“About whether I can wait till I get home to be inside you.” His words send shivers down my spine.
He buttons my pants when I’m standing, wrapping his hands around my waist, pulling me closer. He places a whisper-soft kiss on my forehead, and I melt. “You’re beautiful, Ocea.”
I lean into his chest, unable to meet his gaze. No one has said that the way he just did.
Darren clears his throat, and I turn slightly. My cheeks warm. “You kids played nice, then?”
“That we did.” Aidan chuckles, and I hit his chest lightly.
“We’re off, Dee,” I tell him, earning myself a wink.
* * *
His apartment is much like he is, a mystery. There are no photos on the wall of family. It’s sparsely decorated and is neat for a guy’s pad. There is a single gray couch, a mahogany coffee table, and a widescreen television in the open-plan living area. The kitchen is modern and separated from the living room by an island. Steel and wood dominate the space. The large floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the rainforest. Mist kisses the treetops, and I smile at how perfectly this apartment suits him.
“Some wine?”
“The big, bad firefighter drinks wine?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, sweet thing.”
“Let’s start with your taste in wine then.” I half turn and wink at him. He looks relaxed as he opens the fridge and pulls out a bottle of Riesling. He brings it over with two glasses, placing it on the coffee table.
“This is quite the view you have here,” I tell him when we’re seated on the couch. Soft music plays in the background as a gas fireplace warms the room.
“It is. Thank you. Bought it two years ago when I got tired of the town. Needed a place that was just away from everything.”
“A lone rider?” I say, and he reaches over and runs his fingers through my hair. I lean into his touch.
“You could say that.” His eyes glisten when he smiles.
“You never thought about moving away?”
“This is home. Every time I thought I would, I'd find one more reason I couldn’t leave Portland.”
“I used to come on vacation here when I was a kid. My aunt, Sam, insisted. I hadn’t been here after my parents died ten years ago, and then when Sam passed, I found myself back here.”
“I’m sorry about your folks. Mine died too, twenty years ago.”
“You were just a kid then,” I say. He looks to be in his late twenties, thirty maybe.
“Yeah, pretty much.” And that is all he will say about it. I know that. I pick up on feelings pretty well.
Drinking the remainder of my wine, I cuddle closer to him, placing my head on his shoulder. “This is nice.” The feel of his hand tracing circles on my arm has my skin erupting in goosebumps.
Placing his untouched vino down on the coffee table, he pulls me onto his lap. “You owe me a striptease.” His lips pull at the corners.
I tangle my fingers in his hair. “That so?”
Nodding, he lifts his hips and pushes his erection against me. I reach down and pull my T-shirt over my head, feeling bolder than I have in years. I haven’t dated in as long; the occasional fling, yes, but not in a while. The way he looks at me makes me feel like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. He probably looks at all the women he fucks like this, but just for tonight, I want to be the only one. Touching my breasts over the material of my bra, I throw my head back as I knead them, grinding against him.
He lets out a groan. “Off,” he commands, biting his lip. I shake my head and climb off him. I unbutton my jeans and slide them off my thighs, letting them pool at my feet, then step out of them. “You’re killing me.” He throws an arm over his eyes.
He is so cute when he’s playful. The broody Aidan and this one are polar opposites.
“I want you to take off some of that.”
He pulls off his T-shirt with one hand and throws it at me. “There.”
