by Kate Stewart
“Sleep well?”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, mortified. I knew I must look like a mess and suddenly had an unbearably full bladder.
“Restroom?” I asked.
“Around the corner,” he said, still smiling. “By the way, you would make a terrible drunk.”
“I said ambitious, not experienced,” I reminded him, smiling in return. I walked into the bathroom, noting my horrible, mangled hair and the dark smudges underneath my eyes.
First things first.
I reached behind me to pull the zipper down on my pantsuit and found it was snagged. I started jumping around, back and forth, clenching my insides desperately as I tried over and over to work it down. This was bad. I was certain one more minute would have me mopping his floor.
After several minutes, I opened the door, calling for Aiden. He came to my aid with a laugh as I danced around like a lunatic.
“Please, hurry.” I exhaled, using all my willpower to keep from losing control.
“It’s stuck pretty bad,” he said, carefully trying to tug at the zipper. After a few attempts, I felt the dam about to burst.
“Please, Aiden,” I said, my voice in agony.
“Let me go get—”
“Bust it. Please rip it open. Seriously, please just rip the fucking thing open,” I begged. He laughed hysterically as I damn near started crying. He finally relented, busting the zipper and pulling it apart with his fingers. I thanked him by slamming the door in his face.
A few minutes later, while I was trying to get the scraps of my outfit around my body, Aiden cracked the door, tossing in a t-shirt and jogging pants. Once I was dressed, I braved my way back into the kitchen, my pantsuit no longer a clothing option.
Aiden was spooning out vegetables as he looked up at me. We both burst out laughing as he made his way toward me.
“Never a dull moment, Nina,” he said, taking my pantsuit from out of my hands and throwing it on the counter. He pulled me into his arms then picked up a piece of fajita meat and put it into my mouth.
“Oh, so good,” I mouthed around the bite.
He smiled as he released me to continue his task, but I stopped him by thrusting my hands into his hair and pulling him toward me. “Thank you,” I said softly before brushing my lips against his. I pulled back and watched the fire light in his eyes. We stood there staring at each other for a brief moment before Aiden finally took my lips in a kiss.
Finally…oh my God.
Aiden didn’t just kiss me, he disintegrated my planet. The minute his tongue swept my lips asking for permission, I gripped him to me, opening up as far as I could go so he could get his fill. Our tongues melded together perfectly, and I moaned into his mouth. He instantly lifted me to sit on the counter, never breaking our connection, only stoking the heat as he nestled himself between my parted legs. I moaned again as he ground himself against me, gripping my neck and pulling me closer to him. When he pulled away, we were both panting.
“Fuck, woman, why did you have to declare that you needed a nice guy last night?” he whispered as he leaned in again, taking me completely. I was on fire when he pulled away.
“I only said it to even the scales. Fuck me…right now.”
He froze then pulled away to study my face, quirking an eyebrow. “Interesting.”
“Aiden, just trust me on this,” I said, frustrated. “I’m not innocent.”
He gently lifted me from the counter and put me on my feet. “Let’s eat,” he said, grabbing a platter of food.
“Are you serious right now?” I asked, exasperated.
“Are you going to elaborate?” he asked quickly.
“No,” I responded firmly.
“Then let’s eat,” he said, pulling out a chair for me. I stalked over and took a seat. I wasn’t going to beg the man to fuck me.
He sat next to me and started to build his fajita, and I followed suit, watching him with curiosity. Did I have no effect on the man? I was still ready to combust.
“Would you be offended if I opted to go home this evening?” I asked, piling steak onto my tortilla.
More carbs, great.
“Absolutely,” he said, taking a mouthful without looking at me.
“And why is that?” I said testily.
He set his food down and turned to me, forearms on the table, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Because, naughty girl, you aren’t throwing a fit with me. I won’t allow it. And I can’t take care of that ache between your thighs if you flee.”
This time my brow quirked as I watched his lips form into a full, panty-dropping, megawatt smile. I couldn’t help but mirror his expression.
