Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
HARRISON
W aking up to a blaring alarm on my phone was discomforting. Waking up wrapped around Aaron even more so. But the biggest shock? I didn’t want to move. My dick was snug against his ass, and he was really happy being there. To be honest, every part of me was content right where I was. Even though I’d never understood the whole sleeping over thing. Or cuddling. That was for people who had…feelings. But the fact that I wanted to stay like this, snuggled up to him, and then have morning sex, told me a lot.
It said I’d fucked myself over by fucking my boss.
One night should’ve been enough. We screwed away our animosity, for a few hours at least, and now we were going to get up, get dressed, and forget this ever happened.
Could I forget the way Aaron looked when he came undone?
I reached across Aaron to grab my phone on the nightstand, silencing the alarm before it woke him up. The man needed sleep. He probably only got a few hours a night. Typical high achiever. I was the same except for the weekends. Still, I’d noticed the shadows under his eyes when we first met, and on this trip. Burnout was a real thing and if he didn’t slow down, he was going to get sick. Not that I was concerned about him. Why should I be? I wasn’t his friend after all.
“Morning,” he murmured and rolled over, pinning me to the mattress.
“Aaron, it’s time for?—”
He silenced me with a possessive kiss that had me forgetting all the reasons why this was a bad idea. And when he canted his hips and rubbed his hard dick over mine, I didn’t care about morning breath, upcoming meetings, or anything else. Sliding my hands over his ass, I gripped his cheeks and began to grind against him. Aaron moved faster, rubbing his cock against mine, and fuck, if only all wake-up calls were this good.
I should stop. We can’t do this again.
Too late. My skin was tight and hot, like I had a fever. His lips and tongue took complete control of my mouth, and the weight of his body on mine was, ngh, I could only moan and pump my hips harder.
“One…more…orgasm,” Aaron groaned, each word punctuated by a roll of his hips.
He was the boss so…
And when he reached down and took us both in hand, using our precum as lube, it only took a few strokes before I was coming hard. Aaron was right there with me and next thing I knew, both of us were sweaty and sticky. And totally out of breath.
“Time to get that deal finalized.” He swatted my hip and slid off me. “Get moving.”
So, now it was back to business. I should’ve felt great—from the orgasm and the fact that Aaron wasn’t a clinger—but he was so matter-of-fact that it rankled. He got off and I was being dismissed? Okay, maybe not dismissed. Still, how could he kiss me like that and then just act like it was nothing?
“You take the shower first,” I replied as I sat up, reaching for my phone, desperate for distraction. “I’ve got to check my messages.”
“You’re sure?”
I glanced up and my mouth went dry when I saw the heat in Aaron’s gaze. What the hell was going on here? I thought he wanted whatever this was between us to stop.
“Yes,” I replied firmly.
No more mixed messages. I glanced back at my phone and ignored his stare.
When he walked off, I flung myself back on the bed like a starfish.
“Don’t ever do this again,” I muttered to myself.
I closed my eyes, hoping I’d somehow miraculously wake up back in Seattle. No such luck. I’d made my bed, fucked my boss in it, and now I’d have to deal with the consequences. Not that there were any. Not since Aaron and I agreed that it never happened.
I glanced at my phone and started reviewing messages. One from my bestie, Cole, caught my attention. Like me, Cole grew up with very little but built a better life through hard work and determination. And the successful restaurant he now shared with my brother was proof.
Cole: How’s Banff? Please tell me you fucked a hot ski instructor.
I laughed out loud. Cole, even more so than me, had no filter. None.
Harrison: No. But…
Cole: Two hot ski instructors?
Harrison: LOL, unfortunately not. But I did fuck my boss.
I watched as three dots appeared, then disappeared.
Cole: WHAT??
Harrison: Yep
Cole: Details NOW
Harrison: Noooo. It never happened.
Cole: Come on, Haz. You can’t drop a bomb like that and say nothing!
Harrison: We argued, we fucked, and now it’s done. Okay, there was also a morning orgasm, but we’re finished. I don’t even know how it happened. Aaron’s an uptight dickhead.
Cole: Uptight ones are the dirtiest in bed
Harrison: It’s just sex. We hate each other. Well, he hates me more. Long story.
Cole: When you get back, you’re telling me EVERYTHING
Harrison: Nothing to tell. Last night never happened. Then it’s back home, to my usual hookups.
Cole: You sound like your brother. I swear, given the number of men and women Morgan fucks, his dick is going to fall off.
Harrison: Ew, next topic
Cole: So, what’s he like?
Harrison: Who?
