Chapter Thirty-Two

Bec

W e walk two blocks to Aiden’s apartment and get caught in a storm along the way. The temperature hasn’t dropped low enough for snow tonight like we’d expect in January, just enough to chill us to the bone as we get soaked. The freezing rain is an extreme contrast to the way my body is blazing, on fire from within.

We run into Aiden’s apartment building out of breath, panting and laughing. He pulls my hand, leading me onto the elevator, just the two of us. He presses the button for the penthouse and enters a code before the elevator begins to rise. Because of course he lives in the fucking penthouse.

I lean back against the wall farthest from him in disbelief. Is this moment real? I want it to be real so damn bad.

The air feels heavy, and I can’t slow my breathing. My nerves are on edge with anticipation as I stare down at my feet. I feel him step in front of me, towering over me, before I look up into his heady gaze. His hand drags down my jaw and he swipes his thumb over my bottom lip, brushing away a few rain droplets.

I reach for him with one hand, running my palm up his chest to grip his soaked shirt and pull him flush against me. He comes willingly, putting his free hand against the wall of the elevator to the side of my head, using his other hand to lift my jaw, tilting my head back until I feel it rest against the wall of the elevator as it continues lifting us higher. He leans down, breathing in deeply, and whispers, his low voice causing my thighs to clench, “I’ve thought about this for over three years, Bec. Wondered what it’d be like to make you mine. To mark you in all the ways I’ve dreamed of since we first kissed.”

“What are you waiting for?” I brush my lips over his then take his bottom lip between my teeth and tug gently.

The hand holding my jaw slides down to my neck and he presses softly against my collarbone. “I’m waiting until I have you in my bed, because once I start, I won’t be able to stop. If I start here, it ends here, right in this elevator. Is that what you want?” The gravel in his voice sends shivers down my spine and up my thighs.

Fuck, maybe I do want that.

“Maybe it is,” I say. His presence overwhelms me, and my mind starts to go hazy. I need Aiden to touch me…now.

“No, I don’t think so. I think I need you spread out for me. Somewhere I can take my time with every inch of you.” I’m unable to recall a single reason why this could be a bad idea. Any risk of this ending badly. All reason flies out the window, and I’m completely overtaken by lust at his words. I’m so tired of fighting this pull between us.

The elevator doors open, and before I can take a step, Aiden lifts me into his arms, grasping where my thighs meet my ass, his fingers digging into my soft curves. I link my legs around his toned waist. My arms wrap around his broad shoulders and my hands meet at the base of his neck, gripping his hair. He turns, opening the door to his apartment as I bring one hand to his cheek. I look into his eyes, hoping to see what I’m feeling returned in his gaze. He holds my stare and all I can see is his hunger. I’m sure that’s what he sees in mine as well.

“Don’t make me wait one more second, Aiden,” I whisper.

He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he makes a sharp turn and presses me against the wall, and ravages my mouth, kissing me like he owns every piece of me inside and out. I weave my hands into his hair, tugging hard, and grind my pelvis up against him, feeling him hard beneath me. We tear at each other for a few minutes before he pulls away, leaving me breathless and desperate for more.

“I couldn’t wait one more second if I tried. You want this, Bec? You want me?” Aiden rasps out, breathing heavily. Despite what he said about not waiting, he pauses for me. He wants me to be sure. I wait for fear or anxiety to rise up, but there’s nothing. Being with him like this feels perfect. He stares into my eyes with an intensity that I wasn’t prepared for. It steals my breath away.

“Yes…yeah, Aiden. I want it. I want this. Please, I need you.” I pull him back to my mouth, seeking him out frantically, and he meets me with equal fervor. My rational thoughts have abandoned me and all that’s left is a starving woman who needs to know what this man is like, completely stripped down, raw and needy.

I feel one of his hands running up my thigh to grip my hip, then my waist, slowly finding its way to my breast. He palms me and pinches my nipple through my dress and lace bralette, sending a jolt between my thighs. I gasp into our kiss, feeling my need intensify. “Oh fuck, Aiden.”

Without missing a beat, he continues to tease my nipple, moving his mouth to my neck to suck and kiss, leaving me undone. I could feel embarrassed at the moans he draws from me, but I’m not. This man has edged me like no one else I’ve ever known, and I’m ready for him to take care of me like I know he will.

