Chapter 9
Aiden held open the front door of his duplex and waited for her to precede him. Dez brushed past him, and attraction flickered inside her body, turning on desire in every region.
She stood in the tight foyer and removed her shoes. Aiden carried her bag packed full of necessities and a few days’ worth of clothes. As she swept her gaze around the entryway and into the house, a rush of foggy memories assaulted her.
He’d shoved her up against the mirror on the wall beside her, gripping her shirt hungrily and darting his tongue into the hot cavern of her mouth.
The runner where he’d left his jeans.
The couch where he’d tugged off her pants and brought his mouth between her legs.
The hall where he’d scooped her up with her legs hugged around his waist.
An open door down the short hallway that led to the living room revealed the bed where pure magic had been created.
“Bring back memories?” A hint of satisfaction rumbled along the words.
She pinched her chin between her thumb and forefinger. “Mmm. Not anything memorable.”
He slapped his hand to his chest in mock devastation. “Ouch. You can be ruthless, you know that? I always strive for perfection and you can’t even remember a good time.” The humor in his tone didn’t change the truth of his words.
But that was a road she didn’t want to travel. Not tonight anyway.
His lips moved into a broad grin, and he nodded at the living room. “I think you remember the couch for sure,” he said, bobbing his eyebrows. “I do.”
A laugh lodged in her throat. “Okay, easy cowboy.” She’d be crazy to say she didn’t want to have a repeat of Saturday night, but there had to be a mutual understanding. Some kind of trust formed.
He’s getting there . . .
She went to the kitchen island, where he’d left the groceries. “What can I do?” She peeled open one of the paper bags. Her gaze caught something and her eyes widened—red lipstick scrawled on the kitchen counter. She clapped her hand to her mouth. The words were faded but still visible.
“I see you remember writing that.”
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”
His light laugh broke the tension radiating down her spine. He reached into a bag next to her and pulled out the marinated chicken breast he’d picked up. “Of all the things women have left behind, that takes the cake. Kinda hard to move on when you leave me a memento like that.”
She fought the urge to smile. So he was hung up on her? Now that was something she hadn’t quite expected. Sure, he’d made it clear that he’d enjoyed himself, maybe wanted to go for another round, but he was having trouble moving on? Interesting.
But she couldn’t avoid the most striking part of what he’d said. “You have a lot of women who leave your bed, huh?”
He tilted his head, a hint of annoyance creasing his brow. “C’mon. I’m not going to lie and say I’m celibate or saving myself for marriage. If that’s what you expect in a guy, you’re looking at the wrong one.”
She tucked her chin and pulled out some vegetables. “I don’t expect anything,” she countered rapid-fire.
His gaze sharpened. “That’s a lie. You’re worried I’m going to go blabbing around town that we slept together. I just told you I’ve had sex with other women often—have you ever heard any rumors?”
She froze. She hadn’t. He was considered one of the town hotties, and she might have heard about the odd date he’d had over the years, but she certainly couldn’t recall any rumors about who he’d slept with.
“Well?”
“No, I guess I haven’t.” She smoothed strands of hair away from the side of her face. Her body temperature rose a degree or two under his intense stare.
“Look,” he said, placing his hands far apart on the counter. “You’re a business owner and maybe already up against some wary people given the unusual nature of your business, correct?”
She raised an eyebrow. His words had good intentions behind them but irked her nonetheless. “I don’t believe anything that I do is ‘unusual.’ Maybe it’s beyond what some people consider ‘normal,’ but to me there’s nothing more normal than connecting with one’s higher self and spiritual path.”
“Okay,” he said, lifting a hand as if to slow her down. “I just meant maybe some people misunderstand your products.”
“Yeah, I guess that would be accurate.”
“And you’re worried that the people who frequent your store will think less of you if they hear about us. Because I’m such a terrible catch.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You’re putting words in my mouth.”
He huffed a breath and stared at the ceiling.
“I feel like I’m going in circles. Look, I liked spending Saturday night with you.
