Chapter 17
LEAH
“How many chocolate chip cookies do you want me to make?” I laugh as I pull several bags of chocolate chips out of the shopping bag.
“They’re my favorite.” Aaden beams.
My mother is sitting at the table, measuring out flour and sugar. “Well, then we have to make a triple batch,” she says, smiling at him.
His grin grows wider as he runs over and kisses my mother on the cheek. “That’s my girl,” he says teasingly.
A few hours later, we’ve mixed several batches of cookies and separated them into individual bowls.
After cleaning up the mess so that we have counter space to cool the cookies, we start the baking process.
Aaden is in awe. “Damn, you guys have one hell of a system for this,” he says as he watches me scoop the first sticky blob of dough.
“We perfected it over the years.” I wink at him. “Alright, chocolate chips first.” I scoop some dough out with my finger and hold it in front of Aaden. With a wicked grin, he leans forward, wraps his lips around my finger, and sucks. I bite my lip as I watch my digit slowly slip from his lips.
“I knew you loved me,” he says with a playful wink. I clear my throat before turning back to my cookies, filling two baking sheets, and placing them in the oven. I’ll never look at cookie batter the same way again.
As the cookies are baking, we start decorating mom’s tree.
We decorated Aaden’s tree a few nights ago.
The special memory of decorating our first tree together will forever be tucked away in my mind.
Aaden preferred colored lights to my white.
So, of course, a playful debate ensued over that issue.
It made me nervous watching him lean over the second-floor railing to decorate the top of the tree, but the end result was pretty spectacular.
After the tree was completely decorated, we sat together on his couch with a glass of wine, staring at it.
“Okay, the colored lights are pretty,” I admitted.
Aaden had pulled me closer. “Don’t ever doubt me,” he teased.
My mother, however, prefers white lights as well. “They’re a symbol of purity,” she would tell me when I was younger. Her ornaments are all red and gold, along with my homemade ornaments from when I was younger mixed in.
“Now, this is art,” Aaden teases as he hands me a clay-baked gingerbread man I made when I was in second grade.
“Hey,” I frown, taking the ornament from him, “I was very proud of this gingerbread man.”
His brows draw together in confusion. “Why?” I laugh and slap his chest before placing the ugly decoration proudly on the front of the tree.
“Just wait until you have kids,” my mother says, smiling. “You’ll treasure everything they make.” Aaden’s eyes widen as he stares down at me, but he doesn’t say a word.
We finish decorating the tree and baking the cookies. The house smells fantastic and looks as festive as all my childhood memories. After packaging up all the cookies, including what chocolate chip ones Aaden hadn’t already eaten, we finish cleaning the kitchen.
“Wow, when you said all day baking, you meant all day baking,” Aaden says as he hands me the last of the mixing bowls.
“Yeah, and I think we wore my mother out.” I nod at her sleeping in her recliner.
Aaden smiles as he watches her. “She is really something.” Unshed tears sting my eyes as I watch her.
I swallow hard around the knot of emotion in my throat.
Aaden moves behind me and pulls me into his chest. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.
I’ve only known her for a short while, and I love her.
I can’t begin to feel what you’re feeling. ”
“It’s just not fair.” My chin quivers.
“Just make every day count, baby. That’s all you can do,” he whispers against the side of my head. I nod and wipe away a stray tear. “Come on, I’ll help you get her to bed.”
***
Curled up together on Aaden’s couch, we watch another Christmas movie. The tree is lit, the fireplace is going, and Revis is stretched out in front of it. It’s a Christmas card-worthy image. “I can’t believe Christmas is in two weeks.” I sigh.
“Speaking of, I forgot to tell you, my parents called yesterday. They’re coming here for Christmas.”
My entire body stiffens in his arms. My heart flies into my throat and gets stuck there. “What?” I gasp.
With a smile, he leans over and kisses me. “They’re going to love you.”
His words do nothing to calm my racing heart. “How do you know?”
“Because I do.” He chuckles. “You’re the first girl I’ve ever been serious about.
They’ll be ecstatic.” I twirl my hair around my fingers nervously.
