Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“Oh, God!” she cried out, gasping as he took her hard. “Yes. Yes!” Her release peaked and she dangled at the edge, ready to free-fall into a sea of pleasure.
“Say my name,” he demanded. “Who is going to make you come?” he asked, his brown eyes staring into hers. He pinched her clit between his fingers.
“Aiden!” Pleasure flew through her and she cried out, her body jerking against him.
He held her in place as she rode out her orgasm. “Fuck, Brooke. I can feel you coming,” he groaned, as she heard his own climax take hold. His hips jerked once, then twice, before he stiffened and came hard.
Sweaty and limp, she gasped when he pulled out. She was totally sated and already her mind reentered panic mode. Their time together was better than her memories, more than she’d ever imagined they could be, which meant she was vulnerable to him all over again.
He slid off her and rose from the bed, walked back to the bathroom, a faint glow now lighting the room. He returned a few minutes later with a damp washcloth.
She held out a hand for the small towel but he shook his head. “Let me take care of you,” he said in a gruff voice. “I’ve wasted so much time without you, and I… I just need to take care of you tonight.”
More intimacy, she thought, her heart skipping a beat. She wanted to fight him, but she didn’t have the strength, nor did she really have the desire. This one night, she could give in.
“Are your hands okay?” she asked, speaking of his injury.
He nodded. “I took off the bandages. I’ll just have to be careful until I can rewrap them in the morning.”
Accepting his answer, she rolled to her back and spread her legs, allowing him to clean her up before he tossed the washcloth to the floor.
To her surprise, his aftercare hadn’t been awkward and when he slid in beside her and pulled up the covers, she didn’t complain or suggest she return to her room. Her brain was fully functioning and what she’d learned when she came home earlier slammed back into her. He could have been killed tonight.
She had the definite sense he knew more than he was telling her about whether it had been a deliberate move or an accident. He hadn’t lied but he had protected her from the knowledge he held back. For now, she was okay with that. She had enough fear in hearing about the incident and she couldn’t handle losing him. Not when they were tentatively making their way back to each other.
So she was content to stay in his bed, let him wrap his big body around hers, and fall asleep in his arms. Talking about them could wait until morning.
Chapter Seventeen
Brooke woke up and knew immediately she wasn’t in her own bed. She’d slept well, which surprised her, considering everything weighing on her mind. She wasn’t one to easily push away things that bothered her but last night, she had. Probably because she’d slept with Aiden, and despite the past, being with him made her feel safe.
Memories of the night before came rushing back and she could admit no one ever made her feel as good and as wanted as Aiden. Sex after he’d left had been perfunctory and unsatisfying. In fact, she’d only had two partners she allowed that close, and she’d ended things quickly afterward.
Turning from facing the wall, she hoped to see Aiden still asleep beside her. His side of the bed was empty. She didn’t panic, knowing she was in both his room and house. He couldn’t have gone far.
But did he have regrets? Was she once again reading more into one night than he was? She sat up in bed, echoes of past humiliation reverberating inside her. The best thing she could do was go next door to her bedroom and meet up with him downstairs, fully dressed, makeup on, armor in place.
She rose from the bed just as the bedroom door opened. Realizing she was naked, she grabbed the closest piece of clothing she could find and held Aiden’s shirt against the front of her body for protection.
Aiden strode into the room, tray of food in hand. His gaze took her in and he shut the door behind him with his body. “Sorry. But nobody’s out there. Our parents are downstairs, but I think it’s a good idea to keep that locked for now.” He put the tray on the table next to the door and pushed in the button on the doorknob.
Without meeting his gaze, she pulled on his T-shirt, grateful when it fell to her upper thighs.
He carried the food to the desk in the corner of his room and set down the tray. “Breakfast is served.”