Aiden’s hand returns to my ass, gripping me tightly while he pulls away from the wall, before carrying me down the hall. I have no fucking clue what his apartment looks like or where we’re going, so enraptured in another kiss of his. I lose all sense of direction as he leads me to what I assume is his bedroom.

But we must pass through his bedroom instead, because when he pulls back and I open my eyes, I find myself in the most luxurious bathroom I’ve ever seen. White countertops pose a striking difference from the dark tiles on the floor and the walls. The lighting is soft and low, like we’ve entered a cave. There’s a walk-in shower to the side and a huge soaking tub in front of a glass window. Do people with money not care if everyone sees them bathing through their fancy floor-to-ceiling windows? I guess it’d take a lot to see us now, tangled in each other on the top floor of Aiden’s building overlooking the twinkling lights of downtown. I’m not sure I’d care either way at this point. If he stopped right now, I’d get on my knees and beg him for more, audience or not.

He walks into the shower still holding me and kissing my neck. We’re already soaked from the storm anyway, clothes clinging to our skin. He reaches out, turning on the water, and the steam begins to fill the space, slowly warming my chilled body. Caught up in his kiss and the feel of his hard body, his deep voice surprises me when he speaks against my parted lips. “Strip. I need you naked. Let me see you.”

He lowers me gently to stand on my own in the spacious shower, the tenderness of his movements conflicting with the demand in his voice. I step back, my legs feeling weak, shrugging off my coat and then bringing my hands to the hem of my dress. Not breaking eye contact with Aiden, I pull my dress up and toss it onto the built-in bench of the shower with a slap. I rip off my boots and toss them out of the shower onto the tile floor. Left only in my bra and underwear, I revel in the way Aiden’s eyes devour me, while he brings a hand to his chin to graze over his stubble .

“Fuck, Bec. I knew you were beautiful, but…wow. Your body is perfect.” His arm wraps around my back. He quickly finds the clasp of my bra and releases it, tossing it away to join my dress.

“I’m far from perfect,” I say shyly, a bit of insecurity bleeding through at the worst fucking time.

He steps against me, fully dressed, clothes soaked. His shirt is practically see-through, sticking to every inch of his defined abdomen. He lowers himself to one knee and looks up into my eyes as he uses both hands to grip and massage my breasts, teasing me and kneading them before closing his mouth around my nipple. His hands begin to trail down my stomach before he pulls down my underwear. I watch as he places one hand to my center, where he lightly teases my clit, running his fingers along my slit. “I don’t want to hear you talk that way about yourself. Like I said…you’re fucking perfect.”

“Oh fuck.” I let out a moan when he continues to tease me, rubbing small, light-pressured circles against my clit. I lean back on the cold tile of the shower wall, tilting my head up toward the ceiling, my eyes closing involuntarily. My entire body lights up under his touch. I glance down to watch him slowly push a finger inside of me, filling me not nearly the way I need. I’m ravenous for him. I can’t help but grind against his palm, seeking out more friction, more pressure, which he graciously gives by pressing another finger inside, pumping slowly. Encouraged by my unmistakable agreement, becoming louder every second, his movements intensify.

“Look at you, beautiful. You’re riding my fingers like a goddess. Fucking soaking my hand.”

Aiden lifts my left leg, hooking my knee over his shoulder, and he lowers his mouth to my center, licking my clit, and I scream out. My hands shoot down to grip him roughly by his wet hair. He devours me, and I give as good as I get, shamelessly grinding myself into his starved mouth, the scratch of his stubble on my inner thighs only heightening the sensation. The warm water from the shower now envelops us in steam and I lose all sense of self, surrendering to the feel of his warm tongue exploring me and his fingers fucking me, making me writhe against him, unable to hold back my moans.

The pressure builds quickly, consuming me. Aiden’s other hand digs into my ass, telling me he’s not stopping until I give him what he’s after, leaving me teetering on the edge. “Aiden, I…I’m gonna…” My mouth drops open and I gasp as I come harder than I ever have in my life. It’s impossible to keep his name from my lips. I call it out between moans and expletives, the words almost drowning beneath the hum of the water raining down beside us. He continues licking me, his fingers keeping pace, allowing me to ride out my orgasm until my knees are weak and I’m left staring up at the ceiling.

