“I think we need to establish a very important rule,” his voice has dropped an octave and it shoots through me.
My pussy is begging me to wrap my body around him and make him talk, about anything, just so I can feel the rumble. My pussy is a hussy and needs to get it together. Sure, it’s been a while, but we can keep it classy.
For the most part.
Because I can’t deny that I took an everything shower and am freshly shaved and trimmed. It’s always nice to know I could, even if I won’t.
Considering it’s winter, taking the extra time to get ready says something.
Yeah, that I want to jump into bed with Aiden.
“Okay,” I squeak out the word, and any pretense that I was handling his proximity well flies out the window.
From the look on his face, there was never any pretense to begin with. Well, shit.
“We won’t talk about either of them. Not a mention like that. Not here. This is our time, Greylin, and I don’t want to waste any of it. I want to get to know you and what he’s doing has nothing to do with the amazing woman you are.”
I swallow hard and blink back the tears threatening to well in my eyes. “I can agree to that.” I lick my lips, nervous and unsure where to put my hands. He’s so close. I could touch him. I want to touch him.
“Good,” he rumbles the word and I try not to shudder; really, I do. I fail.
Aiden cups my cheek with his hand, the touch brief and light. Then he’s gone and striding back around to the other side of the island. It’s only after a few deep breaths that I can look at him again.
He pulls the enchiladas out of the oven, and my mouth waters a little bit. When he clears his throat, he shoots me a look that’s a mixture of embarrassment and uncertainty that has me infinitely curious.
I’m starting to realize this man is a mystery to me. Anything I told myself I knew about him isn’t proving to be true so far. We all know about assumptions.
“Dad’s chefs taught me to cook,” Aiden admits without looking at me.
I watch his face and the look that crosses it, a mixture of sadness and abandonment, hits me in the middle of my chest and I grab the counter to brace myself.
“Dad, of course, worked a lot and York was doing his own thing. He was already chasing Dad’s dreams for him.” He pinches the bridge of his nose and huffs out a breath. “I guess in this case, I couldn’t not mention him since I was answering your question.”
“I’ll give you a pass for this one,” I chuckle and his shoulders deflate.
“I like to cook a lot of things, but with my schedule and only cooking for myself I don’t get to do it like this very often,” he looks at me and winks, and I feel my cheeks heat.
As he serves us and then sits next to me at the island, it feels intimate in a way that has me relaxing and opening up to him. We end up talking about all sorts of things. In between bites of the enchiladas, which are delicious, of course.
We start off small with music, movies, and books, though he’s not much of a reader. The look he shoots me when he admits that makes me wonder if someone has made him feel less than because it’s not something he enjoys. I wouldn’t be surprised having met his family.
I might be tempted to spit at them next time I see them. No, I won’t really do it, but I could be tempted.
When I tell him about going away to school and how hard it was at times, he listens intently. It feels genuine too. He even asks questions, not shutting me down or interjecting something about himself that would seem more impressive.
Thinking back, it’s for the best that my ex cheated on me, and I found out when I did.
His eyes don’t even glaze over when I tell him about analyzing numbers and sales after tentatively asking me about GMH and my role as if he’s skating on thin ice. But the reality is that GMH is a big part of my life. I’m not ashamed of it nor am I going to pretend like I am.
Looking down at our empty plates, my heart sinks. I push away the reality of the situation for as long as possible and jump at the ice cream sundaes when Aiden offers them.
“I’m impressed by your sprinkle collection,” I tease him and he rubs the back of his neck.
“I wanted you to have options and I think sprinkles are non-negotiable on a sundae,” he says it completely seriously, like what he’s saying is totally normal.
I think for him, it might be.
An ache starts in my chest and grows until I can’t ignore it. Knowing why it’s there doesn’t do a damn bit of good.
