Chapter 15
15
AIDAN
Seeing Lyla bathed in the golden light from the sunset on our helicopter ride with her hair all wild around her face was a goddamn religious experience. She doesn’t know it yet, but I snuck a picture of her when she was looking out at the Washington skyline, and if I thought it wouldn’t creep her out, I would make it the background on my phone in a heartbeat.
I keep a tight hold on her hand as we stroll around the Tidal Basin, enjoying the smell of the cherry blossom trees. We went on a murder mystery dinner cruise on the river and had the best time, taking us both out of our comfort zone. Seeing Ly open up and have fun with me is a core memory I’ll never forget.
Not to mention that hot-as-hell British accent she pulled out of nowhere for her character. I’ll definitely be asking her to role-play with that sometime soon. She sounded like a sexy boarding school teacher.
Needless to say, I’ve been painfully hard since dinner. “So,” I murmur, placing my lips against her ear. I track the shiver that runs across her body with immense satisfaction, even as her cherry perfume threatens to undo me.
Lyla can sometimes be so hard to read with how she locks her emotions down, so seeing physical evidence that I affect her is a great feeling.
“We can either fly back to New York tonight and stay at the hotel with the team…” I trail off, skimming my lips over her neck lightly, loving the tiny gasp she gives me.
“Or?” she breathes.
“Or, I can have the driver take us ten minutes down the road, where I have a reservation for a suite at Sofitel.” I pull her to a stop and move us off the main pathway, backing my sweet angel up against the nearest cherry blossom tree.
“There’s no pressure here, Ly. I know we said one weekend, but that doesn’t have to mean anything more than us going on a couple of dates and getting to know each other. If you’re uncomfortable with how fast things are moving, pull the brakes. You are in control, always.”
Her eyes are slightly glassy from the themed drinks we had at dinner, but her response is clear as day and has me going from rock-hard to nearly busting in seconds. “I think… I think I want to lose control with you, Aidan. I mean, it wouldn’t be a real trial run if we didn’t try everything , would it?” she whispers with a shy grin just barely tinged with nerves.
I groan, watching her teeth dig into her plush bottom lip, and yank out my phone to text the driver, ushering her over to the meeting point as fast as I can without looking too eager.
I’m not saying I’ve been a saint or anything since Crew was born, but it’s been nearly two years since I was last with a woman, and I’m genuinely worried I might embarrass myself here.
Her quiet giggle does nothing to help the uncomfortable situation behind the zipper of my jeans right now, so I reach down to adjust myself as discreetly as possible.
My tongue ring clicks against my teeth when I clench my jaw, and a dirty smirk crawls its way onto my mouth thinking of all the ways I can make this as good for her as I know it will be for me.
We make it to the hotel and up to our room in record time, and not one minute goes by that we aren’t touching or sneaking heated kisses. The second the heavy door closes, I grip her face between my hands and back her up against the door, slanting my mouth over hers with a sigh.
The scent of her perfume surrounds me as I sweep my tongue into her hot mouth. A loud groan emanates from deep in my chest when I realize that somehow, she tastes even better than she smells.
My angel tastes like cherries and looks like temptation.
“Goddamn, Lyla,” I huff, trailing kisses down her neck and collarbone. “If that’s how good your mouth tastes, I can’t imagine how good you’ll taste in other places.”
Her moan is sweet and breathy, and it drives me to the brink of madness. Scooping her up in my arms, I encourage her to wrap her toned legs around my waist so I can carry her to the master bedroom down the hall. I’m completely oblivious to our surroundings as wind-swept hair and lust-darkened green eyes steal my attention.
Setting her down next to the bed, I step back and take a seat. “You sure this is what you want, angel?” She nods, but I need more, so I grip her chin between my thumb and forefinger, pulling her in to meet my eyes. “I need words, sugar.”
“I’m sure,” she promises. “I haven’t been with anyone since… well, in over a year. And I can’t think of anyone I would want to take this step with more than you.”
I release her with a smirk and sit down on the edge of the bed, leaning back on my elbows. “Then strip for me.”
I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a dominant man by nature, but the way my little angel’s eyes darken as she rushes to follow my command has my cock thumping behind my zipper, making me wince slightly.
