Chapter Three
Shit, when Kate had mentioned that Jill was here tonight, he didn’t expect to lose his goddamn mind at the sight of her. Big blue eyes, red lips, and curves for days—he wasn’t lying when he said she was even more gorgeous now.
“What brings you to the Sea Glass Inn?” They both walked out to the elevator, and Aaron kept his hand on the small of her back, her skin smooth and creamy underneath the pads of his fingertips. She wore a low-cut black dress with a cutout across the middle of her back that exposed the two dimples above her shapely ass. She shivered under his touch, and he allowed himself a smile.
They ran in different circles when they were younger, when Aaron was too busy with sports and too chickenshit to ask anyone out. Being painfully shy hadn’t done him any favors. Over the years, he’d rarely made it home for the holidays, mostly because of deployments, but every time he’d visit his dad, Jill always seemed to be out of town. His father kept him updated, though. From what he said, she had a daughter—and a smart one, at that, if she was going to Brighton Prep.
A flush filled Jill’s cheeks as she muttered, “Girls’ weekend.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Mia and Kate—they thought I could use a night out.”
He nodded. The three of them had been inseparable in high school. Didn’t surprise him they were still close.
“They were taking me out this weekend to get my mind off some…stuff. So, we’re doing a singles mixer.”
Aaron’s steps faltered. She needed a pre-planned event to meet men? He had a hard time believing that any guy would pass up the opportunity to talk with Jill, event or not. In fact, it was a minor miracle she was still single.
Who was he to judge? His relationships rarely made it past the thirty-day mark.
“A singles mixer?”
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red. “It’s really not my thing, but the girls persuaded me. It was awful, though.”
“How so?”
“There was a man who didn’t like cheese. Who doesn’t like cheese?” She threw her hands out to the side, revealing a tiny heart tattoo on the inside of her wrist.
“A sociopath.”
“Exactly. And then another guy talked about taxidermy. He stuffed his dog, Buttons. Even showed me pictures on his phone.” She shuddered.
“Sounds like you need a drink.”
She wagged a finger at him. “I didn’t hear an S in that last word. This calls for the plural form.”
“Of course.” Damn, he forgot how she made him laugh. When he’d been shipped off to basic training, he’d kept Jill’s senior photo tucked into his boot. She still had the same smile, same laugh, but she’d grown into one hell of a sexy woman. Who, apparently, needed help dating. Something didn’t add up.
“If this sort of thing isn’t your scene, why are you here? Everything all right?”
All pretense of a smile faded away at his question. “My grandmother passed two weeks ago.”
“Grammy?” Everyone in the neighborhood called her that. She was warm and kind, but scary as shit if you got on her bad side. Their families had done Thanksgiving together one year, and Grammy’s mashed potatoes had yet to be rivaled by anyone. She also told him he needed to sit up straighter, and that he ought to do something with that rat’s nest on his head or else God was going to judge him. A little eccentric, but what southern me-maw wasn’t?
Jill nodded, frowning.
“I’m sorry to hear that. She was one hell of a lady.”
She nodded again. “That she was. Anyway, I could really use that drink.” She glanced at him, taking a long perusal. He liked the way she looked at him.
“Let’s do it, then.” The elevator door opened, and Aaron motioned for her to walk through. His hand pressed to the small of her back as they entered the main lobby area. The way her soft skin felt against his callused hands nearly made his eyes roll back in his head.
“So, what have you been up to for the past decade? I only get the abridged version from my dad.”
“Well, I’ve been busy with Emily. Other than that, nothing has changed. I’m working part-time at an accounting firm, and the other part, clerical work at a radiology center.”
He lifted a brow. “You ever sleep?”
“Isn’t that what coffee’s for?”
He chuckled. “Can’t stand the stuff, but I’ll take your word for it.”
She looked at him with narrow eyes and pursed her lips. “I don’t know if I can accept that drink now.”
“What I lack in coffee-affection, I promise I can make up for in booze and semi-decent conversation.”
“Only semi-decent? That doesn’t exactly help your cause, Collins.”
His chest tightened at the comfort of falling back into old ways with Jill.
“Wouldn’t want to set the bar too high. That way you’ll be pleasantly surprised by my vast knowledge of stimulating topics,” he said.
“Deal.” She pointed a finger at him “But one mention of colonization on the moon and all bets are off.”
He raised a brow. Maybe she’d had a little too much caffeine, because he didn’t know where the hell that came from.
She must have seen the question in his eyes because she added, “That’s what this one guy was talking about before I snuck out of the party.”
“No moon talk, got it.” The guy obviously didn’t know the first thing when it came to date talk. Rule numero uno, always ask the woman questions.
“Trust me, I’m just happy to see a familiar face. Nothing you could say would have me running for cover.”
“In that case, did you know that only fifty-nine percent of the moon is visible from Earth and I sent my taxidermied moose on the first colonization shuttle there?”
“And I’ll just be going to the ladies’ room and never coming out.” She pulled away from him, bee-lining in the direction of the restrooms.
“Hey, I’m kidding.” Aaron caught her by the arm and gently tugged her to him. Her body fit nicely along his side, her supple curves feeling way too good underneath his palm. Anything to keep his hands on her. It was selfish, but for the next hour or so, she was all his.
