I walk home along the water-soaked streets with my head in the clouds. My bag is heavy with seven books that I purchased from Strand, but I haven’t felt this light on my feet in a very long time. It’s funny how you forget how someone used to make you feel until you come face to face with him again and are reminded in the bluntest way. I no longer have the romantic feelings that I used to have for Tom. Yet, all of those feelings seemed to have somehow been replaced with feelings of nostalgia and a longing for the past. C’mon, Ellie, you’re too young to be nostalgic for the past, I say to myself crossing Broadway. You haven’t been out of college for that many years. What are you going do when you’re fifty, or seventy? Frankly, I don't really know. All I know is that there is a special place in my heart that’s reserved just for Tom and it will likely always be there.

When I walk up to my building, I search my bag for my keys, trying hard to avoid plopping it on the dirty sidewalk. Instead, I crouch down, take out all the books that I’ve stuffed into it, and feverishly search for the keys that will undoubtedly be in the last place I look. The inanity of that statement is, of course, not lost on me as things you lose are always in the last place you look for them, mainly because you stop looking the moment that you find them, but still.

“Lost something?” a familiar voice says from above. I look up. Even though the sun is still behind the clouds, it is still very bright out and I have to squint to look up at the man standing above me. With the brightness of the clouds behind him, I can’t make out his face, but I know exactly who it is.

“What are you doing here?” I ask with a big toothy smile on my face.

“I wanted to see you,” Aiden says. “I also wanted to see your apartment.”

“I have to warn you, we are not expecting visitors,” I say, standing up. My legs cramp up and it takes me a moment of hopping from one foot to another before I can take a step. Aiden watches me with amusement.

“It’s okay. I don't mind messes,” he says.

As we ride up the elevator, my whole body tenses up. This is the first time Aiden has ever been to my apartment. A big part of me wishes that he had given me some notice so I could actually clean up a little. The place is a total mess with clothes everywhere.

“It’s okay that I came, right?” he asks. I look into his piercing eyes. I haven’t seen him this vulnerable in a very long time. He is hurting inside and all of his pain is spilling out over the edges.

“Yes, of course!” I say, throwing my arms around him and giving him a kiss on the lips. I feel like he needs someone to take care of him in this moment, even though he won’t admit it. And that’s okay. I’m here for him.

“I’m just a little embarrassed over the state of my apartment. I had a little too much to drink.”

“By the way, I’m looking forward to reading your book.”

My heart clenches up. Oh my God. I can’t believe this thought didn’t even occur to me earlier. I mean, of course, he would want to read it. My face flushes red as I unlock my apartment. I try to hide my embarrassment by immediately starting to pick up dirty dishes from around the kitchen counter and throwing them in the sink.

Aiden walks into the living room and looks out of the big window, at the leafless trees below.

“You have a nice view,” he says. I don't know if he’s actually oblivious to my embarrassment or just lost in his own thoughts.

“Thanks. It’s nice when there are leaves on the trees. But you know, it’s October in New York.”

“Yeah, it can get a bit dreary here, right?”

“Yep. Honestly, I thought I was the only one who noticed.”

“Really?”

We watch as the drizzle outside turns back into big powerful rain drops, as if in an effort to prove our point.

“It’s kind of funny that I’ve lived on the East Coast my whole life, but I’ve never been a big fan of winters here. Or the spring for that matter,” I say.

“Me either,” Aiden says, turning to face me.

For a moment, I’m taken aback by how beautiful he is. His strong jawline accentuates his perfect lips and his slightly elongated nose is a perfect complement to his forehead. His dark hair is getting a little long, like he’s a week or so overdue for a haircut, but I’m in love with the way it falls into his almond-shaped eyes.

“I think spring here is the worst. Unlike in Europe, where every day in March seems to get warmer and warmer, the weather here tends to oscillate between winter and summer. Some days are pretty warm and others, the wind blows in and it’s as if we’re never going to reach summer.”

I smile.

“What?”

“I don’t know,” I say with a smile. “I never knew that you were such a big fan of warm weather.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, I think I like the idea of snow. But the reality? Not so much. Would love to go sailing around the Caribbean and wear nothing but flip-flops all year round.”

“I’ve never been to the Caribbean,” I say. “I mean, I’ve been to South Florida, but not the islands. The sunsets there are magnificent.”

“Yes, they are. So is the snorkeling and the diving,” he says. “Maybe I’ll have to take you there sometime.”

That catches me off guard. I’d love that, of course, I would. But I never expected him to bring up going on a trip so soon into our relationship.

“What’s wrong?” Aiden asks, taking a step closer to me.

“Nothing,” I say, smiling. “Nothing at all. You saying that just makes me very happy.”

As Aiden puts his arms around me, I suddenly feel safer than I have ever felt before. It’s like he’s a warm, luxurious blanket that engulfs me, protecting me from everything that’s evil in the world.

When he presses his lips to mine, the muscles deep within me clench up in a delicious way. I had forgotten the electricity that somehow managed to surge through my body just with one look or kiss. The first kiss is merely a peck, but it quickly morphs into something more. His lips are slow and firm. They are demanding and strong. As they push and pull against mine, I feel him molding mine into what he wants them to be.

“I just wanted to tell you.” Aiden pulls away slightly, keeping his eyes on me. I feel hypnotized, waiting for the next word that will come out of his beautiful mouth. “I still want to read your book. Just because we’re doing this, that doesn’t mean that I have forgotten about that.”

