Chapter 12
“Just knock.” Even whispering the words caused my heart to beat a little faster.
I wasn’t there because he saved me, and no villain required heroic intervention.
This was a simple emotion tying knots in my stomach.
The conflict played out like a turbulent storm.
One moment my brain retreated and my heart said, “I want this,” and in the next, the script flipped. I wanted this, but did I deserve it?
Two knocks came from the other side of the door. I nearly jumped from the confident bang echoing through the hallway.
“In case you weren’t sure how doors worked.” Even muffled through the door, I imagined the words came with a sly grin. It should have calmed my nerves, but knowing Aiden was only inches away, the butterflies flapped with reckless abandon.
I knocked.
“Who’s there?”
Was he really going to make me say it? I owed him my life, but groveling was not on the agenda. I scowled at the small eyehole, ready to give him a sarcastic remark. Betrayed by my body, my knuckles struck the door. Well, might as well go for broke and do it again.
The door opened and Aiden tried looking surprised. “Were you waiting long?” He could fight it, but the edge of his lip turned up. I didn’t like that he held all the cards, but seeing him in a white undershirt and a pair of basketball shorts, he stole my breath.
“Xander…” his voice turned serious. “Are you okay?”
I wasn’t okay. I was smitten.
“Uh, I wanted to see you.” I could bury it underneath sexual innuendo and the thought of him straddling my hips. But the truth of the matter… it was that shit-eating grin that I wanted to see. I had never been an emotional man, but it was the truth. I wanted to see his stupid face.
“Here I am.”
“You’re going to make this awkward, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “I’m enjoying this.”
Despite surviving a shotgun blast, the playful banter from this handsome man nearly did me in. I spent the majority of my day nestled in the comfort of my rage, a general annoyance for the world. But here, with the man I daydreamed about, I could barely form words.
“I wanted to say thanks.” I slid my hands in my pockets, trying to avoid being any more awkward than necessary. “You know, for saving my life.” I dropped my eyes.
“You could have said that in a text.”
Alejandro would be in stitches when he heard how the mere sight of Aiden evaporated my swagger. Even Griffin had more game than I did at that moment. I balled my hands into fists in my pockets, mustering the courage to put it all on the table.
In a graceful movement, his hand slid to my back and…
Aiden kissed me.
Rushed, his lips pressed against mine, his beard brushing against my chin. He lingered, and with my eyes closed, I could only sense the confidence. I could have shown up, dropped my pants and spent the night sweaty, but my heart spoke louder than my cock.
The kiss was soft, and too quickly, he pulled back. I leaned in, chasing one more second. The first move had been made, but I wouldn’t let it be the last. I wanted—no, I needed whatever drug he pumped in my veins.
I caught his hand as he retreated. Stepping across the threshold, I had yet to sort where I wanted this to go. There were a thousand questions, and they quieted as I slid a hand to his neck, thumb grazing the edges of his facial hair. He held firm, letting me make the next move.
“I needed to see you,” I whispered.
His forehead pressed against mine. “Still here.” Smartass.
He tasted like cinnamon toast. This time, there was nothing chaste about the kiss.
My hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling him tightly as I opened my mouth.
He let me set the pace as my tongue touched the tip of his.
The dams opened, and I realized what I wanted—a sexy man willing to let the butterflies flap their wings before he calmed them.
His fingers pulled at the loops in my jeans.
Leaning back, he pulled me into the living room of his apartment.
He never broke the kiss, letting me hold him firm, grazing his tongue along mine.
Smacking the door, it slammed shut. I hadn’t come with a plan, and standing in the man’s apartment while I drank in his sexy was as far as my mind allowed me to think.
He broke the kiss, but didn’t let go of my pants. His belly rested against my torso, giving me enough space that he wouldn’t be aware of the bulge in my pants. Part of me wanted to throw him on the couch and peel the shirt off his body, but it’d mean breaking contact.
“Do you thank everybody like that?” Even though we were alone, the words came out in a whisper.
“Only the ones who save my life.” This wasn’t about bedding a sexy man and adding another notch to my bedpost.
“Good to know you have standards.”
“They’ve been debated before.”
