Chapter 317
Aria’s POV
I pulled into my driveway with a mind still swirling with worries about Dad. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in the way he’d deflected my questions and rushed me out the door. But as I stepped through our front door, those thoughts temporarily faded into the background.
Aiden was already home, his suit jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he leaned against the kitchen counter, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when he heard me enter, and the warmth in his eyes made my heart skip.
“You’re home early,” I said, dropping my purse on the entryway table.
“Meeting finished sooner than expected.” He set his phone down. “How’s your father p>
“Stubborn as ever.” I kicked off my shoes and padded toward him. “He practically pushed me out the door, insisting he was fine p>
Aiden pulled me into his arms, his body warm and solid against mine. “That sounds familiar. Must run in the family p>
I smacked his chest playfully. “I’m not stubborn p>
“Of course not,” he replied with a smirk that said the opposite.
I sighed, melting against him. “I just wish he’d tell me what’s bothering him. I know something’s wrong p>
“Give him time.” Aiden’s fingers traced soothing patterns on my back. “He’ll talk when he’s ready p>
Looking up at him, I suddenly felt overwhelmingly grateful for his presence in my life. “I wish I’d met you earlier,” I blurted out.
Aiden’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at me, saying nothing, just watching me with that intense gaze that always made me feel transparent.
“What?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious. Had I said something wrong?
When I glanced away, he finally spoke. “Why p>
I felt my cheeks warm. “Just curious if you were rebellious as a teenager too p>
Aiden’s eyes darkened as he pulled me onto his lap, brushing his lips against mine in a feather-light kiss. “Very rebellious p>
The position was intimate, my thighs straddling his as we sat on the kitchen stool. I could feel my ears burning, the blush spreading across my cheeks.
Aiden’s gaze dropped to my lips, his eyes darkening as his breathing grew heavier. “Tired yet?” he asked, his voice rough around the edges.
I shook my head automatically. “It’s still early p>
When I looked up, the desire in his eyes hit me like a physical force. My heart began racing as I suddenly understood why he was asking if I was tired.
I bit my lip unconsciously, feeling not just warm now but parched.
Aiden’s eyes tracked the movement before he leaned in and captured my mouth with his. His lips were firm against my softer ones, the difference in temperature making me shiver. His kiss was relentless, taking control immediately, giving me no time to think.
Within seconds, I surrendered completely, melting into the liquid heat of his kiss. When he lifted me into his arms, my stomach flipped. The overhead lights seemed too bright, illuminating everything as he carried me through the house.
“Aiden,” I whispered, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears.
His hands slipped under my shirt, palms flat against my stomach, sliding upward with agonizing slowness. “Tell me what you want, Princess,” he murmured against my collarbone.
“You,” I breathed.
His fingers traced the underside of my bra. “Are you sure?” His voice was strained, as if he was barely maintaining control.
In answer, I pulled my shirt over my head, tossing it aside. The cool air hit my skin, making goosebumps rise across my flesh.
Aiden’s eyes darkened as they
roamed over me. His hand moved to cup my breast through the lace of my bra, his thumb brushing over the sensitive peak I ar tied into his touch, a soft gasp escaping my lips.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he admitted, his lips returning to my neck, trailing kisses down to where my pulse hammered beneath my skin. “About coming home to you p>
“You have me,” I whispered, reaching for the buttons of his shirt with trembling fingers.
He helped me, shrugging out of his shirt to reveal the muscled expanse of his chest and abdomen.
Aiden reached behind me, unhooking my bra with practiced ease. As it fell away, he stared down at me with such naked hunger that I felt a rush of heat pool low in my belly.
“Perfect,” he murmured, lowering his head to take one sensitive peak into his mouth.
I cried out, my back arching off the
bed as pleasure shot through me. His tongue swirled around the sensitive bud while his hand. kneaded my other breast, his thumb and forefinger rolling and tugging until I was squirming beneath him.
“Aiden, please,” I gasped, not even sure what I was begging for.
He looked up at me, his eyes dark with desire. “Please what, Princess? Tell me what you need p>
“More,” I managed, my hips rising instinctively to meet his.
His hand slid down my stomach to the waistband of my jeans, unbuttoning them with deliberate slowness. “Like this?” he asked, his fingers dipping just beneath the fabric.
“Yes,” I breathed, lifting my hips to help as he tugged my jeans down my legs.
When they were gone, he paused, just looking at me lying there in nothing but my underwear. The heat in his gaze was like a physical caress.
“You’re overdressed,” I said boldly, reaching for his belt.
A smile curved his lips as he let me unbuckle it, the metallic sound of the clasp
coming undone loud in the quiet room.
His pants joined mine on the floor,
and then he was above me again,
the weight of his body pressing me
into the mattress in the most delicious way. could feel how much he wanted me, hard against
thigh.
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st my
“I need you,” I whispered against his mouth as we kissed again, deeper and more desperate than before.
His hand slipped between us, fingers finding me through the thin fabric of my underwear. “You’re so wet,” he groaned, rubbing me in slow circles that had me biting my lip to hold back moans.
When he finally slid my underwear down my legs, I felt completely exposed, vulnerable in a way that was both terrifying and thrilling.
Aiden settled between my thighs, his fingers returning to continue their torturous exploration. When one slipped inside me, I gasped, my muscles clenching around him.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, his thumb circling the sensitive bundle of nerves at my center while he worked a second finger inside. “Let me hear you, baby p>