Page 35 of One Wild Ride

FOURTEEN

Alexander

Aria was disgusted.

And who could blame her? I’m a pathetic twenty-six-year-old man who couldn’t even have sex with a woman paid to get it on with him.

“They were prostitutes. I found out when I took the first woman home. She kept trying to push things with me. All I wanted to do was get to know her. Maybe kiss her,” I said and gave a side glance to Aria to find out how she was taking it.

Her color was better. She didn’t appear like she was about puke anymore.

“What do you mean she pushed things?”

I turned toward her, propping my knee on the bed. “She kept touching me. Trying to unbutton my shirt and move in to kiss me. At one point, I gave in to kissing her, but it wasn’t long before her hand started to wander. So, I stopped it . . . stopped her.”

That was embarrassing. I never wanted to tell Aria any of what happened but my mother hadn’t given me much of a choice. Either explain things to Aria or completely lose her forever. At least if she left now, she would know the truth and not the lies my mother had said to paint me as the pathetic loser.

Maybe they weren’t lies.

She reached over and placed her hand on mine as it rested on my knee. Her touch sincere, soothing, and I kept thinking if Aria’s hand began to wander I don’t think I would stop her.

“But how did you realize she was a prostitute?” Aria asked, her thumb brushing back and forth over my hand.

“She let it slip. When I stopped her before she could, you know, grab me,” I pointed to the zipper in my jeans, “she mentioned how my mother paid good money for her time. When I told her to get out, the woman broke down, afraid she wouldn’t get the rest of her money. She cried that she had a baby at home she needed to take care of.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible,” Aria said moving her other hand to my shoulder. Every place she touched radiated, sending electricity straight to my crotch.

I was having trouble keeping my attention focused on her eyes. They kept falling to her lips, to her tits.

“It made me realize she was just another victim of my mother. I wanted to help her. I wanted to help them all. So, I let my mother continue her little game of controlling my life, but when I would take these women home, I would help them. Give them money, better housing, and found them good jobs that wouldn’t require them to do what they had been doing. Until my mother found out.”

I didn’t realize what I was doing until it was too late. My hand lifted and I let my fingers drift across Aria’s cheek until one finger trailed to her bottom lip. She was soft and that lip felt plump. My mouth watered to taste it.

“Do you want to kiss me, Alex?” Aria asked, her voice a whisper but rough around the edge.

In my head, I had answered her question a thousand times. But in that moment, I couldn’t utter a word.

I moved toward her, scooting as close as I could before I dipped my nose to her cheek. Aria was the world and I inhaled. Instead of the satisfaction I thought I would find from her scent, I desired more. I brushed my lips over her temple and it was like kissing silk.

“God, you’re sweet. So sweet,” I mumbled.

“You haven’t even tasted me yet,” Aria said causing something to snap inside me.

Perhaps it was the years of frustration or how long I had wanted her, but I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want to be the good guy anymore.

My fingers moved from my knee to the back of her head and within seconds, she was moaning as I curled my fingers into her hair, forcing her head back. I lifted my head and found her darkening brown eyes, opening wide for me. Her face was all lust, pain, and fear bound together into a few perfect features.

“Do you want me to taste you, Aria? Is that why you’re here . . . for my tongue?”

Her fingernails curled into my shoulders as she held onto me. Fuck, it hurt but felt so incredible.

She wanted sweet Alex but didn’t realize a monster would come out. I tried to pretend I could be normal. Hoped if I met the right woman I would be so attracted to her that I wouldn’t want to act this way. I wouldn’t be so fucking aroused by all this.

“No,” she said and I loosened my grip on her hair.

I knew I would frighten her. How I desire a woman, it’s not normal. After today, I would probably never see Aria again.

Sitting back, I studied the grooves of the dark wood on the floor. There was something soothing about the natural grain as it meandered lazily. I needed to focus on something to bring me back from that high of tasting Aria.

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