The food was amazing. I loved that he could cook and asked him where he learned it.
“Food Network,” he replied as he pushed his plate away.
“Really?” I said around a mouthful of my second fajita.
“No,” he said with a grin and turned to me. “Who exactly are you, Nina? Because from what I can tell, you haven’t been honest with me much at all.”
I froze mid-bite, no longer hungry.
“Pardon?” I said, wiping my mouth and fidgeting with my beer.
“The first time I saw you, you were on the beach in a dress worth thousands, then you show up to my bar wanting to be ‘someone else’ dressed for a Grateful Dead concert. Last night you came to our date in a fuck me dress fit for a high-class call girl, and today you show up in a limo dressed like Ivana Trump. It’s obvious you don’t cater to the wealthy. You are wealthy. I guess my question is, why are you trying to hide it?”
I sat stunned and completely…busted.
“Aiden, I—”
“Before you say a word, I want you to think about it, okay? Just think about it. You don’t have to answer me tonight,” he said, gathering our plates and walking them to the sink.
I remained seated, feeling like I had just been lectured by my father. I couldn’t believe he had just done that to me. I picked up my beer, grabbed another, and then headed out to his porch. I had no idea how long I sat out there thinking.
Damn it! All I wanted was a distraction! I had no idea why I hadn’t left his house yet. A simple text to Carson would clear me of having to explain myself, or having to explain the woman I’d become and why I was running. I didn’t know how Aiden would look at me if I told him the truth. The fact that I cared what he thought was even more disturbing. When I finished my second beer, I headed inside to find him and wish him a good night.
After a few minutes of searching, I found him in his garage waxing his surfboard. The mere sight of him had me reneging on my decision.
“Running?” he asked as he stroked his board.
“Not yet,” I said, making my decision in the moment.
“Good,” he said, lifting the board. “Nina, I want to know you. It’s not a crime.”
“I just can’t figure out why.”
He shrugged, coming toward me and taking my hand.
Always taking my hand.
“We are waking up early. Let’s go to bed,” he said, leading us up his stairs to his bedroom. His bed was huge, and he seemed to take his comfort seriously. It sat in a large, tastefully and simply decorated room with an adjacent balcony. He opened the door, and I could hear the faint crash of the waves. I stood, stunned, loving that his routine was eerily similar to mine. “Extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet,” he said, taking leave of the room. I walked into the bathroom, taking a few minutes to clear my head. He had questions? Well, I had some of my own. Like what the hell did he want with me? Why the hell was he so guarded himself? I thought about his kiss in the kitchen and took a deep breath. The man kissed me like he was desperate for more, yet he’d backed away so easily from going any further. I felt the ache growing inside of me and did my best to temper it before I opened the door. Aiden was laying there, his perfect bare chest peeking out beneath the sheets. He eyed me with a smile and lifted the covers on the opposite side of the bed. I slipped in
next to him, and he turned his body toward me so we were facing each other.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said softly.
He reached out to stroke my face, and his fingers trailed across my lips. I kissed them lightly as I got lost in the fire in his eyes and he pulled me closer to him.
“I don’t think I can hang on much longer,” he said, stroking my collar with his thumb.
“Why are you?” I whispered.
“You need me to,” he said softly.
“Why is that?” I asked, my pulse kicking as his hands caressed me.
“You told me so,” he said, taking my face in his hands and leaning in to kiss me. The kiss was gentle and reassuring. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, that I was sure of.
When he pulled away, he whispered “Goodnight” then turned off the light next to him. I spent an hour staring at the dimly lit ceiling before the waves’ melody lulled me to sleep. I woke up hours later in Aiden’s tender grip. I held his arms firmly around me and stroked them with my fingertips. I hadn’t been held like that since I was married. It was the most comfortable I’d felt in years. I’d damn near forgotten what intimacy was like. Devin had never spent more than a few hours with me, and it was never overnight. Did I really think that bastard had treated me well? This man had let me into his home and his bed and was somehow trying to be virtuous. I couldn’t help the tears that escaped me. I cried softly, mortified of waking Aiden.
