Trusting Aaron Read online

  Somehow he got so wrapped up in the feel of her fingers that he didn’t notice she’d slinked lower until the tip of her tongue slid through the slit in his dick.

  He lifted his head to see her leaning over him, her hair a curtain that prevented him from watching. It was too much. There was no way he would stop her from sucking him, but he wanted to see. So, he reached up her back, gathered her hair in his hand, and held it at the nape of her neck.

  She licked her lips and then swirled her tongue around the head.

  “Jesus… Hope…”

  When she lowered her face closer, easing her lips around his cock, he had to bite back the urge to thrust up into her. He’d rather have her on her knees at his feet, but he wasn’t willing to stop her current exploration to enforce that idea.

  She’d either read a fuck-ton of books or she’d watched plenty of porn because she sucked him into her mouth without an ounce of trepidation. Her initial shyness disappeared as her hand slid lower on his shaft and the top half disappeared between her lips.

  “Mmm,” she moaned around his erection.

  He stiffened at the vibrations, knowing he wasn’t going to last. His quick ejaculation in the shower had done nothing to keep his cock from demanding more right now.

  He gave a slight tug on her hair. “I’m gonna come, baby.”

  She ignored him and lowered her mouth again, sucking harder.

  “Hope…” he warned.

  She didn’t stop at either warning, so he gave up and cupped her face with his free hand. She had no idea how beautiful she was hovering over his cock like this.

  He’d received plenty of blowjobs in his life. None compared to this. Closing his eyes again, he allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her, her scent, the taste of her lingering on his tongue, the smooth silk of her hair in his hand, the sound of her moaning around his cock.

  His body jerked right before he came, his cock lodging deeper into her mouth. And then there was no holding back. He pulsed his orgasm into her throat.

  And she swallowed every drop.

  Acting on what he could only assume was instinct, she continued to lathe his length from tip to base until his breath evened out and he was able to look at her. “Come here,” he encouraged, giving her arm a tug.

  She stretched out her body next to his, smiling. “Thank you,” she said when her face was inches from his.

  He chuckled, his body shaking. “Now you’re gonna thank me for giving me a blowjob?”

  “Yeah. Thank you for not going on Neanderthal on me and keeping me from exploring. I wanted to touch you, see you, taste you.”

  He stroked a hand up and down her back again. “And?” He lifted a brow.

  She grinned wider. “I loved it. I loved the power I felt knowing I did that to you.”

  He groaned as he grabbed her shoulders and flipped her onto her back. He needed to get the upper hand. After kissing her lips, he clasped her hand and held it under his beside her head.

  Her breath hitched at his show of dominance.

  Fuck me.

  “Don’t expect something like that to happen again. I usually prefer my subs on their knees between my legs when they suck me off.”

  She smiled. “So you’re saying there will be a next time?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’ve created a monster.”

  She giggled again, a sound he was beginning to love. It vibrated through his body and settled in his chest. “Now can we have sex?”

  He shook his head. “No. Now you need to sleep.” He lifted off her to tug the covers out from under them and pull them over their combined bodies. If she didn’t stop squirming against him, his dick was going to be hard again in an instant.

  It was late. She had to be exhausted. Hell, he should also be beyond tired considering the hour he’d gotten up to head for the airport. He hadn’t been through half of what she’d gone through all day, though. The stress alone would have broken another woman.

  He imagined she’d spent the entire day going through the motions of a woman about to get married—hair, makeup, clothes, pictures. He’d only met her mother once, but he’d heard the woman was formidable, and she probably spent the day stressing Hope out by shouting orders and ensuring everyone toed the line.

  Hope’s body relaxed against his side, telling him she was finally letting her mind relax also as she succumbed to sleep. A soft sigh escaped her lips. So fucking sweet.

  He was seriously in trouble.

  What the hell was he supposed to do now? How the fuck had he ended up naked in bed with the woman whose wedding he’d come to Miami to attend?

  Tonight was her wedding night. He was a total douche for so thoroughly consuming her on a night she should have been with another man. Inwardly, he groaned, chastising himself for being so weak. He couldn’t keep this up. She needed to deal with the man she’d left and her family. She did not need to traipse across the country learning how to please a Dom.

  Because that’s exactly what would happen if she traveled with him. She would wear him down with her pleading and her tears. He, in return, would find himself pushing her as far as she would let him so he could ascertain how submissive she could be.

  He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, knowing it would be a while before his brain shut down and let him sleep.

  She was so damn soft against him. Every part of her was soft. Except her will. She had a will of steel. Maybe she’d only found it today and brought it out, but she wasn’t wasting any time exercising it.

  Several hours ago, he’d driven away from a church with a disgruntled runaway bride. It should have been simple. He should have dropped her off at her hotel and gone on with his life.

  Now? Now nothing was simple. He hadn’t known Hope well before today. What he had known about her hadn’t been rosy. His impression had been that she was either a spoiled rich girl who was marrying for convenience or that she was a spoiled rich girl who was too ignorant to realize there was more to life.

