Chapter 11
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mom hisses at Aden.
Her gaze passes over me briefly, but her anger is clearly aimed at him.
“I assume you’re referring to Frederick?” he says in a cool tone.
“Of course I’m referring to Frederick! He was irate and told Jefferson all about how you propositioned, then insulted him. You have no idea the damage you caused!”
“You know that’s not what happened. He came on to me.”
“Exactly! If you’d just done your job, we’d be celebrating right now!”
“My job? Fucking the mayor’s partner, you mean,” he spits out.
She narrows her gaze at him. “Don’t act like you don’t know why you’re here, Aden. You knew full well all these pretty things came with conditions. Your behavior toward Frederick was unacceptable. Once he calms down, you will apologize and do whatever’s necessary to smooth things over.”
Aden blinks at her in disbelief. “Are you fucking serious right now?”
“Don’t talk to me like that.”
“I’ll talk to you however I want to! I’m not your fucking pet, Celeste. You can’t just pat me on the head, feed me some treats, and expect me to obey your every command.”
She crosses her arms; a menacing look on her face. “Actually, you are. I bought you. I pay for you. I own you.”
“Fuck you,” he says, storming toward the exit.
“Get back here! We’re not finished!”
“Clearly, we are,” he replies coolly without stopping.
As Mom looks murderous, I shrink against the wall, wishing more than ever to be invisible.
After several long seconds, she drags in a deep breath and turns to me with eerie calm.
“He can be so dramatic sometimes.” A tight smile stretches across her face, and it sends a shiver through me.
I’m about to explain when I push the words away. Defending him would probably make things worse.
With my fist clenched behind me, I muster a weak smile of my own.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean any of it,” I force out, even though deep down I really hope he did.
I wait a half hour after Mom and Aden’s argument to escape the gala and head home.
While I don’t want to be too obvious about my concern for Aden, I’m also haunted by the hurt and anger on his face before he stormed away.
Mom hasn’t seemed fazed at all, however.
My insides have been curling in on themselves, but she’s been the perfect hostess. With her fake smile and tinny laugh, she’s shown no sign of being rattled by the confrontation. It’s unsettling, but that’s how Mom fights. Her violent fits quickly evaporate into icy resolve that can be even more terrifying.
I’m relieved Aden has been exposed to her dark side. At least he can escape before it’s too late, although the mounting dread in my stomach tells me it already is.
I shouldn’t care. After all, I still don’t know anything about him, not really. The little I’ve glimpsed is such a confusing mix of personas. I’m terrified he’s hiding from himself as much as anyone else. If that’s the case, he’ll never be able to run far enough to be safe.
And I don’t care. Of course I don’t.
Except, I can’t erase the image of him hunched over on the bench after that jerk attacked him.
Or his sweet smile in the park on our tux-fitting date.
Or the saturated nature of his entire being when he gets lost in his art.
I definitely can’t let go of the fire in his touch and how it takes almost nothing for him to work my body into ecstasy.
Selfishly, I want more of it.
I keep telling him to run, while secretly hoping he doesn’t. That probably makes me a terrible person, but it’s true.
The lights are on when I arrive home. A corkscrew and empty wineglass on the counter confirm Aden’s presence, indicating he hasn’t followed through on this threat to leave Mom.
Part of me hoped to find the penthouse abandoned, evidence that he’d finally had enough.
My chest clenches at the memories of their argument and what I witnessed with Frederick before it. But staying is his choice to make, even if it’s a bad one.
I’ve seen it so many times. Wealth like my mother’s is a lethal temptation. It overlooks too many wrongs and forgives too many sins. Apparently, even the threat of death isn’t enough to scare this one away.
After changing into more comfortable clothing, I wander around the common area for a few more minutes hoping he’ll come out. I just need to know he’s okay.
But when there’s still no sign of him, I take a deep breath and knock on his door. After several seconds, I knock again. When it’s still silent, a prickle of anxiety spreads through my stomach. It’s possible he came home and left already, but the uncorked wine makes it unlikely.