You are seriously fucked up, Nina.
Lonely was more like it. I’d made my fortune and built my castle, and then exiled myself in it.
If Aiden wanted the truth, he would have it. I wanted to trust again, though I had no reason to trust a single soul in my life. But what I was most sure of was I didn’t want to be alone anymore.
§§
“Wake up, naughty girl,” Aiden said softly. A brief whiff of coffee had my eyes opening. Aiden sat on the bed next to me, a steaming cup in his hand. “Surfs up,” he chuckled.
“I’m horrible on the board, bra,” I said, quickly burying my head under his pillow.
He laughed loudly as he set the coffee on the nightstand beside me. He pulled the pillow away from me, and I peeked up at him. “Seriously, Aiden, this is the most comfortable bed in creation. Can we just hang out here?”
“I’ll make you a deal,” he said, lifting me to a sitting position. “You come with me for a few hours this morning, and we will do whatever you want today.”
I nodded with a smile. Aiden was already dressed in board shorts, his hair styled to spiky perfection and sunglasses tucked into his t-shirt collar.
“I have nothing to wear unless you want me to surf in this.” I pulled the waist on his sweats to show him how much wiggle room I had.
“I have a wet suit. The water is still a little cold,” he said carefully.
“And you just so happen to have one in my size?”
“I got it off of what’s left of your outfit. The shop opened at 4 A.M. I’ve already eaten breakfast, too.”
I grinned. “I would applaud you, but honestly, it’s a fool’s errand. I seriously have no skills.”
“We’ll see. The suit’s in the bathroom. Hurry up!”
§§
“Son of a bitch!” Aiden roared behind me, “You little liar!” I’d stolen another wave and rode it out. I laughed and lost my balance, diving into the surf. Aiden paddled toward me, cursing.
“You have no manners,” he said, sounding agitated. It was the fifth wave I’d taken from him in the last half hour.
“Oh, I have no doubt I lack etiquette seeing as it’s six in the morning! Besides, a baby could surf these!”
I straddled my board as he paddled toward me. He was grinning as he waded through the water. He sat up on his board and tilted his head. He looked gorgeous in a wetsuit, his hair scattered around him, his eyes bright and his lashes thick and wet.
“Now is the time to come clean. What other hidden talents do you have?” He smirked, and I splashed at him.
Now or never, Nina.
“I made two hundred million dollars off of a body care program I created.” I looked up just as his face went completely blank. I decided to just throw it out there; the worst was over.
“I was sitting at home one day watching that old movie Cocktail. You know the one?” He nodded, still absorbing my admission.
“Well, I got to that part where he explains about the need for the little drink umbrella, and how the man who made it was a millionaire. And it got my wheels turning. You know, create a need, or at least something that people may think they need. I Googled the most lucrative businesses, pharmacy companies, and—”
“Fitness, a multi-billion dollar industry,” he finished, urging me to go on.
“I majored in nutrition in college and thought I would try to put it to use. At first, I was just doing it for fun. I was a bit of a hobby enthusiast, you know, just passing the time, and then it hit me. When I told you I catered to the wealthy, it wasn’t a complete lie. I researched the habits of the wealthy and learned that at least seventy percent of them exercise. So I narrowed it down even further and decided to design the program for wealthy women. It took me eighteen months to develop. One amazing meeting with the right woman and a few modifications later, and we introduced it to the general public. She convinced me that working class women would spend just as much on their vanity. She was right. Within a year, I was a millionaire.”
“That’s incredible,” he said, running his fingers through the water.
“No, Aiden, it’s not,” I said with a sigh. “I haven’t been the same woman since. This wave is yours,” I said, nodding toward the rapidly rolling water.
“It can wait,” he said, waiting for me to finish. Instead, I took the wave again as he cursed me.
