Chapter 29
Aria’s POV
The air between us crackled with electricity. My breath caught in my throat at his proposition. Everything in me screamed this was a terrible idea—we were business partners, nothing more. Yet my body betrayed me, responding to his nearness with a fierce hunger I couldn’t deny.
“Yes,” I whispered before I could stop myself.
The word hung in the darkness for a heartbeat, and then his hand was cupping my face, turning me toward him. In the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains, his eyes were midnight pools, intense and hungry.
“Tell me to stop,” Aiden murmured, his breath hot against my neck. “Say the word, and I’ll go back to my side p>
I should have. God knows I should have.
Instead, I turned to face him, finding his eyes gleaming in the moonlight, intense and hungry. Something primal and needy coiled inside me, demanding release after months of denial and heartbreak.
“Don’t stop,” I whispered.
His hand moved from my shoulder to cup my face, thumb stroking across my cheekbone with surprising tenderness. For a heartbeat, we just stared at each other, the air between us charged with electricity.
“Are you certain?” His voice was strained, controlled. “This changes things between us p>
I shook my head slightly. “It doesn’t have to. We’re adults. We can p>
His mouth crushed against mine, swallowing whatever sensible arrangement I was about to propose. The kiss was nothing like I’d imagined—not gentle, not tentative, but consuming.
His lips were firm yet soft, demanding as they moved against mine. I gasped, and he took advantage, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, tasting me with a groan that vibrated through my entire body.
My hands found their way to his chest, fingers splaying across the hard planes of muscle. His skin was hot to the touch, smooth over solid strength.
I traced the ridges of his abs, marveling at how perfectly sculpted he was. Every inch of him felt like living marble—hard, defined, yet vitally alive beneath my exploring fingers.
As he shifted above me, I felt the hard length of him press against my thigh. The evidence of his desire sent a thrill of power through me. I, Aria Jones, had reduced the mighty Aiden Carter to this state of want.
I couldn’t help myself—I arched up, pressing my hips against his, seeking friction. The contact drew a sharp hiss from him, followed by a firm slap to my outer thigh that made me gasp in surprise and unexpected pleasure.
I realized that with Aiden, I felt an intense, burning desire unlike anything I had ever felt with Liam, who made me feel frigid the whole time we were making out.
“Impatient little thing,” he growled, nipping at my bottom lip.
“No,” I admitted sheepishly, “it’s your fault p>
Emboldened by desire, I let my hand slide down his taut abdomen, tracing the defined V of his hips until my fingers brushed against his hardness through the thin fabric of his pajama bottoms. The size of him made me gasp softly, and his sharp intake of breath told me he was just as affected by my touch.
Aiden’s eyes darkened dangerously. “Good girl p>
In one swift movement, he hovering above me, his weight supported on his forearms. The moonlight sculpted his features into something almost otherworldly— sharp jaw, intense eyes, lips parted with desire.
“Tell me what you want, Aria,” he commanded, his voice rough velvet.
The vulnerability of the request caught me off guard. This powerful man, asking permission rather than taking.
“I want your hands on me,” I whispered. “Everywhere p>
His answering smile was predatory. “Specific. I like that p>
He lowered his head to kiss me again, softer this time but no less intoxicating. His hand moved to the buttons of my pajama top, slowly undoing them one by one, his fingers deliberately brushing against my skin with each newly exposed inch.
“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” he murmured, pushing the fabric aside to reveal my breasts. His thumb grazed over one nipple, and I arched into his touch, gasping.
“And so responsive,” he added, lowering his head to replace his thumb with his mouth.
The wet heat of his tongue sent electricity shooting through me. I clutched at his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as he lavished attention on first one breast, then the other.
“Aiden,” I panted, squirming beneath him.
“Yes, say my name,” he commanded, his hand sliding lower, over my stomach, to the waistband of my pajama bottoms. “I want to hear it when you come p>
His fingers slipped beneath the elastic, moving torturously slow down until they reached the apex of my thighs. When he found me already slick with need, he groaned against my neck.
“So wet for me already,” he murmured, his finger circling my entrance teasingly. “Tell me, Aria, have you thought about this? About my fingers inside you, my mouth on you p>
The words were filthy, demanding, and sent another rush of heat through me.
“Yes,” I confessed, beyond shame now. “So many times p>
“How many?” he demanded, sliding one long finger inside me as reward for my honesty.
“I don’t know,” I gasped, my hips lifting to meet his hand. “Too many to count p>
“So fucking perfect,” he growled, his thumb finding my clit as his finger curled inside me. “I can’t wait to slide into this tight pussy, feel your heat gripping my cock p>
“Aiden I panted, the crude words igniting something primal within me.
“Yes, baby. I’ll make you come. I’ll take away your pain.” He chuckled darkly, adding a second finger as his thumb found my clit.
Combined with the expert movement of his fingers-curling inside me, hitting a spot that made stars burst behind my eyelids—I was already embarrassingly close to the edge.
“Look at me,” he commanded. “I want to see your face when you fall apart p>
I forced my eyes open, meeting his intense gaze. The raw possession I saw there pushed me closer still.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, his fingers moving faster, thumb circling more insistently. “Let go for me p>
“Aiden,” I gasped, my body tensing as the pressure built inside me.
“Mine,” he growled, and then crushed his mouth to mine as the dam broke.
Pleasure crashed over me in violent waves, my body clenching around his fingers as I shattered completely. He swallowed my cries with his kiss, working me through the aftershocks until I was trembling from oversensitivity.
When I finally floated back to reality, Aiden was looking down at me with a mixture of satisfaction and hunger. His fingers were still inside me, and he slowly withdrew them, bringing them to his mouth to taste.
The sight was so erotic I felt desire stir again, despite my recent release.
“Even sweeter than I imagined,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.
In one fluid motion, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my pajama bottoms and slid them down my legs, tossing them aside. The cool air hit my overheated skin, making me shiver as he positioned himself between my thighs, his shoulders parting them further.
His mouth trailed hot kisses down my stomach, pausing just above where I needed him most. The anticipation was maddening as his breath ghosted over my sensitive flesh.
“Tell me,” his voice was heavy with need. “Has anyone ever kissed you here?” His breath was so close to my clit, I could feel every nerve in my body come alive.
“Don’t torture me, please,” I begged, nearly delirious with need. “I need p>
“What do you need?” His voice was dark velvet against my skin.
“I want you inside me,” I whispered, beyond shame now.
He lifted his head, eyes burning into mine. “Has anyone ever tasted you like this
before p>
“No,” I admitted softly. “You’re the first p>
Aiden froze, his body suddenly tense. He pulled back slightly, eyes searching mine
with an intensity that made me want to look away.
“Aria,” he said slowly, “are you a virgin p>