22. Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
Lauren
I should have left. I should have gotten in my car and driven back to Karma. My stomach felt settled, so I could have worked behind the coffee bar for the first time in weeks. My mind knew this, but my feet turned into Aiden’s bedroom instead of walking down the stairs.
The rest of the house was either a construction zone or rooms with little to no furniture, but the primary suite looked like something out of a home design magazine. The space gave masculine vibes without being cold. Warm greens, rich woods. Homey. The man had throw pillows. Multiple. Sure, he didn’t have them on the bed, but they were stacked on a long window seat that looked comfy enough to sleep on.
Aiden called my name from the doorway. I wanted him to give me space. I wanted him to come to me. I wanted to wind back time and erase all the shit in my childhood that made me an indecisive mess.
I closed my eyes and imagined the rest of the house remodeled to the same level of perfection as his bedroom. What would it be like to grow up in a house like this? With a man like Aiden? With a family like his? Cousins to play with, aunts and uncles to step into the parent role when needed, grandparents who hugged. I didn’t know for sure if Aiden’s parents were huggers, but he was so tactile, I had to think they were.
“Lauren,” he said again, this time closer.
“You brought me here to show me the home you can give the baby.” My voice sounded frayed, heartbroken.
“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.
My eyes snapped open. I knew in that moment he’d never agree to put the baby up for adoption. I started shaking, the tremors began in my hands and rocked through my body until my legs weakened. A pair of strong arms steadied me from behind and guided me toward the king-sized bed, which was even softer than it looked.
Aiden sat beside me on the fluffy green comforter and took one of my unsteady hands. “Talk to me, Princess.”
“That’s the stupidest nickname you could have picked for me,” I said, but I gripped his hand tighter as though it was the only thing tethering me to this side of sanity.
With his other hand, he brushed a loose piece of hair from my face. “I don’t know. I think you look pretty regal, especially when you let your hair down.”
“I hardly ever wear it down.”
“I know.” He let go of my hand, slid the elastic from my braid, and undid each strand with his fingers so gently I wanted to cry.
He wrapped a section around his finger and rubbed it with his thumb. “Definitely princess material. I love how soft it is and how long you keep it.”
I sucked in a breath. He didn’t know I wore it cropped before I came to Peace Falls. Have your hair yanked enough times and it became a weakness, not something to be admired, cherished.
“Bullshit,” I said weakly. “You chose the name because you enjoy pissing me off.”
“Nah, that’s a bonus. I called you Princess in my head long before I ever said it out loud. If it makes you feel better, you can give me a nickname.”
“Oh, I already have one, but I’ll never say it out loud.” I can’t believe I just told him that. Pregnancy brain must be real.
“That bad, huh,” he said with a huge smile. I hoped the baby inherited his smile. Life would be easier for anyone with his warm grin. “Come on. Let me hear it.”
Telling him could change everything. But hadn’t it already changed? I could no longer pretend we hadn’t been together, that I didn’t know what it felt like to be in his arms. I placed my hand on my stomach and cleared my throat. “What If.”
“What if what?”
“That’s it. What If.”
He nodded. “It fits. I think that way more often than I should. What if Logan never died? What if I had a chance to play college ball? Would I have gone pro?”
I shook my head. “What if I hadn’t pushed you away years ago? What if I hadn’t been too scared to let you in?”
He dropped his eyes to his hands, which he’d balled into fists on his lap. “Don’t say shit like that to me, Lauren.” His voice was low, each word pushed out with precision.
Fear flooded my body. When did I become so stupid? The girl I was would never have put herself in this position, alone in a large man’s house in the middle of nowhere and, to top it off, make him so angry he had his hands in fists. “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”
His gaze shot up to meet mine, and he sucked in a breath. “I’m not angry,” he said gently. “I’m trying to keep my hands to myself. I want to peel that dress off you and worship every inch of your body, but I know that’s not what you want.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you to. I’m afraid of what will happen if I let you.”
He gave me a confident smirk. “I’ll blow your mind, Princess. Like I have every other time we’ve been together.”
“You’re so annoying,” I said, glaring at him. “Never mind.”
I stood and he gripped my hand. “I’m scared too, but if losing Logan taught me anything, it’s that nothing hurts more than regret.”