“Well, I am obviously not going to get any surfing done today!” he screamed as I made my way to shore. I gave him a smug smile as I lay on the sand, teeth chattering. A few minutes later, Aiden joined me. We lay staring at each other, our fingers playfully dancing.
“I think I know what my intentions are now,” he said playfully.
“Oh, yeah, now that you know your new girlfriend is loaded,” I said in jest.
He frowned. “Is that why you didn’t want to tell me?”
“Well, my last boyfriend, and, oh, my ex-husband didn’t fare so well,” I said, looking at our linked fingers.
“Who says you’re my girlfriend, naughty little liar?” he said, leaning over to brush a kiss on my lips.
I tried to hide my embarrassment by turning over on my stomach and running my hands over the sand.
“Aiden, what do you want from me?” I whispered. He pulled me so I was lying on top of him.
“First, I just wanted a date, then I just wanted to have a margarita, and then I just wanted to take you surfing. Honestly, now, I would just love to spread your legs and lose myself for about a day, maybe two.”
His mouth was on mine before I had a chance to reply. His tongue stroked mine repeatedly as I moaned into his mouth, hearing his answering groan. When we finally broke away, we sped to the car, racing back to his house. He carried me upstairs over his shoulder as I cried out loudly in surprise. When we got to his bathroom door, neither of us hesitated. He turned me away from him, pulling the zipper down on my wetsuit and I turned around and did the same for him. We both pushed them off our shoulders and let them hit the floor, me naked beneath mine, him in swimming trunks, which he lost quickly. Every single part of him was carved to perfection. His beautiful cock captured the rest of my breath as my teeth began to chatter. He stood, appraising my body. I reveled in the way his eyes lit, burning embers searing my goose bump covered skin. He reached behind him, turning on the shower, then pulled me to him, quickly filling my mouth with his tongue. I traced the contour of his chest with my hands, anxious to get the sand off him so I could explore him with my tongue.
He pulled me into the steaming shower as we worked furiously between long kisses to
get the sand off. It was everywhere as we repeatedly shampooed each other’s hair, still coming up with a handful of sand. We began to laugh hysterically as we used an entire bottle, finally coming clean. When all traces were gone, Aiden slid his thumb across my lip, and I captured it, sucking mercilessly. The fire was back, and there was no longer a smile on his face. It was replaced with need. He backed me up against the tile wall and held my hands on either side of my head.
“Leave them here,” he ordered, pressing my hands against the tile. He took special care, tracing every inch of my body with his hands before replacing them with his lips. He took my nipple into his mouth, sucking with thirst as I arched my back, offering more. When he pulled away, he massaged my other breast in his hand as he spoke.
“Spread your legs.” I obliged immediately. He reached up and pulled my hair gently so my throat was fully exposed to him as his other hand slid between my thighs. The brush of his fingertips on my clit had my knees buckling. He pushed me back up against the wall with force as his mouth covered my exposed throat. He stroked my neck with his tongue as he slipped his fingers inside of me.
“Aiden,” I gasped as he stroked me without mercy, his fingers thrusting in and out while his thumb circled me. I felt the friction of his fingers as he roamed my neck with his kiss, overwhelming me. Tension built unbearably until I came with a cry as he pulled away from my throat, watching me come.
“Fucking beautiful,” he said, slowing his strokes as I rode out my orgasm.
He leaned in and kissed me before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower. He wrapped me in a large towel and carried me to his bed. Still reeling from the pulsing in my body, I was in a daze as he laid me down and began to wipe the water away. He started at my legs, swiping at the moisture, then planting hot kisses on the newly dried skin. I writhed beneath him, aching for his cock. He pushed my hands away as I reached for him, taking special care to dry me and then torture me with long silky kisses on my thighs. He spread my thighs wider as he cupped my ass, pulling me to his waiting mouth. My body jerked, my clit already sensitive from his touch. But his tongue made a fool out of his hand.
