Aaron's Patience

by Tiffany Patterson

  ****

  “Have lunch with me?”

  I smiled at the card in my hands and then lifted the bouquet of white roses to my nose.

  “I think someone’s trying to woo you,” Moira giggled behind me.

  I turned, frowning. “It might actually be working too.”

  She gave me a confused look.

  “We are closing early today,” she stated, rushing past the awkward moment.

  I nodded, knowing that I’d be out of the library by noon that Friday. Aaron knew, too, which was why he’d had this bouquet delivered, requesting I join him for lunch.

  “Do you need me to stay late to help with anything?” I asked.

  “No. As soon as that clock strikes noon, I’m out of here. Long weekend.”

  I nodded, remembering Moira was going away with her husband for the weekend. “Okay.” Pulling out my phone, I sent a text to Aaron’s personal cell letting him know I’d be joining him for lunch at his office.

  By the time I stepped out of the library, Daniel was already there waiting, a smile on his face as he held the door open.

  “To Townsend Industries,” he confirmed.

  I nodded and ducked inside the car. We made it to Townsend’s headquarters in just over twenty minutes. We pulled into the garage, directly in front of the elevator that went all the way to the top floor. It was Aaron’s private elevator.

  “The code is 391989.”

  I stilled as the security guard informed me of the elevator’s code. “Are you sure?” I asked dumbly.

  He gave me a funny look before straightening his face. “Yes, ma’am. Is there something the matter?”

  I shook my head. “No, of course not.” I wasn’t going to tell this security guard that code was my birthdate. I stepped on, punching in the code, and was carried up the thirty flights to Aaron’s floor. I nearly ducked my head as I passed by the administrative employees who were outside in the main office. I hadn’t exactly put my best foot forward the last time I’d shown up at this place, less than a week prior.

  “Mr. Townsend is expecting you. You can go right in,” his executive assistant, Mark, stated from behind his large desk.

  I didn’t even get the chance to turn the knob before the door was opened from the inside. My breath hitched a little at the imposing sight of Aaron standing there, greeting me with a stern yet welcoming expression on his face. Well, it was welcoming to me. Most people would’ve seen the usual scowl but I saw the way his eyes lit up slightly, and the gentle softening of his mouth.

  “Come in. Mark, hold my calls for the next hour and a half.”

  My eyes widened as I stepped inside. “An hour and a half?”

  “That’s a normal lunch time, right?” He gave me a serious look.

  I giggled. “You’re so unfamiliar with taking a lunch you don’t know how long one should be.”

  He shrugged, moving closer to me, wrapping an arm around my waist. He leaned down close to my ear. “We can always find something more to do than eat.” His hand moved lower until it covered my ass, squeezing it.

  “Aa—” His name was cut off by his lips covering mine. Too soon, he pulled back and took me by the hand, leading us to the conference table that already had our lunch set up.

  “Tuna salad for you. Although it’s reeking up my office,” he grunted.

  I grinned, sitting down in the chair he’d pulled out for me and grabbing my tuna salad sandwich.

  “How was work?” he questioned, as he dug into his own chicken salad.

  “Great,” I beamed. “We’re starting a drive for toys for kids in need next week. It’s close to the end of September and the holidays will be here before we know it. I convinced Moira it was better to get the drive started early rather than later.”

  He nodded. “You’ve always given back.”

  I grinned. “Not always. I went through a selfish phase.”

  He grunted. “When?”

  “As a teen. I think we all do.”

  “Most never grow out of it.” He frowned.

  “Ever the pessimist.”

  “I’ll leave the optimism to you.”

  We talked a little more about the drive and my idea to get Kyle and Kennedy involved.

  When the discussion lulled, I stood to stretch and went to gaze out the window. “You can see all of Williamsport from this view.”

  I felt him move behind me.

  “You said the same thing the first time I brought you to this very office.”

