Hard to Handle (Love in the Balance 2)

She shuddered as aftershocks washed through her, and gripped his shoulders for support. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet, hadn’t been able to lift her head from the wall behind her. She felt, rather than saw, Aiden tug her dress down and smooth it over her thighs.

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “You should lie down.” His voice held a note of mischief and innuendo, and Sadie smiled, wondered if she’d ever stop smiling.

“Mmm.” She rubbed herself against his tented pants. “Find the coat closet.”

He chuckled and because they were breast to chest, the vibration of it reverberated in her belly, making her feel as languid as a cat that had drunk its weight in warm cream. Her lids were heavy, her body as pliable as taffy.

She opened her eyes to find Aiden wearing a satisfied, proud male smile. He stroked her hair from her face and tilted her chin. “Sorry, beautiful. Your first time isn’t going to be in a closet.”

A shudder tore through her that had nothing to do with the release he’d blessed her with. Sadie had temporarily forgotten about her “sacred” first time. No surprise there; she’d temporarily forgotten her name. Sadie something. She knew it had two syllables…

She took in the darkened room they were in, the slice of light across the floor, the various other doors around the room. Anyone could have walked in on them. Could have caught Sadie, dress hiked to her waist, being braced against a wall by Aiden.

She was fairly sure part of her was trying to be appalled by her ribald behavior, but she couldn’t find the strength to do anything other than smile warmly at the man who had taken her to heaven in under sixty seconds.

Aiden. Only Aiden could take her to the very pinnacle of desire and make her forget who she was. Or maybe, she thought in a burst of insight, when she was with Aiden she was more herself than when she was without him.

“Come with me somewhere,” he said, taking her hands in his.

There was only one answer.

“Anywhere.”

Chapter 14

Sadie’s steps aligned with her heartbeat as she walked hand in hand with Aiden out the side door and down the sidewalk. So wound up in the passion preceding their little jag, she didn’t notice he was leading her to his motorcycle until they stopped in front of it.

Sheila sat under a streetlamp at the front of the lot, her orange paint gleaming. Sadie ground to a complete halt, blood freezing in her veins. She met Aiden’s sea green eyes and shook her head. “I can’t.”

He took her face in his palms. “You can.” There was his easy smile again. “Trust me, Sadie.”

She did trust him. She trusted him implicitly. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have lost herself in his arms moments ago. For once, she hadn’t tried to hide behind her inner wall of safety. And it’d been so worth it, the freedom of it, like rolling around on decadent cotton bedding—

What do you have to lose?

They could wreck. They could get injured…And in the banquet hall, they could have been caught. They could have been kicked out. But they weren’t. It was a risk, but in a way, a safe one.

Again, she was struck by how she hadn’t overthought it. About how she had zero regrets now. She’d experienced something exhilarating she’d never experienced before. It was worth it, and it felt wonderful letting Aiden take care of all the worrying for her.

Her eyes tracked to the bike.

Aiden would take care of her. He would make sure she was safe. And maybe this would be exhilarating, too…and lead up to the most exhilarating time of her life. After what just happened, how could tonight be anything less than mind-blowing?

She looked into Aiden’s familiar, handsome face. Of course it would be. Instead of giving him an answer, Sadie pulled her skirt high on her thighs and approached Sheila. “Think I can ride in these shoes?”

“Sadie,” Aiden said, pride evident on his face, “I think you can do anything in those shoes.” He pulled a helmet from one of the saddlebags. It was pink.

She opened her mouth to ask how long he’d had it. He must have seen the question in her eyes. He answered before she had the chance to ask. “Bought it the day I dropped off your phone. I thought I might try and convince you to ride with me then.”

“And you kept it,” she murmured as he settled the helmet onto her head.

“You never know.” He adjusted the strap on her chin and laid a soft kiss on her lips. “You’ll be fine.”

“I trust you,” she said. But just in case, she closed her eyes and said a quick backup prayer.