by Lucy Lambert
Aiden didn't know whether to be relieved he was gone or irritated that he'd be coming back sometime soon. "I'm surprised he didn't say 'Cheers' on his way out."
Gwen came and sat on the couch beside him. "Is that a touch of jealousy I'm detecting?"
He blanched. "No, never. I have total faith in you. It's just that he's..."
"A super suave James Bond type with a sexy accent and soulful eyes?"
"Not helping," Aiden said.
"You didn't let me finish. That doesn't matter to me, because I have you. And besides, he interrupted my good news!"
"You did seem quite happy when you came in. Strangely happy, as a matter of fact."
Gwen dropped the contract on his lap, the edges of the papers fluttering. "They agreed to it. My parents agreed to the whole thing. This is going to work. I had this whole epiphany thing and had to get that sorted out, too."
"Oh, really?" Aiden said, picking up the contract and leafing through it. He saw her parents' signatures on the correct lines. All they needed to do now was return it to Judith and they could get this absurd show on the road.
Aiden didn't know how to feel about it. They were still playing Judith's game, and she intended to win. Quitting might not have been the most ideal thing he could have done, but it would have set them free of her clutches for good.
"It's going to work out. Do you know why?" Gwen said, noticing his apprehension.
"Hmm?" Aiden said, still flipping through the pages without really reading them, too lost in his own thoughts.
Gwen pulled the contract from his hands and laid it on the table. Then she swung her leg over his thighs and sat down on his lap, her arms around his shoulders and her big, soft eyes staring right into his.
"Because I love you." She kissed him. Her lips were so soft on his, so warm and full. The kiss changed from chaste to hungry in a flash, her lips parting and their tongues getting involved.
Aiden put his hands on her thighs and let them run up the denim of her jeans until he cupped her bottom.
"I love you, too," he said, looking up into her smoldering eyes.
"Show me," Gwen said, "Touch me. I need you to touch me."
His pangs of jealousy quickly faded, sent into full retreat by even more primal feelings.
He could feel the urgency of her need.
***
Gwen wasted no time with coy teasing. She had so much energy pent up inside of her. So much frustration needing to be worked out.
Her inner thighs burned with desire, her hips grinding her body against his. Gwen yanked one end of his tie through the knot, then pulled it out of his collar and cast it behind her, not caring where it landed.
Her fingers, trembling in anticipation, undid his buttons one by one. Aiden made this task more difficult by continually pulling her down against him so that he could kiss her throat, or pull her blouse aside so that he could run his lips along her bare shoulder.
His hands trembled, too. They felt hot against the small of her back when he pushed them up under her blouse. And she gasped in delight when he found her bra strap and undid it with a single practiced flick.
They both helped him struggle out of his button-down, and then she pulled his undershirt off so that she could run her palms over his hot, smooth skin. She ran her fingertip down his chest, down to the little depressions between his abs, not stopping until it hit the shiny (and cold) belt buckle below his navel.
"This is a little unfair," Aiden said, "You're still fully clothed. I'm shirtless and you already want to get started on my belt?"
She rubbed her body against his again, relishing the way he groaned at her touch. "Feel free to even the score."
A low growling sound issued from Aiden's throat to match the predatory, animal look in his eyes. The noise resonated in Gwen's chest, and her insides flushed with heat and quivered.
Aiden didn't bother with any silly, slow unbuttoning. He grabbed her blouse in both hands and ripped it open. The little white buttons pinged off around the room.
With one sweeping motion he brought the blouse down and off her arms. He reached to pull her slack bra straps down but she stopped him, hugging herself tightly about the chest.
Hunger, desire, and frustration flared in his eyes, and she replied with a wicked smile.
Ever so slowly, she hooked her fingers into the straps and drew them down her arms, revealing her body to him inch by aching inch.
When the straps reached her wrists Aiden snatched them and threw the bra away. He ran his warm hands up her bare stomach and cupped her breasts, giving them an appreciative squeeze that made her suck in her breath.
He put his lips to them, licking and sucking until he left her tender flesh stiffened, puckered, and flushed with heat. When he took his mouth away, he breathed on them gently, his breath cool on her. A chill shot down her back, and goosebumps pebbled her torso.
"What are you doing to me?" she said, her voice husky.
"Touching you," he replied before running his hot mouth up between her breasts, then up her throat, and not stopping until his lips found hers.
She managed to unbuckle his belt, but he brushed her grasp away before she could do anymore.
Before she could complain about that, Aiden popped the button out of her jeans and slipped the zipper down. Then his fingers found their way down the waistband of her panties. And then they slid down lower.
"Oh..." Gwen said.
Aiden knew just how to touch her. How she wanted to be touched. How she needed to be touched.
She gave up control of her body to him, let him do what he wished to her, allowed him to become the captain of her pleasure.
But soon she desired more than his touch, despite how he could make her feel. Soon, she could wait no longer to be with him.
"I need you," she told him. And he needed her, too. She could feel the strength of his need. The hardness and urgency of it.
They made short work of taking off their remaining clothing. And they almost didn't have the presence of mind to get some protection, the heartbeats-long pause almost too much to endure.
