Trusting Aaron Read online

  “I haven’t even seen the scar.”

  “Yeah, well, you were occupied and blindfolded.” He shot her a wink.

  “Does it bother you?”

  “What? The scar? No. You’re welcome to kiss it anytime you want, but last night I was focused on you, not me.”

  “I noticed.” She reached over and set a hand on his thigh, running it up and down, precariously close to his crotch.

  He grabbed her fingers and moved them to the console. “You’re going to make me run us off the road,” he teased.

  “Mmm. I’ve never had sex in a ditch in a car.”

  He groaned. “You’ve never had sex anywhere.”

  “Oh, right. That.” She sat up straighter. “So you work out before the crack of dawn, design websites by day, and manage a club at night. You don’t have a lot of free time.”

  “Not much. The club is only open three nights a week, though. I’m not exactly a social butterfly outside of work either. I have plenty of free time to watch television or read the other four evenings.”

  “How long has it been since you’ve had a girlfriend?” He saw her bite her lip out of the corner of his eye.

  He reached for her hand this time and held it in her lap. “I know your question is far more loaded than that, so I’ll lay it out for you. I haven’t dated anyone since I moved to Denver. That was several months ago. That doesn’t mean I haven’t played. I’ve been going to a local club called Roses and Thorns. I scene with a few people at least one night a week.”

  “I see.”

  He chuckled. “No. You don’t. Until you’ve been to a club several times, you can’t grasp the dynamic of the lifestyle.”

  “Paint a picture for me.”

  He took a deep breath. “It’s hard to explain, but you have to understand that there is a distinct separation between sex and submission.”

  She jerked in her seat. “You’re right. I don’t see that at all.”

  He shot her another smile. “That’s because you happen to enjoy a combo. For some people submission is part of sex. But that’s not true for everyone. And even if it is true some of the time, it’s not usually true all of the time.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  He lifted her fingers and kissed the tips. “It does. It’s just complicated. Lots of people enjoy the release from submitting. More of an emotional release. It doesn’t have to be sexual. Some people don’t even get aroused.”

  “Release from what?”

  “Release from their daily life or anything at all. Especially people in high-power positions. You wouldn’t believe how many people enjoy turning themselves over to someone else to make decisions for a few hours. Sometimes they just like to be ordered around.

  “There are so many ways to express this. Sometimes they role play as puppies or horses or toddlers. Some people like to be whipped or flogged or spanked hard enough to hurt so they can release pent-up energy.”

  Her fingers stiffened in his grip.

  “Don’t worry. I would never ask you to let me hit you harder than an erotic spank,” he glanced at her, “and I want to try that soon, by the way.”

  She didn’t move at that announcement, but then again, he’d mentioned spanking her several times already. She would be prepared for his palm. She would not be expecting the reaction he was certain to elicit.

  “I don’t think you’re going to convince me to crawl around wearing a leash either, Aaron.”

  He shook his head. “No. And I wouldn’t ask you to. I don’t get off on that kind of play.”

  She released a relieved breath.

  “Like I’ve told you before, I wouldn’t draw blood or inflict pain on you either. It doesn’t suit you.”

  “But you’ve done it to other people?”

  “Yes. I don’t mind inflicting pain on someone if that’s what they request. I don’t even mind doing so to my own submissive, but not you. I have to be able to read people. Not everyone needs the same things from D/s. And I never draw blood. It’s just not who I am.”

  She nodded. “How is spanking different from flogging and whipping?”

  He thought about his answer for a moment. “You’re not really going to grasp that until I demonstrate.”

  “So you are still willing to show me?”

  He glanced at her again, trying to figure out where her mind was. “Ah. Yes. I told you I would. I didn’t mean to insinuate I wouldn’t strike you, just that I wouldn’t harm you.”

  “How the hell is there a difference?” She stiffened.

  “You’ll see.”

  “Mmm. Can I go ahead and safeword now?” she mumbled.

  He shot her a half smile. “Nope. Trust me again, baby. When my hand lands on your ass, you’re going to beg me to let you come. Thoughts of pain will not be in your mind.”

  “Come? Are you crazy?”

  “Not even close.”

  “And you think I could also come if you flogged me?”

  “I know you will. A flogger is even more fun than my hand. When done right, it’s like a soothing massage that will lull you into submission and make you so wet you’ll want to beg me.” He grinned. “Which I don’t advise.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Like I said, you’ll see.”

  “Tonight?”

  He squeezed her hand again. “That’s enough, imp. Change the subject.”

  “Okay. Would you take me to a club one day?”

  A club… “We’re not going to have time this week. It’s not like I can stop along the way and take you to a random club I’m not familiar with. Zodiac isn’t open yet, and you’re only going to have one night in Denver before you leave anyway.”

  Hope leaned back in her seat and stared out the window for a long time, processing everything Aaron had just told her. It was impossible to wrap her mind around the fetish world. Half of what he’d said made no sense. Who allowed themselves to be struck repeatedly on purpose? And how the hell could it not hurt?