“Okay, fine. Almost anything. And did you really taxidermy a moose?”
“Hell, no. That shit’s creepy. My uncle used to have a moose head in the guest bedroom when I was a kid. Scared the crap out of me. You try to sleep when that beady gaze is staring you down.”
She shuddered. “Yeah, that’s enough to give me nightmares for a week. No, thank you.”
“C’mon, let me get you that drink.” They entered the elegant restaurant, and Aaron realized just how underdressed he was. His flannel may have been clean, but it stood out among the sea of ties and crisp button-ups in the room. He hadn’t been expecting to go to the bar tonight—he’d planned on working another hour or so, then crashing.
As soon as the hostess led them to a table in the grand hotel restaurant, Jill slipped her shawl off her shoulders and folded it over the back of her chair. Her tight black dress stopped in the middle of her thighs, hugging every gorgeous curve on her body. Aaron’s mouth went dry.
She let out a husky laugh that went straight to his cock, obviously reading his expression. Looked like he was as good as Jill was at hiding his thoughts.
Over a decade had passed, and she was still as fucking irresistible as she was back then. “I know, I look silly, right?” She smoothed the front of her dress and sat down.
His mama’s thumps across the back of his head when he was a kid reminded him that staring was impolite. But, hell, Aaron’s thoughts were so far past polite, staring was the least of his issues. “Uh, that would be the last word that comes to mind.” In fact, the only thing that ran across Aaron’s mind was how long it’d take for the dress to hit the floor once his fingers found the zipper. Christ, the woman just had a horrible night of dating and lost her grandma.
I’m going to hell.
“Oh yeah?”
“You’re gorgeous. But you’ve always been.” He cleared his throat and took a swig of ice water.
Pink bloomed across her cheeks and disappeared below the fabric of her dress.
Before he could say anything else, a man wearing a suit a size too small strode up to the table, out of breath.
“Jill, there you are, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Aaron didn’t like the tone this guy was taking with her. Or the fact that he was encroaching on his time. Yeah, he was selfish.
Her mouth curved into a forced smile. No. This parasite was not going to ruin the best goddamn night he was having in months.
Aaron took the cue and spoke up. “And you are?”
“Dwight. We met at the mixer. We were having a fascinating conversation about colonization—”
Ah. Moon Dude. Aaron sat up straighter in his chair and stared the man down. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s sitting with me.”
Moon Man’s cheeks burned crimson, but he didn’t take the hint. “Right. Okay. Well, if you change your mind about this loser”—he hitched a thumb in Aaron’s direction—“I’ll be over at the bar.”
Aaron let that comment slide. As long as Moon Dude was being polite to Jill, that was all that mattered. He didn’t need to beat his fucking chest to impress her. He was long past going out of his way to court a woman into his bed.
“Bless your heart. It was nice seeing you again, Dwight.”
Aaron hid the smile that tugged at his lips. Southern women. They were the only ones who could insult you with a compliment. Dwight nodded and then turned toward the bar.
As soon as he was out of earshot, she said, “Thanks for doing that, but I can handle myself.” She folded her arms over her chest.
He never doubted she could handle it. Didn’t mean he was going to sit back idly while the dude made a desperate attempt to poach her from the table.
“Did you want me to bring him back? I can. Dwi—”
“I am not above smacking you, Aaron.”
He smiled and passed her a menu. “Then let’s figure out something to order.”
The lights flickered in the restaurant and hushed murmurs spread through the room. “Heard that northeastern storm is hitting hard tonight,” he said.
“Since when do we ever get it hard?” She coughed. “I mean the snow.”
“I’m guessing you haven’t gotten it good in a long time.” He lifted a brow.
“Excuse me?” She flushed.
“Snow in Charleston. I haven’t been here in years, so I wouldn’t know.” So, maybe that had a double meaning; it was worth it to see the flush on her cheeks.
She swallowed hard. “No.” And he had the distinct feeling that it wasn’t the weather she was talking about.
“I heard there may be some flooding from all the rain. It was pouring earlier when I ran out to get supplies.”
“I hope not. I parked out in the lot instead of the parking structure.”
“Should be fine.”
The lights flickered again, and Aaron wondered if South Carolina really was in for the Snowpocalypse.
...
What a weird feeling—Jill sat across from someone she’d seen every day in high school, and yet the man in front of her was a complete stranger. One with blue eyes so dark they looked like whorls of ink. Ones that were subtly undressing her, if she was reading the situation right. She took another sip from her glass. Was it getting hot in here? Because, man, was she thirsty. Better to focus on things she could control. Like the tasty wine. Yes, this wine was fantastic. Maybe if she focused enough on her drink, her body would stop tingling from the heated glances Aaron kept throwing her way.
With shaky hands, she placed the glass back on the table. It’d been a while since she’d been in the company of any guy she was actually interested in, but she forced down the nerves. “What do you have lined up now that you’re out of the military?”
“I’ve been rooming with a buddy up in D.C. He did me a solid and found me a job at a private security firm he works for. I’ll start it as soon as I’m finished helping my dad. What have you been up to?”