But soon Aiden sat beneath her on the couch again. Every patch of skin on her burst into gooseflesh again as she sank down onto him. The little groan he gave as they joined together only heightened the initial burst of pleasure for her.
They moved slowly at first, their bodies throbbing and stretching and flushing with heat and more as they again grew used to one another's touch.
And Gwen loved his touch. She loved the way he gave his hands free reign to touch, stroke, and squeeze her where they wanted. When they kissed, she sucked his bottom lip in between her teeth and let it out slowly.
Then they both concentrated on that friction and heat between them, and the way it increased as their movements became less controlled, faster and harder. She concentrated on the feeling of their two bodies joining together into one.
Gwen didn't recall when she finally and completely lost control. She existed in an ever present now of bliss and pleasure, and she could only feel Aiden's strong arms holding her body against his while she called his name again and again.
And then he shifted her so that she lay beneath him, both of them now slick with sweat and panting from the exertion.
Aiden didn't let up or slow down, though. He kept up the pace. He kept it up until Gwen reached the peak of another incredible climax and until he, too, could no longer maintain control and gave himself to her fully.
It was all he could do after to not collapse onto her, supporting himself on shaking elbows. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him down so that his hot breaths washed over her bare shoulder. He kissed her, running his lips over her collarbone.
Gwen didn't even know how he managed to hold himself up. Her own body felt used up. Muscles she didn't even know she had burned and ached, and every fiber of her demanded that she let her eyes slip shut so that she might fall away from the world for a while and recover from this latest physical exertion.
>
She smiled, thinking about how he always left her so totally fulfilled and relaxed. And her smile only grew when she saw the ring on her finger and she realized that this was going to be the rest of her life.
"Never leave me, okay?" she whispered.
"Never," Aiden agreed.
Her breath caught when they finally parted, and she missed him despite him still being so close. She missed the completeness of being with him.
"Do you have enough energy for a shower? Or do I have to carry you?" Aiden said.
"A shower sounds nice..."
She then took a moment to survey the scene. Clothes everywhere. Underwear lying about, expensive suit pieces lying in heaps. The remains of her blouse. She remembered the sound of one of the buttons pinging off a nearby lamp.
She also saw the contract sitting on the coffee table. It had been a triumph to get everyone to sign it. However, a tingle of apprehension chose that moment to slither its way up her spine.
It was one thing to sign it. Soon enough, she and Aiden would have to live it.
And then there was that other thing. The other deal she'd made with Judith. Thinking about it tightened her throat, as well as ruining a perfectly sexy moment when Aiden stood up naked from the couch and she got a good look at his toned butt.
At this point, all she could do was believe that it would all work out in the end. That it had been the right thing, as that woman Catherine had put it, to go for it no matter the cost.
Chapter 10
"We have to do what?" David said.
"Here, dad, let me," Gwen said. She evened out David's bow tie and pulled it tight. He looked quite sharp, if a little uncomfortable, in the black tuxedo he wore. It looked pretty good for a rental. Especially a rental rented on such short notice. Gwen counted them quite lucky that the men's suit place in the town had something usable.
He'd also slicked back his hair, really showing just how far it had retreated up his forehead.
Barb didn't grumble so much, instead admiring her figure as displayed in the slim black dress she wore. "Oh be quiet, Dave. It's just dinner!"
"Yeah, at a five star restaurant. A real one, not some steak place back in Albany. I don't know about you, but I can't tell a salad fork from a crab fork."
David's hotel room was nice and large, but it still felt crowded with four adults milling around inside it. Gwen wore a black dress not unlike the one Barb had on, and Aiden looked so comfortable in his tux that he might as well have been born to wear the thing.
"Just relax," Aiden said, resting his hands on Gwen's shoulders. She welcomed his touch. He was her rock, here.
Judith had her butler deliver a hand-written message to them earlier that day, not long after their shower. They'd been informed of their impending dinner reservation, and the note ended with a cryptic statement about being watched.
That was why she counted so much on Aiden. He was born into this lifestyle. He did know all those fancy fork types, and she relied on his experience to help guide them through this first test.
"Don't worry about it, David," Aiden said, "It's actually only about half as complex as it appears... Besides, you can tell the salad fork by its..."
The ringing phone cut him off. David answered it, thanked the person on the other end, and hung up. "The car is here." He gave an audible gulp.
"Did I say again how much I love you guys, and how grateful I am for you being willing to go through with it?" Gwen said, sensing David's rising anxiety.
They'd led a pretty middle-class life. A house in the 'burbs in a division just outside the city. Professional careers for both of them. They'd never wanted for money. Until all the divorce stuff, at least. And Gwen always considered her family fairly well off.
But this was something different. She remembered the first time she had met Henry, and how he'd taken her and Aiden to a building in Manhattan he was having restored into some sort of fancy restaurant. He'd hired a chef straight in from Paris. Now that was well off.
And Aiden had actually kept her somewhat insulated from that lifestyle, so even she wasn't exactly sure what to expect with all this.
"I'm actually pretty excited, Gwenny," Barb said.
