9. Aidan #2
Magnolia looks thoughtful. “I assumed right then,” she says.
“That’s why you never settled down. Are you afraid of having a family?
Don’t think I’m insinuating anything with me, we’re just speaking in generalities here.
You’re opposed to it because of how bad your childhood was?
” She swallows, and I can tell she feels bad for me.
Rather, the child version of me. I don’t want her sympathy.
That’s one thing I’ve never wanted. I didn’t want anyone to view me as any different than my peers who came from fully functional home lives.
An advantage isn’t needed. Work is. I’ve proven myself a man.
Clearing my throat, I look out the window.
“The opposite. I know I’ll do it better than they ever could have imagined.
I had a prime example of how not to be, how to act.
I’m not afraid of settling down. That’s an unfair label placed on all men who date around a lot.
Can’t it ever be that we haven’t met the right woman? ”
She stiffens, her shoulders ramrod straight.
“Of course,” Magnolia says, voice quiet. “I’ve never thought about it that way.”
Reaching over, I grab the hand working over her thigh. “Women say it all the time. Oh, I haven’t met the right man. A bit of a double standard to say I date around a lot because I’m afraid of commitment, isn’t it?”
Her throat works as she swallows. “It’s just that you look like that, and you can have anyone you want. I can’t imagine having that kind of power. I can’t say I wouldn’t date around just because I can if I looked as attractive as you or if my circumstances were different.”
“Power? That’s what you think my looks are?”
“What is it if not power?”
I squeeze her hand. “You have more power in your pinky finger than I have in my whole body then. You have no idea how appealing you are. Not just to me, but to every man in a thousand-mile radius. That’s what makes you so hot.”
Scoffing, she fires back, “I have a teenage daughter and a divorce under my belt. That’s not appealing, Aidan, but thank you for the compliment, I think.”
When she pulls into a parking spot, I pull her over to my side so I can have her nearer, smell that scent that is only Magnolia Sager.
She tucks wayward strands of hair behind her ear.
I kiss her head. “It was a compliment. There were multiple compliments tucked in there. One about you being hot. One about you being so awesome I want to keep you.”
Saying the words out loud feels right. Honest.
She stays silent, but she does lean her head into my chest. “I’m sorry you have awful parents.”
“Don’t apologize, you didn’t make them beat me half to death.”
She winces.
I’ve said too much. The line was crossed.
“I can’t imagine.”
“You don’t have to. Don’t think about it. Let’s go paddle each other.”
“I need to ask you something,” Magnolia says. “Things seem to be going well between us, right?”
“I’d like more sex, but yes, they are going well. Why do you ask?”
She sighs. “Kendall. I’m debating whether or not to introduce her to you. Do we wait a while to make sure it’s going to work out? Will she be upset I didn’t introduce you two sooner?”
The kid. It’s easy to forget she has a kid because she had her at such a young age. Other than the casual mentions of her daughter, I don’t think about it at all. It never bothered me, but I can see how this is a big decision for Magnolia. Honestly, it’s one she needs to make on her own.
“I don’t know Kendall, so I’m going to say I think you need to figure that out on your own. I’m happy to meet her when you’re ready…when you think she’s ready. From what you’ve told me, she’s been through a lot and I wouldn’t want to add to her stress.”
“Yeah,” Magnolia replies, lost in thought. “You don’t mind either way?”
“You’ll make the right decision,” I say, pulling her in tighter.
“I’ll sneak around for as long as you want, Magnolia.
There’s no pressure. I’ll never put ultimatums on you like that.
If you think I’ll be offended, I won’t. The relationship stuff is so new to me that learning the ropes and keeping this just to ourselves for a while is appealing.
Meeting your daughter and getting to see the person you raised is appealing too.
Don’t sweat it. Make sure it’s on your terms. No surprises.
” Like having her walk in on us fucking like animals with paddles.
“Thanks, Aidan. For being so understanding. Also, you have really great advice. Give yourself more credit with the relationship stuff,” she says. Looking up to meet my gaze. “I want to kiss you right now, but I also want to go inside. If we kiss, I’m not sure the second will get accomplished.”
