The Awakening Aidan - By Abby Niles Page 0,21
her breathe his name in the way he’d craved, having her urge him to deepen the kiss, caused a rumble to quake in his chest as his beast made his presence known, insisting on more. Instinctively, he crushed her against his body, moving them backward until he had her pressed against the side of the cabin. His exploration became more frantic. His hands sought her ass, bringing her closer to his rigid cock. Her breathing quickened, and she hopped up to wrap her legs around his waist, her tongue just as frenzied as his. He’d finally broken down her wall. She clung to him, kissing him back with the same intensity he felt.
Yet he needed more.
He lowered a hand between their bodies, rubbed his thumb on the inside of her thigh. A feral growl ripped from his mouth. He wanted it there. Needed it there.
Bite. Mark. Bond.
She stiffened, ripping her mouth from his. The way she stared up at him, as if a wild animal now held her, let him know his beast proudly displayed itself in his eyes. Made its intentions clear.
He lowered her until her feet touched the ground, shocked at how the instinct had flared out of control so quickly, how easily he could still mark her right here on the porch without a care if Liam or the whole world was his witness. He stared at her lips, swollen from the aggression of his kiss, and it took everything inside him to back away.
“I knew—”
“Don’t,” he said, recoiling from the censure in her voice. He hadn’t proven anything. If anything he’d proven her right. “Don’t say a word.”
“But—”
“I mean it, Jaylin. Not. A. Word.”
She tilted her chin up and he watched the sensual woman he’d held a few seconds ago place every one of her barriers back up. “Is he here?” Crisp, in control, as if she hadn’t just been begging him for more.
He shoved a hand through his hair. “He promised he wouldn’t ditch you this time.”
“Maybe it’d be best if I gave Liam his therapy at my office.”
And give her another way to distance herself from him? Not a chance in hell. “He wants to be here.”
“Then you need to stay in your office.”
“I told you I would.”
She hesitated a moment before walking past him, and Aidan retreated, scared that if she even slightly brushed him, he’d snap completely.
His movement didn’t go unnoticed. The tension between them increased as she grimaced and sidestepped farther, as if she were scared he’d snap.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
As they walked into the living room, Aidan went to his leather chair, placing his laptop on the table beside it, and sat. Frowning, Jaylin froze, then made a nasty noise as she shook her head. “One day I’ll learn. This is your office, isn’t it?”
He shot her a cocky smile he didn’t feel. “Work here a few hours a day, five days a week.”
“And what exactly is it you do?”
“I’m a consultant.”
He didn’t elaborate. If he made her too curious about what he did, it’d only take a quick Google search of his name for her to realize exactly who she was dealing with.
“What kind of consultant?”
He shrugged. “I have a knack for helping failing businesses turn around.”
“Really?”
She didn’t have to sound so damn surprised. Yeah, he’d embraced his laid-back persona pretty fiercely after he’d retired, but he wasn’t some shifter that flitted from job to job as she apparently thought. Man, she was going to be shocked when she learned exactly how much he was worth.
“Yeah, Aidan is pretty sought-after. Who wouldn’t want the bad—”
Aidan sent a warning look to Liam, who’d just come to stand inside the living room. Liam snapped his mouth closed.
“Bad what?”
Liam scratched his head. “The badass Aidan to work for them.”
Aidan suppressed a groan and rolled his eyes. Yeah, like that wouldn’t arouse some curiosity on her part.
Jaylin glanced between them before turning her attention to Liam as he lowered himself onto the couch. “I wasn’t aware that Aidan’s office was in the living room. Would you like to do this in your room instead?”
Aidan’s beast immediately growled, but he covered it with a cough.
“No. I’d rather do it in here. I’d prefer Aidan to stay anyway. I think he needs to hear this.”
Aidan scowled at his friend, understanding the hidden meaning in his last words—the warning.
Jaylin hesitated, but she eventually sighed and perched on the couch next to Liam, who situated his body on the cushions so he was facing her better. Aidan didn’t like how