Yeah, I mean in bed, but also at the bar.
I enjoyed talking to you and learning about the universe and crystals and all that kooky stuff.
It was fun. I’ve never had conversations like that before. ”
She screwed her lips to the side. “Kooky? You think I’m weird?”
He snorted and one side of his face scrunched. “Not a fucking chance. I think you’re smart and funny, and you built a business because it’s something you love and believe in and to me, there’s nothing more admirable than that. By kooky I just mean unusual—in a good way.”
Her cheeks tingled and she bit her bottom lip. Maybe she’d been wrong about Aiden. Part of her was tempted to throw caution to the wind. He’d been brought into her life for a reason, after all. There was a purpose behind everything, especially when two people’s paths crossed.
Had he been placed in her life simply to keep her safe from whoever was after her? Was that the reason?
Had he not checked on her shop Monday night or stayed at her house after, she could have been killed.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued.
“I’m not trying to convince you of anything.
I just want you to know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, or anyone for that matter.
Except maybe Ray and the SOB who’s harassing you.
Other than that, I don’t have beef with anyone.
” He extended his arms. “Consider sex off the table, okay? Let’s just eat and enjoy each other’s company. ”
Although sex hadn’t really been on the table, she couldn’t say that it hadn’t been in the back of her mind from the moment he suggested she stay with him. His proclamation didn’t offer any comfort, though. Instead, a pool of disappointment formed inside her. “In that case, do you have any wine?”
He chuckled. “I’m sure I can find a bottle.”
“Great.”
“I’m going to change out of my uniform and then I’ll get dinner fired up,” he said, making his way down the hall that was embossed in her memory. Not that she’d tell him that.
As she finished putting away the groceries, the little pool of disappointment expanded.
Her hesitancy had made him take sex ‘off the table,’ and damn him to hell and back for making her admit to herself that sex was what she wanted.
Who was she kidding? She’d packed sexy pajamas with exactly that in mind.
Aiden exited the bedroom, picked up the meat and some utensils, then went outside to start the barbeque.
She took out the cutting board and chopped zucchini.
Now she was in a pickle. She wanted Aiden, but she’d given him the vibe that she didn’t.
Actually, he assumed she thought he was a ‘terrible catch.’
Her head throbbed. Now wasn’t the time to obsess over a guy, or even sex.
She watched him through the sliding glass door as he cracked open the grill and tossed the meat on. Moisture heated the apex between her legs. Her folds ached for the glorious attention he’d showered on her the other night.
His large, bronze muscles bulged through the tight sleeves of his T-shirt. You’re wrong about one thing, Aiden—you’re a damn good catch.
* * *
“You sell what?” Aiden lowered the wineglass to the tile tabletop of his outdoor patio set. The sound of the materials clinking rang through the night. Their supper dishes had long since been moved aside, and neither one of them had broken the conversation to clean up.
The stars, so much more visible away from city lights, speckled the clear, dark sky like white splatter paint on a black backdrop. The moon glowed brightly and crickets and night creatures made their calls. He could spend hours here. With Dez.
Dez threw her head back on a laugh, her pearly white teeth glimmering in the flames licking through the stones of the fireplace imbedded in the table between them. She combed her hair over her shoulder and glanced up and to the left, the look demure and naughty.
He was still reeling. “Seriously, I have to say that’s the strangest sex toy I’ve ever heard of.”
She lifted a beautifully arched eyebrow. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”
“Well, I don’t think there’s anything I’d want to put in my ass.”
A hoot of laughter echoed from Dez’s throat, and the red tint climbing her neck did all kinds of things to his dick.
“It’s not for that region, Aiden.”
He took another sip of his wine then put the glass back down and leaned his elbow on the table. So much for taking sex off the table. There was no way he was letting go of this topic now that she’d started it. “Run this by me again, because I really don’t think I’m grasping it.”
She curled her fingers against her lips, her eyes shining with excitement but also so darn hesitant. The combination was alluring and sexy as fucking hell.
