Chapter 58
Aiden’s POV
I felt my jaw tighten as I held the delicate black lace between my fingers.
The image of Aria wearing this flashed unbidden through my mind, and something primal stirred within me.
Her pale skin against the dark fabric, the lace hugging every curve, revealing and concealing in equal measure.
My mind wandered to how it would feel to slowly peel it away from her body, inch by inch, exposing her to my gaze, my touch.
“Is this part of the replacement too?” I asked, my voice coming out rougher than intended.
Aria’s face flushed a deep crimson as she snatched the lingerie from my hand, stuffing it back into the pink shopping bag with frantic movements.
“No! God, no,” she stammered. “Lillian must have accidentally put her purchase in my bag. It’s it’s not mine p>
I kept my eyes fixed on the road, but my peripheral vision caught her nervous fidgeting. The lie was so transparent it almost amused me.
“Really?” I drawled, allowing skepticism to color my tone. “Because that looks exactly like your size p>
Her head whipped toward me, eyes wide with mortification. “How would you even know my size p>
“I’m observant,” I stated flatly, though in truth, I had memorized everything about her body from the few times I’d held her close-the slender curve of her waist, the delicate slope of her shoulders.
Aria clutched the shopping bag to her chest like a shield, her breathing shallow. I could practically feel the heat radiating off her skin.
“There’s no need to be so damn observant,” she muttered under her breath.
I couldn’t help the slight curve of my lips. There was something undeniably
captivating about her embarrassment-the way she tried to maintain her dignity while clearly wanting the floor to swallow her whole. It was… endearing.
Making a sudden decision, I pulled the Bentley over to the shoulder of the road and shifted into park. The engine idled smoothly as I turned to face her fully.
“What are you doing?” Aria asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I turned to face her fully. “Why did you buy it, Aria p>
“I told you, Lillian p>
“Stop lying.” I reached over, one finger tracing the outline of her jaw. “You’re terrible at it p>
Her breath hitched. “It doesn’t matter why I bought it. I wasn’t planning on using it.” “No?” I leaned closer, my hand sliding to the back of her neck. “What a waste p>
The atmosphere in the car shifted, charged with something electric. I could hear her breathing quicken, see her pupils dilate. My thumb stroked the sensitive skin behind her ear.
“Aiden,” she whispered, half warning, half plea.
With one hand, I unbuckled my seatbelt, I closed the distance between us, capturing her mouth with mine.
Her lips were soft, yielding beneath mine before pressing back with surprising hunger.
My hand tightened in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss.
My free hand found the hem of her sweater, fingers tracing the warm skin of her waist.
She shivered against me, her own hands clutching at my shoulders, my chest, my tie-anywhere she could reach.
Then She made a small, desperate sound in the back of her throat that sent heat coursing through my veins. I wanted more-needed more.
With practiced ease, I released her seatbelt, then pulled her across the center console onto my lap.
The steering wheel pressed against her back, her jeans rough against the fine fabric of my suit pants.
“Aiden, we shouldn’t—we’re on the side of the road.” She gasped as I moved to her neck, my teeth grazing the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
“Do you want me to stop?” I asked against her skin, already knowing the answer. “No,” she breathed, her hands fumbling with my tie. “But p>
“The windows are tinted,” I told her, my hands sliding up her thighs. “No one can see us p>
She bit her lip, clearly torn between desire and propriety. I decided to help her make up her mind, recapturing her mouth in a searing kiss while my hands found the button of her jeans.
“I want to see you in it,” I murmured against her neck, trailing kisses down to her collarbone. “I want to take it off you piece by piece p>
She made a small, embarrassed noise that quickly transformed into something else entirely as my fingers slipped beneath the fabric.
Her head fell forward against my shoulder, her breath hot against my neck as I explored her most intimate places.
“Aiden,” she moaned, her hips moving instinctively against my hand. “Please p>
I was painfully hard beneath her, straining against my pants as she rocked above
me.
My mouth found the swell of her breast above her sweater, teeth grazing the sensitive skin before my tongue soothed the sting.
My fingers found her most sensitive spot, circling with just enough pressure to make her gasp and writhe against me.
“Beg me,” I demanded, my voice low and commanding.
“Please, Aiden,” she whispered breathlessly, “I need you inside me p>
“Such a needy little thing,” I growled against her skin, feeling myself grow impossibly harder at her words.
The fact that proper, composed Aria could be reduced to this quivering, pleading state in my arms was intoxicating.
With my free hand, I reached between us to undo my belt, desperate to feel her around me.
Just as I was about to free myself, my phone rang—the specific ringtone I’d assigned to Lucas for emergencies.
I froze, momentarily torn between ignoring it and answering.
“Your phone,” Aria whispered against my ear, her voice still thick with desire.
“Ignore it,” I growled, recapturing her lips and continuing my ministrations.
The ringing stopped briefly, then started again immediately. Only one person would be this persistent.
With a muttered curse, I reluctantly pulled away and checked the screen. Lucas. “This better be important,” I growled into the phone.