Oh, you know, getting wild and crazy with Netflix binges of Paw Patrol and worrying that she’d get some type of lung disease due to accidentally inhaling too much mac and cheese dust. Her life was glamorous. It might have qualified as pathetic that she enjoyed dentist appointments and even routine check-ups just for the sole fact she could get a minute to herself. Her AARP card was due in the mail any time now. “Same old, same old. Nothing really changes in our town.”
“Besides the fact that you’re now attending singles mixers. When did that start?” He took a long sip of his beer, watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
“Tonight. It was silly, really.” The last thing Jill wanted was for Aaron to know that she’d gone out in search of a husband, because how desperate did that sound? One bad haircut stood between her and Brittany Spears circa 2007.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be in town, but I’d be more than happy to take you out.”
His forearms flexed as he gripped the pint glass, and she mentally shook her fist at the fact the sleeves of his flannel weren’t pushed farther up his arms. Maybe Kate was onto something. Broad shoulders, dark eyes, lips that she should have noticed were kissable years ago, because whoa.
The next time she glanced down at her cell, they’d been talking for hours, catching up on everything from crazy stories from his time in the military to her latest run-in with a very involved dance mom. For real, those ladies were scary.
She peered around the room and realized that they were the only occupied table, besides a few stragglers at the bar. “I should be getting back to my room. It’s getting late.” This was the best dinner she’d had in months. No, years. When was the last time she’d actually enjoyed the company of a man, one whose deep voice was a warm caress down her spine? By her calculation and the fact she could call herself a born-again virgin thanks to the lack of action…it had been a freaking long time. Maybe it was the wine. Or maybe it was the muscly, drool-worthy man in front of her, but dammit, she wanted one night of fun. Screw the whole search for a temporary husband—it wasn’t going to happen. But she could be happy for a few hours in other ways.
“No problem. Let me walk you up.” Aaron paid the bill, and they walked the distance to the elevator. Aaron’s large palm pressed against the small of her back, his fingers curling around her hip. Such big hands. Big hands that were in no way distracting or impeding her ability to think straight. Not one bit.
“I’m glad we were able to catch up.” She didn’t know why she said that, other than to fill the silence in the elevator. It was so quiet, the only thing she heard was the throbbing of her pulse in her temples. Aaron’s hand was still firmly planted a few inches from her ass, and the simple touch nearly incinerated her insides.
A small grin twitched in the corner of his mouth, and he looked down at her with eyes that threatened to suck her right in. “Me, too. Turned my night around, seeing you.”
The elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing an empty hallway. She expected him to say a casual good-bye while he waited for the doors to close and take him to his floor, but instead, Aaron walked out, escorting her to her door. The gentlemanly thing to do. “Well, this is me.” She pointed to the door.
Just then, the lights flickered and completely shut off. The only thing illuminating the hall was the green emergency exit sign down the corridor.
“Must be the storm,” he said, more to himself than to her.
“Yeah.” Dammit, she should have moved her car, because she couldn’t afford any repairs if debris happened to break a window, especially not when Emily’s tuition had drained the last of her account this past month.
Aaron lingered in her doorway after she unlocked the door, his arm resting against the frame. “Have a good night,” he said, turning to leave.
Now or never. Now or never. Do it, girl. You came here for a reason, right? “Aaron?”
He turned back to her. “Yeah?”
She swallowed hard. If she was going to do something she would regret tomorrow, might as well do it with someone whose company she enjoyed. “I’m not very tired.”
“Neither am I.” A predatory smile graced his lips. Or at least she thought he smiled—she couldn’t be sure because the power was still out. Those full lips made every muscle of hers clench, and her skin heated at the thought of how good they would feel against her skin.
“Do you, uh, want to come in?” Shit, she hadn’t done this in a while, but this seemed like a step in the right direction. Aaron was safe. She was in a dry spell, so what was the harm in one night?
He answered with his lips on hers, his hands gripping her waist.
Aaron had waited fifteen damn years for this moment. From the first day she moved in next door, he’d wanted to devour that perfectly pink mouth, wanted the taste of her tongue in his mouth. Now, that was the tamest of the thoughts bouncing around in his head as he pulled her into a kiss.
She melted against him, her soft, supple curves pressing against his chest, his waist, his cock. He coaxed her mouth open more, their tongues finding a rhythm.
Jill moaned as she ground against him in response, and Aaron couldn’t suppress his need for her any longer. He cupped her ass, pulling her feet off the floor, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, deepening the kiss. She tasted so fucking good, like chocolate and wine. Exactly how he expected she would taste, because damn if she wouldn’t taste like the finer things in life.
He backed her up against the wall, and her hands raked over his shoulders, digging into his muscles.
She broke away from the kiss, and Aaron worked down her neck, nipping at the exposed flesh while his thumbs dug into the top of her thighs, working higher.
“Are we cool if this is just a tonight thing?” she panted. “I promised myself I’d let loose tonight, but then I have to get back to reality tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” Although, at this point, he’d agree to just about anything to take this further. He’d rather shoot himself in the foot than botch this one-time thing.
His lips were on hers again, and she moaned in his mouth while tightening her grip around his waist and shoulders. Those sounds sent another jolt straight to his cock. If she sounded this sexy without him doing anything, he’d be a fucking goner in a few minutes.
His mouth trailed down her neck, and she pulled back again. “I mean, this isn’t stupid, right?”