  Either way, he hadn’t expected her to be anything like the woman he’d just spent the entire evening with. The woman who’d somehow managed to convince him to take away a significant chunk of her innocence.

  She was nothing like he’d imagined. She was funny and smart and cute and silly and had a rigid spine. She had taken the bold step of walking away from a marriage she’d known was doomed to cause her nothing but sadness.

  Hope was also sexy as hell and gorgeous.

  And she was crawling under his skin.

  He hadn’t expected her to entertain the idea of D/s, and he sure as hell hadn’t expected her to permit him to dominate her and enjoy it. Indeed, she did far more than enjoy it. She’d flourished under his dominance. It might have been new to her, but she’d loved every second.

  All of that brought a smile to his face as he held her naked body against his. It also served to remind him she wasn’t his. In fact, for her, this was rebound sex—a chance for her to figure out what she wanted and be free.

  He lifted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he couldn’t stop the stress headache that was about to slam into him. He needed to figure out a way to put an end to this before he hurt her.

  How ironic, considering how much pain she was already feeling as she made the decision just hours ago to leave her fiancé standing at the altar.

  Tomorrow he would convince her to return home. And then he would spend some time with his friends before catching his previously arranged flight back to Denver.

  It was the only option.

  Chapter 7

  When Hope blinked herself awake, she was confused, glancing around for several seconds as she slowly remembered where she was and how she’d gotten here. The sound of the shower running told her where Aaron was.

  She sighed, dropping her head back onto the pillow and squeezing her eyes closed. A wave of emotions assaulted her rapidly. For one thing, she’d just had the best night of her life in the arms of the most amazing man. On the other hand, she’
d left a man standing at the altar yesterday, and eventually she was going to have to face the music and contact both him and her parents.

  She was running from her problems. That much was clear. It was invigorating and freeing. She almost didn’t care who she hurt as long as she took care of herself for a change. She wanted to wash her hands of pleasing everyone around her in this life.

  Now that she’d had a taste of freedom, she wanted a few days to enjoy it before someone popped her bubble.

  Aaron.

  Her body heated and her sex came alive at the thought of what she’d done with him last night. How he’d made her hum. He’d not only dominated her, but he’d given her a life-altering orgasm.

  She realized he had no particular interest in her beyond humoring her to help her escape her stupid wedding, but after spending an entire night with him, she found herself wanting more of him.

  It wasn’t reasonable. She’d dated men she’d known far better and far longer than him in her life without any one of them ever piquing her interest or grabbing her attention the way Aaron did. That included the man she’d left at the altar yesterday.

  Had she really known Montgomery at all?

  It was impossible not to compare him to Aaron. It was also shocking how many things she knew about Aaron in less than a day while knowing very little about the man she’d been dating steadily for over two years.

  She knew how Aaron liked his burgers—no pickle, extra ketchup. He preferred to eat his fries first so they wouldn’t get cold. He preferred lemonade over carbonated sodas.

  She had no idea if Montgomery even ate burgers. She’d never seen him indulge in anything that messy. Fries? She giggled inwardly at the visual. His beverage of choice? She’d only ever seen him drink single malt scotch, but part of her wondered if that was because scotch was her father’s beverage of choice.

  In two years, Hope had never had a single conversation with Montgomery that lasted as long as any of the ones she’d had in the car with Aaron after he rescued her.

  Montgomery had not looked her in the eyes cumulatively over two years as much as Aaron had in one evening. And that included the times he glanced at her while driving.

  Aaron gave her his undivided attention. He listened while she told him her saga. He didn’t judge her. Except for trying to convince her to contact her family, he had not criticized her decision to leave the wedding.

  How many times had Aaron held her face last night? How many times had he kissed her? God, how long had that one kiss lasted?

  Had Montgomery ever cupped her cheek or lengthened a kiss beyond a peck? What the hell had she been thinking when she agreed to marry him?

  She groaned. So stupid.

  With a deep breath, she reminded herself that she had not gone through with the wedding. That was the important thing. Her life would have been far more difficult to escape from if she’d said I do when she’d known in her heart it was the wrong thing to do.

  The water shut off, and she pushed to sitting, tucking the sheet under her arms. It seemed silly to suddenly feel modest after Aaron had tied her to the bed and licked every inch of her body last night, but it was morning now, and she felt a certain level of insecurity.

  Would he regret his actions from last night?

  When the door opened and Aaron stepped out, his gaze landed on her. He shot her a brief crooked smile. “Did I wake you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “What time is it?” The blinds were still closed tight. The only light was coming from the bathroom.

  “Seven thirty. Sorry. I’m in the habit of getting up early to work out before I start my day. I think I managed to sneak down to the hotel gym and return without you knowing. I guess the sound of the shower was too much, though.”

  “You went to the gym?” She was surprised. He was bionic.

  “Yeah. I don’t like to miss too many days. It energizes me.”

  “You can open the blinds,” she stated as he made his way across the room toward his suitcase. She followed his movements with her gaze, taking in the expanse of his back muscles and the tattoos she hadn’t had a chance to explore last night. “Were you in the military?” she asked when she noticed the eagle and flag tattoo as he opened the blinds.