Please be okay.
I crack open the door and peer inside.
It’s dark. His room is empty.
Oh god. What if…?
The concern becomes panic as thoughts of my father creep in.
Maybe Mom sent someone to follow him home in a twisted escalation. Maybe this is her new M.O. Use them and dispose of them. Maybe…
Wait.
The roof!
I rush to the door leading up to the rooftop and climb the stairs with shaking legs.
As soon as I see the broad shoulders and muscled arms stretched along the edge of the pool, I breathe a sigh of relief.
But my joy at finding Aden dissolves when he doesn’t move from his favorite spot. He must have heard the door, so he clearly intends to ignore whoever is invading the space.
It hurts, but I can’t blame him for wanting to be alone after everything that happened tonight.
Still, I have no intention of leaving. I also have no idea what to say. He hasn’t acknowledged me, and by the tension in his shoulders and his grip on the concrete, he’s not okay.
“Hey,” I say quietly, lowering myself to the pool deck behind him.
His fingers tighten on the ledge where he’s holding on.
“Aden,” I continue gently after several more seconds.
“Not now, Gabi,” he says in a controlled tone.
“Okay, but I’m not leaving.”
He still doesn’t turn around, and I decide more drastic measures are necessary. I can’t stand to see him hurting.
I shift closer until I’m directly behind him. The scent of chlorine, cologne, and rage fill my nose as I lean in to drag my fingers along his shoulders.
He tenses, but doesn’t pull away, so I take that as a license to continue. Left to right, then back. Up, down.
Goose bumps break over his skin from the gentle touch and cool night air. I keep expecting him to snap at me, but after a minute or so, his rigid muscles relax. I continue the soothing motion, neither of us speaking in a silent truce.
Quickly, though, the sparks shooting through my fingertips become too much for my body to ignore. His head falls forward as my palm takes over, running over dense muscle with gentle pressure.
Along his shoulders, up his neck, and back down. It must feel good to him, but for me, it’s intoxicating. My hand presses harder, my fingers sinking in wherever they can until my belly is tight with desire.
“I need you”is my silent scream, but I’m too afraid of ruining the moment. I can’t send him back to the dark place that brought him here in the first place.
The craving is nearly unbearable, though, and I have to clench my other fist to keep from doing something I’d regret.
“Did she send you?” he asks, breaking the long silence.
I’m close enough to his back that his deep voice resonates through me.
“No.”
My response comes out almost breathless, and he grabs my wrist to trap it against his chest.
“Why are you here, Gabi?”
“I’m worried about you.”
“You can’t worry about me.”
“Clearly I can.”
I inhale sharply as the feel of his thumb traces over the pulse point on the inside of my wrist. His grip tightens, as if he is torn between pulling me in or pushing me away.
“Why are you here, Aden? Why aren’t you leaving her?”
He releases my wrist. “It’s complicated.”
Of course it is.
I try to rein in my frustration. It’s none of my business.
Well, not until he turns so his face is inches from mine. Once I’m staring into the most beautiful eyes, the most enchanting lips, I can’t stop myself from touching him.
Lightning surges through my palm as it glides along his cheek. My thumb lightly brushes his full lower lip. I anticipate him ducking away but he seems just as lost and confused as I am.
“I don’t want you to go but you have to,” I whisper.
“I can’t.” His eyes search mine.
So beautiful. So broken.
I have to kiss him. I fucking have to.
“Aden,” I breathe out.
“Don’t,” he pleads, but he doesn’t move. It would be so easy for him to resist me if he wanted to, which means he doesn’t want to.
And suddenly it’s all too much. The longing.
Maybe he’s also experiencing the burning need that keeps me awake. Cravings in the deepest parts of my soul.
I rise and pull off my shorts and top before slipping into the water next to him. He takes in my nakedness as I move closer.
“Don’t what?” I breathe out.
My hand slides up his arm as he closes his eyes. His labored breathing has his sculpted chest rising and falling with hypnotic grace. I don’t even know how to stop my other hand from spreading over his warm skin to feel the pounding of his heart.
