And what did he think now? The way he was looking at her – with dark, narrowed eyes – left her reeling. “Sometimes I find it hard to believe you’re really back,” she whispered. “Like maybe you’re a figment of my imagination.”
He swallowed, his throat undulating in the gloom. “I can’t believe I stayed away for so long.”
She pulled the soft skin on the inside of her lip between her teeth. “I’m glad you’re here now.”
“So am I.” He reached out, running his hand down her arm. The same way he had on the boat. But this time it was the two of them and the ocean, and she allowed the shiver he caused to wrack her body. “I never should’ve left.” He traced the inside of her wrist with the pad of his finger.
“Aiden…”
“No, hear me out.” He’d reached the delicate skin on her wrist, tracing the tangle of blue beneath her flesh. “I left for the right reasons – what I thought were the right reasons – but I should have refused. I should have fought harder for you. For us. I should have told your father where to go.”
“We were so young, so afraid. And you had your mom to think about. I’m glad you protected her, and kept her safe. That proves you’re the man I always thought you were.”
He ran his fingertips along the lines on her palm, stroking each finger in turn. Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed it. She gasped as she felt the warmth of his lips brushing against her sensitive skin. Slowly, he kissed his way up her arm, setting her nerves alight, and she froze, waiting to see where he’d go. His mouth brushed her wrist, the inside of her elbow, making her gasp.
“Do you ever think about that night?” He looked up at her, his eyes heavy-lidded.
“Our last night?”
“Yeah.”
“All the time,” she admitted. “I wonder what would have happened if my dad hadn’t been out so late. If he hadn’t been driving past the beach. If he hadn’t seen my car there.”
“I still remember what you were wearing.”
“I wasn’t wearing much by the time he found us.”
Aiden smiled. “I remember that, too. I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as you were that night. Your skin lit by the moonlight, your body warm against mine.”
They’d been close, so close, and it had taken her breath away. Over the years she’d tried to rationalize it. To tell herself that all teenagers feel those heightened emotions. But she could never forget the way his muscled thighs had felt between hers, or the way he’d asked if she was sure about a hundred times.
She’d been certain.
“I was so in love with you,” she whispered.
Pulling at her hand, he moved her closer until her thigh was pressing against his. With his free hand, he reached out, brushing her curtain of blonde hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck, her shoulder, her chest. The moment he pressed his lips to her throat her body responded. He moved his lips upward, kissing her jaw, her cheek, the corner of her lips. His mouth lingered there, his breath warm, his lips soft. She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, eyes still as dark as coal. She tried to swallow but the dryness of her mouth stopped her.
When she was sixteen, their kisses had been plentiful. They’d given and taken without knowing their relationship had a sell-by date. But now, as his lips moved slowly, achingly along hers, she knew this kiss couldn’t last forever.
Aiden cradled her jaw in his palm, and pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was slow, exploring, his tongue sliding slowly against hers. Her heart began to pound as he pushed her backward, until her back was against the rock. He slid his hand underneath, protecting her skin from the rough edges, and kissed her again. He moved with her, his body hard and muscular when he pressed into her, her thighs opening as he slid his hard, thick leg between them. She looped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, needing to touch him, feel him, taste him. She couldn’t get enough of him. It was as though something inside her had been unleashed, and it was aching to be fed. She kissed him back, hard and needy, her soft moans leaving him in no doubt how he was making her feel.
Holding her breath, she felt his mouth against the sharp jut of her clavicle, and the soft dip of skin below her throat. His lips brushed over the swell of her breasts, making her nipples hard and achy, and when he reached up to brush the fabric covered peaks with his thumb, she sighed out loud.
Lifting her easily, he brought her down to the ground, her hair splaying out on the golden sand as he leaned into her. His legs were between hers, his hands holding his weight above her. When he kissed her again, she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips undulating to the rhythm of need he was building inside her.
“Is this okay?” he murmured, his fingers stopping at the thin straps on her shoulders.
She nodded, and he pulled at them, letting them dangle over her arms as he dipped his hands beneath the fabric, cupping her swollen, tender breasts, the warmth of his hand radiating through her bra. Brooke arched into him, her breath short, telling him with her body what she couldn’t say with her lips. Then he pushed her dress down, and her white lace bra with it, exposing her pale skin to the night. His lips followed his hands, kissing the swell of her breasts, the dark red of her areola, and finally the hard, needy peak of her nipples. She let her head fall back, moaning louder as he sucked her in, her fingers grabbing at his hair as he sucked her into his warm, velvet mouth. She rocked her hips again, feeling him hard and thick against her, needing the friction it created.
Blood rushed through her ears, drowning out the sound of the ocean. Aiden moved his hands down, stroking her waist, her stomach, her hips, pushing the hem of her dress up, exposing her smooth thighs and white lingerie. His fingers were touching the damp scrap of silk covering her core, eliciting another loud moan from her lips.
“Aiden…”
“Shh, let me touch you.” He kissed her again, swallowing her sighs as he stroked her, his fingers maddeningly gentle as he moved them back and forth. She arched her back, pressing herself into him, begging with her body for more.
“Please don’t stop.”
He pushed his hand beneath the light fabric, his fingers pressed against her warmth, skimming against her as he pulled her panties aside. She could feel the burn begin, deep in her belly, swirling and growing until it was impossible to ignore.