“They’re crystal dildos. Non-porous ones, of course.”
“Like a solid stone, or . . .”
“Yeah, like a smooth, polished stone that’s used for manual stimulation.” Her hands floated in the air, outlining this wonder product.
“It does what exactly? I mean, what’s the point of it being a crystal if it does the same job as a dildo?”
The blush on her cheeks settled to a soft pink.
“Well, for one thing, it’s called a yoni wand.
Before you use it you set your intention for it, whether it’s to bring clarity or balance to your life or things like that,” she said, shrugging.
“For example, clear quartz is a popular one and is used to amplify energy. Plus, a yoni wand is more body safe than other materials, and the cool stone feels really nice and is easy to clean—and hypo-allergenic.” The words tumbled from her lips matter-of-factly, as if she’d given the speech more than once.
He scratched his temple to avoid adjusting his cock. Jesus. The image of Dez laid out with a crystal wand in her pussy was more than he could handle. “I have to say I’m fascinated.”
She propped her elbow on the armrest of her chair and leaned her chin against her fist. “Just think what you can add to your bedroom technique. The ladies will come running back.”
The only lady he wanted to drive wild was sitting right in front of him. He folded his arms across his chest. “Seems to me there’s only one woman who doesn’t want back in my bed.”
Her gaze dipped and a subtle, shy smile played at her mouth before lifting her eyes to him again. She leaned forward and brought the glass of wine to her lips, sipping. Then she pulled the glass away so it hovered inches from her mouth, and her eyes darkened. “Who said I don’t?”
Just like that a wall of fire burned from his head to his dick. Desire pulsed along his skin, screaming at him to make a move. Hanks words entered his mind: keep it professional.
Fuck, he was so screwed.
He hesitated.
He’d taken her cue once and had had the best night of his life. Then she’d run. “Careful now,” he said, his voice thick with need. “You know what happens when the wine does the talking.”
She set down her glass with a clink. “It’s not the wine. I’ve only had one glass.” Her stare was hard and determined.
“You’re going to need to do more than that to convince me I won’t have a repeat of Sunday morning.”
She rested her hands on her knees, her face purely innocent.
His heart thudded in his chest with every second that ticked by. The release his body so desperately needed lying in her hands. The chance to get his hands on her again was almost too much to bear. He didn’t move. Didn’t breathe in case he swayed her decision.
She uncrossed her legs and stood. Her dress floated around her slight frame as she approached his chair. Her hand drifted to his shoulder and stroked its way to the back of his neck.
He swallowed, and his skin buzzed with the need to grab her and pull her to his lap. He curled his hands into fists to keep them steady.
She lowered her ass to his thighs and leaned her chest against his, bringing her lips within kissing distance. “Come to the bedroom and I’ll show you,” she purred.
Fire roared inside his body. His fingers flexed, but still, he didn’t touch her. “Is that what you want, Desiree? Because if I take you to my bedroom, neither of us is leaving all night.”
Her sharp intake of breath made his pulse race in triple time.
Her scent filled his nostrils. The satiny-smooth skin on her fingers made the ends of his hair want to curl. God, she was intoxicating.
He waited for her lips to meet his. Instead, she slowly pulled away.
No. He’d missed his chance. He’d fucked up. Scared her.
She got to her feet, and he opened his mouth to fix what he’d done, but no words came out.
She sauntered to the sliding glass door. Stopping, she turned to glance over her shoulder, and his blood pressure dropped at the sheer erotic beauty of her.
“Coming?”
Without waiting for his reply, she opened the door and entered the house.
His stomach muscles bunched with anticipation.
His dick turned solid, twitching with need, demanding he get up and pound into Dez’s wet slit.
All rationale left his mind. He didn’t care about the lipstick message on the counter that had stung him for days.
Didn’t care that she might never want to see him again come tomorrow morning, or that his boss had basically told him to keep his hands off her.
All that mattered was the here and now. Giving in to temptation.
If she walked away this time, he’d make damn sure she never forgot him.
He got to his feet and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.