Cole: FO
Harrison: He’s ambitious, stubborn, and snarky
Cole: Pot meet kettle
Harrison: FO
Cole: And?
I don’t know why but suddenly all my musings about Aaron poured out of me.
Harrison: He’s lonely, and I think, unhappy. I don’t know. He says he doesn’t have a relationship with his family, except a business one. His father’s still got an iron grip on the company. A lot is riding on this deal.
Cole: Sounds complicated
Harrison: He is. Sex isn’t.
Cole: Not yet
Harrison: Not ever
Cole: If you say so
Harrison: I do
Cole: Call me when you’re back. Better yet, stop by the resto and have dinner.
Harrison: Can’t wait
I put my phone aside at the exact same moment that Aaron walked out of the bathroom. Naked. Why was he tormenting me?
“No towels left?” I quipped as I got up and stalked across the room.
“Nah, they’re too rough on my skin.”
He passed by me, and I couldn’t help but notice the tiny droplets of water sliding down his shoulders, his back, his ass. It took all the control I had to keep walking when what I really wanted to do was shove him face first against the wall and lick him from head to toe.
“I thought you liked it rough,” I whispered.
“I thought we agreed not to go there.”
Frustrated, I kept walking and entered the bathroom, slamming the door.
Ignoring my hard-on, I took a quick shower, shaved, and headed out to grab a set of clothes. Aaron was already dressed in dark jeans and a heavy cream knit sweater, his phone cradled to his ear.
“Patrick, I don’t care how you do it, just rearrange my schedule so I’m not available,” he explained. “And if my father tries to call you again, let me know. Thanks.”
A sudden knock at the door startled me. Aaron turned around and shoved his phone in his pocket. The tense expression on his face was back. It was a damn shame.
“Did you order breakfast again?” I asked.
He shook his head and smirked. “Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied last night.”
I rolled my eyes and headed towards the door.
“I’ll answer it,” Aaron barked. “Get dressed.”
“I’ve got a towel on.”
“Barely.”
I didn’t miss the heated appraisal in Aaron’s eyes, and for a second, I thought maybe his grouchiness was possessiveness. Clearly, too much sex had depleted my brain cells.
I headed for the closet and pulled out black jeans and a gray turtleneck sweater and started back towards the bathroom. I was about to close the door behind me when I heard Aaron’s voice.
“Ollie, Rian, what are you guys doing here ?”
Oh shit. This was bad. So freaking bad.
“Didn’t you get my message?” Ollie replied.
“No, I didn’t get any.”
“Maybe I got your number wrong. Anyway, the storm knocked the power out at the office. So, Rian and I drove up here to you. I hope that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course. How did you know our…I mean…my room number?”
I didn’t dare move an inch for fear that they’d hear me.
“You mentioned it yesterday. And when you didn’t answer my message, I got a bit concerned. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all.”
“We’re going to grab breakfast in the restaurant downstairs. Come join us.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll let Harrison know and we’ll meet you down there shortly.”
“Sounds great.”
I heard the click of the door closing and sagged against the wall in relief. After taking a few deep, calming breaths, I quickly changed into my clothes and joined Aaron.
“Close call,” I muttered and walked over to the nightstand to grab my phone.
“No shit.”
“Thank God they didn’t want to come in. This room reeks of sex.”
Me and my big fucking mouth. Aaron’s eyes flared and I swallowed hard.
“Let’s get out of here,” I announced. “But first, let’s make sure housekeeping cleans this room as soon as possible.”
Aaron nodded and picked up the hotel phone. While he was busy with that, I reached for my laptop bag.
A few minutes later, we stepped outside the room. But when I looked down the hallway, I spotted Ollie and Rian standing near the elevators. They turned and spotted us.
Busted.
I glanced at Aaron, and he was flushed, including the tips of his ears. For some reason, I found that adorable. Then I chastised myself for even thinking that word. Until I felt my own cheeks heat in response. Christ, now I was blushing? That hadn’t happened since I was a teenager with my first crush. Not that this was a crush. I didn’t have those; I was thirty-one for fuck’s sake.
Ollie and Rian slowly stalked back in our direction. How was I going to talk my way out of this? By telling the truth. Well, most of it.
“The elevator’s taking forever,” Rian called out with a smile, breaking the awkward silence.
Of course it was.
“Yeah, it does that,” I replied calmly. “This hotel has a lot of issues. Aaron and I got stuck sharing the same room because of a busted pipe that flooded the third floor. Damn place is overbooked.”
“That’s what I figured,” Ollie remarked with a knowing grin.
Like hell he did.