The squawk of birds faded with the sun, the busy hum of town easing as sunlight prepared to change shifts with darkness.
I’d gone home, dumped the bags full of clothes onto the kitchen counter, then raced to the shower to rinse off the busy afternoon spent bouncing from shop to shop.
My parents credit card surely took a beating, but I’d tried to lessen it as much as I could by picking discounted items even when Mom caught on and scowled.
Stopping by Belladonna’s to grab the pizza I’d ordered, I then raced back down the street. Shadows curled over the concrete with every step I took toward Aiden’s apartment, six streets away.
Wiping the beads of sweat dotting my forehead, I rapped lightly on his door, hoping he was home. Too eager to see him after leaving with Everett lingering in his ears, I hadn’t thought to check.
“Who is it?” he called.
“Me,” I said.
A paused breath, then, “It’s open.”
I turned the handle, pushing the heavy door open with my hip, then kicked off my boots.
Walking farther into his apartment, I was about to call out when I passed the living room and saw him sprawled over his black leather sectional.
Something wobbled and tilted inside me at the sight of his marred brows. He stroked a finger across them, his lips rolling over each other as he tossed a baseball with his other hand, not looking as it fell into his palm.
“I come bearing pizza,” I said, entering the room and setting it on the glass coffee table.
The smacking of the ball hitting his hand ceased, and his gaze moved to the box. “Pepperoni?”
“Duh.” I smiled, but it fell when he didn’t look at me.
Not sure what to do, I walked over to the couch, my knees resting against the cool material as I looked down at him. He was still wearing the same clothes he’d worn to meet my parents. “You okay?”
A sigh pushed past his lips, and he dropped the ball, finally giving me his eyes. “Just been busy being petulant.”
I lowered my lashes. “Can I interrupt for something?”
“That depends. I rather like being mopey every now and then.”
I couldn’t contain my smile and crawled over him when he held his arms out. My forehead dropped to his, and then my lips fixed themselves to his mouth. “See, they loved you.”
He didn’t say anything, dragging his lips over mine.
Then I was flipped to my back, and he was tugging up my purple T-shirt dress. “I love you.”
Dark and bottomless, his eyes flared, hooking into my chest and daring. The words were hanging on the tip of my tongue as his own caused my bruised heart to dance.
My legs opened wider, and I reached down to tug off my socks. “Show me.”
Maybe it was the reminder of Everett, or maybe it was because by his standards, I was ready. Either way, as our clothes came off and he carried me down the hall to his bedroom, my legs around his silken hot skin and his lips glued to my neck, it was happening.
I was thrown to the bed, and I rolled onto my stomach, watching as he grabbed a condom and tore it open with his teeth.
The action had my thighs clenching, my teeth scraping my lip. “Wait,” I said.
His brows rose in question as I scooted over to the side of the bed, swung my legs over it, and tried not to think about how brazen I was acting when I spread them open. I grabbed the back of his muscled thighs, pulling him close so that thick, long member bobbed and swayed in front of my face.
“Petal,” Aiden started.
His mouth shut when I licked the salty drop beading on the tip. “This is the first time I’ve done this,” I admitted, slowly lifting my eyes to his.
He swallowed, his hand coming to rest beneath my chin, and his thumb gliding over the corner of my mouth. “You’re serious.”
I nodded. “So I’m sorry if I suck, pun intended.”
We both laughed, and then I took him as far as I could inside my mouth, and his laughter broke into a stream of curses.
He allowed me to find a rhythm that I was comfortable with, but I still gagged a few times as I tried to get as much of him inside my mouth as I could. I gave in and decided to just suck and lick to the best of my ability, reveling in the noises that dragged out