"That's good," Gwen replied. She caught the small smile on Aiden's lips upon hearing her parents' pet name for her, and knew he'd be teasing her with that as often as he could for the next few days.
"Let's go," Aiden said, doing his best to herd the cats towards the door.
Climbing into the car, Gwen experienced a spike of panic. Doubt assailed her.
We're being watched, she thought. What if we screw up, somehow? What if Judith decides that we've lost right here in the first round?
The car accelerated smoothly from the curb, pushing them back into their seats.
I shouldn't have done this. This is a bad idea...
Someone squeezed her knee. Someone turned out to be her dad. He looked a little pale, clearly still nervous himself. He smiled at her. "It's going to be fine. Stop worrying about it." Then he winked.
"Thanks," Gwen replied. She meant it, too. Something about his expression, his ability to smile despite his nerves, soothed the tension inside of her.
The restaurant they went to was called Le Monde, and it had a crenelated wall like you'd see along the top of a castle or old church. A large concrete patio took up the entire perimeter, dotted here and there with ornately carved fountains. Gwen saw a mermaid spilling water from an urn, and a man emptying what she took to be a keg. There were several more, but she didn't catch them.
A covered carport received the guests, with a valet waiting to open doors and park the car (which was not necessary for Gwen and Co.) and from there they followed a pretty blonde hostess down a red carpet and into the restaurant proper.
Excitement and anxiety both vied for control of Gwen's innards, seriously diminishing her appetite. Which was a shame, because a variety of mouth-watering aromas assaulted them as soon as they walked in through the main doors.
It smelled so good that she almost forgot to take a look around to see if she could figure out who Judith's mystery shopper might be.
A quartet played some airy piece of classical music from their raised dais against the wall. Below that was the hum of conversation. Most of the tables were occupied, and hardly anyone turned to see who'd come in.
For a second, Gwen had been scared that there might be an Invasion of the Body Snatchers moment. You know, one rich old man would turn around and notice that Gwen and her parents weren't one of us, point a white-gloved finger and let loose with one of those awful, high pitched wails.
But no one did.
It was a sea of tuxedos in there. Even the waiters wore them, bow ties and all.
They reached their table, which was thankfully off in the corner. Aiden pulled her chair out and sat her down.
And, to her surprise, David did the same thing with Barb. Her mother looked mildly shocked, and on the verge of saying something (probably along the lines of, "I remember how to sit down, thank you,") but thankfully bit the comment off before starting it.
Aiden sat down beside Gwen, for which she was grateful. It let them hold hands below the level of the table. She took full advantage of this, squeezing his fingers tightly so that he gave her a concerned look.
"What an... impressive array of forks and spoons," David said, examining his place setting.
"Don't worry. You start on the outside and work your way in," Aiden said.
A waiter with a thin black mustache on his lip came up to their table. He spoke in French. David, Barb, and Gwen blinked at each other.
Aiden quickly took up the slack, replying in kind. The only word that Gwen recognized was Anglais. That meant English, didn't it? The waiter nodded and then disappeared.
"So, um, did you just order for us?" Gwen said, remembering her encounter with Catherine. These international business people were always such high achievers.
Gwen knew that Aiden spoke French and a couple other langua
ges besides, for instance. And right now, she was glad of it. It had also really helped them out a few times on their current trek across Europe.
"No. He wasn't our waiter. He was asking if this table is suitable. I told him yes, and that we'd prefer a server who speaks English."
"That should make things easier... Oh," David said, picking up one of the leather-bound menus and flipping it open. Gwen lifted the cover of hers and saw the confusion. The menu was in French and German.
Again, Aiden to the rescue. "I know it looks fancy. Just tell me the sort of thing you'd like to eat and I'll let you know which item on the menu matches it."
"Hello! Welcome to our establishment. I am Elsa, and I have the pleasure of serving you this evening."
Elsa smiled down at them. Another fine European specimen, Gwen thought. Elsa kept her blonde hair tied up in a bun, which better showed off her slender, graceful neck. Fine cheekbones, too. Of course a place like this would only hire beautiful women.
She seemed pleasant enough, but Gwen instantly suspected her. A member of the serving staff made a lot of sense for spying purposes. Much better than one of the people sat at any of the tables around them, anyway.
It also didn't help that her father seemed instantly taken with the woman.
"Elsa! That's a pretty name," David said, smiling
"Thank you, sir," Elsa replied.
And was that a blush? Gwen looked more closely at the waitress. Yes, the crisp whiteness of Elsa's jacket made the flush on her cheeks even more obvious.
That, and how Elsa kept glancing down as though unable to maintain eye contact with David.
Gwen's first thought was: Gross! Elsa looked around Gwen's age, meaning the man was old enough to be her father. And besides, Barb sat right beside him and could see the whole thing.
Though she didn't seem as perturbed by it as Gwen thought she might be.
"Dad!" Gwen said, wondering if she should try and kick his shin under the table.
"What?" David said. Then he noticed the look in Gwen's eyes and said, "Oh, yes. Ah, right. Nice meeting you, Elsa. Can I start with the house salad?"
"Of course!" Elsa replied.
