He held still for a long few moments, both of us panting to catch our breath.
Another whimper escaped me as he pulled out, piercing catchingthatspot again, a final drop of fluid soaking into the pillow below.
My head spun, brain threatening to shut off if I so much asmovedright now, completely spent.
The mattress bounced as Aiden flopped onto it beside me, the sound of him catching his breath—and me catching mine—the only ones in the room for long moments.
He wasnotkidding about ruining me for everyone else.
Aiden grinned at me as I finally gathered the strength to turn my head and look at him, sweat-slicked hair still sticking to his face, glowing in the last few rays of afternoon sun creeping between the curtains.
“Told you I came my brains out,” he said.
I’d believed him then, but Ireallybelieved him now. I hadn’t known it waspossibleto come that hard, let alone ever done it before.
I went to say something, but all I could manage was a grunt.
Aiden reached out, petting my hair again. I was going to invest in some really good conditioner to keep him doing that. Something in a scent he really liked.
A ridiculous smile tugged at my lips as I closed my eyes, happy to let him pet me for as long as he wanted.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever been this happy. Despite everything.
I finally felt like I was the man I was meant to be. With Aiden.
Myboyfriend.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Aiden asked, twirling a curl around his finger. “They look like they’re worth it.”
Forcing my eyes open, I felt my heart flutter all over again as I took him in, still looking at me like I was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen.
“Just thinking about how happy you make me,” I said.
Aiden broke into one of those special smiles that were just for me, the ones I was starting to recognize. He smiled constantly, one of the most cheerful people I knew, butthisone, this smile was mine.
“You make me happy, too,” he responded. “Proud of you. Both in terms of what you’ve done and how brave you’ve been, and like… proud to call you my boyfriend. If you still want that?”
“Still want that,” I said, pushing my head into his hand subtly so he wouldn’t stop. “No take-backs.”
“No take-backs,” Aiden promised.
“And I think I’m serious about that tattoo,” I added. I even had half an idea what I wanted it to be.
“Take your time,” Aiden soothed, scratching my scalp lightly. “I’m not letting you go anytime soon. And I’m not quitting my job, either.”
“Don’t want you to,” I murmured, just about ready for sleep. “Just wanna look the part.”
30
Aiden
My mom’ssmile as Carter came through the door was worth all the crap we’d been through alone.
I’d never brought anyone home for dinner before. Not aboyfriend, anyway. Mom had fed most of my friends over the years and Morgan was a semi-permanent fixture here on Sundays, except when he was doing something else. But tonight, it was Carter.
Next week it’d probably be CarterandMorgan, as long as Devin wasn’t bringing boyfriend-of-the-week.
Morgan would’ve been good for him if only he could pull his head out of his ass, but he’d made me swear never to say anything to Devin. So far, I’d managed to keep my big fat mouth shut.