I sat back on the bed, my brown eyes searching his blue, our hands clasped tight. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“Simple,” he said, placing his palm on my face and brushing his thumb across my cheekbone. “We just stop fighting it.”
My fingers shook as I placed my hand on his chest and leaned toward him. His heart pounded beneath my fingertips, but he didn’t erase the inches between us. He kept his hand on my face, his touch gentle, waiting for me to decide.
I slid my hand up his chest to the back of his neck and pulled him toward me. Our mouths met in a kiss so gentle I almost pulled back. That kiss was the start of something more than sex. I ignored the warning bells clanging in my head and allowed Aiden to lower me on the bed.
He hovered over me, keeping his weight on his forearms as he trailed kisses down my neck. Any thoughts I had of leaving vanished as he slid down the straps of my dress with his teeth and traced the curve of my shoulder with his tongue. I grabbed the fabric of his shirt and tried to yank it over his head. He chuckled and lifted to pull it off. I traced the ridges of his abs, every peak, every valley, with the same painstaking attention he’d given my neck and shoulders. His breathing became rapid, his muscles contracting with every pass of my fingertips.
He grabbed my hands and I looked up at his face again. His pupils had blown so large only a hint of blue remained. He kissed the pad of each finger before pinning them over my head.
“Don’t move them until I tell you.” He sounded pained. I wanted to ignore him, to slide my hand inside his jeans and along the erection he was trying so hard to keep from pressing against me. But then his eyes softened, and he looked at me with so much warmth my chest ached and lip trembled.
This was too much. I was about to lower my hands and take us to a more familiar place when he kissed me, hard. His tongue slipped past my lips and danced with mine as he slowly undid the long line of buttons on the front of my dress. He sucked in a breath when he placed his hand on my breast and found it bare. His other hand immediately slid over the gentle swell of my stomach to the skin below. He groaned when he realized I hadn’t been wearing underwear either, and I couldn’t help laughing against his mouth.
The chuckle turned into a gasp when he slid his hand lower and started drawing slow circles on my throbbing clit. He ran his fingers along my slit and whispered, “Good girl,” when he found me soaked, his voice deep and full of need.
My arousal dripped down my thighs, the ache between them so intense I rocked against his hand, searching for release. He rolled my nipple in one hand at the same time he thrust two fingers inside me, leaving his thumb to caress my clit. I moaned into his mouth and he let out a frustrated huff. He broke our kiss but kept moving his talented fingers as he worked his way down my body, stopping briefly to suck and lick each breast before he lowered his head and replaced his thumb with his tongue.
He devoured me like a man starved. Within moments, waves of intense pleasure rolled from my toes to the top of my head as I came. He sucked my clit into his mouth, drawing out my climax until I begged him to stop when it became too much.
He pulled his fingers from inside me and placed a gentle kiss on both my thighs before smiling up at me. He stood and pulled the boots I’d forgotten about from my feet and kicked off his own shoes. He kissed his way back up my body before locking his lips with mine. I could taste myself on his tongue and the ache that he’d just quieted with it roared back.
I rubbed myself against the roughness of his jeans, no doubt soaking them as well, and whimpered. Despite the earth-shattering climax he’d just delivered, I’d never wanted anyone more. My fingers shook so badly as I yanked at his belt, it took me a lifetime to unbuckle. His eyes blazed as I pushed his pants and boxers down his body and ran my fingers along his hard length. When I wrapped my hand around him, he threw his head back, thrusting once, twice, before gently placing my hands over my head and positioning himself at my entrance.
We both sighed as he sank into me. He held still as he brought his hands to mine and stared deeply into my eyes, then began with a languid pace, pulling out nearly all the way before slowly thrusting into me until I was so full of him my heart ached. He made love to me until his need took over and his thrusts became erratic, desperate. I clung to him as my body exploded with pleasure again, sending him over the edge with my name on his lips.
He smiled and kissed me, our bodies still moving together, gently now, as we drew every ounce of pleasure from each other. Eventually, he rolled over, pulling me with him. I nestled into his embrace and something unfamiliar spread through my body. It took me a moment to realize I felt completely safe in his arms.