Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A comfortable silence settled over them as they drove back to her apartment.
But by the time they got inside, Maya’s body vibrated with nervous energy.
Aiden had followed her inside and now stood next to the door, watching her warily.
He seemed to sense the shift that had occurred within her but didn’t know exactly what to do about it, if anything.
She wanted to reassure him, wanted to tell him everything was fine. But it wasn’t.
Inside, she was a mess. She’d analyzed every minute of their date over and over on the way home, rethinking her responses and wondering if his had been genuine. By the time she walked through the door, she was questioning everything.
Mainly, why he wanted to be with her.
“Are you okay?” he ventured cautiously.
He had to think she was a complete nutcase. It had been a whole year. Why couldn’t she move on? She’d tried so hard. She’d gone out on dates, even with just a group of friends. But it was awkward and stilted, and she always felt out of place.
She was like an oddity to them, a novelty rather than a person. Most people saw her as the woman who’d been abducted and held captive the year before. Few of them, if any, cared about who she really was.
The only person who treated her like he truly cared was Aiden.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted.
His head tipped slightly to one side in question. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t…” She trailed off, trying to put her thoughts into words. “I’m trying so hard just to be normal, but I just… I feel like something’s wrong with me.”
Aiden straightened, those dark brown eyes locking onto hers. “There is nothing wrong with you.”
She shrugged helplessly. “I’m so tired of people asking me about it. That’s always the first thing they ask: ‘Aren’t you that girl who escaped?’ I’m so tired of being that person. I want to be the woman I was before.”
She glanced up at him. “You want to know why I came to your place yesterday?”
Tears of frustration burned the backs of her eyes, blurring her vision. “I needed someone to talk to. Someone who wouldn’t judge me.”
“You can come to me anytime,” Aiden said quietly.
He held out one hand, and she stared at it for several seconds before sliding her palm into his.
A flashback of that day at the hospital hit her—the way he’d stared at her like he wanted so badly to touch her but couldn’t.
Tonight was the first time she’d held someone’s hand in more than a year. She didn’t know how she felt about it, to be honest. The idea of allowing someone this close to her again made her heart beat faster, both from exhilaration and terror.
She stared up at him. “I don’t want to be the broken girl anymore.”
His free hand lifted, and the backs of his fingers drifted across her cheek before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re not broken, Maya. You’re the strongest person I know.”
His gaze dropped to her lips, and a strange sensation curled through her. For a moment, it felt as if everything had slipped away and she was the old Maya, confident and carefree.
But as quickly as it came, the feeling slipped away.
She wanted him to kiss her, but part of her was terrified. Not of Aiden—never of Aiden. She knew he would never hurt her.
She was scared that if he got too close, things between them would change.
She wanted him to see the woman he’d met a year ago and not look at her with pity or awe as everyone else did, but with desire. Passion. Maybe even more.
“I don’t know what to do.”
His voice was low and full of something. Desire, maybe?
“What do you mean?”
She had no idea why she was whispering, only that the situation seemed to call for it.
“I’m trying so hard not to touch you right now. All I’ve thought about for the past year is you—when I could see you again. Hold you. Kiss you. It’s been killing me.”
She took a tiny step forward.
She remembered the way he’d held her after she escaped, cradled her in his arms like he could protect her from anything and everything.
She wanted to feel that way again.
Safe. Secure. Cherished. Protected.
She lifted one hand and laid it on his chest. “You’re the only man I’ve wanted since…”
She trailed off before continuing. “You’re the only one I trust.”
Whisper-soft, he placed his hands on her hips. “You’re killing me, Maya.”
“Please,” she begged. “For me. I want to forget the past and move forward. Please help me.”
“God.” His eyes closed. “You have no idea…”
Those dark brown eyes opened and stared into hers. “I stayed away. I tried so hard. Tell me you really want this.”
She felt like she was being pulled in two very different directions. All she knew was that she didn’t want anyone else. No one made her feel the way Aiden did.
“I don’t know,” she admitted on a shaky breath. “I just… I want to try. You’re the only person who really sees me. That has to mean something, right?”
“I’ve seen you, Maya. Believe me. I…”
He trailed off, and her body heated at the sparks of lust in his eyes. “I want to kiss you.”
It wasn’t a question, but he stared at her for several seconds as if seeking approval. Finally, she nodded.
Her breath left her lungs in shallow pants, and Aiden stepped forward, eliminating the space between them. He kept his hands on her waist, tight enough that she felt secure but loose enough that she didn’t feel trapped.
His head dipped until it was next to hers, and she could feel the heat of his breath wafting over her skin as he lightly kissed her cheek. “You’re sure, Maya?”
His mouth was barely an inch from hers, and she turned her head. “Kiss me.”
Continuing with the same formatting and keeping speaker actions/dialogue on the same line:
His lips feathered over hers, achingly tender. She closed her eyes at the sensation, loving the way he held her.
Memories pressed in—Wainwright’s thick arms around her, choking her—and she sucked in a breath as she battled them back.
Aiden lifted away and stared down at her. “Good?”
Her heart kicked up in her chest, and she forced herself to calm.
Wainwright was gone.
It was only Aiden and her now.
“Again,” she demanded.
She focused on each sensation streaming through her body, replacing every memory of Wainwright with Aiden’s touch, his hands on her back, his lips on hers.
If her request surprised him, he didn’t show it. Instead, he lowered his head and dedicated himself to the task of kissing her deeper, more sensually.
Watching Aiden as he kissed her kept the memories at bay. She studied his face, let his scent fill her nostrils as she ran her hands over his biceps and shoulders, committing every hardened muscle to memory.
The tiny flame of desire deep inside her roared to life, and liquid heat slid through her veins as she melted against him.
She needed to feel him, needed to know she could still want and be wanted.
“Aiden… I need you. I want—”
“No.”
Aiden’s voice was thick with emotion when he pulled away.
She recoiled, the sting of rejection spiraling through her heart.
“Maya. Look at me, sweetheart.” The press of his fingertips against her lower back implored her to listen.
She pushed the dark thoughts away and reluctantly met his gaze.
He stared at her for a moment before speaking. “I’ve waited a year for this. I can wait another day. A week, a month… whatever it takes.”
He lifted one hand and cupped the side of her face. “I want you more than anything, but I want to take this slow. You’re going to get to know me, to really trust me.”
The intent in his dark eyes sent a hot shiver of need down her spine.
“Because once I make you mine, Maya… I won’t let you go.”