Working him over with her hands and mouth, she increased the pace until he was gritting his teeth. “Okay,” he said, reaching out to grasp her wrist and still the torturous movements. “That...is about all I can take of that unless you want Tara to know way too much about us.”
Violet giggled, but relinquished her hold on him. “I’m sorry,” she said in a pouty voice that proved she was anything but sorry.
“I bet you are.” With one quick tug, he pulled her up off the floor, and she landed in a sprawled position on top of him. He held her tight to him even as she wiggled and tried to right herself. “Oh, no. You’ve had plenty of fun. It’s your turn to shout,” he said.
Rolling across the bed, Violet found herself on her back with Aidan pinning her arms to the mattress. He shifted his grip until he was holding both wrists in one of his massive hands over her head. He straddled her hips, using his free hand to push up her shirt. He shimmied it over her head and shoulders, leaving it tangled around her wrists. He unsnapped the front clasp of her bra and pushed the lacy blue cups out of his way to expose her tight, rosy nipples.
Violet gasped silently as he cupped her left breast in his hand and drew her into the warmth of his mouth. He sucked hard on her nipple until she squirmed and arched her back toward him. She was completely at his mercy now and not being able to move her arms made her feel even more vulnerable to him.
She liked it.
When he did finally let go, it was so he could slide her jeans and panties down her hips. With those gone, she used her newfound freedom to pull his face back down to her so she could kiss him at last. His lips collided hard with hers, matching the intensity that was building between them both. It had been less than a day since they’d shared a bed and yet it suddenly felt like weeks. Like Violet would be consumed by her need for him if she didn’t have him right now.
Aidan seemed less inclined to rush tonight. Even as he kissed her, one hand roamed over her skin, eventually seeking out the heat between her thighs. He stroked her, dipping his fingers inside and rubbing the heel of his palm against her sensitive flesh. His mouth on hers muffled her cries as he made slow circles guaranteed to make her climax.
And climax she did. Her whole body was shaken with the pleasure that radiated through her. She’d never come so fast and so intensely before, but it was as though Aidan had mastered her body. She tore her mouth away from his to suck in a cool lungful of air and gasp with the force of her orgasm.
As she lay there, nearly incapable of moving, Aidan sought out a condom and returned to her side. As they came together, she felt her body responding to him again and Violet noticed a difference in their lovemaking. It had only been a week since they’d first come together at his apartment, and yet the newness had given way to the familiar and easy. Not that it was boring by any stretch, but that there was experience behind every touch and taste of each other’s bodies. He knew exactly how to move and how to touch her to make her respond.
Violet had never been with a lover who focused on her pleasure the way he did. Even tonight, he had taken his reward and twisted it into an experience to satisfy them both. He didn’t just give lip service to her needs, he genuinely prioritized them, just as he prioritized her in every aspect of his life.
Even as he groaned her name into her neck and held her body tight to his, she couldn’t help but think of how special he made her feel. Like she and Knox were a priority in his life. Not his business or his money, his reputation or even himself. She’d never been loved like that before.
Is that what it was? Love?
If that was what she was feeling, Violet had never truly been loved by any man she’d been with in the past. At least not loved body and soul the way Aidan seemed to. He hadn’t shared his feelings with her and she hadn’t shared hers with him, but he certainly made her feel cherished and appreciated in a way that made her want to give a voice to her feelings.
She was in love with him.
It wasn’t something she’d really thought about before tonight, but the truth of it was clear. Their time together had been brief, but her heart and mind both knew what they wanted. They both wanted him.
She was absolutely, totally in love with Aidan.
The warm feeling in the center of her chest spread through her whole body. Like some kind of emotional floodgate opening, she felt the heat build up into an unexpected second release. When it exploded inside of her moments later and Aidan gave in to his own pleasure, she found herself on the verge of happy tears. She wanted to hold him, to hang on to this moment and cherish it forever.
A part of her wanted to tell him how she felt right then, but her logical side overrode it. It was one thing to fall in love quickly, another to announce it and have the timing be bad. Aidan might not be as in tune with his emotions. He might need more time to realize that what they had together was special and rare.
As he collapsed off to her side, the cool air danced across her damp, exposed skin, bringing a chill. She rolled against Aidan’s side and snuggled into the nook of his arm. She felt safe and protected there, like everything outside of her apartment couldn’t get to them. Things like her parents’ disapproval.
Violet knew that was a discussion that needed to be had, and soon. But not tonight. Her parents were still in Eastern Europe somewhere and she wanted to enjoy this moment with Aidan. An unexpected sinking feeling in her stomach followed that thought, making her cling more tight
ly to him.
As though the moment wouldn’t last much longer.
* * *
The following morning, Aidan went back to his apartment to get ready for work. He wasn’t opening today, but he wanted to head out to his mom’s house to grab something before his shift was supposed to start.
Last night with Violet had made him start thinking about things he hadn’t really considered before. They hadn’t been together as a couple long, but getting up in the morning to return to his place was a painful reminder that their cohabitation had been a temporary thing. With her kitchen fixed, Violet was back home. That meant everything he’d gotten used to so quickly was over. Yes, he had a standing Sunday afternoon date to see Knox, but there was nothing to say that he had a standing date with Violet.
Yes, he was happy to be Knox’s father, and involved in his life, but he wanted more. As impractical as it might seem, he wanted them to be a real family. One that woke up together and shared breakfast before starting their day. One that went on trips to the park and the ball field. Who cheered together for Knox’s T-ball team. Who went on family vacations and took cheesy photos together that they would frame and hang on the wall of their home.
Walking up the front steps of his mother’s house was a cold reminder that they didn’t share a home. Not in the same way his parents did. Their marriage had been anything but perfect, but his mother had loved and cared for his father until the end. They had built a home and family together in a way that Aidan longed for.
But would Violet ever consider something like that? A real family? A marriage? Marriage hadn’t even come up when he found out about the baby, and for good reason. If she did agree to marry him, it would be because she wanted to, not because she felt obligated to because of Knox and the societal pressure to marry his father.
That was both encouraging and frightening because he didn’t know which way it would go. He wanted Violet to say yes. His feelings for her were still new and uncertain in his mind, but his feelings about the three of them were clear. No matter what she might say, he felt compelled to give it his best shot.