Better Than Home: Better Than Good Novella

“Sure.” I followed him into the kitchen and pulled out a handful of menus from the drawer next to the fridge. “Chinese sounds good.”

“Yum. I’ll place our regular order online.” He grabbed our iPad from the counter and waved it in my direction. “See? This is what I’m talking about. Everything we do is online. We do our banking online, we buy groceries, we order food, and—do you want Moo Shu chicken?”

“Uh…” I was a pro at keeping up with his rapid-fire ping-pong style of conversation, but the Moo Shu chicken threw me off course for a beat. “Yes, please.”

Aaron typed the order as he continued. “My next venture has to have a solid virtual audience. More people than ever are looking at the Internet for fashion tips. I’d been trying to expand our social media presence, but that wasn’t really in my job description in my now-former position. I feel vindicated…almost. But I’m also in shock.”

He set the iPad on the island and sidled next to me, wrapping his arm around my neck and his leg over mine as if trying to climb onto my lap. I held him close, loving the feel of his warm body against mine.

“Me too. But it sounds like you’ve got solid options. I think that calls for a celebration. Want some bubbly?”

Aaron inched away to fix me with a stunning grin. “Chinese food and champagne…the perfect combo! I feel like I just set down a heavy blanket I’ve been wearing for a year and a half, and I can breathe again.”

I kissed his forehead. “Good. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you. I know I made the right decision. I just hope I don’t freak you out too much when I tell you what I plan to do this summer.”

“Learn how to can peaches or make blueberry jam?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m going to start my own business.”

“Uh…you are?”

“Yes! I’m going to monetize my social media presence. I’ll use my contacts and collaborate with major designers, new talent, models, and photographers, and launch a new venture showcasing fashion trends. In other words, I’m going to take Marsha’s idea and see if I can do it myself. Smart, eh?”

“You want to be an influencer?”

He wrinkled his nose. “No, but it occurred to me that Marsha’s so-called new idea translates to me doing all the background work and giving someone else the spotlight. Why not cut out the middlemen and try it myself? I’ll know in a couple of months if I’m in over my head. Which will roughly be when my severance runs out.”

“Severance?” I repeated.

“Yep. I negotiated a severance too.”

“Holy shit. You’re like some kind of mad genius.”

Aaron nodded enthusiastically. “I know, right? Being married to a lawyer has done wonders for my business acumen.”

“That’s all you, Aar.” I squeezed his ass and nipped his chin playfully. “But you know…I think we can do better than a champagne treat.”

“Mmm, what do you have in mind?”

I tugged his shirt from his trousers and unbuckled his belt, pressing kisses along his jaw and his neck. “I’ll show you. How much time do we have till our food is delivered?”

Aaron nibbled my bottom lip, swaying his hips against my half-hard cock. “Ten minutes.”

“Plenty of time.” I stood abruptly, giving him half a second to wrap himself around me like a human pretzel before I stalked to the living area.

I tossed him on the chaise portion of the sofa and got busy, pulling off his shoes, then his trousers and boxer briefs.

“The blinds are open.” He tilted his chin toward the bank of windows on the far end of the room. “Some dirty pervert might see us, Matty.”

“They’d need high-powered binoculars, babe. I think we’re safe.”

Aaron chuckled. He knew full well that not so long ago I would have been the first to abort the mission and insist on moving to our room. And I had no shame where Aaron was concerned. I didn’t care if anyone saw us kiss or hold hands or show any kind of affection. I drew the line at sex in public, but like I’d told him, the angle was all wrong for a Peeping Tom hoping to see some action.

I crawled between his thighs and gripped his cock, stroking him with a steady, firm hold.

“Ooh, that’s good,” he murmured.

“Unbutton your shirt. That’s it. Now play with your nipples for me.”

“Like this?” He slid his fingers along the barbells in each nipple and tugged.

Fuck, that got me every time. Maybe it was his half-hooded gaze with his teeth piercing his bottom lip and that blissed-out expression. Maybe it was how quickly he responded to my touch. He made me feel like a wizard sometimes. Like I had all these secret powers of seduction in my arsenal when in fact, it was always him.

No one had ever gotten to me the way Aaron did. Knowing he was mine in every way that mattered added something sacred to every little touch…every little kiss.