, rolling out of the bed and reaching for his clothes.
I peeked out the window and noticed the sun pushing from the earth, threatening to spotlight my indiscretions.
Aiden dressed and pulled me from the mattress. His lips pressed hard against mine, unsuccessfully working to release the tension that flowed through me. “I had fun last night,” he said softly.
“I did too,” I admitted. “Now go!”
He laughed as I pushed him out the door of my camper, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at my, what he considered, irrational behavior.
I watched as he walked across the field and to his own camper. It looked as though everyone was still asleep, with the exception of Lance, the cameraman Aiden had befriended. Aiden stopped to talk to him as Lance crushed a cigarette into the ground. My heart raced, wondering what they were talking about, and when Lance looked up and towards my window, I ducked to avoid being seen. Lance knew we were sleeping together, so I didn’t care about that, but their conversation seemed a bit more serious than a typical “yeah I tapped that” morning praise.
I took a quick shower to wash the scent of Aiden from my skin and dressed in a pair of cut-off shorts and a tank top. The crew was already setting up breakfast as I walked out into the warm Vermont air.
Aiden was still busy socializing with Lance and a couple other cameramen while the two other male competitors were sitting away from the staff, both with donuts in their hands. Janine waved and tossed me a fake smile as I looked around for Elle.
“How did you sleep last night?” Janine asked.
“Good,” I replied, eyeing her and wondering what she meant by that. Had she done something I missed?