He patted me on the side of the face, the grin returning to his face. “If you weren’t so sexy, I’d slap you.” On the second pat, I placed my hand over his, enjoying the warmth of his touch.
“I should go before I—”
“No.”
The word hung in the air, a command. I was willing to go and be a gentleman. We could pick up over coffee, talking about that time I nearly died, or a supervillain tried to kill us. But as he bit his lower lip, I didn’t want to be a gentleman.
“I was just about to take a shower.”
“I wouldn’t want to interrupt your—”
“Don’t be a smart ass,” he scolded.
“I didn’t bring my bathing suit.” It was my turn to taunt and tease.
“Good.”
Dammit, he won this round.
Aiden’s apartment wasn’t large, but with most of the lights off, it was hard to tell.
The front door opened into the living room that held a large couch and dining room table against one wall.
Past an island, the space continued to the kitchen.
On one side, there was a door to a bedroom, and he took me by the hand, guiding me into his personal space.
The master bath was larger than necessary.
He stepped in, and a second later the hiss of water filled the silence.
When he returned, the light from the bathroom left him in a dark silhouette.
If I wasn’t going to throw him onto the bed, I didn’t quite know the etiquette for a first-time shower where we weren’t washing cum off one another.
The shower was a large stall, surrounded by ceramic tile, and big enough to fit a small party.
The steam from the water made the air wet, and I looked forward to the sight of this huskular man dripping wet.
I tried to pull at the button on his jeans, but found it rather stubborn.
He reached for it, offering a helping hand, when I batted it away. “Nope, I’ve got this.”
With a little more fidgeting, his jeans opened. Tugging at the zipper, I savored each click as it slid down. Before I could pull them off, his shorts slid from his waist, crumpling onto the floor. That’s where pants belonged. I went to lift his shirt, and he stopped me from stripping him naked.
Every inch of my being wanted to lunge, to wrap my arms around him and feel his skin pressed against mine.
Aiden bit his lower lip. This drop-dead gorgeous man’s confidence broke as nerves took hold.
I loved thicker men, the way their bodies curved and the soft padding that made them perfect for cuddling.
But not every man saw those as positives.
Something in my chest hurt as I worried Aiden might not…
My hands remained in place as I crouched down, resting on my knees. With the few inches of his belly exposed, I leaned in, kissing it gently. His fingers relaxed as I continued upward until my nose touched his shirt.
I slid my hands around his waist, pulling him close while I rested my head against his stomach. Aiden ran his hand over the stubble on my head. There were a thousand ways I could compliment him, trying to dismiss his fears, but nothing summarized my admiration.
Unbuckling my pants, I stood up. I leaned against the bathroom wall while I kicked them off. I stepped on the toes of my socks, tearing them off. The uncertainty remained, written across his face, questioning if he had made the right choice.
I couldn’t say anything to erase a lifetime of the world telling him he should look one way or another. I stepped into the shower, letting the water drench my t-shirt and soak through my boxer briefs. His eyes widened and he let out a laugh.
“What are you doing?”
I took his hand and pulled him closer. He would either have to wave me off or step into the shower. The worry vanished as he laughed, stepping under the water. I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning through the spray to kiss him.
“You’re crazy.”
I stepped back, leaning against the tile. The water had left his shirt see-through, and even his underwear turned transparent.
“What?”
“How’d I get this lucky?” He might think it was a rhetoric question, but I really wanted to know. My life had turned complicated, but the powers, the suit, all of it, none of it mattered with this beautiful man in front of me.
“You’re going to give a guy a complex.”
“Sir, if you could stop being sexy, I’ll stop staring.” It was my turn to smirk. “We both know that’s a lie.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
His eyes glanced down in a sly attempt to check my package. I took my chances, pulling my underwear down my legs, kicking them into the corner of the shower. If he didn’t trust my words, my erection made it abundantly clear how turned on I was at that moment.
As the sheer white fabric of his underwear stretched outward, I couldn’t resist. I stepped under the spray, putting a hand on the small of his back, pulling him tight. My free hand worked down the front of his briefs, cupping his package. The moment my hand touched his balls, he let out a gasp.
“It’s been a while,” he whispered.
“You’re not the only one.”