Page 55 of Deceitful Promises

“Do you mind if I use this area?” I ask Aiden as he hammers the heavy bag with powerful strikes.

He glances over at me, sweat glistening down his body, over his bare arms and chest. His hair glistens, his eyes looking just as savage and focused as last night.

“Be my guest,” he says, looking me up and down.

Okay, so maybe I chose this outfit kind of on purpose. I saw how he looked at me last night when I wore shorts and a tank top. Now, I’m wearing the same, but on the sporty side.

I go to the matted area and begin stretching, noticing how he glances over between punches. Before Aiden, I never really let myself think about what it would be like for a man to look at me like that. I couldn’t imagine there being a man who I’dwantto look at me like that.

His sleeveless workout shirt sticks to his torso, outlining the shape of his muscles. “Tss-tss-tss,” he blows out air with each punch, the punching bag trembling like it’s about to fall off the bracket.

“Thanks for letting Dimitri and Mikhail stay here.”

“It’s the safest place for them,” Aiden replies.

“I’m just shocked you care if they’re safe.”

“They’re your brothers, and …” He lets his gloved hands drop, staring at me as I bend down and touch my toes, then work my hands to the backs of my legs to get an even deeper stretch. “They want the best for you. That’s all any of us want.”

“I want the best for you, too,” I murmur, wondering if I’m being too subtle.

I want to say,Last night, I wish we’d taken it further, but there’s no way I’d be able to force those words out. I’d feel like the biggest dork ever.

“By being safe, you’re giving me that,” he says.

“Dimitri told me what you did.”

After a pause, Aiden says, “That prick had no right to threaten you. Nobody does. He’s lucky he didn’t get worse. I almost hope he doesn’t agree to your brothers’ terms.”

“Why?”

Aiden walks across the gym, making me conscious that the door is closed. It’s just us in here. Nobody can see. The apartment is so big that nobody can probably hear, either.

“Because then I get to really make him pay,” Aiden growls, “for daring to even think about hurting you. Nobody, Ania,nobodygets to do that. I won’t fucking stand for it.”

I almost say something like,That’s what stepbrothers are for, but then I quickly get rid of the idea of saying that. He really means it; I can tell. If I said that, I’d ruin the moment. Somehow, that seems like such a horrible thing to do. Somehow, I want to make every moment with us special.

This time, when I lean in, I don’t let myself hesitate. I don’t give myself time to doubt or second guess. I don’t wonder if I’ll make a fool of myself or if he thinks I will look silly. I just lean in and press my lips against his.

He makes the hottest groaning noise, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up. I press against him, and it’s like all the sleepwalking lust spills out. It’s like the version of me onlyhe’sseen takes control. I wrap my legs around him, and he carries me across the room, putting me down on a weightlifting bench.

He pushes down against me, letting me feel his heat and his sweat, our bodies both getting so hot. Kneeling next to the bench, he slides his hand up my leg. Nerves try to strangle and ruin the moment.

“I want you, too,” I murmur. “I want to makeyoufeel good.”

“This makes me feel good,” he groans, his touch tickling across my legs, teasing closer and closer to my sex. Last night, the pleasure took me by surprise. I haven’t told him this, but that was my first orgasm ever. Yet now, it’s even more intense with all the anticipation added to it.

I slide off the bench, joining him on the padded floor. He catches me and lets me lie on top of him. I end up straddling him, my legs on either side of his body, letting me feel his lust pushing through his pants and right against me. His manhood is so hard, and he feelsbig. He feelssobig that I’m honestly not even sure if I’ll …

But why think like that? Why have a defeated attitude before we even start?

“Is this okay?” I murmur, rocking up and down on top of him, my hands on his chest, our clothes separating us. I can feel the passion even through them.

“Hmm,” he groans, taking my hips in his hands, moving in time with me.

“Is it enough for you?”

“Everything with you is enough,” he snarls. “This has to be at your pace, Ania, or I’ll never be able to live with myself. I’m taking advantage as it is.”

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