Chapter 21
Pepper
"I can't believe you fired him," I said, taking a slow sip of the lingering rest of my dry martini.
Sitting here inside Jimmie's, watching the amber candlelight dance across Aaron's sharp jawline while he explained the entire technical mess, made me feel even more guilt.
Marcus hadn't done it maliciously; the poor guy was just completely overwhelmed on his first week and accidentally forwarded an old, solo backup file from the agency server instead of our newly merged master deck.
It was an honest tech blunder, and I had completely unleashed on Aaron without a single second thought.
I had apologized at least a hundred times since we sat down.
"Pepper, please stop apologizing," Aaron said calmly, his deep voice rich and grounding as he reached across the small wooden table.
"I told you, I'm not mad. I know exactly how bad it looked on that screen.
Though... I would like in the future for you to at least let me explain before you completely freeze me out. "
I paused, the rim of my glass hovering just an inch from my lips.
Future.
What kind of future? What kind of future could we really have realistically considering I was only here temporarily, and my entire life was rooted in Tokyo?
Aaron cleared his throat, his eyes shifting downward for a split second, almost as if the sudden weight of the word future made him a bit embarrassed. Sensing the heavy shift in the air and wanting to protect my own racing heart, I quickly changed the subject.
"Are you going to Jonah's game with everyone this weekend?" I asked, propping my chin up on my hand.
"Yeah," Aaron smiled, looking relieved by the smooth save. Since Jonah just cleared his physicals and passed his introductory press conference for the trade, this Saturday is his first official home series game in the city. The whole crew is going to support him.
"Are you?" he asked, a little bit of hope creeping into his voice.
"Yeah, I'll be there," I said, taking a sip of my drink. "Are you working it?"
"Nah, just helping Cal out a bit," he said, taking a sip of his drink. "His team will be there covering it on his podcast, so I’m going to go down and help him set up some of the equipment and media stuff."
"I haven't been to a baseball game since I was a teenager.
I'm excited," I said, a genuine smile breaking across my face as I leaned back against the leather booth.
"I can't wait to get one of those big sausages and peppers.
" I sighed happily, completely reminiscing on the taste of real stadium food.
He laughed, a rich, deep sound that melted away the last bit of awkwardness left between us. He looked directly into my eyes, his expression turning incredibly soft. "I look forward to seeing you there."
I bit my lip, my cheeks turning a light pink as I blushed at the sudden wave of shyness he was making me feel. It was wild how a man so massive could make me feel so delicate with just a single look.
As he paid the tab, we rose from the table and walked outside together, stepping out of the lounge and into the quiet, humid weekday night. The storm of this week's drama had officially passed.
As he walked me across the asphalt to my car, the quiet stillness of the weeknight hung between us. He stopped right beside my door, turning his massive frame to fully face me. He looked a bit hesitant, rubbing the back of his neck before locking those dark, intense eyes onto mine.
"I don't really know what level of friendship we are on right now," he started, his deep voice dropping into a low, completely honest rumble. "But... I want to call you sometime if that's okay? You know, outside of work stuff."
A sudden, tight knot formed right in the center of my throat.
Truth be told, standing there under the dim streetlights, I was overwhelmingly aware of how Aaron made me feel and just how much I was truly starting to like him.
I knew he liked me... a lot. And that was the terrifying part.
I didn't want to grow this deep, intoxicating bond with him just to have to turn around and leave for Tokyo in September.
I knew damn well I wouldn't be able to do a long-distance relationship; I’ve never been cut out for it, and I never would be.
But instead of explaining the heavy reality of my expiration date to him and ruining the perfect night, I just smiled up sweetly at him.
"I'd like that," I whispered.
"Okay, good," he smiled, a wave of confident relief instantly washing over his handsome face.
He leaned down, his warmth enveloping me as he placed the sweetest, most tender kiss right against my forehead. The gesture was so gentle it made my chest ache.
"Let me know when you make it home safely," he said, stepping back to pull my car door open for me.
"I will," I said, sliding into the driver's seat.
I swung my legs inside, and he closed the door after I put my feet in, waiting patiently on the pavement.
I started the engine and pulled off, checking my rearview mirror as I drifted down the street.
Just like before, Aaron stood exactly where I left him, watching my car until I was completely out of sight before he finally turned to walk toward his own vehicle.
I made my way home, the quiet roads of Houston a sharp contrast to the storm that had been brewing in my chest all week.
