Page 56 of One Wild Ride

TWENTY-TWO

Alexander

“Is he mangled?”Aria asked with worry surrounding her words.

She sounded faint. Like her words were being muffled. I opened my eyes and had no idea where I was. This wasn’t my bedroom but the smell of coffee had me smiling.

“Just a sprain then? Oh, that’s good. I was worried when you came back and said he would have to stay in the hospital. But everything is fine now.” Aria’s voice was coming from the bathroom.

I sat up and realized I was naked. In Aria’s bed. In her room.

We came back here last night after Tiffany told us she would stay the night in the hospital with her son. From what I gathered, her son, David, had an operation a few months ago to help him walk. The doctors wanted to make sure the fall didn’t have any negative effects on what the operation helped.

I got up from the bed and went over to the bathroom. The door was open enough that a sliver of light shone through. Aria was sitting on the sink speaking on her cell phone wearing a long yellow T-shirt.

“I’ve got to go, Tiffany. Alex is spying on me.” Aria lifted her middle finger toward the door as she curled the corner of her mouth.

She tapped at her phone and put it down on the counter. Pushing open the door I let my full-on erection guide me toward her.

“Can’t a woman have a private conversation in her bathroom without a Hawthorne spying on her?” she said as I pushed myself between her legs and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“No. You know us Hawthornes. Besides, there’s lots of work to be done,” I said as I leaned in and kissed her neck.

“Work in bed or on the mural?” Her words full of questions but her hands full of temptation as she dug her nails into my back.

When we came back here, I was worried her place might be bugged too, so we wrote down our plan. Handing the paper back and forth like children passing notes in class.

Growing tired and horny, we came to bed and fooled around.

“The mural,” I said and I could see the disappointment in her face. “I know it seems weird but when we do have sex, I want it to be right. If that makes sense. I don’t want to be worried that we’re bugged or hiding from my mom.”

“I get it. But when will that be, Alex? I feel like your mom will always be watching us.”

Maybe it had nothing to do with my mom. Maybe it’s because I was worried that I wouldn’t be good enough for Aria.

“How about after the mural is complete? Can you wait that long?” I said.

I fought my body every day when I was around Aria. Part of me wanted to sink so deep inside her I might never come out. And the other part, well, it was rotted. It had been controlled by an evil woman for so long that it would make any excuse to keep me hidden.

She reached down to tug at the T-shirt she wore. “Yeah, I can wait.”

Tilting her head, she peered up at me with a sly grin. We kissed for a while. Aria had already showered before I woke up so I took one while she went to the kitchen and made us breakfast.

After the shower and a belly full of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee, we made our way to the L train. We decided taking the train was another way for us to discuss our plan without my mother hearing about it.

Having never ridden the L before, Aria showed me the ropes and I loved the feel of the rumbling wooden platform and being surrounded by all the people going about their day.

For a moment, I felt real. Like I was an average person, and not some weird man sheltered by his crazy mother. It was now mid-May and an unusually nice day. Warm enough to be without a jacket, even in the early morning. Aria looked beautiful as the warm breeze rippled her lavender blouse across her skin. I loved watching the contrast of her. The fire in her eyes and soft warmth of her skin.

Aria glanced down the tracks looking for a train. “When we get to your place I’ll start to sweep the place for bugs so you can take care of your thing. When I got up this morning, I Googled what we should be looking for.”

“And I know my part,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets trying to prepare myself for the worst.

The train arrived, almost knocking me back with a gust of sound and air. Once we were inside and seated Aria turned to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. “It’s not going to be easy, Alex. I understand if you don’t want to do this.”

I didn’t. That rotten part of me wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and never come out. But having met Aria and gotten to know her, that sick part of me was shrinking every day.

“No. It has to be done. And when it is,” I said as I glanced around and pulled Aria closer, “I’m going to lick you. I’m going to eat you. And I’m going to worship every part of you.”

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