Chapter 16
16
Holly
I thought the tension was heavy on the way to the club, but it’s off the charts now. Aaron is gripping the steering wheel so hard, you’d think we were driving on ice. And I’m thinking maybe he’s feeling the same way I am. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking. Either way, my brain is in overdrive.
Since Aaron mentioned undressing me, all I’ve been thinking about is Aaron undressing me. He knew what he was talking about in terms of skinny-dipping being better with someone. But it was also blissful torture. Having Aaron within touching distance had me itching to touch the hell out of him. I had been on the verge of begging him to take me right there in the pool. Or go down on me while he was in the pool, and I was on the edge. Or bending me over one of the fancy chairs. But he already said he wasn’t going to do that, so I had to give my fun parts a talking-to. Nothing worked, though, and I spent most of the time thinking about his slick, wet body on mine. The water droplets from his hair dripping on me, my hands running over his skin. His hard…and there I go again. It’s time to take the bull by the balls, as Celine so crudely put it.
“Aaron?”
“Yeah, Trouble?”
“Can you fuck me when we get back to the inn?”
Aaron swerves but quickly rights the car. He glances at me. “Jesus, Holly. I nearly rolled the fucking car.”
“I’m sorry. Not the best time to bring it up. But since we got naked, it’s all I’ve been thinking about, and I couldn’t stop the word vomit.”
“Trouble, you won’t get any objections from me. If you’re sure you want to do this, then I’m going to go on my knees and thank all the saints because my balls are about to explode.”
A giggle bubbles up my throat and out of my mouth. “If I had balls, I’d be in the same boat.”
He laughs, and suddenly the tension turns into excited anticipation. Aaron is smiling as he turns into the inn’s gate. Things have changed so much since we drove through these gates a week ago. I can’t believe Aaron has agreed to help me with the list and I’m going to do everything in my power to brand every single experience onto my heart. And I definitely am not going to allow myself to think about when I have to leave. I can’t afford to even think about it, so I bury the thought.
As I stare out the window, a white blob comes into view.
“Why hello, you little bastard.” I narrow my eyes at my nemesis. Basil.
“Huh?” Aaron asks.
“Basil has broken out of the fence.”
“Ah. Still salty about getting launched into a mud pool?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. He ruined my boots.”
Aaron chuckles. “Who wears suede boots in Scotland anyway?”
“You complain when I wear a housecoat, you complain when I wear suede boots. There’s no pleasing you,” I mutter.
“Not true. I didn’t complain when you were wearing nothing in the pool.”
“That’s because you couldn’t see me.”
“Trust me, Trouble. I may not have seen much, but my imagination is a great tool.”
Heat blooms not only in my face, but throughout my whole body. Aaron stops the car right outside the inn’s front door. He opens his door and jogs around my side of the door to open it for me. And damn if that doesn’t make me swoon. But then he leans over and unclips my seatbelt. I swing my legs out the car, but before I can get out, Aaron dips into the car and pulls me toward him. He positions my legs around his waist and leans me against the car. Then his lips are on mine, and I taste chlorine and mint and need .
I move my hips, and his hard length presses against my sex. Deepening the kiss, I grind against him. Aaron groans into my mouth, and oh my god, I think I’m going to come. I’m almost there when I hear a snort that would probably be a trigger sound for me for the rest of my life. One minute I’m dry-humping Aaron, the next I’m on the hood of the car with my legs pulled to my chest.
“I’m starting to share your views about Basil,” Aaron grumbles.
I jab my finger in the air. “You let him butt me again and the deal’s off.”
His lip curls, and his breath is warm on my ear when he whispers, “Let’s not pretend you’re going to call this off, Trouble. I bet you’re dripping into your pretty panties right now.”
While Aaron escorts Basil back to Mr. McGregor’s, I walk through the hallway to my suite. I’m tempted to make like Usain Bolt and sprint to the door like there’s a gold medal behind it, but the inn is filling up for the Christmas season. Since I work here and am friends with the owner, I need to keep things slightly professional. But now that I’m in my room, I charge to the bathroom, slam the door and lean my back against the hard wood.
Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! I’m going to sleep with Aaron. After crushing on him since I was thirteen, and I’m finally going to lose my virginity to the guy I’m in love with. I push off the door and do a happy dance that would put Meredith Grey to shame.
I turn on the shower and make quick work of washing the chlorine off my skin and my hair. Aaron will be here any minute, and I want to be ready.
They say the anticipation of a kiss is better than the kiss, and I have to say in a lot of instances that can be the case. But with Aaron, that delicious build-up explodes into the most unforgettable experience. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when we’re finally together. I grab my compact mirror from my make-up bag and inspect my lady bits for any stray hairs. Celine’s mum gifted me with a year’s worth of laser hair removal treatments. It’s something I never would have done for myself, but it’s life-changing. Smooth as a polished apple.
As I dry off, my nerves amp up a bit more. I spritz on a bit of my Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume, and pull on a fresh pair of boy shorts and a tank top. When we went shopping for the trip, Celine wanted me to buy sexy lingerie, but I axed that idea. I didn’t want my hookup to think I was trying too hard. Now that I think about it, I can’t believe I was going to have a fling and lose my virginity to someone I didn’t know. It seems so… so ridiculous now. And now that I’m going to be sleeping with Aaron, I really wish I’d bought something sexy. That will teach me to be as stubborn as a dachshund.
Okay, Holly. It’s time for some girl power .
I grab my phone out of my discarded jeans and pull up a “girl power” playlist.
“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten comes up and it’s frigging perfect.
I walk back into the bedroom, pop my AirPods in, and turn the music up as loud as I can. The lyrics of taking back her life and being strong really resonates with me. To someone else, this would seem stupid, but my list isn’t just about gaining life experiences—or should I say sex experiences with a dash of other things to make me look less like a perve—it’s about taking back some control in my life.
This is it, Holly. You’ve got this. I kinda want to do the sparring thing boxers do to psych myself up, but that would be taking things a step too far.
There’s a light rap on the door, and my mouth goes dry. I do a quick scan to make sure nothing embarrassing is lying around, like a pair of panties. A mixture of excitement, anticipation and nerves course through me. I have never been more certain of anything in my life than I am at this moment. Giddy, I pinch myself, just to make sure this isn’t one of my sexy dreams I always have about.