Opulence (6 page)

"Please, Aiden," I said, my voice in agony.

"Let me go get—"

"Bust it. Please rip it open. Seriously, please just rip the fucking thing open," I begged. He laughed hysterically as I damn near started crying. He finally relented, busting the zipper and pulling it apart with his fingers. I thanked him by slamming the door in his face.

A few minutes later, while I was trying to get the scraps of my outfit around my body, Aiden cracked the door, tossing in a t-shirt and jogging pants. Once I was dressed, I braved my way back into the kitchen, my pantsuit no longer a clothing option.

Aiden was spooning out vegetables as he looked up at me. We both burst out laughing as he made his way toward me.

"Never a dull moment, Nina," he said, taking my pantsuit from out of my hands and throwing it on the counter. He pulled me into his arms then picked up a piece of fajita meat and put it into my mouth.

"Oh, so good," I mouthed around the bite.

He smiled as he released me to continue his task, but I stopped him by thrusting my hands into his hair and pulling him toward me. "Thank you," I said softly before brushing my lips against his. I pulled back and watched the fire light in his eyes. We stood there staring at each other for a brief moment before Aiden finally took my lips in a kiss.

Finally...oh my God.

Aiden didn’t just kiss me, he disintegrated my planet. The minute his tongue swept my lips asking for permission, I gripped him to me, opening up as far as I could go so he could get his fill. Our tongues melded together perfectly and I moaned into his mouth. He instantly lifted me to sit on the counter, never breaking our connection, only stoking the heat as he nestled himself between my parted legs. I moaned again as he ground himself against me, gripping my neck and pulling me closer to him. When he pulled away, we were both panting.

"Fuck, woman, why did you have to declare that you needed a nice guy last night?" he whispered as he leaned in again, taking me completely. I was on fire when he pulled away.

"I only said it to even the scales. Fuck me...right now."

He froze then pulled away to study my face, quirking an eyebrow. "Interesting."

"Aiden, just trust me on this," I said, frustrated. "I’m not innocent."

He gently lifted me from the counter and put me on my feet. "Let’s eat," he said, grabbing a platter of food.

"Are you serious right now?" I asked, exasperated.

"Are you going to elaborate?" he asked quickly.

"No," I responded firmly.

"Then let’s eat," he said, pulling out a chair for me. I stalked over and took a seat. I wasn’t going to beg the man to fuck me.

He sat next to me and started to build his fajita, and I followed suit, watching him with curiosity. Did I have no effect on the man? I was still ready to combust.

"Would you be offended if I opted to go home this evening?" I asked, piling steak onto my tortilla.

More carbs, great
.

"Absolutely," he said, taking a mouthful without looking at me.

"And why is that?" I said testily.

He set his food down and turned to me, forearms on the table, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Because, naughty girl, you aren’t throwing a fit with me. I won’t allow it. And I can’t take care of that ache between your thighs if you flee."

This time my brow quirked as I watched his lips form into a full, panty-dropping, megawatt smile. I couldn’t help but to mirror his expression.

The food was amazing. I loved that he could cook and asked him where he learned it.

"Food Network," he replied as he pushed his plate away.

"Really?" I said around a mouthful of my second fajita.

"No," he said with a grin and turned to me. "Who exactly are you, Nina? Because from what I can tell, you haven’t been honest with me much at all."

I froze mid-bite, no longer hungry.

"Pardon?" I said, wiping my mouth and fidgeting with my beer.

"The first time I saw you, you were on the beach in a dress worth thousands, then you show up to my bar wanting to be ‘someone else’ dressed for a Grateful Dead concert. Last night you came to our date in a fuck me dress fit for a high-class call girl, and today you show up in a limo dressed like Ivana Trump. It’s obvious you don’t cater to the wealthy,
you
are wealthy. I guess my question is, why are you trying to hide it?"

I sat stunned and completely...busted.

"Aiden, I—"

"Before you say a word, I want you to think about it, okay? Just think about it. You don’t have to answer me tonight," he said, gathering our plates and walking them to the sink.

I remained seated, feeling like I had just been lectured by my father. I couldn’t believe he had just done that to me. I picked up my beer and grabbed another, then headed out to his porch. I had no idea how long I sat out there thinking.

Damn it! All I wanted was a distraction! I had no idea why I hadn’t left his house yet. A simple text to Carson would clear me of having to explain myself, or having to explain the woman I’d become and why I was running. I didn’t know how Aiden would look at me if I told him the truth. The fact that I cared what he thought was even more disturbing. When I finished my second beer, I headed inside to find him and wish him a good night.

After a few minutes of searching, I found him in his garage waxing his surfboard. The mere sight of him had me reneging on my decision.

"Running?" he asked as he stroked his board.

"Not yet," I said, making my decision in the moment.

"Good," he said, lifting the board. "Nina, I want to know you. It’s not a crime."

"I just can’t figure out why."