  Aaron had swatted her butt a few times last night, but playfully. It had spiked her arousal. Is that what he was talking about? Somehow she thought there was more to it. The idea made her feel like a chastised child. She shivered. She was not a child.

  Nor was she a dog or a cat or whatever other animal people pretended to be. Thank God he wasn’t into that sort of kink. It would turn her off.

  She’d never been to a club of course, but now that her world was expanding, she really did want to experience it. Maybe he would agree to take her when they got to Denver.

  Maybe she wouldn’t even leave Denver. What if she didn’t hold up to her end of the bargain? She was coming out of her shell for the first time in twenty-six years. She needed more time. Five days wasn’t going to cut it.

  Would he be able to understand that?

  She pursed her lips and forced herself not to smile as she plotted how to get him to let go of this incessant desire to force her to return to Miami. The thought of facing her mother gave her the chills. The thought of visiting all the women who’d been in her wedding party made her inwardly groan.

  The thought of talking to Montgomery made her cringe. She tried to imagine what he was thinking or doing right now. She wondered if he’d been angry that she left or if he didn’t give a damn. Somehow she figured it was a combination. He certainly didn’t give a damn, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t angry.

  The problem was that his reasons for being pissed would be totally out of whack. Montgomery might be embarrassed to have been left at the altar, but he probably cared more about losing the prospect of an increased social and financial standing from their marriage.

  How could she have been so stupid as to think he loved her? Or even cared about her? She’d been blind. No. She’d looked the other way, thinking if she pleased everyone, their happiness would make her happy.

  It had backfired. She’d grown more miserable by the day, the closer she got to the wedding. By the final week, she’d begun to panic. She deserved better. She
deserved to be loved. Thoroughly. By a man who would look her in the eye and rock her world. A man who would put her first above all else.

  A man like Aaron.

  She jerked, her body stiffening. She could not fall for Aaron. This arrangement was meant to fill the gaps missing in her life. The sexual gaps. And apparently the submissive gaps too. As he’d clearly stated, Aaron was a rebound fuck. She needed to remind herself of that, or she would get hurt.

  After two nights, she should not be contemplating a future with him. Besides, he hadn’t offered her anything of the sort. And he’d made it clear that he thought she was too immature. She had no experience in his world at all. That would eventually come between them.

  As far as Aaron was concerned, Hope was an inexperienced, affluent girl who was behaving like a child and avoiding her responsibilities. Hell, maybe that was why he kept insinuating he would spank her. Maybe he was right, but she wanted the chance to prove him wrong. To find herself and become a new woman. It felt so freeing. The idea of returning to face the music suffocated her.

  She hardly knew Aaron. She should not have feelings for him.

  Right… She closed her eyes and thought about what she knew about him. Truth? Far more than she knew about Montgomery, a man she’d dated two years.

  Was there any possibility she could convince Aaron to let her stay? At least in Denver? Maybe if she forced him to recognize how much they had in common, he would start to see her through a different lens—at least as a woman instead of a recalcitrant child.

  It wasn’t that she felt some undying love for him or that she thought they could live happily ever after. She wasn’t thinking she would move in with him or anything. But it would help if he acknowledged they were good together. Maybe she stood a chance of convincing him to at least date her so they could explore their chemistry further. Was that too much to ask?

  She smiled as an idea came to mind, and then she turned to face him. “I have an idea.”

  “Considering how long you’ve been stewing over there, your body jumping back and forth between relaxed and stiff while you were lost in your head, I’m not sure I want to hear what you’ve dreamed up.” His voice was half-joking, half-serious.

  He wasn’t going to thwart her efforts, however. “Let’s play twenty questions,” she said.

  He shot her a narrowed gaze. “What the hell is twenty questions?”

  “I ask you a question. Anything. You answer it. And we switch. It’s how people get to know each other.”

  “Uh-huh. You sure you want to know me that well?”

  “Positive.” She twisted toward him once more. “I’ll start.”

  “Of course you will,” he teased.

  She swatted at his shoulder. “Be nice. It’ll be fun.” And when we’re done, you’ll feel like we’ve been together far longer than two days. “Favorite food?”

  He chuckled. “Brats.”

  “Brats? Like the sausage hot dog things? Gross.” She turned up her nose.

  “Hey, you didn’t mention any rules that said you could criticize the answers,” he joked.

  “True. Your turn.” She settled in, thinking she liked this playful Aaron.

  “Favorite movie?”

  “Amelie.”

  “You mean that French one where she falls in love with the guy who works in the porn shop? That movie was weird as hell.” He shuddered.

  She laughed. “Favorite vacation spot?”

  “Hmm. I haven’t been many places except with the army. I’d love to see Australia. Have you been there?”

  “No. But it’s on my bucket list too.” This was good. It was fun. It would tell her a lot about the man who currently owned her body, even though he didn’t fully know it yet. Could she convince him to take a chance on the rest of her?

  “Favorite sex position?” she asked, grinning.

  He rolled his eyes. “I don’t have one.”

  “Come on. Surely you do.”

  He shot her a quick glance. “Nope. I like whatever position brings my partner the most pleasure. Her excitement is what makes my cock the hardest.”

