Chapter 68
Aria’s POV
“Aiden I touched the delicate piano key pendant hanging at my neck, feeling strangely vulnerable under his intense gaze. “But why p>
Instead of answering my question, he moved closer, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Would you play something for me?” he asked, his voice low and intimate in the quiet room.
The abrupt change of subject threw me off balance, but I nodded. “Of course. What would you like to hear p>
“Traumerei,” Aiden said. “Schumann’s Dreaming p>
My fingers hesitated above the keys. Traumerei – one of the most romantic pieces in classical piano repertoire, written by Robert Schumann for his beloved Clara. It was essentially a musical love letter.
When I didn’t respond immediately, Aiden slipped the small velvet box into his pocket. “You don’t want to play it p>
“It’s not that p>
I studied his face, searching for some hint of his intentions. His expression remained characteristically impassive, giving nothing away.
Perhaps I was overthinking this. Traumerei was gentle and soothing, flowing with serene beauty. Though dedicated to Schumann’s lover, its romance wasn’t overly demonstrative – more like a peaceful reminiscence of cherished moments. Most people simply found it calming and beautiful, without reading deeper meaning into it.
Yes, I was definitely overthinking this.
Pushing aside my scattered thoughts, I placed my hands on the piano keys and began to play Traumerei for Aiden.
The melody filled the room with its dreamy, tender notes. I lost myself in the piece, letting my fingers dance across the keys with practiced ease. The music spoke of gentle affection, of quiet moments treasured, of love expressed not through grand gestures but through steady presence.
As the final note faded into silence, I looked up instinctively at Aiden.
He was watching me intently, rolling something between his fingers – the mango candy he’d picked up earlier. “This piece,” he said quietly, “was composed by Schumann for his beloved Clara p>
I stiffened, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “You knew that p>
“Yes.” His voice was steady, matter-of-fact.
My brows furrowed in confusion. “If you already knew what it meant, why ask me to
play it?” I searched his face. “Are you… are you making fun of me p>
Aiden stepped closer, his tall frame casting a shadow over the piano and me. “Haven’t you felt anything, Aria p>
“What do you mean?” I stared up at him, genuinely confused.
He reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek with unexpected tenderness. “I’m trying to tell you something.” His voice dropped lower. “I’m telling you that I love you p>
The words hit me with the force of a physical blow. I froze, certain I had misheard him.
“You… what p>
“I love you.” His voice was firmer now, more certain. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. But somewhere between our arrangement and now, everything changed p>
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. “But our agreement p>
“Fuck the agreement.” The rare profanity from his usually controlled mouth shocked me. “I don’t want a business transaction anymore. I want you. All of you p>
Before I could process his words, his mouth was on mine, hungry and demanding. His hands cupped my face as though I were something precious, something he couldn’t bear to lose.
I melted into him, my body responding before my mind could catch up. My fingers clutched at his shirt, pulling him closer as years of buried feelings surged to the surface.
“Aiden,” I gasped when we broke apart for air.
His eyes were dark with desire as he lifted me from the piano bench. In one smooth motion, he sat and pulled me onto his lap, my legs straddling his.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured against my neck, his breath hot on my skin. “Tell me this isn’t what you want p>
But I couldn’t say that. Not when every cell in my body was screaming for his touch.
“Don’t stop,” I whispered instead, threading my fingers through his hair. “Please, don’t stop p>
His hands slid under my shirt, tracing paths of fire across my skin. I arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping my lips.
“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, his voice rough with need. “Every day I’ve watched you, wanted you… tried to tell myself this was just an arrangement p>
His confession broke something loose inside me. I kissed him fiercely, pouring years of unspoken longing into it.
“I need you,” I admitted against his lips. “I’ve always needed you p>
Aiden growled low in his throat, his hands gripping my hips tighter. In a swift movement, he stood, lifting me with him. My legs wrapped around his waist as he carried me to the grand piano, setting me on its polished surface.
“Here?” I gasped, half-scandalized, half-thrilled.
His answer was to push my skirt up my thighs, his fingers finding the edge of my underwear. “Here,” he confirmed, his eyes never leaving mine. “I want to watch you come apart for me on this piano you love so much p>
I shivered at his words, at the possession in his tone. This wasn’t the controlled, distant Aiden Carter I knew. This was a man unleashed, claiming what he wanted with single-minded intensity.
And God help me, I wanted to be claimed.
His mouth trailed hot kisses down my neck as his fingers worked magic between my thighs. I clutched at his shoulders, gasping when he found exactly the right spot.
“That’s it,” he murmured approvingly. “Let me hear you, Aria p>
I didn’t recognize the desperate sounds coming from my own throat as he built me higher and higher. When he dropped to his knees before me, pushing my thighs further apart, I nearly came undone at just the sight.
“Aiden,” I pleaded, not even sure what I was asking for.
“I’ve got you,” he promised, before his mouth replaced his fingers.
The world dissolved into sensation – his talented tongue exploring me intimately, his strong hands holding my trembling thighs apart. I fell back onto the piano, sending discordant notes ringing through the room as my hands scrambled for purchase.
He worked me relentlessly, bringing me to the edge and then backing away, again and again until I was sobbing his name.
“Please,” I begged. “Please, Aiden p>
Only then did he rise, unfastening his belt with steady hands. The sound of his zipper lowering was obscenely loud in the quiet room.
“Look at me,” he commanded, positioning himself between my legs. “I want to see your eyes when I make you mine p>
I forced my heavy lids open, meeting his intense gaze as he pushed into me in one powerful thrust. The stretch and fullness made me cry out, my back arching off the piano’s surface.
“God, Aria,” he groaned, his control visibly slipping. “You feel perfect p>
He began to move, each thrust deliberate and deep. The piano creaked beneath us, adding its voice to our passionate symphony. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him closer, needing him deeper.
“Tell me,” he demanded, his pace increasing. “Tell me this is real p>
“It’s real,” I gasped, meeting his thrusts with my own movements. “I love you, Aiden.
I love you p>
The confession broke what remained of his restraint. He drove into me with renewed purpose, his hands gripping my hips with bruising force.
“Mine,” he growled, reaching between us to touch me where we were joined. “Say
it p>
“Yours,” I agreed breathlessly. “Always yours p>
His clever fingers circled and pressed, and suddenly I was shattering, waves of pleasure crashing over me as I cried out his name. He followed moments later, his body tensing as he found his own release.
After, he gathered me against his chest, his heart thundering beneath my ear. We were both breathing hard, sweaty and disheveled but unwilling to part.
“I meant it,” he said finally, his voice rough. “Every word p>
I looked up at him, at this man who had started as my escape and somehow
become my destination.
“I meant it too,” I whispered. “I love you, Aiden p>
He kissed me then, gentle and sweet – so different from our earlier passion but no
less intense.
“We should probably take this somewhere more comfortable,” I suggested with a small laugh, becoming aware of the hard surface beneath me.
Aiden smiled – a real, unreserved smile that transformed his face. “I have other plans for you tonight that definitely require a bed p>
As he carried me from the music room, I realized the truth I’d been avoiding for months: this wasn’t just an arrangement anymore. It hadn’t been for a long time. We’d been playing our own version of Traumerei all along – dreaming our way into love, note by note, day by day.
And now, finally, we were both awake to it.