Page 47 of The Expiration Date

He looks down at me. “You still haven’t promised me, Swann.”

Breathless, I say, “I promise.”

He smiles so big that those delicious dimples appear. I’ve honestly never seen him smile like this entire time I’ve known him. I contest back, “You still haven’t answered me, Stone. What about our contract?”

His eyes are on fire. “Fuck the contract, Hales. Actually, I would like to make an amendment to our little contract.”

I breathe unevenly. I’ve never seen this side of Aidan before. Feverish. Uninhibited. Almost devilish. And I want to know more. “And what amendment would that be?”

“You’re about to find out.” He presses his lips to mine, returning to the kiss we shared last night. Only this time, it isn’t for show and it isn’t because people are chanting for us to do so.

“Wait, stop!” I break our kiss and Aidan groans.

“I mean, don’t stop, but stop.” I can’t find my words in this whirlwind scenario. A scenario that never in a million years did I imagine I would ever find myself in. I have to lay all my fears out on the table. “Once we do this, we can’t go back.”

“I don’t want to go back. I want to keep moving forward and discover all the facets of you, Haley Swann.”

“But, what if…”

“Just let me love you, Haley.” Aidan looks fiercely at me, with a naughty grin on his face, like he’s up to no good–a look that is rendering me utterly defenseless. I want to find out what it means for Aidan Stone to love me. “I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“Whose being presumptuous now?”

His smile widens even more as he looks down at my lips. “You take that back.”

“Prove me wrong then.”

26

Aidan’s mouth collides with mine so vigorously that it takes me by surprise, so much so that I can’t help but giggle against his lips.

“What are you laughing at, you goof?”

“You just seem very eager to kiss me.”

“Well, maybe that’s because I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a while now Hales, I mean really kiss you, and I am not wasting any more time not kissing you. I never want to waste time again.” He looks intently at me with his teal eyes.

My feet finally reach the ground after what felt like an eternity propped up in Aidan’s arms, which I’ve decided is my preferred method of transport from now on.

When I finally get my bearings on solid ground, I bend down and slide off my shoes. I am about to unzip my dress. Aidan’s hand stops me.

“Don’t you dare.”

“What? You don’t want me to take off my clothes?” I ask, lifting one eyebrow quizzically.

“No.”

For a moment I am deflated, self-conscious that I’m really not what Aidan wants. Then he wraps his hands around my back and finds my zipper. His hands clench tight around the fabric and he pulls outward, causing it to rip and hang off my shoulders, exposing my bra underneath. “I wanted to.”

I stand there, breathless, as the sexiest man in the universe slides what is left of my dress all the way down my body, keeping one of his hands glued to me, tracing my figure slowly and intentionally, pausing only to feel my lace panties and tracing the hem dangerously with his fingertip. How is it possible to feel so exposed and so secure at the same time? That’s the magic that Aidan brings to the table, and I am here to revel in it.

“It’s my turn,” I say playfully. I stare at Aidan’s white button-down shirt and decide to take the opposite method that he used with my dress a second ago. I slowly start unbuttoning his shirt, ogling him in the process. I want to take my sweet time with him. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind, decoding what was real and what was for show. And then tonight I discover there has been this invisible string tying me to Aidan since the very first day we met. After every small translucent button, I touch his skin, which is on fire beneath my cool fingertips. With every touch, his abs tighten, showcasing each ridge, taut and cut to perfection. I want to tease him a little. I want to take in the sight of him shamelessly and freely, something I haven’t been able to do since I’ve met him. Now it’s just him and me, and I can finally enjoy Aidan in all of his glory.

Aidan growls in frustration. “You’re killing me, Swann. I’ll rip my own shirt off if that means I can continue kissing you.”

I reach the last button, satisfied that I evoked any sense of urgency in Aidan. I trace my hands along his unbuttoned shirt, reaching the top of his broad shoulders and sliding his shirt all the way down his arms, stopping momentarily at each curvature, each muscle. When his shirt falls, Aidan takes control and feverishly kisses me, like he is making up for lost time. One hand is completely entangled in my hair and the other presses my back, causing our bodies to mold together. I swallow hard as I feel how much I am really affecting his body. There is definitely no mistaking my affect on him. Chills make their way all up and down my skin, which is in direct contrast to what’s happening internally–everything is on fire. Sparks fly with every touch.

Aidan lowers me to the bed, carrying my entire body weight with one arm, his other arm busy holding the back of my head so that our lips won’t part. I’m not planning on unlocking my lips from his anytime soon. My pulse rings in my ears, as I suddenly become acutely aware of who I am making out with and who, undoubtedly, I am about to have sex with. My body tenses with that thought.

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