Aaden takes my hand and kisses it. “They have been getting onto me for a while now about finding a nice girl and getting serious. Trust me, they’re going to swoon over you. ”
I smile nervously and take a sip of my wine. “What about your sister and her husband?”
“I’ll call them tomorrow.” I nod and take another big sip. “Relax.” Aaden laughs as he takes my glass from me. “I promise, they’re gonna love you.”
I take a deep breath and let it all out in a deep sigh. “I’ll try.”
“Good.” He nods as he pulls me back against him and covers us with a blanket. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head, which surprisingly does help me to relax.
After the movie, I head up to Aaden’s bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.
At this point, we’re practically living together.
I just refuse to cave and make it official.
I’m still too nervous about going all in, even though Aaden has done nothing to make me not trust him.
Standing in front of the mirror, I run my brush through my wet hair and smile.
He really has been perfect. The low hum of his deep voice pulls me from my thoughts.
As I walk out into the bedroom, he turns and looks at me.
I lean my hip against the door frame that separates the two rooms and simply take him in, my eyes appreciating the perfection of his body.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he says into his phone, then hangs up.
“You didn’t have to get off the phone for me.”
He tosses the phone on the bed but keeps his eyes on me. “It was just Tyler. I can call him later.”
I smile, lift my right foot and run it against the back of my left calf. “I’m glad you guys are talking again.” His eyes drop to my legs to watch. I’m wearing a short white cotton nightgown, my hair is wet, and I smell like lavender and vanilla body wash. His favorite.
“Me too,” he mumbles. He moves, closing the distance between us.
He grabs ahold of the front of my nightgown and pulls me into him.
A rush of breath leaves my lungs. His eyes are dark and serious as they settle on my mouth.
Lowering his face to mine, he stops before our lips touch.
“I don’t want to talk about Tyler or Noah or anyone else,” he says as he lightly brushes his lips across mine.
I nod slowly. “Me neither,” I whisper as I run my hands up his bare chest.
His hands slide down my sides and over my hips.
Grabbing the hem of my nightgown, he pulls it up over my head, then drops it on the floor, all while our eyes stay locked on each other.
Moving slowly, he squats down in front of me, kissing my stomach as he slowly hooks his fingers into the waistline of my panties.
He slides them down around my ankles, and I step out of them, kicking them aside with the discarded gown.
His hands glide slowly up my body as he stands.
He bows his head and kisses me. His soft lips press against mine for a moment before his tongue slips into my mouth.
I let him claim me. I throw my arms around his neck as my feet come out from under me.
Cradling me in his arms, he carries me to the bed.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out that familiar silver wrapper.
My heart pounds with anticipation. Hooking his thumbs in his waistband, he shoves his sweats down, rips the wrapper open with his teeth then rolls the condom on.
I bite my lip as he crawls on top of me, settling between my thighs.
My clit throbs as I watch him lick his fingers, then reach down to find his prize.
I close my eyes as his fingers tease me then slide inside.
He strokes me, gliding them in and out until I’m completely soaked and thirsty for more.
“Aaden, please,” I beg as I lift my hips, asking him to take what I know he really wants.
His fingers disappear, and I almost groan at the sudden loss.
Grabbing his shaft, he rubs the tip against my wet clit then guides it slowly into me.
My eyes roll back, and I moan as he fills me completely.
He pushes deep, letting out a soft grunt as he buries his face in my neck and kisses my throat.
I wrap my arms around him as he starts to flex his hips.
My body is alive, and everything is humming.
His hand squeezes my breasts, stroking, kneading, and rolling my hard nipple with his fingers.
His lips move against my neck, my jawline, then finally back up to my mouth.
His tongue slips back inside on a soft moan.
I grab his hips and pull him deeper, wanting to feel every inch of him.
He makes that deep throaty growl that I love, and I know I am turning him on even more.
He leans back and looks at me, still moving his hips in and out, but he adds a swirling motion that sends sensations like I’ve never felt before to my core.
His eyes flash with heat when my eyes roll into the back of my head, and I bite down hard on my bottom lip to keep from screaming.
“You like that?” he whispers.
I nod my head several times. “Yes,” I breathe.