by DD Prince
She looks on the verge of tears at that news and I see it’s because she’s feeling for me.
She leans down and gives me a soft, sweet kiss on the lips. “Maybe she’s ready to repair your relationship. You’re right to be cautious, though.”
“I think I need to go see my father,” I say. “I’m gonna go do that. Want me to bring back dinner? Indian? Chinese?”
She nods. “Chinese sounds good.”
“You have preferences or…”
“Surprise me,” she says. “Nothing spicy.”
“You got it, peaches.” I kiss her. She wraps her arms around me and she feels really fucking good.
“Back soon,” I say.
39
CARLY
It’s early evening and Aiden went out, so I’ve texted Ally.
“I’m home! Come visit! Fort Knox can be breached right now and sister… there is LOTS of information flowing!”
I head to the kitchen and take the two cupcakes out of the otherwise empty freezer to thaw for later, thinking I need to grocery shop. I have visions of cooking in here with Aiden in his grey sweatpants.
Dreamy.
“Coming now! Open that fucking door so I don’t have to waste time with knocking.”
I’m giggling. I’d already texted her from the hospital to tell her about my drama and that my Dad was stable. I hadn’t messaged her back since then.
She’s in the apartment two minutes later, out of breath, wearing a pink and black polka dot dress. But her just below collar-length hair is now jet black and all sexy-flippy with one pink streak down the left side. She looks stunning.
“Oh my God!” I stare at her. “You are fucking gorgeous.”
She does a curtsy and then waves her hands. “Forget me. What happened? Did you deck the ex-bestie? Did you see the ex-boyfriend and kick him in the nuts?”
“Better.”
“Better?” She looks at me for a second, eyes travelling up and down my body. Her eyes bug out. “You got laid.”
I smile.
“You fucked Aiden!”
I smile bigger and drop a $100 bill on the counter. I made a stop at the ATM on the way home and Aiden asked about it. I told him I owed Ally $100. And then I whispered. “I lost a bet.”
“Oh yeah? What did you…” he stopped mid-sentence because it was all over my face and then he barked out a laugh.
“I’ve got cash on me…” he then reached for his wallet. I raised my hand.
“Nope, this is my debt to pay, and believe me, it is paid with pleasure.”
I got kissed breathless for that comment.
“You fucked Aiden?” Ally tries to confirm.
“Nope. Aiden made love to me.”
She smiles and looks like she’s about to swoon. “Oh my God…” and tucks the money into her bra.
“In my parents’ ugly basement on a sofa bed that’s older than dirt. He was amazing in New York, Ally. Seriously. I don’t know if it was what happened at Club Foxxx or his sister giving birth early, or maybe all of it? He’s great in a crisis. My mother effing loves him. And we’re officially exclusive.”
She grabs her heart and takes a seat. “This is great.”
I nod. “Yep. Coffee? I have nothing else. I need to go grocery shopping.”
“So, let’s go grocery shopping,” she says.
“Oh wait. Seth got arrested for stealing my underwear. He had my Grams’ tiara too so that’s all sorted.”
“Awesome! I mean, not awesome that he did that but great that he got what’s coming to him and is no longer in our lobby ogling you.”
I nod. “Amen. Knew something was off with him. How disgusting is that? Like… what did he do with my underwear? I don’t even want them back.”
She shivers, making a gag face.
“Does Mer want to come grocery shopping?” I ask.
“She flew home yesterday.”
“What? I thought she was here until mid-next week.”
“Nope. She asked to go early. She was upset. Wouldn’t talk about it with me but I heard her crying in her room. I think something went wrong with Austin. I tried to ask him at work today, but he refused to answer my questions. He looked angry. Like… Aiden-angry.”
“Yikes.”
“She promised to keep in touch.”
“I wonder what happened?” I say.
She shrugs. “Wish I knew.”
“What about you and Jude? Anything to report there?”
“Our first date this Saturday!” She claps her hands.
