Chapter 298
Aria’s POV
We finally made it back to the mansion just before midnight. I’d been fighting to keep my eyes open during the drive home. Aiden noticed me yawning constantly and immediately suggested I take a shower when we arrived.
My biological clock was killing me. I wiped away the tears that formed in the corners of my eyes from yawning so much, took the water glass from his hand, and headed toward our bedroom, sipping as I walked.
After my shower, I felt a bit more awake. When Aiden walked into the bedroom, I instinctively looked up at him, wanting to ask if he was feeling any better after our cemetery visit. But when my eyes met his, I suddenly felt shy.
Tonight had been quite the adventure-climbing over walls and nearly getting caught. Looking back, it was actually pretty funny. I never expected Aiden would do something like that with me.
My original intention was to cheer him up, but thinking about it now, I couldn’t tell who was cheering up whom.
“I’m going to shower,” he said, giving me a smile before disappearing into the bathroom.
I looked at myself in the mirror and silently gave myself a pep talk. You’re not tired, Aria. You’re NOT tired!
I deliberately avoided lying on the bed, afraid I’d fall asleep immediately. I managed
to stay awake until Aiden emerged from the bathroom, practically jumping up from my chair when I saw him.
Aiden glanced at me with amusement. “What is it p>
Without saying anything, I pressed my lips together, walked over to him, and slowly wrapped my arms around his waist. “Aiden p>
“Hmm p>
“Are you feeling any better now p>
Even if it was just a little bit better. People always said Aiden rarely smiled in public, but with me, he was always warm and gentle. I wanted to see his smile more than anything.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, lowered his head to look at me with those intense eyes. “More than a little p>
Then he kissed my lips softly. “Much better p>
I blinked up at him. “Can I have another kiss p>
Before he could answer, I hooked my arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and pressed my lips against his.
Something light and soft seemed to flutter in Aiden’s chest as I kissed him. The orange blossom scent of my body wash enveloped us both as he surrendered to the tenderness between us.
He lifted me up and sat down on the bed with me in his lap. Our kisses grew more passionate, and the temperature in the room seemed to rise by the second.
My breathing became more rapid, and my whole body felt like it was on a hot stove. I couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.
Aiden pulled back slightly, but I wasn’t ready to stop. Like a kitten seeking affection, I nuzzled against his neck unconsciously.
His dark eyes were filled with barely contained desire as he swallowed hard and cradled the back of my head. “Aria, I want you p>
His words sent a shock wave through my body. Instead of responding with words, I answered by pressing my lips to his again, this time with more urgency. My fingers tangled in his still-damp hair as his hands slid under my nightgown, his touch leaving trails of fire across my skin.
“I want you too,” I whispered against his mouth, surprising myself with my boldness. Maybe it was the emotional day we’d had, or the intimacy of sharing that cemetery visit, but something had shifted between us.
Aiden’s hands moved with deliberate slowness, exploring every inch of me as if memorizing my body. His touch was reverent yet possessive, making me arch into him, wanting more.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice deeper than usual. His lips traced a path down my neck, and I tilted my head back, giving him better access.
The thin fabric of my nightgown disappeared as he lifted it over my head. The cool air hit my skin, making me shiver-though it had nothing to do with being cont Aiden’s eyes darkened as they roamed over me, and I felt simultaneously vulnerable and powerful under his gaze.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I whispered.
“Like what?” His voice was husky.
“Like you’re about to devour me p>
A slow smile spread across his face. “But I am p>
True to his word, his mouth moved down my body, leaving no inch untouched. I closed my eyes, losing myself in the sensations he created. My fingers clutched at his shoulders, his back, anything to anchor me as waves of pleasure crashed through my body.
When he finally positioned himself above me, our eyes locked. In that moment, t it wasn’t just our bodies connecting but something much deeper As we moved together finding our rhythm, I felt tears spring to my eyes got from sadness, but from the overwhelming intensity of feeling so connected to him.
“Aria,” he whispered my name like a prayer against my skin.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. “I’m yours,” I breathed, the
words escaping before I could think about them.
His movements became more
urgent, and matched his pace, both of us climbing higher together. When the crescendo finally came, it was like stars exploding behind my eyelids. I cried out his name,clinging to him as if he was the only solid thing in a world spinning out of control.
We collapsed together, breathing hard, our bodies slick with sweat. Aiden rolled to his side, pulling me with him, keeping us connected. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my back as our heartbeats slowly returned to normal.
I nestled against his chest, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the day catching up to
me. But it was a good kind of tired-the satisfied, content kind that comes after experiencing something beautiful.
“Thank you,” Aiden murmured into my hair.
“For what?” I asked sleepily.
“For tonight. For the cemetery. For being you p>
I smiled against his skin. “You don’t have to thank me for that p>
“I want to,” he insisted softly. “You have no idea what it meant to me p>
I looked up at him, touched by the vulnerability in his eyes. This powerful man, who
commanded respect wherever he went, was letting me see a side of him few others ever witnessed.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” I told him honestly. “Wall-climbing and all p>
His laugh rumbled through his chest. “Next time maybe we’ll try the front gate p>
“Where’s the adventure in that?” I teased, stifling a yawn.
Aiden kissed my forehead. “Sleep now. You’ve earned it p>
As my eyes drifted shut, I felt him pull the covers over us. The last thing I remembered before sleep claimed me was the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear and the feeling of absolute safety in his arms.