Lyla isn’t even trying to be seductive, but seeing her in nothing but my jersey is so fucking sexy that I can’t stop myself from pulling my length free from my slacks and stroking it slowly, being careful not to wind myself up too much.
When she drops the jersey to the floor, standing in front of me in nothing but a thin lace bra and panties, my chest tightens in anticipation. Crossing an arm in front of her stomach, she stares at me, biting her lip anxiously. Her eyes darken even further as her gaze follows the path of my hand.
“Your turn,” she murmurs.
We don’t break eye contact once as I slowly unknot my tie, letting it fall to the bed. I watch her pupils expand as I unbutton my shirt and take a small step toward her, making quick work of the rest of my game-day suit. The look on Lyla’s face as she examines my form is worth every second spent sweating my ass off in a gym or on the field.
Her tiny finger sweeps across the tattoo of Crew’s birthday on my left pec before leisurely tracing the divots in my abs with a wistful sigh. A shiver races down my spine and sends goosebumps skating down my arms. At this point, I could probably come from this alone.
She squeals when I scoop her up and toss her on the bed, tracking her every move like a predator hunting its prey. I’m ready to do a little exploring of my own.
I don’t hesitate to crawl over her and trap her in my arms. A look of panic flashes across her eyes, but it’s gone so fast that I’m not sure if I’m imagining things. “You still good, angel? Remember, you say no, and we stop right now. No hard feelings.”
Eyes I see every night in my dreams snap up to meet mine, determination filling them and replacing any lingering doubts. “I want this, Aidan. I want you .”
The quiet words are all I need to take her mouth in a searing kiss that’s so good I don’t know if the whimper that escapes comes from her or me. “For someone who looks so much like an angel, you sure do taste like fucking sin,” I murmur against her soft lips.
She pulls back with a moan, and I take that as my cue to continue, raining kisses down her neck. I stop briefly to nip at her collarbone, groaning when she clenches her thighs around my hips.
Continuing the line of kisses down her body, I stroke my tongue leisurely over her rosy nipples, sucking first one and then the other into my mouth until they’re hard peaks.
Ly’s quiet mewls of pleasure are noisy in the otherwise silent room, spurring me on. Her fingers thread through my hair, tugging slightly when I lower my mouth to hover over her mound and the trimmed strip of hair there .
“Aidan,” she gasps. “It’s okay, you don’t have to?—”
A primal sound rumbles from my throat. “We never got dessert earlier, and I suddenly have a desperate craving for cherries.” The first swipe of my tongue along her slit has her back bowing off the bed.
“Oh, god!”
With each lick, I make sure to scrape the stud in my tongue across her clit, loving the sighs and moans falling from her sweet lips. Her fists tighten in my hair, and she yanks my face further into her heavenly pussy, the prickling pain from my scalp making my cock leak on the sheets beneath us. “Fuuuck,” I groan against her clit. “That’s it, angel. Use me like I know you want to. Ride my face with your perfect pussy.”
Bringing my hand up, I slide a finger inside her and quickly add a second when I realize she can take more. I curl my fingers just a bit, searching for that spot that will make her scream.
“Aidan!”
There it is.
She chants my name over and over as I bring her to the edge, but I stop before she can fall.
“Aid!” she whines. “I was so close.”
As quick as I can, I snatch my wallet off the floor and roll on a condom I stashed in there just in case. “I know, baby, but I want the first time you come for me to be on my cock. We have plenty of time for you to come on my tongue later.” Lyla’s cheeks are flushed with pleasure as I line myself up at her entrance.
Meeting her eyes, I slide in with one long thrust, taking a steadying breath when I bottom out. She’s so goddamn tight I worry I’m about to embarrass myself .
She writhes under me, and I grip her hips tightly to hold her still. “Give me a second, or this is gonna be over a helluva lot sooner than either of us wants it to be, angel,” I growl out through gritted teeth, shaking my head when she bites her lip with a mischievous look in her eyes.
She clamps down on me, making me curse. “Lyla, I swear.”
The smirk she gives me frays the thin thread of control I’m barely hanging onto, but when she swivels her hips, I’m fucking done for.
