She strode through the living room and approached the kitchen. The eerie silence had her tugging on her black chiffon blouse. Even if Presley hadn’t been her roommate for long, Cora had gotten used to the company. Her house lacked the warmth it once had.
When she reached the kitchen, Aidan was hot on her heels. Turning to him, she set her bag of lingerie on the countertop. Her knees buckled as he leaned against her counter with his arms folded, oozing authority. As he always did, he dominated the space, and butterflies fluttered in her belly.
Him, in her house, all alone … a naked Aidan taking her against the countertop flashed like a wicked fantasy in her mind.
Stop!
He regarded her with a long look, and to her dismay, no heat rested in his shadowy eyes, only softness. “Talk to me.”
Her mouth was dry as she moved to the stainless-steel fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. “What do you want to talk about? Sports? The weather?”
His warm hand grasped hers and she melted into his hold. God, his touch … it curled her toes. She looked to him and his stern voice matched the severity of his features. “Talk now.”
Cora glanced to her water bottle in desperation to add moisture to her mouth. She restrained a moan as the heat from his body engulfed her in a seductive burn. “I don’t know how many ways I can possibly tell you that nothing’s wrong.”
Aidan captured her gaze with a finger under her chin. His eyes flared with power as he pressed his body into hers, trapping her between himself and the countertop. “Last night, I saw sadness …” He brushed his finger under her eye with a gentle sweep. “Right here, Cora. Don’t lie to me.”
Lost in his stare, her mind stuttered. To have him this close made her ache. To have Aidan in her home on a Saturday afternoon had been what she used to wish for. All the same, her blood went frigid. She did this to protect him and to keep what they had together. She wasn’t the problem. His avoidance to move on from Lily was. “I’m fine,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Cora,” he said, low and slow.
She heaved a sigh, swallowing under the assault of his closeness. “Really, it’s all A-okay.” He locked his elbows as she attempted to shift out of his hold. A hot shiver raced into her loins.
Trapped in his alert gaze, she spun into a whirlwind of desire. She craved his hot kisses, his burning touch. He examined her furtively. “Did something in our scene last night upset you?”
“Of course not.” The space between them got a helluva lot smaller, and she pushed against his arm. The hard muscle didn’t move. As a submissive, she relished that power and removal of choices. Now it made her feel like a little woman in the presence of an incredibly commanding man.
The bigger problem?
Her soaked panties.
She needed that damn water … and she needed it now!
Shifting against the counter to retreat, her back ached at the hard marble pressing into her skin. Think, Cora. He needed a reason why she had left so abruptly. She’d never panicked like that before. Yet he’d never questioned her like that, either. And quite possibly the conversation with Presley had opened old wounds.
Cora squirmed to draw away from him, which only rubbed her against his hard cock. She cursed his damn jeans and hers for the barrier. Aidan touched her only in scenes, but her body didn’t know the difference. He
awakened her
Aidan leaned in, erasing the distance. “Did Presley upset you?”
Her fingers twitched to reach out and explore his face. Achy and hot, she craved to fulfill that earlier fantasy. His large pupils indicated he wouldn’t be unwilling. “No,” she said both to his question and to her body’s desire.
He drew his bottom lip in between his teeth and he leaned closer, nose-to-nose. “Let me get this straight—you want me to believe you’re perfectly fine, and that nothing is bothering you?”
Under his fierce stare, she shut her eyes to avoid him. His velvety soft voice struck her as if a vibrator was tormenting her clit. His closeness, that perfect mouth that kissed her passionately, and the waves of heat coming off him all made it impossible to think.
With a soul-deep shove, she forced her eyes open. Now wasn’t the time to lose sight of what she wanted. In Club Sin, Doms held control. Out of it, she lived on her terms. She’d chosen her path with Aidan. She’d made difficult choices but had accepted them.
While she understood Aidan’s intent came from concern, she had run out of ideas. How many times could she say I’m fine before she even annoyed herself? “I don’t know what to say.”
One sleek eyebrow arched. “You tell the truth, Cora.”
Annoyed to her bones, she gripped her water bottle tight and forcibly shoved his arm. This time he allowed it. Her heart hammered and her loins pulsated as she hurried into her living room.
His absence cooled her jets, and she exhaled in relief. She crumbled onto the couch, taking a sip of her water and welcoming the moisture into her dry throat. It came of no surprise that a second later his woodsy scent invaded the air.
A wrinkle marred his forehead. “Talk.”