“Gabi, please,” he whispers. “You don’t understand.”
“I do. You’re with my mom and?—”
“No. It’s not that. I mean, it is that, but…”
My right hand slides along his shoulder, up his neck. God, he feels so fucking good. I can’t stop touching him. Every inch so hard and hot, begging to be explored.
He sucks in a sharp breath when I finally take an indulgent handful of those soft blond curls. It feels even more amazing than I imagined.
I never want to let go.
I’m not sure I could at this point.
“You want me just as much,” I murmur.
His body is screaming the truth. Mine is ready to combust.
“I…” He licks his lips, and when his tortured gaze lands on me, I have my answer.
“Aden,” I whisper, my eyes dropping to his full lips. “Please. Please.”
I’m fully pressed against him now. I don’t know when that happened, but his rigid heat is fuel for my raging fire. There’s no calming it now.
“There’s so much you don’t understand, Gabi.”
I cup his face with my other hand to lock his attention firmly on me. “I understand I want you and you want me. My mother doesn’t care about you and is probably searching for your replacement as we speak.”
He swallows hard, though I don’t think his distress is solely because my mom is looking for someone else.
A conflict rages in his expression, and when his hands tentatively slide around my waist I sense his surrender. As he pulls me tightly against him…
I’ve won.
His lips fuse to mine, and the shock of the kiss rocks every cell inside me. Neurons explode and blood sizzles as his expert mouth caresses and conquers. I moan into the kiss, already feeling weightless with pleasure.
My fingers twist in his hair, holding on for dear life as I float into his scorching orbit.
He tastes incredible, and ripples of sensation fire through my mouth as his tongue teases mine. It’s too much and not enough all at once.
I jump up to wrap my legs around his waist, and he cups my ass to back me toward the shallow sun ledge. I use my grip on his hair to hold him close, forcing his body into aching alignment with my own. He rocks me against him, and I shiver with pleasure at each brush of my wet core against his hard length. Finally, he’s mine. My fantasy come to life as his hot, bare skin becomes mine to enjoy. I release his hair to experience the thick muscles of his straining arms still supporting my weight.
“Fuck me,” I say.
“Gabi,” he groans as though in pain.
Perhaps he is, but in the best possible way, as am I.
I feel like I’m going to die if I can’t have him wholly and unreservedly.
“Aden, please. I want more.” I don’t wait for his response before wriggling free and grabbing his hand.
I drag him to the steps and lead him out of the water to a large, round daybed.
I thread my fingers with his and tug until he lowers himself on top of me.
Our wet bodies slide together as he braces over me. He brushes hair from my eyes, gazing into my soul while he considers what to do about the scorching tension between us.
Give in to it. Please, Aden. This is killing me.
He leans in, hesitates for just a second…
And kisses me.
Hard.
I ignite once more as I tangle my fingers in his hair, pulling and writhing, craving more of him. His electric fingers trail up my chest to skim my breasts. Just the hint of his touch is enough to send waves of heat wherever he grazes. When his palm finally cups my breast, desire threatens to consume me entirely.
Our hips rub together as he massages me, gentle at first, then harder when I whimper for more. He pinches my nipple before dipping his head to take it in his mouth.
I gasp at the explosive pleasure. My entire body is on fire. I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s like skimming the edge of an orgasm, even though we shouldn’t be close to that.
He kisses down my stomach until I’m bucking and floating in ecstasy—so good it hurts. Like my soul is being vacuumed out through pleasure.
It must be something about Aden. He’s just… more. His fingers are electric. His tongue is infused with lightning that leaves a throbbing buzz everywhere it touches.
He kisses over my wet underwear, then yanks them aside. The cool air on my hot center is quickly replaced by the heat of his mouth. When his tongue brushes my clit, I’m completely lost.
He licks again. And again. And…
Ah!
A cloud of euphoria expands around me.
It feels so good.
I can’t even see straight. Just drifting… Drifting. Higher and higher as I close my eyes. The blissful waves carry me away until suddenly everything goes dark.