I snap my hips into her, basking in the way she cries out for more. I thrust hard and fast, bringing my thumb up to her mouth and pressing it against her bottom lip.
“Suck.”
She does, swirling her pink tongue around my finger like I imagine she would do to my cock. Yanking my thumb free, I bring it down to circle her swollen clit, smirking when she yelps at the contact. I’m dangerously close to losing it, and I need to get her there first.
I lean down and use my free hand to capture her jaw as I press our foreheads together. “Look at you taking my cock so well, angel. Such a good girl, takin’ me like you were fuckin’ made for me.” Her walls flutter around my shaft forcing a grunt from between my clenched teeth.
“Aidan, I’m close,” she pants out.
Leaning down, I pull her into another intense kiss, using the angle to my advantage to thrust as deep as I can. “Good. Come for me, Lyla.”
I circle her clit with renewed pressure, and she falls into an orgasm, triggering my own. It’s so intense that black spots float across my vision, and my breathing is so heavy you would think I just played a double header.
When I can see clearly again, I pull out, whispering an apology when she lets out a pained whimper. I carefully tie off the condom before disposing of it in the garbage can next to the bed, and then I grab a soft cloth from the bathroom and wait for the sink to run warm.
Wet cloth in hand, I return to the bedroom only to see my pretty girl curled on her side on the bed, breathing shallowly.
Concern spikes through my chest but quickly turns to anger when she flinches at my soft touch. I’m not angry at her. I could never be angry at her. But I’m pissed as hell at the motherfucker that sent her running to South Carolina. “It’s just me, angel. Can I clean you up?”
She nods, relaxing slightly. I make quick work of it and toss the cloth in the corner of the room before sliding into bed next to her soft, warm body. She doesn’t tense up when she feels me at her back, so I take a chance and wrap her up, holding her to me as tightly as I dare. “What’s going on in that complicated mind of yours, Ly?”
Heaving a deep sigh, she turns in my arms so we’re face to face. “I just needed a moment,” she murmurs, gently scratching her nails over the thin layer of scruff covering my jaw. My eyes close, reveling in the intimacy of her movements.
I had my fair share of hookups over the years, but they were always quick and meaningless and left me feeling kind of empty. I wasn’t ready for a relationship and all the things that went with one back then, but I forgot how damned good it feels to connect to another person like this. The little touches that show affection and make you feel wanted.
With a kiss to her slightly sweaty forehead, I breathe in her sweet cherry perfume that’s even more potent now. “Wanna talk about it? ”
“I’ve been going over it in my head all week since you asked me out.” Her words drop to a whisper against my chest. “I just don’t see a way that we can make this work past this weekend, Aid. Not right now, anyway.”
My heart cracks, and I don’t even care that I probably sound like a pathetic loser. “But… was it something I did? I went too fast, didn’t I? Fuck.”
I run my hands through my hair in frustration before dragging them down my face. I knew this was a possibility, but I wasn’t expecting it to hurt so goddamn much.
“No! Aidan, no. I just… I promised to always make Crew my top priority. There are things in my life that might make us being publicly linked unsafe for both of you, and I couldn’t handle it if you or Crew were caught up in my mess.”
I hear the undercurrent of fear in her words, and her sudden reluctance makes sense. I knew one date probably wouldn’t have her spilling all her secrets but I won’t lie, I’m still pretty disappointed she’s calling things off before we even have a chance to start them.
Holding back a sigh, I force my eyes down to meet her determined ones. That one look is enough to tell me pushing her for more right now will only solidify her decision to end things, but that sure as hell doesn’t mean I have to stop trying to win her over. A plan forms in my mind, and the first step is to finish the weekend we promised each other.
“Finish out the weekend with me?” I beg, capturing her soft hands between my calloused ones. “If this is the only time I get to feel what it’s like for you to be mine, I want to keep that feeling as long as I possibly can.”
Lyla exhales with a sad smile. “I guess I did promise… ”
I fight to keep the victorious smile from playing across my face. My girl may not know it yet, but I can be a relentless bastard when I want something. And if her heart is on the line?
There’s no chance I’m playing fair.