He leaned back and looked at her as she worried her bottom lip. Damn, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, dark hair disheveled, her eyes dilated as her gaze raked over him. Her chest brushed against his with every breath, her peaked nipples poking through the fabric. “There’s nothing stupid about your legs wrapped around me.”
“True.”
His body pressed against her, her curves molding beneath him. His fingers inched her dress up so it sat at the top of her hips, her lacy red underwear grinding against his jeans. There was a damp spot already forming on the lace, and Aaron bit back a groan.
“Tell me you want this, Jill. I’ll give you everything you need all night, but just tell me you want it.” He wanted to hear those words from her mouth. To savor the fact that this was actually happening. That she’d be his for tonight.
She grabbed his hand and slid it between them. “I want you, Aaron. Please.”
Fuck. His fingers ran over the slickness between her thighs. The thought made his cock throb painfully against his zipper.
“Well, since you asked so nicely.” His hand worked between them, and he slipped his thumb under the lace. His thumb moved against the slickness as he found her clit, and her body arched in response.
“Oh wow. Yeah, I like that.” She knocked her head back against the wall, and her eyes rolled back.
She was wound so tight, the seams of her resolve fraying with every flick of his finger. “I’ve barely even gotten started.”
“You’re going to kill me.” She gave a humorless chuckle. “I’m sort of a born-again virgin.”
“I don’t know what that means. Enlighten me,” he said, while pushing her harder against the wall, feeling every inch against him. Her heavy breasts pushed along the V of her dress, and Aaron kissed down her neck.
“It’s been…a long time.”
“By choice?” His voice was muffled as he nipped along her skin. He could do this for days. Weeks. The smell and taste of her was something he wanted imprinted into his brain.
“Hell, no. I…just got busy, and by the time I realized it, it was too late. I am in vagina exile. Might as well call it Alcatraz.”
“Does that make me the prison guard that slips you the key?” He thrust against her, grinding into the space between her thighs.
“I’d say more military man on a rescue mission.”
“Well, good thing you found someone with the proper training.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed, “Thank the lord.”
“Is that who you really want to be thanking for the next few hours?”
“Probably not.”
Taking the lace of her bra between his teeth, he pulled it down, exposing her dusky, pebbled nipples, and sucked one into his mouth. He hoisted her higher and circled his tongue around her areola and grazed lightly with his teeth. Her back bowed, and she let out a breathy moan that made his cock twitch.
Her first. Then he could get his release. He took the motto ladies first seriously in all aspects, more so in the bedroom.
“Okay, definitely not. No deities will be part of this discussion.”
“Jill?”
“Yeah?”
“Stop talking, and let me take care of you and your Alcatraz Island.”
She smiled against his lips. He liked this. They could still tease each other, even when he was taking her nipple in his mouth.
He moved them away from the wall and toward the bed, glancing out the open curtain. “Holy shit. Look at it coming down out there.” In all the years he’d lived in Charleston, he’d never seen it snow like this. Maybe a flurry every few years, but it was dumping snow.
She grabbed his face and turned his attention toward her. “It could be the damn Snowpocalypse out there right now for all I care,” she said. And with that, he lowered her feet down onto the floor.
“Fair enough.” Hell, maybe it was the apocalypse, because he never expected to see Jill again, let alone have her in his bed. She needed him, and he would not disappoint.
In one fluid motion, he pulled her dress up and over her head then dropped it, the material puddling on the floor just as he’d imagined earlier. By her next breath, he had her flat on her back on the bed, pillows and the comforter ruffled around her. A low whistle slipped past his lips as he drank her in. All that was left was a black lace bra and her red panties. Decidedly, he’d need more than just a few hours to properly worship this woman’s body. Every curve, dip, and swell called to him like a beacon, and he wanted to take his time with her. But he only had tonight, and he’d make sure she didn’t forget it anytime soon.
He reached for the clasp in the front of her bra, unhooked it, and her breasts spilled out. Aaron’s dick pressed painfully against the fly of his jeans, and he willed himself to gain some fucking self-control before he whipped out his cock and plunged straight into her. She deserved better than that.
He took one in his hand, his thumb and index finger pinching her peaked nipple. His mouth found the other one, swirling, licking, nipping as she arched into him. A sexy little moan escaped her mouth, and he decided right then and there, that was his new favorite sound.
“Tell me, what do you like?”
“Besides my showerhead?” She winced. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
“I’m very jealous of your shower now.” His mouth moved along the valley between her breasts, and her chest bowed in response. “But what do you like? Something that I can offer you.”
“Your tongue,” she ground out, her breaths shallow.
“Here?” He ran his tongue along the outside curve of her breast, teasing her. He wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to know she wanted his tongue between her thighs. He wanted to hear those filthy words come from her pretty little mouth, and then he’d promptly store that in the back of his mind for the rest of his damn life.
“Lower.”
He moved an inch lower. Jill’s body moved higher along the bed until her head hit the tufted headboard. She had nowhere else to go.
“Not getting away with not telling me, princess,” he said. “Where do you want my tongue?” He gave her a bit of encouragement by closing his mouth around her nipple again, lightly raking his teeth along her sensitive flesh.
She whimpered. “My clit. Jesus. Please do that down there.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re sexy when dirty words come out of your mouth?”