“Holy fucking shit…” I pant. I look down to see Aiden pull away from me, licking his lips and smirking up at me. If it’s even possible, I feel another rush of wetness pool between my thighs at the sight of him like this.

I grip him by the collar of his soaked shirt and pull him to his feet, hastily tearing it off and tossing it to join the growing pile of discarded clothes. His dark eyes are focused on me, his expression unmoving. I tug on his belt, releasing the clasp. Unable to wait any longer, I reach down to palm him through his pants, finding him hard as steel. His breath catches at the contact, and his jaw clenches as his eyes close.

Driven by the need to taste him, I hurry to unbutton and unzip his pants, shoving them to the ground, leaving him in only his black boxer briefs. I stare at him, needing a second to take him in. His body is lean and strong from what I assume is rigorous training. His arms, chest, stomach, and thighs are corded with toned muscle. “Like what you see?” Aiden lets out a small laugh while dropping his briefs to the ground. He steps out of his clothes and kicks them aside. I’m sure I’d laugh at myself too. I’m pretty sure my jaw is hanging open .

“I’ve never seen a body like yours. You’re unreal,” I say. “Yeah, I really like what I see, Aiden.” I trail my hands along the ridges of his lower abdomen and set my eyes on his as I drop slowly to my knees. “But I want a closer look…”

I watch his chest rise and fall quickly as I lower one hand to the base of his thick shaft. I lightly draw my fingers up and down his impressive length, swiping my thumb underneath the tip, feeling a bead of precum smooth over the head, causing his abs to flex. When I return to his base, I grip him more firmly, looking up to watch him as I wrap my lips around the head of his cock and start to lick and suck, taking more of him into my mouth with each pass. Groaning, one of his hands finds its way to the back of my head, wrapping a section of my wet hair around his fist. Not pushing me but guiding me.

His size makes it difficult, but I close my eyes and work to fit as much of him in my mouth as I can until I feel him hit the back of my throat. I work the rest of him with my hand.

“Shit, Bec. Your fucking mouth…” I look up to find Aiden’s heady gaze set on me before shutting my eyes again. “Look at me.” I flick my eyes back up to him, not stopping my movements. “So incredible. But fuck, if you don’t stop now, this will be over before either of us wants it to be.”

Encouraged by his praise, and how fucking powerful and turned on I feel bringing a man like Aiden to his knees for me, I work even harder to fit his length as far as I can, and then I swallow with him at the back of my throat, pushing him closer to the edge. I lower my hand to his balls, running my finger between them. I look up to find his eyes closed and his other hand pressed into the tiled wall behind me in a fist. He groans as he pulls away, releasing himself from my mouth and leaving me breathless. He tips my chin up with his fingers running his thumb over my bottom lip.

“Stand up, beautiful. We’re nowhere near finished,” he murmurs, turning off the water.

He takes my hand and pulls me to stand. Aiden grabs a towel that’s hanging outside the glass shower, wrapping it around me and allowing me a minute to pat myself dry and quickly wring my hair to avoid it dripping all over. He quickly runs the towel over himself as well, hardly taking his eyes off me. When we finish, Aiden tosses the towel aside and wraps his strong, calloused hand around my lower back, pulling me into his solid body. He lowers his forehead to mine and runs his other hand over the back of my head to my neck.

“Tell me I can have you, Bec.”

“Fuck me, Aiden,” I whisper. I run my fingers through his hair as he smothers me in another passionate kiss. He breaks away suddenly, leading me by our joined hands out of the shower and into his adjoining bedroom.

Having been caught up in his kiss on the way in, I’m just now seeing his room for the first time, though it takes my eyes a minute to adjust. Despite the fact that the lights are off, the room is aglow from the downtown lights filtering through the windows.

Across from where we exit the bathroom, there’s a king-size bed with a luxurious black duvet and a stack of pillows across the wrought iron headboard. On one side of the room is another wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The high ceilings accentuate and magnify the glimmer from the gorgeous skyline, twinkling and winking at us. The night sky is full of pillowing dark gray clouds. The storm continues to rage on, droplets of water running down the windows, blurring the lights below.