He shrugged, coming toward me and taking my hand.

Always taking my hand.

"We are waking up early. Let’s go to bed," he said, leading us up his stairs to his bedroom. His bed was huge and he seemed to take his comfort seriously. It sat in a large, tastefully and simply decorated room with an adjacent balcony. He opened the door and I could hear the faint crash of the waves. I stood, stunned, loving that his routine was eerily similar to mine. "Extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet," he said, taking leave of the room. I walked into the bathroom, taking a few minutes to clear my head. He had questions? Well, I had some of my own. Like what the hell did he want with me? Why the hell was he so guarded himself? I thought about his kiss in the kitchen and took a deep breath. The man kissed me like he was desperate for more, yet he’d backed away so easily from going any further. I felt the ache growing inside of me and did my best to temper it before I opened the door. Aiden was laying there, his perfect bare chest peeking out beneath the sheets. He eyed me with a smile and lifted the covers on the opposite side of the bed. I slipped in next to him and he turned his body toward me so we were facing each other.

"Thank you for dinner," I said softly.

He reached out to stroke my face and his fingers trailed across my lips. I kissed them lightly as I got lost in the fire in his eyes and he pulled me closer to him.

"I don’t think I can hang on much longer," he said, stroking my collar with his thumb.

"Why are you?" I whispered.

"You need me to," he said softly.

"Why is that?" I asked, my pulse kicking as his hands caressed me.

"You told me so," he said, taking my face in his hands and leaning in to kiss me. The kiss was gentle and reassuring. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, that I was sure of.

When he pulled away he whispered "goodnight" then turned off the light next to him. I spent an hour staring at the dimly lit ceiling before the waves’ melody lulled me to sleep. I woke up hours later in Aiden’s tender grip. I held his arms firmly around me and stroked them with my fingertips. I hadn’t been held like that since I was married. It was the most comfortable I’d felt in years. I’d damn near forgotten what intimacy was like. Devin had never spent more than a few hours with me, and it was never overnight. Did I really think that bastard had treated me well?
This
man had let me into his home and his bed and was somehow trying to be virtuous. I couldn’t help the tears that escaped me. I cried softly, mortified of waking Aiden.

You are seriously fucked up, Nina.

Lonely, was more like it. I’d made my fortune and built my castle, and then exiled myself in it.

If Aiden wanted the truth, he would have it. I wanted to trust again, though I had no reason to trust a single soul in my life. But what I was most sure of was I didn’t want to be alone anymore.

"Wake up, naughty girl," Aiden said softly. A brief whiff of coffee had my eyes opening. Aiden sat on the bed next to me, a steaming cup in his hand. "Surfs up," he chuckled.

"I’m horrible on the board, bra," I said, quickly burying my head under his pillow.

He laughed loudly as he set the coffee on the nightstand beside me. He pulled the pillow away from me and I peeked up at him. "Seriously, Aiden, this is the most comfortable bed in creation. Can we just hang out here?"

"I’ll make you a deal," he said, lifting me to a sitting position. "You come with me for a few hours this morning and we will do whatever you want today."

I nodded with a smile. Aiden was already dressed in board shorts, his hair styled to spiky perfection and sunglasses tucked into his t-shirt collar.

"I have nothing to wear, unless you want me to surf in this." I pulled the waist on his sweats to show him how much wiggle room I had.

"I have a wet suit. The water is still a little cold," he said carefully.

"And you just so happen to have one in my size?"

"I got it off of what’s left of your outfit. The shop opened at 4 A.M. I’ve already eaten breakfast, too."

I grinned. "I would applaud you but honestly, it’s a fool’s errand. I seriously have no skills."

"We’ll see. The suit’s in the bathroom. Hurry up!"

"Son of a bitch!" Aiden roared behind me, "You little liar!" I’d stolen another wave and rode it out. I laughed and lost my balance, diving into the surf. Aiden paddled toward me, cursing.

"You have no manners," he said, sounding agitated. It was the fifth wave I’d taken from him in the last half hour.

"Oh, I have no doubt I lack etiquette seeing as it’s six in the morning! Besides, a baby could surf these!"

I straddled my board as he paddled toward me. He was grinning as he waded through the water. He sat up on his board and tilted his head. He looked gorgeous in a wet suit, his hair scattered around him, his eyes bright and his lashes thick and wet.

"Now is the time to come clean. What other hidden talents do you have?" He smirked and I splashed at him.

Now or never, Nina.

"I made two hundred million dollars off of a body care program I created." I looked up just as his face went completely blank. I decided just to throw it out there; the worst was over.

"I was sitting at home one day watching that old movie Cocktail. You know the one?" He nodded, still absorbing my admission.

"Well, I got to that part where he explains about the need for the little drink umbrella, and how the man who made it was a millionaire. And it got my wheels turning. You know, create a need, or at least something that people may think they need. I Googled the most lucrative businesses, pharmacy companies, and—"