Chapter 27
MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Game night at the Taylors’ house was a tradition that had been going on for years. What was funny about game night was that only Aiden and Liv were interested in playing board games. Their parents never played, Scott played sometimes, and Chett never played at all.
“I’m going to take you all down.” Aiden wiggled his eyebrows as he looked at Xander, Liv and me with a serious face and I tried not to laugh.
He was so far from intimidating when he made that face, but I knew he wasn’t joking.
Aiden never joked about board games. He played to win, and he pretty much always did.
I stared at Aiden’s face for a few seconds and wondered how it was that he could be so good looking without being completely cocky.
Aiden Taylor is classically handsome in the way that means that pretty much any woman can look at him and find something to appreciate.
That’s not why I like him, though. Yes, his eyes are vividly blue and remind me of the sky on a clear summer day; yes, his hair is dark and silky with a slight curl that makes him look dangerously sexy; yes, his lips are full and pink, and have a curl to them that makes him look roguish; yes, his skin is a tan olive brown and his body is fit and muscular without looking like he’s Mr. Universe …
Yes, I’m attracted to his looks, but what I like most about Aiden is the fact that underneath his bossy-older-brother persona, he is deeply caring, wickedly intelligent, and he has a secret naughty side to him that I love seeing come out.
And even more than that, he’s always been there for me even when I didn’t know I needed him.
“Are you going to play, Alice?” Aiden asked me and poked me in the shoulder.
“Sorry, I was just thinking,” I said and smiled at him as I picked up the dice.
He smiled back at me and then looked away and started counting his money.
I laughed at the happy look on his face.
Aiden had always loved playing Monopoly, and he was the king of property buying.
He always acted as if the game were real life and he was always a sore loser when he happened to lose a game, which had only happened once.
And if I’m completely honest, I wasn’t sure if he had lost on purpose or not.
“Thinking is not acting,” he said with a stern face. “Roll the dice and move.”
“See what I told you, Xander?” Liv said and kissed her boyfriend. “Aiden takes this game so seriously. He really thinks he is buying real properties and hotels.”
“Don’t be a sore loser, Liv,” Aiden said, and Liv laughed.
“We just started playing ten minutes ago. You haven’t won yet.”
“Yet,” he said with a smirk and then looked back at me. “Are you going to play?”
“I’m playing, jeez,” I said and rolled the dice and then moved my piece. “I’m not buying the property,” I said as I looked at my cash.
“What?” Aiden looked at me like I was crazy. “How can you not buy it? You always have to buy.”
“I’m saving my money.” I shrugged and adjusted the strap of my top as it was sliding off of my shoulder.
I noticed Aiden’s eyes shift from my face to my shoulder and his gaze became more intense as he watched me adjusting my bra strap as well.
My fingers got stuck underneath the strap for a moment, and Aiden moved towards me.
For a second I thought he was going to help me untangle my fingers, but he didn’t.
I released my breath, and he moved back.
“You can play now.” I smiled at him sweetly. “My turn is done.”
“That was a bad move,” he said and shook his head. “How many times do I have to tell you and Liv to always buy a property?”
“I didn’t want to,” I said, and I saw Liv rolling her eyes as Xander smiled.
“Well, you should have,” Aiden said and picked up the dice. “I know you like being difficult, Alice, but really you should listen to me when it comes to playing board games.”
“I know, I know,” I said and picked up my bottle of water. “You know best. You’re the king of Monopoly, the baron of fake-property buying, the master of the universe.”
“The master of the universe, huh?” Aiden smiled and licked his lips. “I don’t know if I’m the master of the universe, but I can be a master of other things.”
My breath caught, and I looked away as my face grew red.
Was Aiden confirming what Xander had told me?
There was no way that he knew that I knew he was a Dom, so I wondered if he thought he was being smart.
I stared at his hands and shivered slightly as I imagined them doing dirty things to me. Very, very dirty things.
“What other things?” I said softly and looked down at his belt. “Leather things?”
“Leather things?” His eyes caught mine, and I couldn’t read his expression.
“Okay, I’m buying Park Avenue.” He changed the subject without continuing and I looked over at Liv, who was looking very confused.
I really needed to talk to her about what Xander had told me.
I knew it would be awkward for her to hear that her brother was a Dom, but my sanity was more important than her feeling awkward at this point.
“Get ready to pay me all of your money, bitches.” Aiden sounded gleeful, and Liv gasped.