  My eyelids slowly closed, the memory of those days and his presence at my back too much to bear.

  “Said this would be my office one day instead of my father’s. And it was my responsibility to do right by it. That was our first night together.”

  I abruptly turned, anger rising in my belly for some reason. I didn’t want those memories forced on me. I was too raw. “Aaron, don’t!” I hissed.

  “Don’t what?” He continued, “Remind you of us? Our first time together?”

  I clamped my mouth shut, doing my best to ward off the inevitable. He wasn’t about to let me forget it all. No matter how much I tried to.

  ****

  Then

  “Let’s go, Mr. CEO. We’re going to be late for our reservation,” I giggled, pulling him by his arm from his desk. Aaron had brought me to Townsend Industries on our way to dinner just to pick up a file he needed to review for the next morning. Since he’d taken that day off, and we’d spent the entire day together, he hadn’t had any other opportunity to pick it up.

  “I’m coming,” he gritted out, causing me to laugh even more.

  I loved his impatient, arrogant, stern side, which was close to just about every side of him. On the way in, we’d paused at his father’s office. He showed me into the large corner office that showed just about every angle of the city through the long floor to ceiling windows.

  “Got it. Let’s go.” He tugged me by the arm and I followed him out.

  “I’m starving,” I said as we piled into the back of the car, pulling off for the dinner reservations we had at my favorite Italian restaurant—the same one we’d met my father at for dinner more than a two months prior.

  We arrived at the restaurant and the hostess seated us at the exact same spot we had dined before.

  “What was so important about this file that you just had to have it tonight?” I teased Aaron at the same time I swiped a piece of garlic bread from the basket.

  “It has the financial report for the tech company in Japan we’re looking to buyout.”

  I nodded. “And it couldn’t wait ’til morning?”

  “Meetings first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll need to review tonight.” He began opening the file as if he was going to start reviewing right there.

  “Oh no!” I stated, slapping my hand over the folder, closing it. “I just finished my finals. You just completed a different merger deal. We promised today was a day off for the both of us. You can at least give me until after dinner.” I gave him a look and that softening of his eyes happened, making my own heart skip a beat.

  He inclined his head, placing the folder to the side, appeasing me. We talked more about our plans for the rest of the evening and I surprised myself by asking Aaron if he would attend my graduation. It was in two weeks. I was done with graduate school and ready to start my career.

  “I’ll be there,” he agreed, and I had to stop myself from jumping over the table into his lap. I’m sure I would’ve kissed him had I done that, despite us never having even done that, still. For some reason he always held back. I couldn’t figure out why, save for the notion that maybe this thing really was just some type of friendship for him. But then there were times I caught him staring at me and my entire body felt like a raw, exposed nerve. Maybe it was just me.

  “I’ll be right back,” I stated, placing my napkin on the table.

  He stood and pulled out my chair, and I smiled at him over my shoulder before heading in the direction of the restroom. Unfortuna
tely, there was a line for the bathroom so I had to wait. Once inside it only took about five minutes to relieve myself, wash my hands, and head back to the table. Just as I was on my way back, I was stopped by a classmate of mine.

  “Hey, Gary,” I greeted as he stopped me by the arm. “Out celebrating?” I questioned after seeing a family full of people behind him.

  Gary turned to look over his shoulder and then back at me, grinning. “It’s my birthday and the end of finals. My family wanted to come and celebrate.”

  “That nice of them.”

  We chit chatted for a few minutes about how excited we were to be done with our degrees and our prospects for the future. I hadn’t even realized Gary’s hand still covered my arm until I heard…

  “What the hell are you doing?” The hardness in Aaron’s voice literally caused me to jump, even though he hadn’t yelled them.

  “Aaron,” I stated, startled, “this is–”

  “Why the fuck is he touching you?” His laser sharp gaze was on my arm where Gary’s hand rested. Gary snatched his hand away as if he’d been burned.