  “Yes.” He didn’t elaborate.

  “What branch?”

  “Army.”

  “For how long?”

  “Two tours. I got hit in the back of my leg with shrapnel near the end of my second tour and didn’t return after my recovery.”

  She flinched. She hadn’t known that about him. Her gaze wandered down to his thighs as he resumed the perusal of his suitcase. Apparently his towel hung past the injury. She saw nothing. “I’m sorry. That must have been tough.”

  “Yeah.” He shrugged and then dropped the towel to step into briefs and jeans. He was too far away and his movements were too quick for her to see anything, including his cock.

  As he finished zipping himself up, he turned toward her. “Don’t worry about my leg. It healed. The scars are barely noticeable now. You want to shower?”

  “Yes. Are we in a hurry?” Why did things feel so awkward? He wasn’t meeting her gaze this morning. In fact, he was pretending to be busy with his suitcase again. “Aaron,” she called out.

  “Yeah?” he responded absently as if whatever he was searching for was very important.

  She slid off the side of the bed. For a moment she considered tugging the sheet with her and using it as a sort of toga, but it seemed logistically irrational. This wasn’t the movies. The sheet was king-sized and would probably cause her to trip if she even managed to somehow yank it free from the mattress.

  Instead, she forced her hands to remain at her sides and padded toward him. When she reached him, she stepped in front of him, wound her arms around his waist, and tipped her head back. “We okay?”

  “Of course. But you really should call your family and figure out what you want to do next. I can take you somewhere.”

  That was the millionth time he’d suggested leaving her, but it hurt worse this morning than it had yesterday. She’d hoped they were past this argument.

  He set a hand lightly on her back, but he appeared uncomfortable. “You should know, I spoke to Rowen last night while you were in the shower. Faith grabbed the phone when she realized you were with me.”

  “Seriously? Are you kidding me?” She dropped her arms and stepped back. “And you didn’t think to tell me this?”

  He sighed. “Honestly, Hope, I didn’t think it mattered much. Faith seemed very understanding. She really wants you to call her. She’s on your side, Hope. She didn’t ask where we were, and she promised to call your parents so they wouldn’t worry. I did you a favor.”

  She grimaced. “A favor.”

  “Well, yeah. It would have been cruel to let them all worry all night.”

  She rolled her eyes, somehow managing to stand in front of him naked without flinching. “Worry?” Her voice rose. “You mean like my parents worried about me marrying a man who didn’t love me?”

  “Hope…” He turned around. “They may not have been supportive when you needed them, but they still deserved to know you were alive. No one even knew whose car you got into.”

  She chuckled sarcastically. “That was kinda the point.”

  He turned back around to face her and met her gaze without glancing at her body. A chill ran down her spine at how cold he was being. It reminded her of Montgomery—the man Aaron had insisted didn’t belong in this bedroom. “Don’t be so immature.”

  A tear suddenly escaped to run down her face. She didn’t bother wiping it away. There was no reason to. Apparently whatever she and Aaron had experienced last night was a one-time deal. He had no interest in even looking at her this morning.

  How fucking stupid could she be? If he thought she was being immature, fine. She’d show him immature. “Fuck you,” she stated as she turned toward the bathroom, slammed the door, and then stood shaking in the steamy room.
/>
  Her legs were done pretending they could hold her up, so she leaned against the door, slid down to her butt, and covered her face. She would not give Aaron the satisfaction of hearing her cry. Instead, she forced herself to silently let the tears fall, still not bothering to wipe them away.

  She sat there for a long time feeling sorry for herself before getting chilled and rising to turn the shower on. She rubbed her arms with both hands to stave off the goose bumps while the water heated, staring at herself in the mirror.

  She looked like shit. Her face was red and splotchy. Her eyes were swollen. Tears streaked her cheeks. Even her nose was running. She grabbed a tissue. It had been a long time since she’d cried like this. Years. If her mother were here, she would tell her to stop being so weak. It wasn’t seemly. Jane Davenport didn’t believe people should show emotions.

  She forced a deep breath. The last twenty-four hours had been insane. This time yesterday she’d been sitting in a chair at the nail salon with her sister by her side. The two of them should have been smiling. Hope should have been giddy about her wedding.

  Instead, she’d been stressed and confused. Faith’s expression had been filled with concern. Rightfully so.

  “So?” she’d asked. “How did it go last night? Did he rock your world?”

  Hope had glanced at her lap, considering her response. “No. It didn’t even happen. He thought we should wait until tonight.”

  “Seriously?” The tone in Faith’s voice had made Hope shudder. “Hope, that’s just…weird.”

  Hope had forced a smile and met her gaze. “Maybe it’s romantic.”

  But Faith’s eyes were drawn together, and she wasn’t smiling. “You’re okay with this?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Yes.” Faith sat up straighter. “You always have a choice. You’ll still have choices tomorrow. But it’ll be much easier to exercise those options today.”