“Is that any way to speak to women?” she said tartly. “Bitches? Really, Aiden?”
“No.” Aiden jumped up from the ground. “Sorry, girls, I got a bit carried away. My apologies to you two gentle damsels.”
“I’m no damsel,” I said and sipped some more water. “You don’t need to be gentle with me.”
“That’s good to know.” Aiden winked at me and studied my face for a few seconds. “Anyone want a beer or anything else from the kitchen?”
“I think I’ll come with you and grab a beer.” Xander jumped up as well. “Girls?”
“I’ll have a Blue Moon, please. And some chips.”
“I’ll have a Blue Moon as well,” Liv said. “And bring some more salsa out.”
“Anything else, ma’am?” Xander teased her, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
“Yes, some popcorn too,” she said as they exited the room. “Don’t forget the popcorn.”
“How could I forget the popcorn?” Xander looked at her from the door and then exited.
“What is going on?” Liv screeched as soon as they’d left the room.
“What are you talking about?” I said with a frown. “What do you mean, ‘what is going on?’”
“You and my brother are flirting.” She pointed a finger at me. “Master of the universe and damsel in distress?” She giggled as she studied my face. “What are you two going on about?”
“We’re not flirting.” I groaned. “I wish we were flirting. I wish he were interested in me.”
“Alice, trust me. Aiden is flirting.” She cocked her head to the side. “Why do I feel like there is something you haven’t told me?”
“Liv,” I whispered as I stared at the door. “You will not believe what I have to tell you.”
“Oh my God, what?” She leaned forward eagerly.
“Xander told me …” My voice trailed off and I lowered my voice some more. “You cannot tell him I told you.”
“Oh my God, what did he tell you?” she said, her voice growing louder.
“Shhh, Liv!” I groaned. “Look, I don’t have time to tell you now, but I will tell you later.”
“You’re killing me.” She made a face. “I want to know now.”
“I seriously can’t tell you now,” I said, and Liv frowned.
“Give me a clue, at least. You can’t just leave me hanging.”
“I’m not leaving you hanging,” I said and then leaned forward. “Let me just say that Aiden likes to be in control.”
“Huh?” Liv looked confused. “What does that mean?” Her eyes searched mine. “What do you mean he likes to be in control?”
“I mean he likes to be in control.” I emphasized the last word and widened my eyes. I moved my hand back and forth in a quick slapping motion, but I could tell that Liv had no idea what I was acting out. The look on her face was one of deep confusion.
“Okay, here are the beers.” Aiden walked into the living room then, and I blushed as I took the beer.
Every time I looked at Aiden now, all I could think about was him spanking me or bossing me around in the bedroom.
Unfortunately, I had no real clue what went on in a Dominant/submissive relationship, so I knew I was going to have to do some research if I was hoping to get him to believe that I was interested in being a part of that lifestyle.
“So who’s up now?” Aiden said as he sat down and handed me a bowl of chips.
“Liv,” I said with a smile, and we both turned to Liv who was busy kissing Xander. “You’re up, Liv.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said with a small smile as she played with Xander’s hair. I looked at the board and smiled to myself as we waited for her to play.
“Reminds me of old times,” Aiden said softly, and I looked up at him with a small smile.
“Oh?” I said just as softly.
“Liv being preoccupied with a boy and us having to wait,” he said and reached over to grab some chips. “Do you remember that night we played by ourselves?”
“I do,” I said quietly, surprised he had remembered. “I was thirteen and you were eighteen,” I said with a laugh. “And it was Valentine’s Day.”
“Yup.” He nodded. “And you were so upset because Liv spent the whole night chatting to her friend on the phone.”
“What friend?” Xander frowned, and Liv giggled as she punched him in the shoulder.
“I was thirteen.” She shook her head. “His name was Lucas Johnson, and he was fourteen, and I thought we were going to get married and live happily ever after.”
“Hmph,” Xander said, and I smiled at his slightly jealous expression.
“They weren’t even really dating,” I said. “Liv just had a crush on him, and they spent most of their calls talking about wrestling.”
“Ugh, and heavy metal.” Liv made a face. “I don’t know how he believed that I enjoyed listening to heavy metal.”
“Heavy metal?” Xander looked confused.
“Liv told him she loved heavy metal and wrestling because he loved them and she wanted to connect with him.” I giggled as I thought back to the silly lies we’d told as teenagers.