We took it slow. I helped him undress and then did a show for him as I removed his shirt I wore until all I had on was my lacy bodysuit. He held out his hand and I took it to be drawn to stand between his legs. He reached up and peeled the straps of the lacy bodysuit down until gravity took over.
There I stood bare in front of him.
“Beautiful,” he said.
He cherished me in a way I’d never experienced. He showed every part of me attention before he took me in his arms and rolled me onto the bed.
He went for the kiss, not yet settling his weight between my legs. I’d appreciate his lingering ministrations later, not now when all my nerve endings were ready to fire. I bit his lips and begged for him to move to the good part. “Please.”
His mischievous grin turned up a notch as he kissed his way between my breasts to my belly button. When his mouth did delicious things between my thighs, I fisted my hands in his sheets and begged for more.
Aiden didn’t disappoint on any level. He lived up to his reputation. By the time he penetrated my depths, I was desperate for him as he filled me. In one thrust, I was ready to blow. Somehow, he took me to another level where stars burst behind my eyes.
True to his word, our lovemaking was slow and built with every moment to a new and higher level. Every slide deeper, I clenched tighter, raising the pleasure once again. He swallowed my moans with soul-searing kisses. He worked the bundle of nerves between my legs until my toes curled and the dam broke. I opened my eyes wanting to look into his as we came together as one.
The man was as beautiful outside as he was in. He didn’t end our connection. Just held me tighter to him. I lay there in bliss wondering how I’d ever considered marrying Evan. With him, everything was a rush to the finish.
Though I thought it might be over, Aiden wasn’t. It was long into the night, an almost perfect night, before we fell asleep.
Early that morning, Aiden kissed my temple. “Stay asleep.”
I was too sleepy to do anything more than murmur something imperceptible before burrowing deeper onto his side of the bed.
Sometime later, I stretched and found the bed empty. It took a few moments of blinking for my vision to clear and remember that Aiden had left earlier.
Downstairs I found coffee and a note.
Keep the key, A
We were really doing this. I wasn’t exactly sure on all the rules. Did I need to give him a key to my place? It was probably a good idea that someone had a key since Dad was gone.
That gave me pause. I breathed through the ache that blossomed on my chest. A tear spilled from my eye a second before my phone buzzed. I answered.
“Is this Ms. Hawkins?”
“Yes.”
She introduced herself as an employee of the private autopsy firm I’d hired. “I’m calling to let you know that we have the results of your father’s autopsy. We can schedule a meeting to go through the results or we can send you the results and schedule a meeting after for any questions you have.”
“Please send me the results and then I’ll schedule a meeting. Thanks.”
She confirmed where I wanted the results emailed before we ended the call.
Though I wanted to speak to Aiden, I knew he was at work. I texted him instead.
Then, I got all cleaned up before leaving his place with the key. I might have squealed a little as I left. Aiden and I were really doing it, and it felt right.
I drove back to my house and sat in the car for a while looking out the window. This house was the dream my father gave my mother. It was also the place where all those dreams died. If I stayed in Mason Creek, I couldn’t live in this house. I also couldn’t give it up.
It wasn’t until I was in the office at the bar that I finally checked my email. The report was there, but fear kept me from opening it. I was afraid to learn he’d been murdered because I just couldn’t believe that someone in town would do such a thing. Dad was well liked. Conversely, I feared he wasn’t murdered, and I had his grave disturbed for nothing.
My finger hovered over the mouse as I debated what to do. It was almost a relief when one of my employees walked in with a problem. I could walk away for at least a little while before I had to face the results.
Relief filled me when Aiden walked through the door hours later. I’d been studying for an exam, which helped keep my mind off of dad and had just gone up front to check on things when he arrived. I didn’t care what people thought. I wanted the world to know that I was with this man. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him.