Page 31 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
I have to be rational here. I can’t give him what he needs long-term, and I’m realizing now that I don’t know if I’m truly made for the short-term stuff. I can’t do the whole physical thing without emotions. And if I’m truly honest with myself, what we’re doing now doesn’t feel right without Fitz, whoever he is. But I could never ask Aiden to introduce us. They were only working, after all.
He nods and picks up the tray again. “Come. Let’s eat these and finish that episode you were watching.”
I follow him to the bed, returning to my comfortable spot among the fluffy pillows. He puts the plate between us, lettingme grab one first, and I wonder if he did that on purpose. Is he trying to avoid touching me? If he is, I’m grateful. This is far too much temptation for me as it is.
With that thought, he takes a bite of his cookie and lets out a groan. I try not to let it affect me, even though I’d be lying if I said it didn’t, and take a bite of my own.
“Holy shit,” I say around a mouthful of soft cookie. Cooked to perfection.
“I might not agree with her banging on the door to give us these, but damn, they’re good.”
A giggle escapes me as I picture the other poor guests she might have disturbed with her knocking. We eat the rest of our snack in silence as we finish the episode of Blindspot. Since it’s not the first episode, it’s been hard to follow, but tonight that’s a blessing. I’ll do anything to distract my mind from the man lying beside me.
Cuddled up in the soft embrace of the bedding, I could easily fall asleep. I let out a yawn, stretching my limbs as I rise to my feet and grab my bag.
“I’m going to get ready for bed,” I tell Aiden awkwardly before shutting the bathroom door with an internal facepalm.And the award for the most awkward person goes to… Liliana Sinclair!
I brush my teeth while I search for my pjs — the ones I thought I’d be wearing alone or else I’d have chosen another pair. After I rub my face cream on and relieve my bladder, I step back out into the room.
I’m frozen in place when my eyes land on Aiden’s broad and bare muscular back as he closes the curtains. He wheels around, giving me a full display of his chest, and I have to physically stop myself from stepping toward him. I’d forgotten how fine a specimen he is, and now that I see him like this again, I can’t stop the memories from resurfacing. Will he take off his pantstoo? If he sleeps next to me like that, I might just have to move to the bathtub if I want to get any rest.
His gaze drops to my chest as he reads my shirt.Sometimes I wrestle with my demons. Sometimes we snuggle.
“That’s good to know, actually,” he says, confusing me.
“What is?”
“That you snuggle your demons. If I feel someone big-spooning me later, I’ll know who it is.”
So surprised by his joke, I can’t help the burst of laughter that escapes me. Between him and Kaleb, Aiden is usually the more subdued of the two, but I can’t deny how nice it is to see this side of him.
He escapes into the bathroom while I settle into bed. I consider pushing a few of the pillows down the center like a barrier, but decide against it. It’s not as if I don’t trust him. He’s already proved he wouldn’t force anything when I shut down our earlier adventures — one that likely wouldn’t have stopped if it wasn’t for our nice cookie supplier.
I close my eyes and will myself to fall asleep.You can do this, Lily. It’s a gigantic bed. You won’t even notice he’s there.
Every sound from the bathroom causes my heart rate to pick up as I expect him to come back into the room. After the fourth sound and still no open door, I smack myself internally.Go. To. Sleep.
Of course that’s when the bathroom door opens, almost making me jump, but I keep my eyes closed. I’m half tempted to open them, curious to find out if he’s taken off his pants, but I know that the answer to that question is better left unknown. If they’re still on, I’ll be disappointed, and if he’s taken them off, my mind will run a goddamn marathon with middle of the night temptations.
Beneath the weight of the comforter, I start to sweat.Okay, fine, so it probably had nothing to do with the blankets andmore to do with the fact that behind my eyelids, all I can see is his sculpted chest. Shit. Maybe I should have put those pillows in between us. I might trust Aiden, but could I even trust myself?
There’s a soft click before the room darkens behind my closed lids at the same moment the covers shift and the bed dips slightly. With my back to the center of the bed, I’m safe to open my eyes now, though it’s too dark to really see anything.
“Goodnight, Liliana.”
“Goodnight, Aiden.”
I’m sleeping in a cloud. I have to be. There’s no way in hell this is the old couch I usually sleep on. I’m enveloped completely in the soft warmth of it, with a belt around my waist so I don’t plummet to the ground.
Wait. What?
I open my eyes, blurred with sleep, to a tuft of white blankets.I guess this must be the cloud.With languid movements, I stretch out beneath the duvet when the belt I was dreaming about earlier tightens, and I freeze.
Careful not to shift too much, I lift the sheets and peer down at the arm currently wrapped tightly around my waist. A man’s arm.Aiden’s arm.
Immediately, I still. How the hell am I supposed to get out of this one? Before I can figure out a tactful way to escape, the arm around my middle moves upwards to palm my breast. Heat floods my core as the man behind me lets out a soft sigh of contentment.
I relax, giving myself over to the unforgettable sensation of being cherished. He shifts again, nuzzling his face against thecrook of my neck and inhaling deeply as his fingers gently pinch my hardened nipple.