“Your hair looks fabulous, Ally. You look like Katy Perry with that dark hair and those popping blue eyes.”
She curtsies again.
“I’ll call an Uber,” I say.
“Or, borrow one of your new boyfriend’s cars…” she suggests.
I bite my lip. “Hm. Unless he’s in the car and left the motorcycle. I can’t drive that.”
I call him.
“Hey, peaches,” he answers.
“Hey, Hot Sauce. I’m going to run out and get groceries with Ally. Want me to cook something instead of you bringing back takeout?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you grab one of those lasagnas you made that first night? That was fuckin’ good.”
I roll my eyes. “I can tell you liked it, since you ate ¾ of it.”
“Well buy two if you want more than a small piece ‘cuz a) I want to eat ¾ of one and b) you’re gonna need your strength so carb-load, baby.”
I giggle.
“How you getting to the store?” he asks.
“I can either Uber it or you can lend me your car… if you’re on your motorcycle, that is. And if the keys are here.”
“I’m in the car but my SUV is down there. Keys are on my dresser. Audi keychain. You’ll see it. It’s right beside my bike down there. Go ahead, baby.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. But watch your speed.”
“Watch my speed?”
“Hear you’re a speed demon…”
I giggle. “How do you know that?”
He laughs.
“Aiden? Did my mother tell you when I was out of earshot? What else did she tell you?”
“Not your Mom, Carly. I had Jude run a background check on you.”
I do a slow blink. My mouth opens, and nothing comes out for a minute. “You ran a…”
“Don’t be mad. I’m comin’ clean.”
I hold the phone.
“You mad?”
“I dunno.”
“Well, don’t be. Or feel free to be a little mad, mad enough to dig your nails into my back later to pay me back.”
“Somehow that doesn’t sound like a punishment.”
“I came clean, Carly. And you had nothing to hide so nothing to know. Now, if you ran a background check on me… don’t do that. Don’t run one on me, baby.”
“You’re something else, Aiden Carmichael…”
“That, I am. Take the SUV. See you in a bit. Just pullin’ in to the office now. Gonna catch my Dad here.”
“Wait. You also told me you only had a two-seater.”
“My bad…”
I sigh. “Okay, Hot Sauce, but FYI, it kind of triggers me when you say ‘my bad’ so you might wanna avoid saying that.”
“Noted.”
“See you later. You’re getting a spanking, though.” I hang up before he can reply.
Ally is standing there smiling.
“He ran a background check on me and knows I have a track record of driving too fast,” I inform her.
She’s smiling. “You two are adorable. I can’t wait to witness it in person. Told you. I saw it. I saw you two, happy, so happy. I’m thrilled for you, Carly.”
I sigh. “It’s early days, but I am, too. He’s… he’s hot, he took really good care of me in crisis. He’s playful and funny, and he…” I trail off and bite my lip.
“Hung like a horse?” she asks.
I wiggle my eyebrows.
“Good news,” she s
ays and then she hops off the barstool. “I’m runnin’ downstairs to grab my bag. Call me when you’re heading down and hold the elevator at my floor and we’ll go.”
I go into Aiden’s room and grab his keys. It’s still a pigsty. I decide that when I get back, I’m going to do his laundry.
40
AIDEN
I walk into my Dad’s office. It’s after six o’clock and he’s the only one here besides the cleaners. His eyes are on his screen.
“Hey,” I say, closing the door.
He raises his eyebrows. “Hello, Aiden. How are you?” He rubs his eyes and stretches.
“Had a chat with your wife,” I say. “She’s gonna ask you for a divorce.”
He jolts in surprise.
“I won’t go into any details; I’ll let her share, but she’s got shit to come clean about.”
I can’t tell if he’s happy or not.
I share some more news.
“I wanna work from here for now. I’ll handle the New York City office but I’m plannin’ to stay here 90% of the time.”
His eyes bulge. “Oh. That’s… that’s wonderful.”