  “Why are you... Aaron, calm down,” I urged as he took a threatening step toward Gary.

  I gasped when he grabbed my former classmate by the collar of his shirt, right in the middle of the restaurant.

  “Don’t ever fucking touch her again,” he seethed.

  I pushed my hand into his chest. “Aaron, stop. Let him go!”

  Aaron stared at Gary as if he was contemplating whether or not to kill him right there or listen to me. Thankfully, in the end, he let him go, pushing him a few feet back. I was just about to light into Aaron when he grabbed me by the arm, tugging me toward the door. We made it to the awaiting car where he damn near shoved me inside. As soon as he closed the door, I whirled on him.

  “What the hell is your problem?”

  “You fucked him?” he asked me as if that was the appropriate response.

  “What the hell? Why would you even ask me something like that?”

  “Why was he so comfortable touching you?”

  “It was just a friendly gesture. He wasn’t trying to screw me in the middle of a restaurant for God’s sake!”

  “Men don’t do friendly gestures.”

  “Whatever,” I muttered, grateful we’d arrived at my apartment. I didn’t wait for the car door to be opened before I pushed it open and stormed up to my front door, entering the code. I was ready to shut Aaron out of the building, but a strong hand gripped the door above my head, forcing it open behind me. I ignored him as I rifled through my bag while jogging up the stairs to my apartment. I arrived again, ready to lock him out, but he charged in after me, slamming it behind us and locking it.

  “I want you to leave!” I demanded.

  “Why? So you can call him?”

  “Are you serious right now? Why the hell do you care anyway?” I yelled. “It’s not like you and I are anything, are we?”

  He remained silent, watching me, chest heaving up and down. But his eyes had darkened to a color I’d never seen before.

  “That’s what I thought!” I continued, angered anew by his non-response. He’d spent the last two months sleeping over my apartment. Taking me on dates, coming down to the library with me as I volunteered, but not once had he touched me in the way a man who wants a woman does. I laid up too many nights wishing he would give me a sign beyond what he already gave to indicate what was happening between us. But even then, he just stood there, half looking like a raging bull ready to charge, while the other part of him look conflicted.

  Fuck it.

  I made the decision for both of us.

  In two steps, I moved to Aaron, lifting myself on my tiptoes and pulling his face to mine, connecting our lips. I ran my tongue along the seam of his mouth, trying to urge them apart. I attempted to move in closer for more, but was abruptly pushed away from his body. Breathless, I stood two feet from him, staring at him as he watched me, the only thing heard in the room was the panting coming from the both of us. My eyes dropped and the huge bulge in his jeans told me what his mouth wouldn’t. I moved in again, kissing him. This time his lips parted, granting me a little bit more of a taste of him, before I was pushed away again. I stared some more, watching as his eyes narrowed, his eyes darkening even more.

  I charged him again, this time bringing his mouth to mine and tearing at his shirt, revealing his chest. I let my fingers run along his chest but pulled back when I felt rigid lines instead of smooth skin. I lowered my eyes to his chest to find it marred with scars. They were obviously years’ old but they were there. I glanced back up at Aaron who was still eyeing me, but this time his jaw was tightly closed as he watched me. I let my eyes fall again to his chest, moving in closer as I pressed a kiss to one scar, then another, and another. I ran my tongue over the longest one that ran diagonally across his chest.

  “Ah!” I yelped when my arms were gripped tightly and my back was forced against my front door. Aaron’s lips crashed over mine in a way that stole every ounce of air from my body. His tongue invaded my mouth and I felt his rock hardness pressing into my stomach. This wasn’t gentle or soft. I knew it wouldn’t be. I didn’t think Aaron knew how to be gentle. But I didn’t need it. I just needed him.

  I moaned into his mouth when I felt his hands go to the button of my jeans, undoing them and ripping them and my panties down my legs. He completely removed my pants before undoing his own belt buckle and jeans, freeing himself. All the while, his kisses kept me dizzy with need and anticipation. I wanted to warn him but his kisses felt too good to break free to tell him what I needed to say.

