“The kinky stuff,” he said with a light in his eyes. “Maybe that’s a way for you to entice him,” he said softly. “Let him know you’re down for experimenting.”
“Ooh.” I nodded thoughtfully. Maybe Xander had a point. Maybe Aiden was being wary because he didn’t know if I’d be interested in getting down and dirty in all sorts of different ways. Maybe I needed to show him I could be a sub. Not that I’d make a great one, but I could try. And maybe I could be a great one. I was great, after all. And I had skills. Though, I didn’t know if the skills I had were the sorts of skills I needed to be a sub. I wondered what I would have to wear as a sub. Would he have me in leather chaps? Would he expect me to wear nipple clamps? I cringed as I thought about the pain I’d feel wearing nipple clamps. The sex had better be good if I was going to wear nipple clamps. I’d have to look them up online or maybe even go to a sex store. I’d convince Liv to go with me. Maybe I could pick up a sexy outfit or some toys that I’d casually let Aiden see the nexttime I saw him. I could let some handcuffs fall out of my bag the next time I saw him or something.
“Alice, you okay?” Xander’s voice sounded concerned, and I looked up at him with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, I spaced out a little bit.” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was getting carried away already. Even if it was only in my mind. I couldn’t wait to speak to Liv about what Xander had told me. Though I wouldn’t tell him that I was going to tell her. I’m not sure what Xander was thinking, but how could he possibly think I wasn’t going to tell Liv? We told each other everything. There was no way I was keeping this to myself. I was going to let Aiden see that I could be the best sub he could ask for, and Liv was going to help me.
“That’s okay.” He looked at me uncertainly. “I hope I didn’t shock you with the news.”
“Oh, not at all.” I smiled sweetly, my mind racing. Xander hadn’t shocked me at all. In fact, he’d just given me the perfect idea to try and get Aiden once and for all.
MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Game night at the Taylors’ house was a tradition that had been going on for years. What was funny about game night was that only Aiden and Liv were interested in playing board games. Their parents never played, Scott played sometimes, and Chett never played at all.
“I’m going to take you all down.” Aiden wiggled his eyebrows as he looked at Xander, Liv and me with a serious face and I tried not to laugh. He was so far from intimidating when he made that face, but I knew he wasn’t joking. Aiden never joked about board games. He played to win, and he pretty much always did.
I stared at Aiden’s face for a few seconds and wondered how it was that he could be so good looking without being completely cocky. Aiden Taylor is classically handsome in the way that means that pretty much any woman can look at him and find something to appreciate. That’s not why I like him, though. Yes, his eyes are vividly blue and remind me of the sky on a clear summer day; yes, his hair is dark and silky with a slight curl that makes him look dangerously sexy; yes, his lips are full and pink, and have a curl to them that makes him look roguish; yes, his skin is a tan olive brown and his body is fit and muscular without looking like he’s Mr. Universe … Yes, I’m attracted to his looks,but what I like most about Aiden is the fact that underneath his bossy-older-brother persona, he is deeply caring, wickedly intelligent, and he has a secret naughty side to him that I love seeing come out. And even more than that, he’s always been there for me even when I didn’t know I needed him.
“Are you going to play, Alice?” Aiden asked me and poked me in the shoulder.
“Sorry, I was just thinking,” I said and smiled at him as I picked up the dice. He smiled back at me and then looked away and started counting his money. I laughed at the happy look on his face. Aiden had always loved playing Monopoly, and he was the king of property buying. He always acted as if the game were real life and he was always a sore loser when he happened to lose a game, which had only happened once. And if I’m completely honest, I wasn’t sure if he had lost on purpose or not.
“Thinking is not acting,” he said with a stern face. “Roll the dice and move.”
“See what I told you, Xander?” Liv said and kissed her boyfriend. “Aiden takes this game so seriously. He really thinks he is buying real properties and hotels.”
“Don’t be a sore loser, Liv,” Aiden said, and Liv laughed.
“We just started playing ten minutes ago. You haven’t won yet.”
“Yet,” he said with a smirk and then looked back at me. “Are you going to play?”
“I’m playing, jeez,” I said and rolled the dice and then moved my piece. “I’m not buying the property,” I said as I looked at my cash.
“What?” Aiden looked at me like I was crazy. “How can you not buy it? You always have to buy.”
“I’m saving my money.” I shrugged and adjusted the strap of my top as it was sliding off of my shoulder. I noticed Aiden’s eyes shift from my face to my shoulder and his gaze became moreintense as he watched me adjusting my bra strap as well. My fingers got stuck underneath the strap for a moment, and Aiden moved towards me. For a second I thought he was going to help me untangle my fingers, but he didn’t. I released my breath, and he moved back.
“You can play now.” I smiled at him sweetly. “My turn is done.”
“That was a bad move,” he said and shook his head. “How many times do I have to tell you and Liv to always buy a property?”
“I didn’t want to,” I said, and I saw Liv rolling her eyes as Xander smiled.
“Well, you should have,” Aiden said and picked up the dice. “I know you like being difficult, Alice, but really you should listen to me when it comes to playing board games.”
“I know, I know,” I said and picked up my bottle of water. “You know best. You’re the king of Monopoly, the baron of fake-property buying, the master of the universe.”
“The master of the universe, huh?” Aiden smiled and licked his lips. “I don’t know if I’m the master of the universe, but I can be a master of other things.”
My breath caught, and I looked away as my face grew red. Was Aiden confirming what Xander had told me? There was no way that he knew that I knew he was a Dom, so I wondered if he thought he was being smart. I stared at his hands and shivered slightly as I imagined them doing dirty things to me. Very, very dirty things.
“What other things?” I said softly and looked down at his belt. “Leather things?”
“Leather things?” His eyes caught mine, and I couldn’t read his expression. “Okay, I’m buying Park Avenue.” He changed the subject without continuing and I looked over at Liv, who was looking very confused. I really needed to talk to her about whatXander had told me. I knew it would be awkward for her to hear that her brother was a Dom, but my sanity was more important than her feeling awkward at this point.
“Get ready to pay me all of your money, bitches.” Aiden sounded gleeful, and Liv gasped.
