Page 51 of Winning the Nightcap

His expression shifts, and his eyes tell me that he’s considering his next words carefully. “I thought you wanted to wait. We can take things slow, Bec. There’s no rush.”

“I was scared when I said that, but I’m not scared now. I don’t want to wait,” I say.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Aiden. Take me home.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Bec

We walk two blocks to Aiden’s apartment and get caught in a storm along the way. The temperature hasn’t dropped low enough for snow tonight like we’d expect in January, just enough to chill us to the bone as we get soaked. The freezing rain is an extreme contrast to the way my body is blazing, on fire from within.

We run into Aiden’s apartment building out of breath, panting and laughing. He pulls my hand, leading me onto the elevator, just the two of us. He presses the button for the penthouse and enters a code before the elevator begins to rise. Because of course he lives in the fucking penthouse.

I lean back against the wall farthest from him in disbelief. Is this moment real? I want it to be real so damn bad.

The air feels heavy, and I can’t slow my breathing. My nerves are on edge with anticipation as I stare down at my feet. I feel him step in front of me, towering over me, before I look up into his heady gaze. His hand drags down my jaw and he swipes his thumb over my bottom lip, brushing away a few rain droplets.

I reach for him with one hand, running my palm up his chest to griphis soaked shirt and pull him flush against me. He comes willingly, putting his free hand against the wall of the elevator to the side of my head, using his other hand to lift my jaw, tilting my head back until I feel it rest against the wall of the elevator as it continues lifting us higher. He leans down, breathing in deeply, and whispers, his low voice causing my thighs to clench, “I’ve thought about this for over three years, Bec. Wondered what it’d be like to make you mine. To mark you in all the ways I’ve dreamed of since we first kissed.”

“What are you waiting for?” I brush my lips over his then take his bottom lip between my teeth and tug gently.

The hand holding my jaw slides down to my neck and he presses softly against my collarbone. “I’m waiting until I have you in my bed, because once I start, I won’t be able to stop. If I start here, it ends here, right in this elevator. Is that what you want?” The gravel in his voice sends shivers down my spine and up my thighs.

Fuck, maybe I do want that.

“Maybe it is,” I say. His presence overwhelms me, and my mind starts to go hazy. I need Aiden to touch me…now.

“No, I don’t think so. I think I need you spread out for me. Somewhere I can take my time with every inch of you.” I’m unable to recall a single reason why this could be a bad idea. Any risk of this ending badly. All reason flies out the window, and I’m completely overtaken by lust at his words. I’m so tired of fighting this pull between us.

The elevator doors open, and before I can take a step, Aiden lifts me into his arms, grasping where my thighs meet my ass, his fingers digging into my soft curves. I link my legs around his toned waist. My arms wrap around his broad shoulders and my hands meet at the base of his neck, gripping his hair. He turns, opening the door to his apartment as I bring one hand to his cheek. I look into his eyes, hoping to see what I’m feeling returned in his gaze. He holds my stare and allI can see is his hunger. I’m sure that’s what he sees in mine as well.

“Don’t make me wait one more second, Aiden,” I whisper.

He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he makes a sharp turn and presses me against the wall, and ravages my mouth, kissing me like he owns every piece of me inside and out. I weave my hands into his hair, tugging hard, and grind my pelvis up against him, feeling him hard beneath me. We tear at each other for a few minutes before he pulls away, leaving me breathless and desperate for more.

“I couldn’t wait one more second if I tried. You want this, Bec? You want me?” Aiden rasps out, breathing heavily. Despite what he said about not waiting, he pauses for me. He wants me to be sure. I wait for fear or anxiety to rise up, but there’s nothing. Being with him like this feels perfect. He stares into my eyes with an intensity that I wasn’t prepared for. It steals my breath away.

“Yes…yeah, Aiden. I want it. I want this. Please, I need you.” I pull him back to my mouth, seeking him out frantically, and he meets me with equal fervor. My rational thoughts have abandoned me and all that’s left is a starving woman who needs to know what this man is like, completely stripped down, raw and needy.

I feel one of his hands running up my thigh to grip my hip, then my waist, slowly finding its way to my breast. He palms me and pinches my nipple through my dress and lace bralette, sending a jolt between my thighs. I gasp into our kiss, feeling my need intensify. “Oh fuck, Aiden.”

Without missing a beat, he continues to tease my nipple, moving his mouth to my neck to suck and kiss, leaving me undone. I could feel embarrassed at the moans he draws from me, but I’m not. This man has edged me like no one else I’ve ever known, and I’m ready for him to take care of me like I know he will.

Aiden’s hand returns to my ass, gripping me tightly while he pulls away from the wall, before carrying me down the hall. I have nofucking clue what his apartment looks like or where we’re going, so enraptured in another kiss of his. I lose all sense of direction as he leads me to what I assume is his bedroom.

But we must pass through his bedroom instead, because when he pulls back and I open my eyes, I find myself in the most luxurious bathroom I’ve ever seen. White countertops pose a striking difference from the dark tiles on the floor and the walls. The lighting is soft and low, like we’ve entered a cave. There’s a walk-in shower to the side and a huge soaking tub in front of a glass window. Do people with money not care if everyone sees them bathing through their fancy floor-to-ceiling windows? I guess it’d take a lot to see us now, tangled in each other on the top floor of Aiden’s building overlooking the twinkling lights of downtown. I’m not sure I’d care either way at this point. If he stopped right now, I’d get on my knees and beg him for more, audience or not.

He walks into the shower still holding me and kissing my neck. We’re already soaked from the storm anyway, clothes clinging to our skin. He reaches out, turning on the water, and the steam begins to fill the space, slowly warming my chilled body. Caught up in his kiss and the feel of his hard body, his deep voice surprises me when he speaks against my parted lips. “Strip. I need you naked. Let me see you.”

He lowers me gently to stand on my own in the spacious shower, the tenderness of his movements conflicting with the demand in his voice. I step back, my legs feeling weak, shrugging off my coat and then bringing my hands to the hem of my dress. Not breaking eye contact with Aiden, I pull my dress up and toss it onto the built-in bench of the shower with a slap. I rip off my boots and toss them out of the shower onto the tile floor. Left only in my bra and underwear, I revel in the way Aiden’s eyes devour me, while he brings a hand to his chin to graze over his stubble.

“Fuck, Bec. I knew you were beautiful, but…wow. Your body is perfect.” His arm wraps around my back. He quickly finds the clasp of my bra and releases it, tossing it away to join my dress.

“I’m far from perfect,” I say shyly, a bit of insecurity bleeding through at the worst fucking time.

He steps against me, fully dressed, clothes soaked. His shirt is practically see-through, sticking to every inch of his defined abdomen. He lowers himself to one knee and looks up into my eyes as he uses both hands to grip and massage my breasts, teasing me and kneading them before closing his mouth around my nipple. His hands begin to trail down my stomach before he pulls down my underwear. I watch as he places one hand to my center, where he lightly teases my clit, running his fingers along my slit. “I don’t want to hear you talk that way about yourself. Like I said…you’re fucking perfect.”

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