  “This is what you wanted, right?” He grunted at the same time he raised my legs to wrap around his waist.

  “Y-yes!” I stuttered, teeth chattering as the anticipation ran through my body. I felt him line himself up with my pussy just before he surged completely in, filling me. My vision blurred with tears as pain ripped through my entire body.

  “Ahhhhh!” I screamed, fingernails digging into Aaron’s shoulders.

  He went completely rigid.

  “Fuck!” he grunted while pounding his fist against the door behind me. He lowered his head to my shoulder, sighing heavily. “You’re a fucking virgin,” he stated, more to himself than to me.

  “N-not any m-more,” I stammered.

  Aaron grunted and began pulling out.

  “No, don’t! The p-pain will go away.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I read it in a book.”

  He pulled back to stare at me. “A book?” He frowned.

  I grinned, which probably came across as a grimace, then lowered my head to his shoulder, squeezing him to me even more.

  “Where are we going?” I questioned, lifting my head to see us moving away from the door.

  “Your first time won’t be up against the goddamned door.”

  I heard a banging sound as he kicked open my bedroom door, carrying me over to my bed and laying me down.

  “Don’t!” I said again as he began pulling out.

  He pressed a kiss to my lips. “Trust me.”

  I moaned as he pulled completely out of me.

  He moved back, kneeling over me, his hands going to the off-the-shoulder, white top I’d worn just because he said he liked seeing my shoulders. He tossed my shirt and then my strapless bra over the side of the bed. He removed his own shirt and then his pants. That was when I got to see all of him for the first time. Fear seized me when I saw exactly how long and thick he was. I’d felt his bulge before, times when I’d sat on his lap, but seeing it out in the open, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

  “Give me your hands,” he ordered.

  I held up my hands for him. He took both of my wrists into one of his hands, forcing them back over my head, pushing my legs apart with his knee. His other hand went to my left breast, squeezing it before he covered the nipple with his mouth. I moaned and wiggled my hips against him. He released my breast from his mouth and sta
red down at me.

  “I’ll try to be as gentle as possible but I can’t promise anything,” he warned at the same time I felt the tip of his cock touch my pussy lips.

  “I don’t want gentle. I want you.”

  His nostrils flared and he surged forward, pushing all the way inside of me again. It hurt less the second time around but it was still uncomfortable. But I’d meant what I’d said. I just needed Aaron. I didn’t want him to hold back.

  With his free hand, he lifted my left leg, curling it around his waist, before pulling out and pressing back into me again.

  “Breathe, Patience,” he ordered. “Breathe!”

  I pushed out a gush of air before inhaling again, realizing I’d forgotten my body’s basic functioning. I wanted to cling to him, to pull him to me, for our lips to touch. But he continued to hold my wrists down with his one hand, while holding my leg in place with the other. He peered down at me, watching me with dark eyes.

  I pushed my head back against the pillow, hips rising to meet his. The pain and uncomfortable feeling began to recede, and it was followed by a blossoming of something much less painful.

  “Aaron!” I yelled when he suddenly pulled out of me and flipped me onto my stomach. My hands were again held down to the bed by his much stronger ones and he entered me from behind. I screamed into the bedsheets, biting them, as his hips surged in and out, filling me over and over with his rod. He took my hands in his one hand again and then used his knee to spread my legs. His free hand moved down my waist, over my hip, to that bundle of nerves above the opening he was now pounding, massaging it. I screamed again as the most euphoric feeling flooded every cell in my body. It felt like fireworks went off in my pussy and sent its aftershocks throughout the rest of my body. I panted, calling out his name over and over again, but he wasn’t done.

  Aaron pulled out, turning me on my back again, lifting both of my knees high and backwards. He pressed into me so much deeper that I thought I might actually gag on his dick.