“And to think all those years when my mouth was washed out with soap—you’d think I’d learn.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
He kissed down the flat of her stomach, down the strip of neatly trimmed hair to the sweet spot between her thighs. His fingers etched along her smooth skin as he traced up her legs, working his thumbs toward her heat.
“Right here, princess?” He gave one tiny lick up her center that made her entire body shiver beneath him. This woman would fall apart at the seams before he’d even have time to enjoy her.
Her hips bucked into him, and he took great pleasure in knowing she was going crazy with want and need for his tongue. “Yes, please.”
He rewarded her with a long lick along her clit. Damn, she tasted good. She cried out, fisting her hands in the sheets by his head. His thumbs parted her lips as he delved deeper, pushing his tongue against the spot she requested. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, muttering something under her breath.
“What was that? I didn’t quite catch it.”
“Christ, you’re going to destroy me.” Her chest rose and fell as she continued to squirm.
“I’m not doing a good enough job if you’re still talking coherently.”
With that, he pushed a finger into her, moving through her slick heat. She tightened around him, and he groaned, thinking about how he’d barely be able to fit his cock in her, she was so tight. As soon as he was able to add in a second finger, his mouth returned to her clit.
His tongue swirled around her, unrelenting, and as she tightened around his fingers, he knew she was close to the brink. He continued pumping into her, swirling his tongue, and before long, she cried out his name.
Her back arched, a flush running down her chest as she panted.
“I—I—ung.”
“There we go. Much better.” He sat back on his haunches, satisfied he’d given this woman exactly what she needed. And he’d do it as many times as humanly possible before dawn broke. He promised himself that much. He’d make sure Jill Michaels thought about his tongue on her, his cock in her, every time she was turned on.
“That was. Wow. Was that okay for you?”
He raised his brow. “Princess, I could have you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I still wouldn’t have my fill.”
…
Holy. Crap. She’d forgotten how decadent a warm tongue felt. Much better than a damn showerhead. Dammit, Aaron had been back in her life for a whole three hours, and she was already screwed for the next guy she shacked up with, because how could anyone measure up to that tongue?
Her eyes hooded as she watched him. “I feel like you’re way overdressed.” Too many clothes stood in between Jill and infinite bliss. Okay, limited to the next few hours, but whatever.
“What are you going to do about that, then?” His hands wrapped around his dick, the fabric of his jeans outlining a very impressive bulge.
She was ready to end this dry spell like whoa.
With shaky legs, Jill sat up on the bed. Even when they were both on their knees, Aaron towered over her. Hell, she was sure the span of his shoulders took up half the king-size bed. Good shoulders. Ones she could see herself hanging onto for dear life as he hammered into her.
Her fingers found the buttons to his flannel and slowly undid them, one by one, exposing the tanned flesh beneath, along with a light dusting of chest hair. God, he was all man, nothing like the oiled-down, hairless boys that were all over Pinterest. This was the real deal, with scars and muscles. She unfastened the last button and pushed the shirt off his broad shoulders until it hit the edge of the bed. She pressed a light kiss to the space between his collarbone and his neck, and he shuddered. “God, you’re gorgeous.”
“Is that the orgasm talking?”
“Most definitely. Tell me, Aaron. What do you want?”
“You don’t have to do anything. You riding my face was the highlight of my year.”
“It’s only January.”
“I don’t give a fuck about the other eleven months.”
Hell, neither did she because she’d never had an orgasm like that, crashing over her like the damn wave in The Little Mermaid. And her body was screaming, I want mooooore. Yeah, she’d hopefully have all night for that.
She traced a finger down the center of his chest, his skin blazing hot under her touch. “C’mon. You have to want something.”
“You really want to?”
Um, yes. More than she cared to admit. She nodded.
He regarded her, seeming to search for any uncertainty. After a moment, he said, “Unbuckle my belt, then.”
Well, hello there, lady parts. Glad to see you didn’t evaporate after round one. The deep ache pulsed steady between her legs again. Jill had never seen this side of Aaron. He’d always been the quiet type in high school, always sweet, never pushy. She liked this side. “And what if I don’t?”
He raised a brow. “Then I could get very creative with its uses.”
Well, then. She’d never been talked to like this. And she kind of wanted to push a little more to see if he’d actually follow through.
She bit her lip and was about to take it further when Aaron said, “You could go back down to the singles mixer. I’m sure Dwight would be more than happy to talk about space colonization some more.”
To hell with that. “What did you say? Your belt?” Her fingers met the metal of his buckle and unhooked it. She looked up at Aaron, and a smile twitched at his lips as he regarded her. She pulled the belt through the loops in his jeans and tossed it, the metal clinking when it hit the floor. “Now what, boss?”
“I’m going to be inside you in two minutes. It’s up to you what you do with that time.”
The space between her thighs throbbed again, aching for more. Holy hell, this man was sexy. And she’d use the next 120 seconds to explore as much of his body as possible before she was flat on her back again. Or on her knees. Honestly, she didn’t care at the moment.
Before he could protest, she pushed him back against the bed and made quick work of his jeans, shucking them to the floor along with a pair of black boxer briefs. She sat back on her knees and blew out a deep breath. The man before her was absolutely 140 percent perfect male. Her fingers traced along the thin white scar across his pec then across to another one lining his rib cage.