After carefully putting all my heavy equipment away in the office nook, I stripped out of my jeans and headed straight for the shower.
The hot water washed away the last lingering stress of the park, and once I was wrapped in a cozy, oversized silk pajama shirt, I crawled into my massive bed.
I picked up my phone and texted Aaron to let him know I was safe and sound at home.
Good, he responded almost immediately.
I smirked, my fingers flying across the screen.
Lol were you waiting by the phone?
He simply replied,
Yes.
My heart did a violent, happy thud against my ribs. Looking at that single word, I realized I didn't want to just trade text bubbles anymore. I wanted to actually hear his voice, so I didn't wait for him to call me. I tapped his name, lifting the phone to my ear as it rang once.
"You know, I just didn't want to wait for you to call," I said the exact second he answered.
His low, rumbling chuckle vibrated through the speaker, sending a delicious, sudden chill all over my skin.
"That's perfectly okay with me," he said, his voice deep and heavy with a late-night rasp. "What are you doing?"
"Just laying here," I murmured, stretching my legs out under the cool sheets. "Replaying today."
"Yeah... me too," he said, and I could hear the faint sound of his mattress shifting on the other end. "I'm still trying to process today."
"It was a good day. Are you in bed?" I asked, my voice dropping an octave, sounding a bit sleepy and incredibly soft.
"Yeah. Just got under the covers," he murmured.
I rolled onto my side, wrapping one arm around my pillow, the quiet darkness of my room amplifying the sudden, thick tension stretching over the phone line. "If you were next to me right now... what would you be doing?"
A heavy, breathless pause hung in the air for a grueling three seconds. I could hear his breathing change, growing deeper, thicker."Pepper," Aaron groaned out, a rough, gravelly sound that made my stomach do a complete flip. "You’re being bad."
A wicked smile pressing against my lips as I pressed him. "Tell me, Aaron. What would you do?"
"You really want to know?" he rasped, his voice dropping into a dangerous, intensely dominant register that completely locked me in place.
"Yes."
"If I was in that bed with you right now, I’d start by pulling you so close that the rest of the world just completely disappears," he whispered, his words slow and heavy with an intensity that made the air in my room feel thin.
"I’d start by massaging your body, working out all that stress from the week, taking my absolute time with you.
Then, I'd place slow kisses on every single part of your body—from your head, down your neck, all the way to those pretty toes. "
My breath caught completely in my throat, my chest tightening as his deep rasp vibrated straight through my veins.
"I’d hold you right there, making sure you felt every bit of the tension we’ve been building all week," Aaron continued, his voice dropping into a dangerous, dark growl that locked me in place.
"I'd trace my hands over every single part of you, memorizing your curves, until you're completely burning up under my touch.
Then, I'd place my mouth between your legs and savor all your juices, taking you over completely, until you had absolutely no more to give. "
He paused, a heavy, ragged breath escaping him that had my pulse racing at a dangerous speed.
"I’m going to make sure that when we finally cross that line, it’s everything you’ve been replaying in your head and more. By the time I’m done, you won't even remember what the rules look like."
He stopped talking, his deep breathing the only sound left echoing through the speaker.
I lay completely paralyzed in the dark, my heart slamming violently against my ribs.
A thick, overwhelming wave of goosebumps erupted all over my arms and thighs, my skin tingling with a sudden, aching heat at the sheer, terrifyingly vivid image of him actually doing exactly what he said.
I was completely, utterly breathless, my throat too dry to even formulate a response.
The "teddy bear" from the lounge was completely gone.
Aaron Fields was an absolute, undisputed presence, and he had just systematically dismantled every single bit of my control with nothing but his voice.
"Wow," I breathed, my voice raspy and at a complete loss for words.
He let out a low, rumbling chuckle that vibrated right through the speaker and straight into my skin. "I wish you knew what you do to me. I've never felt this way for anyone before," he confessed, the raw honesty in his deep voice catching me completely off guard.
"A man as fine as you... I find that incredibly hard to believe," I said softly, tracing a finger along the edge of my pillow.
"Not everyone can handle me and my rules," he said with a soft laugh.
"Ahhh," I murmured, a devious smile returning to my lips in the dark. "Well, good thing. Or else you wouldn't be on the phone with me right now."
"My point exactly," he said, his tone thick and warm.
We stayed on the line for a little while longer, the seductive heat of his words lingering in the air until sleep finally took over. When I finally hung up, my skin was still tingling, my body completely replaying everything he had just promised to do to me.