Grinning, I lean over and whisper, “I’m good with advice and self-control. If it’s a kiss you want.”
Her eyes narrow. “It’s not your self-control I’m worried about.”
Shaking my head, I lean in and press my mouth against hers.
It’s a soft kiss—just enough to taste her.
I pull away before I lose myself and have to invoke my control.
Magnolia melts in my arms, and if I were alone, I’d bang on my chest—knowing I have her so fully.
Leaning my forehead against hers, I watch her breathe. “Shall we go inside?”
“Yeah, though we might not stay long.”
“No? You have things you need to get,” I reply.
“Something else I need to have will take precedence,” she says, sliding her hand onto the bulge in my shorts. She squeezes softly, then continues, “There are only so many hours in the day, you know?”
I run one hand through my hair, a cheek-splitting grin wrecking my face. “Magnolia Sager, I do believe you’ve made me blush.”
“But do you agree with my plan?”
I’m losing my mind. I’m losing everything in favor of one thing.
Feeding this hunger I’ve never felt before.
She wants to know if I agree with her plan?
Her chin in my hand, I kiss her more aggressively, dragging her hand back to my dick so she can feel just how much I agree.
Her smile breaks our kiss. “Yes. Agreed,” I say.
“In case you had any doubts or wanted verbal confirmation.”
She still lingers on my lips when we enter the warm garage serving as the auction house.
Fans are blowing in every direction. There is air conditioning, but with all of the doors open to bring in the larger items for the auction, the heat seeps in.
Magnolia looks out of place in a room full of old people.
I watch her walk the perimeter searching for whatever items she’s seeking.
Her long brown ponytail is high, brushing her shoulders as she leans over to get a closer look at a tagged item.
She looks up to where I’m standing and waves me over.
“Look at this,” she says, pointing at a box of jewelry that looks like the nineties puked out. Sifting through it, she adds, “I probably need this along with that dining set.” Magnolia motions to the corner where an old-ass table with six chairs sits.
I nod. “They are real gems,” I exclaim, raising one brow.
She hits me on the shoulder, watching her hand as our bodies touch. “Don’t pretend to know what you’re talking about. Just ask me questions.”
I do ask. I know everything I can possibly know about Victorian furniture twenty minutes later.
We take our seats in the brown folding chairs as the auctioneer speaks faster than I knew possible.
I watch his mouth as he runs through the gamut of random bobs and bits until he gets to Magnolia’s dining set.
She throws her paddle up in the air and calls out a price before he can even introduce one.
Another man double our age does too. And so it goes for a couple of minutes that feel like hours.
I break out in a cold sweat when I realize she might not win the table, and in this moment, my heart’s truest desire is that she wins.
A fucking table. It’s my competitive nature.
I’d take out the old geezer if this were a different kind of fight.
Magnolia stands up, paddle in the air, and calls out an offer significantly higher than the last one he gave.
The old man shakes his head and puts his paddle down in defeat.
“Sold, number one one niner,” the auctioneer calls when the bidding war concludes. I’m surprised I’m at the edge of my seat.
Leaning over, I realize she’s breathing heavily. “That was intense,” I remark.
“It always is,” she replies, smiling at me. “I knew you’d like it.”
“This table must really be worth something.” I narrow my eyes at the piece of furniture once more.
“I have to fix it up a bit, but it will so be worth it.” Her eyes light up.
I load the heavy set into the bed of her truck, and we’re back at her house in record time.
I unload the table into her workshop garage as carefully as I can, and then we’re standing in the heat of her workspace, staring at each other.
A drop of sweat rolls between her breasts, and I press my lips together.
It reminds me of the last time we had sex.
Hot sex. Sex that changed everything for me.
It was sex so desperate and passionate that I can’t even view her sweat without getting turned on.
“Going to give me a tour?” I ask, watching her mouth, gesturing to her house with a head movement.
She nods. “We have forty minutes before Kendall gets out of school. Let’s go.”
There is no actual tour. She locks the door of her bedroom the second we enter, retreats to the restroom for a brief moment and then moves toward me like a lioness. I don’t have time to speak a word. She’s on me.