Page 60 of Not As Advertised

Taking a deep breath of his scent, I thought about giving up moments like this. Quiet moments where we were just holding each other, talking. The safety I felt in his arms was no small thing. No one had ever made me feel as comfortable in my skin as Aiden. I’d already decided that having this time with him, however long it lasted, was a risk I was willing to take. I would not change my mind now.

“Aiden, I want to make this work however we can.”

Leaning my head back, I saw his lips part in a huge grin. He grabbed me to pull me closer, as if he was trying to merge us into a single being. He didn’t give me a moment to catch my breath before his mouth was on mine, devouring my lips with his teeth and tongue.

Just as intensely as he began, he stopped our kissing as it started to get heated.

“Abbie, wait. We need to stop. If we’re doing this, we’re going to be smart and not draw attention to ourselves. We’ve slipped twice now.”

With that, I licked the shell of his ear and smiled back at him. His pupils dilated with lust, and it was liberating to feel a bit of a thrill after running the gamut of emotions lately.

“Oh, pretty girl, you have no idea who you are playing with here. But you are going to find out soon. Will you stay at my house tonight? I also want you to know that I can wait until you are absolutely sure you’re feeling okay.”

A rush of excitement ran through me as I thought about spending the whole night with him.

“No, I don’t want to wait.” I would love to see the place that Aiden called home. If I waited for everything to be perfect with my mood, I would never do anything in life.

“Good girl. We can have dinner and just relax. No pressure. But for now, we have the rest of the workday to get through. I’ll be looking forward to it all day.” He pressed his lips briefly against mine once more, as if sealing our plans with a kiss.

I reluctantly pulled myself out of his arms and headed back to the door. Unlocking it, I looked back at him, feeling much lighter than when I’d walked in. This was really happening.

“I’ll text you my address.” He smiled.

“See you tonight.”

Opening the door, I quietly closed it behind me. I tried to appear normal and not to look completely overwhelmed. This time in the best way possible.

He’d accepted my anxiety. Well, he’d accepted it in theory, anyway. I’d have to wait and see what he thought of the real thing. I told myself again that I could trust him. We’d spend more time together, and then I would share more if he wanted to know. I prayed with every fiber of my being that this was not too good to be true.

As the end of the workday drew closer, my phone lit up with a text from Aiden that included his address.

Aiden

Looking forward to tonight. Dress comfortably, casual attire only.

Abbie

Understood, sir.

Aiden

Be careful with the sir, Ms. Summers. Very cheeky.

Abbie

See you later on ;)

I considered what to wear that night. If I was going to be anticipating taking the next steps in intimacy with Aiden, I was going to be comfortable. He was going to get a crash course in all things Abbie today. Mental healthandanime shirts.

In the back of the Uber, I scrolled through my phone without really seeing anything on the screen. I was too preoccupied with staying over at Aiden’s house for the first time, especially with it being our first real chunk of time since the trip to LA.

My stomach still felt uneasy every time I remembered how easily this thing I had going with Aiden could unravel. It made me want to hold on to him tighter, but I couldn’t see a way to do that publicly yet. Or maybe ever.

I was so gone for him that I was willing to keep our relationship secret longer than I should. I felt more accepted and comfortable with Aiden. What we had together was a stratosphere apart from the few lukewarm, slightly awkward relationships I’d experienced during my college years.

As the car slowed, I looked up to see we had arrived. Aiden’s house looked like it had been plucked from an architectural magazine. Somehow, he’d got his hands on a larger lot that embraced the U-shaped Mediterranean-style house. Larger trees and shrubbery gave him some distance from his neighbors on both sides. He’d found himself a private oasis in the city.

The darker beige color of the large stones that made up the exterior were shadowed in the evening light, making the atmosphere slightly gothic with the pitch of the roof and the wrought-iron framing the windows. I loved it.

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