head. “He’s back now. That’s all that matters, right?”
A soft laugh left me, and we put our things away in my room before joining Mom and Dad in the dining room for dinner.
We were halfway through our meals, discussing some of the classes I was taking this semester and Aiden’s upcoming training, when Dad brought the conversation to an abrupt halt. “Hendrix’s room is free.”
“Dad,” I tried not to growl.
Mom slapped his arm, scowling. “She’s twenty. And I hate to break it to you, but they’ve been dating a while, Brad.”
Looking at Aiden, Dad winced, muttering what sounded like a string of fucks under his breath.
Turning to Aiden, I found his eyes alight with humor. “I’ll sleep wherever. Couch is fine, too.” He nodded for emphasis. “Really.”
Mom’s expression warmed. “That won’t be necessary. We trust you’ll be on your best behavior while you’re here.”
Aiden took Hendrix’s room, and I scowled at Dad, shaking my head as I stood in the hall and brushed my teeth. He tipped his hands up, then disappeared to his and Mom’s room at the other end of the house. “Nice to have you home, Stevie girl.”
Grumbling, I returned to the bathroom and spat, then washed my face. I waited one minute before I tapped on Hendrix’s door.
Aiden jumped up from where he’d been sitting on the floor, throwing Hendrix’s soccer ball. He dropped it and followed me out and past the bathroom to my room.
He was on me as soon as the lock clicked over. “I want to respect their wishes, but first, I just need something to tide me over.”
“You’re not respecting anything,” I said, my breathing ragged as he yanked my nightgown off, my nipples beading under his hooded inspection. “Except my need to have you with me.” I gripped his head, meshing my lips to his. “Deep inside me, wrapped around me …” I licked his upper lip, then bit it. “All night.”
“My Petal’s wish is my command.” He picked me up and tossed me onto the bed, then reached for his shirt while I reached for him.
The silver potted cacti that still resided on my windowsill glinted in the moonlight, and my desperation grew as an unwelcome sensation seeped in.
Flipping me to my stomach, Aiden spread my thighs and ass cheeks, raising me just enough to slide inside before falling over me to interlock our fingers. “Deep enough?”
He knew it wasn’t. “Deeper.”
He rose and sat down. I turned, and he tugged me over him, holding himself at my entrance, depthless eyes boring into mine as I sank down, the moan I tried to keep inside slipping free.
He stole my lips. “Quiet,” he rasped, sucking on them.
“I’m trying,” I panted.
He pushed me back, holding me there, and used his other hand to reach between us. “Right there?”
I struggled to nod. He was pushing and pulling my body off and onto his. “Yes.”
His finger moved down, finding where we connected, and we both groaned as he stole some of the slickness and used it to toy with me again.
He ducked his head, leaning over to take my nipple. “Right there?”
“Aiden, fuck.”
“There, then,” he said, wicked satisfaction in his voice as he rocked his hips to the rhythm mine were hunting and continued to torture me with his tongue, body, and fingers.
I came apart, and he dropped me to the bed, my vision hazy and his mouth latching over mine to keep me quiet. Hard and furious, he pounded into me, then pulled out, coming all over my stomach.
The sight of him doing what he was doing… what he had done in this very room over two years ago, caused a twinge in my chest. But when I looked up, saw Aiden’s head fall back as he emptied stream after stream of himself over my skin, his throat cording and his impressive chest heaving, the twinge fled, and I pulled him down to me.
“Petal, shit.” He chuckled, semen sticking to both our stomachs.
“I love you, Prince.” I kissed each corner of his mouth while he fought to catch his breath.
When he did, he smoothed some hair back from my face, eyes sated but still luminous in the dark room. “Music to my fucking ears.”
Christmas morning was quiet compared to what years of memories conjured.
After gorging on large stacks of blueberry pancakes for breakfast, we took our coffee into the living room and opened presents.
Mom and Dad had gotten Aiden socks to use when he played, and after rummaging through his bathroom cabinet, searching for