“Is this from Iraq?” She imagined him risking his life overseas for the past ten years. How he’d dedicated his life to serving their country. The Aaron she knew was always one to fight for what was right, and it hadn’t surprised her one bit when she met up with him at the library the week before finals and he’d announced that he’d enlisted.
“No, that’s from me being a stupid shit with a firework when I was eighteen.”
Her lips curved into a smile. Her fingers trailed lower, and his abs flexed as she traced over every notch and along the patch of hair leading to his cock. It was rude to stare, but damn, it was hard not to notice something so…intrusive. Jill wasn’t a stranger to being on the giving end of the give/receive bargain, but normally she wouldn’t worry about fitting the thing in her mouth to begin with.
She wrapped her fingers around him, barely able to get her hand to close around the entire length. Aaron hissed out a breath as she pumped her hand, rubbing her thumb over the tip, glossing the clear liquid over his head. “Shit, Jill.”
She liked it—seeing this big man come undone at the seams because of her touch. She’d never thought of Aaron in this way before, but what the hell had she been thinking in high school? This man was sweet, funny, and sexy as hell. She used her other hand to cup his balls, and they tightened in her loose grip.
“Time’s up.” He sat up and, in one swoop, grabbed her around the waist and flipped her over. He reached for a condom in his jeans pocket and rolled it over his erection. “We can explore later.”
“I don’t think it’s even been two minutes.” Jill harrumphed. She wanted to trace over every groove of skin, to enjoy the feel of the scars, hair, flesh.
He chuckled and kissed down her neck. “Remember that day we were out on the lake and you were wearing that red bikini?”
“No.” High school seemed like forever ago. She could barely remember to buy milk at the store, so her attire a decade ago didn’t even begin to register.
“I do. Vividly. It was the only time I’d wished I had X-ray vision.” He smirked.
She swatted his chest. “Perv.”
He shrugged as if to say what do you expect? “I was a teenager.”
“Who had a massive Marvel comic collection.”
“Which probably made me that much more appealing to the ladies,” he mused.
“No, I think the whole affinity for Ed Hardy T-shirts pretty much did you in.” She smirked, tracing a finger down the ridge of abs. She counted in her head all the way up to eight. Who the hell had an eight-pack? What the hell did they do in the army?
“Hey, those were classics.”
She leveled him with a look.
“Okay, fair enough, they were bad. I’ve made up for it. And if you don’t mind, I’d really like to fuck you now.”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
With that, he guided his cock toward her entrance and teased her, pushing in and out, barely breaching past her lips.
She bucked into him, taking a few inches. His forearms flexed as he stilled in her. “Fuck. You feel so good.” The way he ground out the words, she could tell he was losing what little control he had left.
He said something else, but it was lost on her. Aaron filled her completely and then some, and the sensation prickled up her spine. He continued rocking into her slowly, stretching her, his breath shallow with each plunge.
In, out…deep, shallow… His pace was maddening. Jill fisted the fluffy duvet and closed her eyes, edging closer to another release. Aaron stopped a moment and smoothed a thumb tenderly down her cheek.
“Open your eyes. I want you to see who’s fucking you.”
With that, he took both her legs and maneuvered them over his shoulders.
“Holy shit,” she said under her breath, fighting the urge to keep her eyes closed as an explosion of pleasure skyrocketed her closer to release. From the fullness of his cock in her, to the tight grip of his fingers holding her thighs close to his chest as he slammed into her—it was too much. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed in the room, and Jill could barely contain herself anymore. She reached for anything to hold on to, to keep her grounded, to keep her from freaking keeling over from too many sensations. It was too intense. Her hands found Aaron’s ass, and she dug her fingers into his flesh, anchoring herself to him. He sucked in a breath through his teeth and thrust into her harder.
He edged her up even higher, hitting a spot she thought only existed in life and fitness magazines. Her whole world bottomed out and she plummeted, losing herself as an orgasm drowned out every sense. Aaron followed shortly after, his whole body flexing as he released into her.
He stilled, and their heavy breaths mingled in the silence as he slowly slid out of her. He pressed his forehead to hers, and the tenderness in this one gesture warmed her whole body.
“Whoa.” What the fuck just happened? Her whole goddamn world just up and broke off its axis and spiraled into the abyss. Aaron freaking Collins? Adept in the pleasuring of women? Well, she’d had it all wrong ten years ago.
“Yeah,” he said, still breathing hard. The absence of his fullness sent an unexpected jolt of sadness through her. Heck, if she’d known she was missing out on so much in the whole sex department, she would have remedied this a lot sooner.
“Seriously, what the hell, Aaron? Remind me why we didn’t date in high school.” She felt a little guilty that he hadn’t even been on her radar. Something was definitely wrong with her.
“I’m pretty sure you were interested in that football player. What was his name? Lenny?”
“Oh, yes. Stupid choices in men. Yeah, don’t want to think about that.”
“You’re right. I don’t want you thinking about other men when I was just inside you.”
“Trust me. I’m not.”
She rolled over to her side and watched as Aaron walked into the bathroom, took care of the condom, and returned, still completely naked. His muscles flexed as he walked toward her. Aaron was hard planes, angles, and tanned skin. Sin on a tantalizing stick was what he was. A moment later, he climbed into bed and pulled her close, her head finding the perfect spot between his chest and his arm.