“Want to be around my family more. Watch Lilly and Braed grow up.”
“Good, Aiden. This is great.”
“Carly and I are exclusive.”
His smile goes wide. “You overcame the challenge. I could tell she was fighting you off.”
“She didn’t stand a chance,” I say. “All this Carmichael charm?”
He barks out a laugh.
“I’ll talk to Adele about Sunday dinner at her place. You, me, Auz.”
“Good idea, son.”
“How you feel about being freshly single?”
He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. “Let’s see what happens.”
I tilt my head.
“Gotta talk to your mother first. She may change her mind before the day is through. Never know with her.”
“You want a divorce, don’t you, Dad? I mean, you wanna be free of her. Don’t you?”
Dad doesn’t answer me.
“You still love her?” I ask.
He licks his teeth behind his lips and shrugs.
He does, though. He’s still harboring feelings for her.
I’m a little bit, no---more than a bit shocked.
“We’ll see what happens, Aiden.”
“If you want her, go after her, Dad.” I can’t fuckin’ believe I’m sayin’ this. “But, let her come clean first. The shit she’s been up to? It may change your mind.”
“The thing with Rog?” He shakes his head.
“You know about that?”
He nods and his expression goes cold. “He was ready to leave Suz for her. Told him I’d destroy him if my wife divorced me for him.”
What the fuck kind of soap opera is my parents’ marriage?
“When you love someone, you don’t let them go. Even if you’ve had a rough patch.”
“Your rough patch has lasted almost my whole life, Dad. Do you know how many notches have been put on her bedpost in the last ten years?”
“It’s on both of us, Aiden. Not just your mother. I’m not saying we can save things, but… let’s just see what happens.”
***
I get home to Carly making a salad in the kitchen, with a big smile on her face. She’s wearing that cute sweatshirt thing she wore that night she got trashed and fought with me about stealing her groceries. She’s got her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. I grab it and use it to keep her mouth to mine while I kiss her against the counter.
She giggles as my other hand slides the dress up to her waist and then my hand is inside her underpants. I slip a finger between her ass cheeks and find her pussy, silky and slippery for me.
“Aren’t you hungry?” she asks, wiggling against me as I kiss down her throat.
“Mm hm. But I want you first.” I grab her ass and she hops and I gather her legs around my waist and walk her down the hall to my bedroom.
“Been wantin’ you in this bed for forever…”
“It’s been less than two weeks,” she whispers against my lips.
“Exactly. Forever.” I jiggle her ass playfully.
I drop her on my bed on her back.
I look around. “What happened in here?” The room is clean, other than the unmade bed.
“I started your laundry. I was gonna wash these sheets next load.”
I raise my eyebrows.
She’s cookin’ for me, she’s under me, and she’s doin’ my fuckin’ laundry. Just like I predicted I’d have her doin’. But, I’m not feelin’ cocky about it. In fact, I’m feeling pretty fucking lucky.
I look down at her, look at how good she looks lying back on my black satin sheets. I grab the hem of her shirt thing and pull it over her head. She’s braless, in a pair of tiny pink satin panties. I push her up and she slides, the satin against the satin acting like a slip ‘n slide.
She giggles as she approaches the pillows.
“Laid in this bed, jackin’ off, thinkin’ bout you, peaches.”
“Oh yeah?”
“You play with yourself thinkin’ of me down the hall?” I lick her left nipple, then her right one. She shivers.
“Nope. I hated your alphahole guts.”
I grin.
“I did have a sexy dream about you, though…” she admits.
“Yeah?”
“Yep.”
“Tell me.”
I pull her panties to the side and lick between her folds.
She shudders.
I pull the panties down and off, dropping them on the floor.
“Open your legs, beautiful…”
She obeys.
I lick her from asshole all the way up, running the flat of my tongue up to her clit. She arches for me.
“Holy shit, Aiden….”