The furnishings are minimal but elegant, a dresser topped with a mirror, a small, cushioned ottoman at the foot of the bed, and a plush rug to pull it all together. The corner of the room also has an oversized chair draped in a blanket and a few more pillows. The entire ambience is dark and warm, soft and comfortable. The style feels modern but cozy.

Without a conscious thought to do so, I walk closer to the view, drawn to the beautiful sight below me, and raise my hand to gloss over the cold glass.

Aiden approaches behind me, giving me goose bumps, awareness flowing through my limbs at his proximity. His hand presses mine against the glass, and I’m caught between the scorching heat radiating off his skin and the chill from the window. I feel his breath along my neck, a rush of adrenaline throughout my body, and a tightening in the base of my stomach.

“You’re stunning, Bec. Every time I look at you, I find it hard to breathe. I want to give you everything. I want you to have it all.”

I reach my free hand behind me to wrap around the back of his neck, the front of his body is pressed against my back, and I turn my face to the side so I can see him. His confession causes desire to strike me low in my belly.

I offer a confession of my own in reply. “I want everything you have to give. Don’t hold back.” I lean my head back against his strong shoulder and arch my back, pressing my bare ass back into his pelvis, grinding into him firmly.

Aiden lets out a deep groan at the movement, wrapping his free hand around my hip, pulling me back against him harder, his stiff cock resting between my thighs, along my slit. My hips instinctively start to grind back and forth along his length. I can feel my wetness coating his shaft, easing the movements.

“Fuck, Bec, you’re dripping. Is this soaked pussy all for me?” His fingers grip my hip harder, driving me to quicken my pace, rotating my hips so my clit hits the head of his cock with each pulse. His filthy words escalate my arousal.

“God yes, it’s all for you. Please.”

Aiden immediately responds to my plea, pulling away briefly only to turn me around, lift me into his arms, and take several powerful steps away from the window to toss me across his plush bed. My body bounces on impact, and before I have a moment to adjust from the fall, Aiden crawls toward me and covers my body with his, lining up with my center. My knees fall open for him, my body welcoming him to where I’ve wanted him for so long.

Our lips meet in a starving kiss, surrendering to what we both want. We’re a tangled mess of greedy limbs, hands, and tongues. Aiden pulls away quickly, and I go to protest before I realize he’s stepping away to grab a condom from his nightstand. He sheaths himself and my mouth waters at the sight of his body.

He returns to bed to lie on top of me and mutters in a gravelly voice, “Eyes on mine, gorgeous. I want to watch you fucking fall apart. I need to see it, and I need to hear you.”

I look into Aiden’s eyes and gasp as he slowly enters me, stretching me perfectly. He steadily pulses in and out, driving deeper and deeper until he’s filling me completely. My moans echo around the high ceilings of his bedroom, and I hear Aiden mutter out an expletive. When he bottoms out, he continues his rhythmic movements while I cling to him. My arms rove over his body, his waist, his back, his chest, his shoulders. I can feel his taut muscles flexing as he works me to the edge again. With each thrust, he rotates his hips, giving my clit the friction it needs. My hips buck up to meet his, matching his movements with equal intensity. I climb higher, and I lose control of my muscles as they twitch and flex, my body frantically seeking release.

Aiden leans on one forearm next to my head as he runs his other calloused hand from my ass, down my thigh, to the back of my knee where he pulls to lift my bent leg higher, pressing it back into my body. The shift allows him to drive even deeper, never relenting the grinding pressure on my clit. “Aiden, right there…just like that…fuck, you’re so deep,” I cry out.

“Shit,” he says with a hiss. “You’re so goddamn tight. I want you coming all over my fucking cock.” He groans as he relentlessly pounds into me.

“Fuck,” I moan. My jaw drops open on a silent scream as my orgasm rips through my stiffening body, every nerve lighting up and tightening before I melt into the mattress. I weakly hold onto Aiden’s shoulders as he thrusts into me several more times before he stills, groaning his own release before he collapses, his head falling into the crook of my neck. He holds me close as our breathing calms.

When he pulls back to look at me, he smiles at me so genuinely, so carefree, and chuckles. I can’t help but smile and giggle in return.

“Jesus…absolutely everything about you was worth the wait,” he murmurs as he lowers his forehead to mine, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. His words break something open inside my heart, leaving room for me to hope, to wish, and to dream. For once, the feelings don’t terrify me. Instead, I feel my smile grow.