Jill took a moment to trace her fingers over his skin, to feel his heartbeat beneath her touch.
“Should we talk about what just happened?” she asked, the awareness of this whole situation splashing over her like a bucket of ice water. This wasn’t a stranger she just brought into her bed. This was a person she had history with. Someone who knew things about her.
“Do you want to talk about it?” His face was unreadable.
She palmed his pec, her fingers barely able to touch from end to end, even stretched out completely, and his heartbeat picked up in pace.
‘“Well, I wasn’t exactly looking for anything at the moment. I’m busy with Emily…”
“I’m not looking for anything else, either,” he quickly said, and Jill couldn’t help but notice the relief as his shoulders relaxed.
It was decided. One night would have to be enough. She’d already made it clear at the start that this was only for fun. It just happened that she was having fun with the boy-next-door who’d turned all man.
“So we go our separate ways in the morning?” she asked. She wasn’t well versed on the morning-after routine. It’d been eight years since her last one, and she didn’t want a repeat of those events.
“Yep. I’ll be here in town for a few weeks, though. Just letting you know.” He cleared his throat. “In case we run into each other.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. We’re two consenting adults. Nothing wrong with one night of fun.”
“Exactly.”
But even she could hear the bullshit lie she was spinning. If she saw him again after tonight, there was a solid chance she’d die from mortification. That didn’t stop her from wanting more before this night ended. She had a much later curfew than Cinderella, and she was going to make use of every minute, before her ride turned into a pumpkin and she went back to her everyday life.
“Does that mean we can do this again before we leave?”
“For damn sure.” He rolled over on top of her again, his lips meeting hers. One night will have to be enough, she repeated to herself.
Five hours later Jill woke up in a lust-induced fog. She’d barely had anything to drink last night, but tell that to the throbbing in her temples. Great. A sex hangover. She didn’t even know that was possible until now. The sheets covering her naked body rustled as Aaron rolled over in bed. Honestly, she didn’t expect him to still be here. One-night stands usually entailed an empty bed in the morning. One glance at Aaron and his relaxed features, though, and it was evident he was in no hurry to move from his spot.
She ran her fingers through the blond waves on his head. Smooth and silky, unlike the rough, calloused hands that unrelentingly brought her to orgasm more times than she could count last night.
Her phone buzzed on her nightstand, and she winced as she turned over. She was deliciously sore. She’d use that as a reminder later today, to tell her that this wasn’t all a weird dream. That Aaron Collins was, in fact, a fucking demi-god in the sack. She grabbed her phone and found seven texts from her group chat with Mia and Kate.
Mia: Girl. Details. We’re dying over here.
Kate: Yeah, tell me at least someone had a good time last night.
Mia: C’mon. This is like the worst cliffhanger known to mankind.
Kate: Um, what about the second book in our fave fantasy series?
Mia: #truth. But this is a close second.
Mia: JILLLLLLLLLLLL
Jill: You guys are both pervs. Yes. I had a good night. I might still be enjoying it.
Kate: Then why the hell are you texting us?
Jill rolled her eyes. For the love of all that was holy, she loved her friends, but they were nosier than her mother and Grammy combined. She pushed back the momentary sadness. She had the rest of her life to be sad about her grandmother’s passing, and she sure as heck wasn’t going to let it put a damper on the one good thing to happen in months.
Jill: Just checking in to tell you I’m alive and very well.
Mia: *wink wink*
Jill: You guys heading out soon?
Kate: Have you seen the roads?
No. She hadn’t seen anything besides the front and the back of Aaron all night. She hadn’t decided which side she liked best. They both had their pros. Zero cons. She took this opportunity to roll out of bed, glancing over at Aaron, who was breathing in soft, even breaths, and she then pulled back one of the blackout curtains. The parking lot was filled with snow. She swiped at her eyes just to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Nope, still there, in all its white, fluffy glory.
What the hell? The world was officially ending. She’d never seen this much snow in South Carolina, ever. Heck, she could barely maneuver her car in heavy rain—how was she supposed to get home?
“Crazy, huh?”
Jill swallowed a gasp as Aaron’s warm breath caressed her ear. “I didn’t realize you were awake. Sorry.”
“I’m a light sleeper. Haven’t seen snow like that in a few years.” He kissed the shell of her ear, and her eyes fluttered shut. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
Yeah, no. She liked her seventy-degree winter, thank you very much. When it hit fifty degrees last night on the ride down, she thought that was intolerable. It had to be…well, less than thirty-two, and all she had was a stupid shawl and cardigan she left in her car.
Crap. Her car.
“My car’s still out there in the parking lot.”
“Is that a problem?”
“It’s had problems in the past with cold weather.” And really hot weather. Heck, a strong breeze pissed off her ignition sometimes. Her car threw more temper tantrums than a toddler. “Not that it really gets cold very often. So I don’t usually have to worry about it.”
He brushed his fingers down the length of her arm, sending a swarm of goose bumps blooming over her skin. “We’ll check it out after breakfast. If that works for you?”
“Deal.”
“Still like sticky buns?”
A pang hit her square in the chest. He remembered so much about her, even after so much time. She supposed she could say the same because she still couldn’t believe that high school Aaron had turned into this.
“Am I still Jill Michaels?”