“Tell me,” I demand, giving her clit a hard suck.
“You were giving me oral sex in… in your shower.”
“Dreams can come true,” I tell her, then I back up a little, crook my finger, leaning back on my calves.
She sits up.
I grab her and haul her over my shoulder.
She squeals.
I take her to my shower, and make her dream come true.
After she comes on my tongue, one leg hooked over my shoulder, hanging onto the shelf behind her, she reaches down, my fuckin’ pocket pussy in her hand and she wiggles her eyebrows.
I smile. “Let me wet my cock first with you, then you can take over. I step forward and she backs against my wall. I grab my cock and guide it to her, then slam it inside. She gasps.
I move in and out a few times eyes locked with hers, and then I’m about to pull out.
“No,” she drops the sex toy. “No. Keep doin’ that.”
“I don’t have a condom in here, Carly…” I say.
“I’m on the pill.”
“Peaches… are you sure?”
“Are you clean?” she asks.
I nod. “Don’t do bare.”
“But you were just inside me…” she looks at me with doubt on her face.
“Just to get it wet, baby. Only because it’s you. I wouldn’t have come in you. Never bare in anyone even this much, not in many years.”
“Do you want to come inside me?” she asks.
“I’ll get a test first. Be extra sure,” I say.
She gives me a little smile. “Okay. I will, too. I don’t think he screwed around but… I’ll be sure.”
Just the idea of another guy inside of her makes me feel ragey. I grind my teeth at the idea.
She squats, grabs the toy, and I expect her to come back up, but instead, she jacks me off with it from down there, looking up at me, her eyes filled with passion.
I let her go at me for a couple minutes, then I can’t take it any longer. I want inside of her. I grab her wrist. “Back to bed,” I say and turn the shower off. We dry off half-assed and then I grab a condom from the box in the suit
case in my walk-in closet and carry it and her to my bed.
I slide in beside her and pull her to me after I’ve rolled it on. She kisses me and climbs on top, planting her knees by my sides. She slides me right inside.
“Fuck, you feel good, peaches.”
“Mm,” she attacks my mouth with her lips, her hands in my hair, and then she loses track of my mouth as I ram into her, making her go wide-eyed.
“Aiden.”
“Yeah, baby.” I pick up the pace, sliding my fingers to her clit so I can strum it while I fuck her. The idea of fucking her ungloved? Sounds fucking awesome. Haven’t fucked ungloved since Sienna. I had more than one offer for it but a) didn’t trust because of potential pregnancies and girls trying to trap me with a cash cow baby, and b) detached sex is easier to accomplish with a layer of latex between you.
With Carly? I decide I’m making an appointment for a physical as soon as possible.
She comes with my cock inside, my finger at her clit, and then I come with her, back to my sheets, her ankles on either side of my head.
Half an hour later, we’re eating lasagna on the balcony with one of those cheap boxes of wine. The sun is setting and she’s in awe of it.
“It’s good, right?” she asks me, holding my glass under the plastic spout for a re-fill.
I smile. “It’ll do.”
It’s swill, but whatever. I can drink some cheap wine to make her happy.
41
CARLY
It’s 8:15 Friday morning, and I’m walking into the office with Ally. Aiden is an early riser and told me last night that he likes to be in by seven o’clock. I could either come in with him or go in with Ally for 8:00. Since he fucked me doggy-style in his huge bed before six o’clock that morning, I opted for the nap and went in with Ally in the cab driven by Ash.
Before I left, I found a single banana removed from the bunch on the island. It had a Post-it on it, telling me he has our whole weekend booked. He signed it, The Banana Thief. I’ve tucked the Post-it into my nightstand to save it.
I’ve already talked to my Mom today, as I was getting ready to go, and she told me Dad’s doing well. He says he’s back to work Monday. She wants him to take a bit more time off, but he refuses.
She asked me about Aiden and I told her he’s great, that we’re officially exclusive, and she sounded super-happy for me.
