Page 63 of Not As Advertised

I shivered with the pleasure those words brought to my body. It was a huge weight off my shoulders to know that I hadn’t thrown everything off track by being honest.

“Yes, please,” I whispered.

“So polite,” he teased with a wink.

Before standing to return to the kitchen briefly, he brushed his lips light against mine, a promise that there was more to come.

Something sparked inside me, wanting to surprise him.

“Aiden, where is the washroom, please?” I called through the archway separating the rooms.

“Down the hall on the opposite side of the front door,” he directed from the kitchen.

Standing, I made my way across the dim hallway at the front of his house. I located the bathroom and searched the counter for what I needed.

Because it was Aiden’s house, everything was in perfect order. I found what I was looking for. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before enacting my impulse.

He was either going to love my little spur-of-the-moment idea or laugh at it. Either way, I felt safe enough to take the risk.

The anticipation of being intimate with Abbie without interruption had too much energy running through my system. Not wanting to spend much time cleaning up, I quickly rinsed our dinner dishes, leaving them in the sink for the morning. I walked back into the living room, more than ready to whisk her upstairs.

When I didn’t see her on the couch, I felt concerned. Was she having second thoughts? Was she not feeling well?

Walking down the hall to the powder room door, I knocked softly.

“Abbie, everything okay?”

There was no response from the other side of the door. Knocking again, I looked down at the bottom of the door and noticed that there was no light coming from underneath. Taking a chance, I checked the knob and found it unlocked. When I opened it and flicked the light on, the small room was empty. What the hell was going on?

I glanced at the mirror over the sink. The little sneak had left me a note written with the bar of soap by the sink: “You’re it!”

The surge of desire caused by those two words had me grinning. The tension I’d been holding faded away with the understanding she was all in.

Game on. Ready or not, here I come.

Making my way to the stairs, I debated my course of action. The upper hallway was divided by the staircase, with guest bedrooms on one side and the primary bedroom and my office on the other. The light in one of the guest bathrooms cast a moderate glow into the upper level, but the rooms themselves were dark.

I reached the top of the stairs, considering my next move. Announcing my presence would rush this, and I wanted to savor each moment ahead of them. She had upped the ante on the situation by about 10,000 percent, so I would return the favor by keeping her in a bit of suspense.

My mind was still trying to catch up to this little turn of events. She’d upended my slow plan of seduction for the evening. I’d thought we’d spend the evening on the couch. Maybe watch a movie where I’d stare at her more than the screen. But she had turned my plan on its head.

Stepping as lightly as I could into the dark hallway, I avoided the loose floorboard a few feet from the top of the stairs. I’d stepped on it often enough to know the squeak would echo through the quiet hallway. She knew I was coming, but I wasn’t going to go easy on her. There were a few advantages to this being my literal home turf. She may have started this game of cat and mouse, but I was going to finish it my way.

With her. In my bed. Underneath me.

I spared a quick glance at the guest bath. There was a little bit of light coming from the windows, but I didn’t think she would hide in the first room she came across. My height gave me an advantage in that I could see over the rim of the large soaker tub. Nope, not there.

My blood was boiling in my veins. Once more, I had to fight against the urge to rush this.

Making my way into the first two guest rooms, I listened for any sign of Abbie’s breathing or the rustling of fabric.

I imagined with each moment that passed that she was getting more restless and less comfortable, relishing the rising anticipation.

Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I shone the light into the room. There was no evidence of a disturbance, but I checked the closet just in case. Nothing.

Moving more quickly but still as quietly as possible, I gave a cursory glance to the second guest room. The soft white bedding of the two double beds stood out like beacons in the room. But no Abbie in there either.

Stalking back into the hallway, the two remaining doorways on the opposite side of the upstairs level faced me. On the left was the master suite, and although hot, the fantasy of finding Abbie in my bed seemed a little too daring for our first night together.

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