Page 53 of Winning the Nightcap

I look into Aiden’s eyes and gasp as he slowly enters me, stretching me perfectly. He steadily pulses in and out, driving deeper and deeper until he’s filling me completely. My moans echo around the high ceilings of his bedroom, and I hear Aiden mutter out an expletive. When he bottoms out, he continues his rhythmic movements while I cling to him. My arms rove over his body, his waist, his back, his chest, his shoulders. I can feel his taut muscles flexing as he works me to the edge again. With each thrust, he rotates his hips, giving my clit the friction it needs. My hips buck up to meet his, matching his movements with equal intensity. I climb higher, and I lose control of my muscles as they twitch and flex, my body frantically seeking release.

Aiden leans on one forearm next to my head as he runs his other calloused hand from my ass, down my thigh, to the back of my knee where he pulls to lift my bent leg higher, pressing it back into my body. The shift allows him to drive even deeper, never relenting the grinding pressure on my clit. “Aiden, right there…just like that…fuck, you’reso deep,” I cry out.

“Shit,” he says with a hiss. “You’re so goddamn tight. I want you coming all over my fucking cock.” He groans as he relentlessly pounds into me.

“Fuck,” I moan. My jaw drops open on a silent scream as my orgasm rips through my stiffening body, every nerve lighting up and tightening before I melt into the mattress. I weakly hold onto Aiden’s shoulders as he thrusts into me several more times before he stills, groaning his own release before he collapses, his head falling into the crook of my neck. He holds me close as our breathing calms.

When he pulls back to look at me, he smiles at me so genuinely, so carefree, and chuckles. I can’t help but smile and giggle in return.

“Jesus…absolutely everything about you was worth the wait,” he murmurs as he lowers his forehead to mine, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. His words break something open inside my heart, leaving room for me to hope, to wish, and to dream. For once, the feelings don’t terrify me. Instead, I feel my smile grow.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Aiden

“So, the answer is no, huh?” I ask.

“Hm, the answer to what?” Bec mumbles, sounding exhausted. I should be tired, too, after everything we’ve done tonight, but my entire body feels alive, electricity running rampant under my skin from her touch. I could get used to her in my bed, tucked into my side, with her leg wrapped over my thigh while I absentmindedly skim my fingers over the freckles dotting her shoulder.

“You don’t have any tattoos after all. All these years I imagined what kind of tattoo you had, assuming, with false confidence, you did in fact have one and wouldn’t confess when we met. I believe you said it was ‘too personal.’” I give her air quotes, then shrug. “I guessed wrong.” Bec giggles and tucks her head into my shoulder, her arm wrapped around my waist, squeezing tightly, making my chest constrict with unexpected emotion at her closeness.

“You weren’t wrong. I do have a tattoo. Just a small one.” She rests her chin on my chest, her smile easy and content. Something clenches in my chest with how fucking right it feels.

“Bullshit, I would have seen it by now. Where?” I lean back to scanher perfect body, but she pulls away, giggling and covers herself with the sheet, tugging it close to her chest, hiding her perfect tits from me.

“Hold on, I want to know what you imagined. Let’s hear it, Price.”

I shift, getting comfortable, lifting one hand to place it back behind my head, considering her demand.

“Well, I’m embarrassed to admit I probably couldn’t remember all my ideas if I tried. I’ve given it a lot of thought.”

“Oh,really? I’m intrigued. Go on.” She turns to her stomach, folding her arms beneath her cheek, peering over at me.

As stupid as it sounds, I know I’ll tell Bec anything she wants to know. Finding the words to open up has never come this easily to me, but I want her to keep looking at me like this. I want her to share her unfiltered thoughts with me too. I want her to be comfortable around me. I want her to want to be here with me because it makes her happy. It’s scaring the shit out of me, but I’m not walking away from this. Not when I finally feel like she might say yes to me this time. She might give us a real shot.

“Well, at first, I pictured you with some kind of flower along your hip. But I know that’s not the case after tonight’sthoroughinspection. Then I thought maybe it’d be a quote along your ribs. Or maybe a significant date or some type of constellation. You were talking an awful lot about the universe when we met. Figured you’d love to have a piece of the stars on your skin.”

“Wrong. All wrong. Though admittedly your sense of creativity has me insecure about the ingenuity of my tattoo.” She buries her head in the pillow before turning her head to peek at me with one eye, her hair a wild mane around her.

God, she’s a knockout. I think I like her best like this. Mussed up, carefree, and naked in my bed.

“Then it’s my jersey number,obviously. Gotta say, Bec. I’mflattered.”

“You wish.”

“I kinda do. That’d be fuckin hot.” She rolls farther away from me and lets out a loud laugh. I let out a chuckle too. “Let me see, Bec. What is it?”

She pauses at my lowered voice, frozen for a moment or two before she gives her head a small shake, spurring her into action.

“Okay, but if you make fun of me, I’m leaving.” She sits up, wrapping the white sheet around her body. She pulls her knees to her chest and then shifts to stretch her legs across my thighs, leaning her side against the pillows and looking at me with a sad smile. She wiggles her foot. “Dog prints…up my right ankle. I love all dogs, obviously, but my girl Lucy was special. I got these paw prints about a year after I adopted her. I was a wreck when I lost her. The grief consumed me more than I could’ve imagined.”

I haven’t seen Bec quite like this before. She’s usually cheerful and upbeat. I can see how much this loss still hurts her in her posture, the way she’s curling into the pillows, caving in on herself. This is one of those losses that chips off a piece of your heart. A piece you give away willingly, knowing you’ll never get it back. A love that you give to someone knowing they’re forever a part of you.

I wrap my hands around her ankles, softly coasting my thumb over where the delicate paw prints wrap around her ankle bone. “It’s perfect. Way better than anything I could have dreamed up. Tell me about her.”

She smiles softly to herself, her eyes on her hands while she fidgets with the edge of the sheet, lost in thought and memories. “I met her at the shelter I volunteer at. She was older, terrified, and seemed so fragile. In really bad shape after years of neglect. I hate to think about what she survived before she was rescued. I didn’t expect to get as many years with her as I did, so I’m really grateful for the time wehad together. She had no training of course. I was still working on my certifications.” She shrugs, and her smile grows. “I guess she was my first real student, which was lucky for me because she was the most well-behaved dog all on her own. Wasn’t too much for me to handle while I was still learning. It took her time to trust me, but when she did, it…it was incredible. She was so gentle, always looking to be pet and doted on. Over time, her energy increased along with her faith in people. She finally showed her playful side. You’d think a dog who had been through a life like she had wouldn’t give anyone else a chance, but she just…transformed into this ray of light. She showed me what we can become, no matter what we’ve been through, when we’re given unconditional love. People talk about their soul dog, and Lucy was mine. She understood me intuitively.”

“She sounds like a really great dog. I’m glad you found each other.” I reach out to grab her hand from her lap, giving a gentle squeeze.

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