No. This was all me. The lower half of his body shifted down. Our legs were flush. His eyes searched mine. It gets harder every time.
My brows rose and I bit back a giggle. What does?
Aiden grinned and his eyes lightened. Stopping before its too late.
In a second, everythingthe rift that had come between us the day Id given him that stupid pick, what Id seen in the Catskills, the mess we were in, and even Setheverything vanished. The words came out of me in a rush. Dont stop.
CHAPTER 15
AIDENS EYES SEEMED TO GLOW FROM WITHIN AS HE stared down at me. Like in the library, I knew he wanted to kiss me. His resolve was cracking and the hand against my cheek trembled.
I slid my hands down his taut stomach, stopping above the band of his pants. More than anything I wanted to lose myself in him, to forget about everything. I wanted him to lose himself in me .
He sucked in air, lips parted. It probably would be a good idea if Leon or someone else was watching you during the night.
Probably.
His lips tipped into a crooked smile as his hand drifted away from my cheek, down my neck and under the collar of my sweater. I jumped a little when his hand skimmed over my shoulder. People say hindsight is always twenty-twenty, he said.
I didnt care about peoples eyesight. All I cared about was his hand on my skin, pushing the sweater down my arm. When when does the next babysitter arrive?
Not until morning.
Butterflies went crazy in my stomach. Morning was several hours away. A lot of things could go down in those hours. Oh.
Aiden didnt respond. Instead, his fingers skimmed over the tags on my arm and then he closed his eyes. A shudder rolled through his entire body, shaking me to my core. Then his head dipped and dark waves of hair fell forward, but not quick enough to shield the hunger in his stare.
I tensed, my chest tightening. His breath was warm and tantalizing on my lips, and then they brushed across mine so softly. That simple act stole my breath, my heart. But even as he pulled away, I realized that he couldnt steal something he already had.
Aiden rolled onto his side, pulling me along with him. He eased one arm under me, cradling me to his chest so tightly I could feel his heart thundering. There was something under his shirt that pressed against my cheek. I realized it was his necklace.
Aiden?
He lowered his chin to the top of my head and drew in a deep breath. Go to sleep, Alex.
My eyes snapped open. I tried to lift my head, but I couldnt move an inch. I dont think I can sleep now.
Well, you better try.
I tried to wiggle free, but he moved his leg, clamping one of mine between his. My fingers curled into his thermal. Aiden
Alex.
Frustrated, I pushed on his chest. Aidens laugh rumbled through me, and even though I wanted to smack him, I started to smile. Why? Why did you kiss me? I mean, you did just kiss me, right?
Yes. No. Sort of. Aiden sighed. I wanted to.
My smile started to turn giddy. It was like there was a part of me that had no perception of the outside world or all the consequencesthe part that was completely controlled by my heart. Okay. Then why did you stop?
Can we talk about anything other than that? Please?
Why?
His hand moved up my back, delving into my hair and sending shivers over my skin. Because I asked you nicely?
Being this close to him wasnt helping. Every time I breathed, it was full of his aftershave and the scent of sea salt. If I moved, it only brought us closer. There was no way in hell I was sleeping
why he was here, like this. It didnt make sense, but I didnt want to kill the warmth between us with questions rooted in logic. Sometimes logic was just overrated.
Slowly, I pried my eyes opened and blinked. The dusky rays of early morning sunlight filtered through the blinds. Little dots of dust floated in the stream of light. A heavy arm lay over my stomach and a leg was thrown over mine, as if hed wanted to make sure I couldnt escape while he slept.
Not that a god could make me move from this bed or his arms.
I delighted in the feel of him pressed against my side, the way his breath stirred the hair at my temple. Last night hadnt been a weird dream. Or if it had been, I wasnt sure I wanted to wake up. Maybe he hadnt been afraid of me running off when he slept. Perhaps hed hungered for my closeness the way I sought his.
My heart rate picked up even though I hadnt moved. Lying here, staring at the tiny particles of dust, I wondered how many times Id dreamt of falling asleep and waking up in Aidens arms. A hundred or more? Definitely more. My throat tightened. It didnt seem right that Id be teased like this, given a taste of what a future with Aiden could be like, something I could never have.
An ache filled my chest. Being in his arms like this hurt, but there wasnt an ounce of regret. In the silence of the early morning, I admitted that there was no getting over Aiden. No matter what happened from here on out, my heart would remain his. He could settle down with a pure and I could go leave this island forever and it wouldnt matter. Against all odds and common sense, Aiden had slipped under my skin, wrapped himself around my heart and embedded himself into my bones. He was a part of me and