  Hope swallowed at his sincerity.

  “Yours?”

  “Ha-ha.” She grinned. “You wasted a question.” Before he could argue the point, she sat up straighter. “What does the perfect submissive look like?”

  For a moment he didn’t respond, and then he licked his lips. His response was serious. “There’s not a perfect submissive.”

  “But there must be characteristics you prefer?”

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. It’s about having a connection with another human being and providing her with whatever her needs are. That might look different in different people.”

  It was a non-answer, but she leaned back in her seat to ponder his response for a while. Was he evading her question entirely? Or was his response deeper than that?

  Chapter 12

  “Oh. My. God.” Hope’s eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the swatch of lace Aaron held out to her. “I can’t believe my sister.”

  Aaron lifted both brows. Hope might be shocked by the items her sister had put in the mystery suitcase, but he’d made a mental note to send Faith a thank-you note when this week was over. He shook the black teddy again in her direction. “Put it on.”

  She slowly reached for it, her expression skeptical. “Why bother?”

  He pointed at the bathroom. “You can do it in private or in front of me. Either way, I want to see it on you.” His cock was already hard just thinking about that black lace against her smooth tanned skin.

  Who was he kidding? His dick had been stiff all day while she played not twenty, but two hundred questions. He teased her as the hours wore on, but the truth was it had been fun. It had eaten away the time, and Aaron now knew more about the woman standing in front of him with flushed cheeks than he’d ever known about anyone in his life. He didn’t think he knew that much about his own parents.

  Hope snatched the lace from his hand and strode to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her, and he could hear her gasping several times from the other side.

  While she changed, he removed everything but his jeans and rummaged through the contents of the suitcase again. Every time he thought about the intended recipient of this gift, he shuddered.

  He’d only met Ainsley the one time, and he didn’t know the man at all, but it was impossible for him to visualize that stuffy asshole even touching most of these items, let alone putting them to use. He probably would have tsked at Hope, shut the suitcase, and left it at the hotel.

  His loss.

  Aaron grabbed the package containing the nipple ring clamps and opened it. Just picturing her wearing them while she had that teddy on made him groan.

  The door opened behind him as he palmed the silver hoops and turned around.

  Hope wasn’t in sight, though.

  “Hope?”

  “Yeah, this is obscene. Did you realize that?” Her voice was wobbly. “The material is all in the wrong places. I’d rather be naked.”

  He smiled as he made his way toward the bathroom. He was fully aware of the finer aspects of the teddy. That’s why he’d chosen it. When he stepped into the bright room, he found Hope staring at the mirror with one hand over her bare breasts and the other covering her crotch. It was comical considering how intimately he knew her body.

  He met her gaze in the mirror. “Show me.”

  She frowned. “I feel ridiculous. Like a stripper or something. I can’t believe my sister would wear something like this.”

  “You don’t know what your sister’s kinks are. And trust me, you don’t want to know. Maybe she wears kinky nighties. Maybe she doesn’t. Could be she just thought it might be something you would like. Or, judging from the contents of the suitcase, I’m going to suspect she included a little of everything so that you’d be able to pick and choose what suited you.”

  “Let’s do that, then. I’ll pick what suits me.” She
tipped her head toward him, eyes hopeful.

  He laughed as he came closer. “Not a chance. I’ll control the suitcase. I’ll decide what we use. And you’ll do as you’re told.” He stepped up behind her, his body nearly touching hers, and gently grabbed her hands to tug them to her sides.

  He held her fists at her hips and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The specifically designed lace garment fit tight against her belly and tied at the back of her neck. However, it left her breasts on display and had no crotch.

  She looked so fucking sexy. Her nipples were already puckered from either the cool air, arousal, or anticipation. Probably a combination.

  “What’s in your hand?” she asked.

  He realized he was pressing the silver rings against her palm. “Something to adorn you with.” He kissed her shoulder. “Keep your hands at your sides. Stop asking questions. Remember your manners. We’re playing now.”

  She swallowed. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good girl.” He released her hands and reached for her breast to cup it. Dipping his head to watch his work firsthand, he pinched her nipple several times and then lifted one of the rings to clip it onto her distended tip.

  She winced, her breath whooshing out. “Ow.”

  “Shhh. Give it a second.” Before she could panic, he clipped the second ring on her other nipple and then stared in the mirror again. “Damn, that is hot.” He gave both hoops a slight flick, making her flinch. The clips were very similar to earrings women wore when they didn’t have their ears pierced. And they had the same effect on her gorgeous nipples.

  Hope was staring at herself in the mirror too. When she shifted her weight, they swung slightly, making her suck in a breath.

  Aaron stroked the undersides of her breasts and then circled around them in a spiral until he reached the rings and gave them both a gentle tug. “How do they feel?”

  “Weird, but kinda sexy.”

  “They’re way beyond ‘kinda sexy,’ baby.” He brushed her hair out of the way and nibbled a path from her shoulder to her ear, which he nipped with his teeth.

  He smoothed his hands down to her waist and then lower to the tops of her thighs, pinning her arms at her sides. “Spread your feet apart.”