Chills rush through my body. Aiden tugs at my sweater, kissing my neck and collarbone. Then he pulls it off my body with one swift motion. It takes me a moment to remember that I didn’t put on a bra before I went to Strand. His eyes light up when he looks at my bare breasts. He even takes a moment to take a step back and admire the view. It doesn’t last long enough to embarrass me, thank God.

“You are so gorgeous,” Aiden whispers. “I don't know how I managed to forget how beautiful you are.”

Now, I’m officially embarrassed. I feel my face flush and I try to look away. But he doesn’t let me.

“I am going to tell you how beautiful you are over and over again,” Aiden whispers. “Until you believe me. Until you know it to be the one true thing.”

He is holding my cheeks, forcing me to focus my eyes on his, and I feel my cheeks getting hotter under his touch. Every time that I try to look away, he refuses to let me go. His piercing eyes look through me to my very core.

I give a little nod and he kisses me again. He buries his hands in my hair, grasping both sides of my head. It feels like he’s cradling me, coaxing me. His hands slowly run down my neck and down my back as he presses me closer to him. He squeezes me tightly. Then one hand returns to the back of my head, pulling slightly on my hair, activating every strand with electricity. His other hand runs down my spine and toward the small of my back, hesitating slightly before going all the way down my butt. As I press against him, I feel his large erection pushing back against me, sending shivers up my body.

Before I can stop myself, I give out a moan. It’s in the middle of a kiss and I feel like I’m moaning right into his mouth. I can barely contain myself, but the moan just turns him on even more. I want him. I want to pull off his clothes and plunge him deep within me, but I hold on and wait. Things are always better with a little anticipation, right?

Instead, I run my fingers over the outline of his strong biceps and the muscles that peek out from his shoulders. I move my hands up to his face, over his lips, and into his hair. His hair is soft and unruly, and my fingers get buried in each wave. As I curl my fingers slightly and tug his hair against his head, Aiden gives out a moan. His eyes roll to the back of his head with pleasure and I tug again. He groans again, eventually bringing his eyes back to meet mine.

“That feels really good,” he says.

“I love burying my hands in your hair,” I whisper.

Aiden bows his head for a moment before running his hands over my bare breasts. He presses my nipples in between his fingers slightly and now it’s my turn to moan.

He pushes me back toward the couch until I feel it behind me. I’m about to lie down, but he props me back up. Instead, he drops to his knees in front me, grabbing my hips with both hands. A familiar warm feeling starts to build at my very core as he licks his lips and then pulls me toward him.

“You smell so good,” he whispers.

“I want you,” I mumble, enjoying the kisses.

He takes his time taking off my boots. I never knew that having someone take off your shoes could be so…sensual. But when it comes to my pants, he pulls them and my panties off with one quick swoop.

Before I get a chance to even be embarrassed for standing stark naked before him, Aiden stands up and unzips his jeans. He unbuttons his shirt and drops his jeans to the floor. He keeps his eyes on mine as he removes his boxer briefs and then grabs my hand.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Your bedroom. Which one is it?”

I point to my room and let him pull me toward my bed. When we get there, he pushes me down on the bed and pushes my legs apart with his body as he squeezes himself in between my knees.

After kissing my neck and collarbone, he leans over and kisses the inside of my thighs, creating a long trail of kisses up and down my body. His lips travel up toward my belly and focus their attention on my navel. He continues his journey up, eventually pausing again at my nipple.

Pressing his hand around my other breast, he remarks, “you’re a perfect fit for my hand.”

My face flushes red as my breasts swell under his touch. My nipples get even harder than they were before. Aiden presses his lips around one nipple and pushes it gently between his teeth. I feel trapped and owned at the same time. The feeling sends electric impulses through my body. Every nerve ending in my body feels as if it’s on fire.

“Aiden,” I moan, tossing my head back.

Slowly, he sends his arm down my body, continuing to hold my nipple in his mouth. As soon as his fingers enter my body and make their way deep within me, I start to feel that warm sensation building somewhere in the pit of my stomach. My breathing speeds up. I grab a hold of his large erect cock and massage it in a slow manner.

“You’re so wet,” he whispers. “Oh, wow.”

“And you’re so hot,” I say, speeding up my hand motion a bit. Through his kisses, I hear him groan, moan, and start to lose control.

“I have to have you now,” he moans and gets on top of me. I want him inside of me more than anything.

I spread my legs open for him and welcome him inside. He fills me up like I’ve never been filled up before. Or maybe I’ve just been feeling rather empty recently without him. Our breathing and movements match up as we start to move together in sync. My hips are his hips and my body is his body. I feel absolutely no separation between our two selves and it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Suddenly, my throat tightens up as the warm sensation at my very core starts to build and build.

“I’m getting…” I don’t get to finish saying that I’m getting close, before I give out a big powerful moan and surrender myself to him completely. Aiden continues to move inside of me for a few more moments before also reaching a climax.

“That was…” Aiden says, trying to catch his breath. “Amazing.”

“Yes, it was.” I nod. I’m keenly aware of the fact that I can’t feel my legs and I don’t care.

“I love you, Ellie,” Aiden says without pulling out of me.

“I love you, too.” I smile.

“I wish we could stay here forever.”

“Me, too.”