Chapter 223

Aria’s POV

I woke up at seven, surprised to find Aiden still in bed. Blinking sleepily, I turned to study his peaceful face, my gaze immediately landing on those impossibly thick eyelashes of his.

God, were those lashes even real? They looked like they belonged in a mascara commercial.

I remembered all those romance novels Lillian had forced on me, where authors always compared heroines’ eyelashes to small brushes.

I’d always rolled my eyes at those descriptions, thinking they were ridiculous exaggerations.

Now, staring at Aiden’s lashes—dark, thick, and curling slightly at the ends-l realized how wrong I’d been. His really did look like perfect little brushes fanning across his cheeks.

I watched him for several minutes, noticing how deeply he slept, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm with no sign of waking. My gaze drifted down to his lips, slightly parted as he breathed. A sudden urge to touch them washed over me.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently traced his bottom lip with my finger. His skin felt warm and soft under my touch.

Aiden’s eyes fluttered open, catching me mid-act. “Morning,” he murmured, his voice deliciously husky with sleep. “Finding something interesting p>

Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I didn’t pull back. “Just admiring the view,” I whispered, allowing my finger to linger.

A slow smile spread across his face as he caught my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. “Come here,” he said, reaching for me.

I slid closer, my body already responding to the invitation in his eyes. His hand moved to cup my face, thumb caressing my cheek before he leaned in to kiss me properly. What started as gentle quickly deepened as his tongue slipped past my lips, exploring my mouth with familiar hunger.

“Been waiting for you to wake up,” I breathed against his lips.

Aiden chuckled, the vibration rumbling through his chest against mine. “Seems like you found a creative way to make that happen p>

His hands moved lower, sliding beneath my sleep shirt, warm palms mapping the curves of my body with practiced ease. I shivered as he traced circles on my skin, each touch sending sparks racing through me.

“Need you,” I whispered, pressing closer, loving how his body hardened against mine.

“Always so impatient,” he teased, but I could hear the strain in his voice, the barely controlled desire.

He shifted, moving over me, his weight deliciously heavy as he settled between my thighs. The thin fabric of our underwear did nothing to hide how much he wanted me, the hard ridge of his erection pressing insistently against my core.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. “Don’t tease,” I pleaded, my hands sliding under his shirt, nails dragging lightly down his back.

Aiden growled, capturing my wrists and pinning them above my head with one hand. “Who’s teasing who?” he asked, using his free hand to push my shirt up, exposing my breasts to the cool morning air.

His mouth found my nipple, hot and wet, tongue circling the sensitive peak before sucking hard enough to make me arch off the bed. “Fuck, Aiden,” I gasped, straining against his hold.

He released my hands to strip off his shirt, muscles flexing beautifully under tanned skin. I immediately

took advantage of my freedoma net

running my hands over his chest, down his abs, fingers dipping beneath the waistband of his boxers.

“These need to go,” I said, tugging at the fabric.

Aiden smirked, hooking his fingers in my panties. “Ladies first p>

In one smooth motion, he pulled them down my legs, tossing them somewhere behind him. His eyes darkened as they traveled up my body, lingering at the apex of my thighs.

“So wet already,” he murmured, running a finger through my folds, circling my clit with just enough pressure to make me moan. “All for me p>

“Don’t act so surprised,” I gasped as he slipped two fingers inside me, curling them just right. “You know exactly what you do to me p>

He worked his fingers slowly, building a rhythm that had me squirming beneath him.

“I love watching you come apart,” he said, voice rough with desire.

I reached for him, desperate to feel him properly. “I need you inside me,” I demanded, pushing at his boxers.

Aiden moved back just long enough to shed the last barrier between us before settling back between my thighs, the blunt head of his cock pressing against my entrance.

“Look at me,” he commanded softly, waiting until my eyes met his before pushing forward, filling me with one long, deep stroke that had us both gasping.

“God, you feel amazing,” he groaned, holding still for a moment, letting me adjust to the delicious stretch of him inside me.

I rocked my hips impatiently, silently

begging him to move. He got the

message, pulling back almost

completely before slamming back in, setting a pace that had the

headboard knocking rhythmically

against the wall.

“Harder,” I urged, digging my heels into his lower back, meeting each thrust with equal force. “Right there… don’t stop p>

The familiar tension began building low in my belly, my breathing turning to short, desperate pants. Aiden recognized the signs, his fingers finding my clit, circling with just the right pressure.

“Baby,” he whispered against my ear, his rhythm faltering as he approached his own release.

His words pushed me over the edge,

pleasure crashing through me in

waves as cried out his name, body

clenching around him. Aiden

followed seconds later burying his face in my neck as he came with muffled groan.

We lay tangled together afterward, catching our breath. Aiden pressed lazy kisses to

my shoulder, making no move to separate our bodies.

“Now that’s a proper good morning,” I murmured, feeling pleasantly boneless.