Chapter 20
20
Holly
“Holly! Holly! Holly!”
I look at Aaron and narrow my eyes. “You are such a jerk.”
“That’s not what you were calling me this morning while you were grinding on my face.”
“Oh my god, will you shut up?” I whisper-shout. Heat floods me, and I glance around to see if anyone heard him. Luckily, it seems everyone is too busy going about their own business to pay any attention to us.
It’s been a whirlwind of a week. Sleeping with Aaron is addicting. I honestly can’t get enough of him. Actually, we can’t get enough of each other. Every opportunity we get, we’re kissing, touching, teasing each other. It was interfering with my writing—not that I minded—and Aaron’s coursework. Eventually, we came up with the idea to reward each other once we’d reached our targets for the day, or else neither of us would get anything done. Addicted to him as I was, sometimes my target was only a few sentence, but Aaron doesn’t need to know that.
That said, the words have never flowed out of me faster. This newfound creativity has a lot to do with my decision to turn the book into more of a fictional, real-life thing—if something like that exists. Writing my and Aaron’s story really helped me get the words on the page. What also helped was finally letting go of all the constraints of my life back in South Africa, and for once, living for myself. It unlocked a part of me that I never knew I’d kept restrained.
Aaron’s giving me an I-bet-I-know-what-you’re-thinking-about smirk.
“Cat got your tongue, Trouble?”
I roll my eyes. “I am not singing karaoke tonight. I’m not ready.”
“Are you taking it off the list? ’Cause if you do, I think I need to take something off too.”
I cross my arms. “What do you want to take off?”
“Role play.”
“Role play?Seriously? Are you afraid of a bit of fun?”
Aaron doesn’t answer me but turns to Max. “Max, watch the bar. When we come back, Holly’s going to sing.”
He pulls me into the storeroom behind the bar. As soon as the door closes, he wraps a hand around my waist and tugs me to him. “The only person I want to be with is you. No other person. No other character.”
Well, paint me pink and call me Swoony. I wind my arms around his neck and tug him down to meet me. “You are damn lucky you’re so sexy. Now, kiss me.”
He does, and like always, it feels like the first time. When you’ve loved someone for as long as I’ve loved Aaron, and your time together is slowly coming to an end, you don’t take a single second for granted.
I break the kiss before we end up doing more than just making out in the storeroom. “I’ll sing if you sing with me.”
He shakes his head. “Not my list, Trouble.”
“But you benefit from everything else on the list. I think it’s only fair.” I press closer to him. I’m not above using my body to get him to do this with me. I can’t even speak in public, let alone sing.
“Are you throwing hundreds of years of feminism out the window by seducing me to sing with you?”
“Is that a problem?”
“The only problem with it is that I can’t show you what your little seduction has done to me.”
I run my hand over his pecs, down his abs, and cup him through his jeans. “I think I have a fair idea.”
“Jesus, I knew you were going to be trouble. Thank fuck you came to me for your list.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d be behind bars if I ever saw you doing this with another guy.”
I scoff. “Like I’m going to palm someone where anyone can see.”
He bends down and bites my lip.
“Ouch!” I rub at my mouth. “What was that for?”
“You were supposed to say you would never touch another guy.”
I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Oh right, sorry. Won’t happen again.”
“Fucking better not,” he growls.
While his possessiveness sends a thrill through me, it also serves as a reminder that someday Aaron will be with another girl, that I’ll be with another guy, because our time together has an expiration date. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to go back home and back to the same shit after feeling so completely safe and cherished here. There is one thing I know, though. I’ve changed. Aaron helped to bring me out of my shell, and I won’t take shit lying down anymore.Banishing the negative thoughts, I place my hand on Aaron’s chest.
“So, are you going to sing with me?”
“What do I get out of it?”
“Well, I’m still working on perfecting my blowjob technique…”
Aaron throws his head back and moans. “How the hell am I supposed to go out there when I’m this hard?”
“Just think about the incentive. Or don’t, if that helps.” I wink at him.
He winds his hands through my hair and tugs my head back. “For the record, I think you can cross that off your list. You blow my mind when you suck me off, Trouble. There’s nothing left to perfect.”
Before I can respond, his lips crash against mine.
I slide my hands under his T-shirt, and he steps back. “Be away with you, temptress.”
I laugh. “Fine. So, what’s it going to be? Are you singing with me or not?”
When we walk out of the storeroom, George gives us both a toothy grin and winks as if to congratulate us on slipping away for a quickie. Believe me, I would love nothing more, but for all of Aaron’s dirty mouth, he would never put me in a compromising position. Believe me, I’ve tried. He is always a gentleman.
“Okay, which song would you guys like to sing?”
I give Aaron a look. He points a finger at me. “Don’t you dare make me sing something cheesy like “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and that chick . ”
“Kiki Dee? Nah. What do you guys think?” I call out to the bar. “What should we make him sing?”
“That Titanic song,” George calls.
Aaron points a finger at him. “That’s it. You’re cut off.”
Raucous laughter fills the pub and my heart doubles in size. This is what family should feel like.