He chuckled as he grabbed the phone from the nightstand and ordered room service.
It could have been awkward, sitting across from Aaron crisscross on the bed, gorging on sweets, after she’d just had amazing sex with him. This wasn’t supposed to happen, right? Normal people didn’t bang one of their oldest friends and find out that he’d been hiding a monster dick in his pants for the past, well, however many years. And yet here she was. And even though this was a one-time thing, she found herself not in a hurry at all to be out the door. Even though she had to pick up her daughter from her mother’s in a few hours.
Brain, meet reality.
Daughter. Grammy gone. A stupid will. There was just too much to contend with at the moment. She speared a piece of cinnamon bun, already missing whatever it was she’d experienced last night.
Aaron stopped chewing and looked up at her. “Hey, what’s got you down?”
“It feels wrong to go out and have a good time when…” She trailed off. It felt so selfish to be enjoying herself when she’d just lost Grammy.
“Hey.” He dropped his fork on his plate and reached over to brush his knuckles along her cheek. “The Grammy I knew would have wanted you to go out and dance. She’d also expect you to find someone at that singles mixer.”
Jill choked on her orange juice. Hello there, Mr. Perceptive. If he only knew the predicament she found herself in. But she was too embarrassed to admit that.
“You’re probably right. She always did like her scheming.”
“To Grammy.” Aaron lifted his glass of orange juice.
Jill did the same and clinked her glass against his. “To Grammy.”
She took a long sip and finished the rest of her pastry.
“You ready to head out to your car? I’ll walk you out, then I’m going to finish up work here for a little bit.”
She nodded. It was time to check out, anyway. Time to pick up her daughter and return to mom mode. Fantasy officially over.
A quick look at her phone showed Mia and Kate had already left but promised to get all the juicy details during coffee on Sunday. Like she was going to spill about last night. She couldn’t even think about it without blushing. She grabbed her overnight bag and allowed Aaron to put his arm around her as they exited the room. She’d let the bubble of bliss burst once she left the parking lot of the hotel. Until then, she’d enjoy the warmth of his touch.
As they made their way out to the lobby, the doors to the building slid open as people entered, wheeling bags behind them. The frigid breeze hit them like a block of ice, even several yards from the entrance.
A shudder made her stomach clench. “Holy crap. I am so not prepared for this.” Jill rubbed at her arms. Considering how she was dressed—jeans, top, and a sad excuse of a shawl—she probably looked pretty damn stupid.
Aaron looked over at her and frowned, quickly unzipping his jacket.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not just going to stand here and watch you shiver. Here, take it.” He shrugged the jacket off his shoulders.
“Oh, you don’t need to do that.” Her car heater would probably heat up by the time she made it home. Though, it’d be just her luck to die of hypothermia after a night of great sex.
“I insist.” And with that, he laid it over her shoulders and continued to walk her to her car. She pulled the jacket tighter around her and indulged in one very quick, hopefully unnoticeable sniff of the fabric. Soap, cedar, and Aaron. Ding ding ding—a winning combination.
Six inches of snow stood on the hood of Jill’s car by the time they made it to her spot. Maybe her hooking up with Aaron had somehow upset the balance of the universe, and now hell was literally freezing over. That was the only explanation she could come up with as snow came down in light, dusting flurries, moving so slowly she felt like she was in a snow globe that was just shaken and starting to settle.
She cleared her throat, fighting to not fidget. A few things ran through her mind: how the hell was she supposed to get out of the hotel parking lot? How was she supposed to drive in snow, period? And how would she deal with the sickening feeling of not wanting to let go of this fantasy bubble they’d created. “Thanks for last night. It was amazing.”
…
Aaron fixed his jacket tighter around Jill, shielding her from the sudden uptick in wind. And then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Last one, he reprimanded himself. He’d promised her one night, and now he had to get things moving along or else it was about to get awkward. “I had a great time…catching up.” He should be shot for that response. A woman like Jill deserved to be pampered every damn day.
She nodded, her smile forced. “Thanks for being so cool about this. I guess I should be going now.” She worried her lip. He wanted to run his thumb along the plump red skin, to take it between his own teeth and kiss her until she was breathless. But they’d both decided it was hands-off once they left the hotel room.
“Yeah, I should get back to work.” It was a good reminder that Aaron wasn’t one for sticking around. He didn’t want to be in Charleston long-term. This was just temporary until he started his new job. “Do you have an ice scraper?”
“No.”
Of course not. Most residents didn’t need one, except for the occasional dip into the thirties a handful of times per year. He’d needed to invest in one when he moved in with his buddy Sam in D.C. “Hold on. Let me get one from my truck.”
He gave himself a minute to let everything go as he trudged to his truck on the other end of the parking lot. Let it go, fucker. Even though his body screamed that he should take her back to the hotel for just a few more hours. He wasn’t proud of those thoughts. By the time he returned to her, he’d put up a wall, protecting both of them. If Aaron was good at one thing, it was compartmentalizing. And he’d do just that when it came to the woman in front of him.
He scraped the ice and snow off her car, and as soon as Jill turned the key to the ignition, Aaron knew something was wrong. Steam billowed from the front of her car and it let out a loud hiss. “Turn it off,” he yelled to her as her car made a very disturbing sound.