Ayden's Secret (9 page)

“Ayden?”

“Yes, darlin’?” Ayden smiled; this had to be it.

“After you dry off, come to my room so I can show you something.”

“Charlie?” he called, but she was gone. Now he really wanted to know what was going on. Maybe it wasn’t a seduction after all.

Ayden pulled on a pair of long pajama bottoms. He thought Noel was nuts for sending them last Christmas, but now he understood that a man can’t always be naked in his own home, and boxers weren’t appropriate. He crossed to Charlie’s room, and she was there waiting. Sitting on the bed with the light on, still dressed…and nervous?

“What did you want to show me, darlin’?” Ayden leaned in the doorway and began to wonder if maybe she needed him after all and not for sex. He was beginning to feel like a real jerk for thinking it.

“You have to promise me, Ayden, that no matter what I say or do you will sit in that chair and wait until I’m finished.” Charlie was so nervous. She had never done anything like this before, but there was no turning back now. He leaned in her doorway wearing long cotton pajama pants. She never imagined him wearing those. She had always seen him in boxers and Tshirts. At least it covered him, giving just his chest to focus on.

“Are you okay, darlin’?” Ayden moved to stand in front of her. “You can tell me anything. I’ll do whatever I can to help you. You know that, right?”

“Well, you can help me by promising to sit in that chair.” Charlie stood and waited.

A long moment of silence fell between them. He was winding up all right. His muscles began to bunch, and his expression grew more intent and serious.

“All right, Charlie. I promise I will sit in that chair till you’re finished, but if someone has hurt you, that’s where it ends.” Ayden looked her eye to eye. He knew something was wrong, and she wanted to keep him out of it. Now she was going to tell him. “I make no promises as to what I will do once you’re done. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” Charlie made a slight laugh. He was still trying to protect her. She was sure she was safe here. All she needed from Ayden was love. He needed to realize that.

Ayden paced to the chair and sat down. He crossed his arms and drew a serious expression. He looked ready to jump up and fight at any moment.

“Remember, you promised to stay in that chair, no matter what.” Charlie took a deep shivering breath.

“I’m a man of my word. You know that.” Ayden was sure she was afraid. Her breath was shaking and so were her hands. God what had happened to her? Can I still do something about it?

Charlie dimmed the light but not a lot. The whole point was for him to see. She moved next to the bed and began to explain. His eyes followed her intently, and she knew he was confused. Good, so was she.

“What I want to show you, Ayden—” She pulled her dress from the hem up and over her head. “—is me.”

“Charlie?” He gulped and swallowed his tongue, he was sure of it. She was naked. Totally naked. Her perfect body pale and proportioned, was bared to him. He looked her over head to toe. She was without a flaw in his eyes and without hair, but he should have expected that. She was a showgirl after all.

“I want you to look at me, Ayden. See me as a woman, not as some case you solved years ago. Do you see me, Ayden?” Charlie’s breath shook with nerves. He was looking, and his entire body seemed to tighten.

“Kinda hard to miss you, darlin’.” Holy shit! She had him cornered. Literally in a corner and bound by his word not to move. He didn’t anticipate this, not by a long shot.

“Good. Because I plan to tell you what I think about every year before we meet.” Charlie moved to the bed and sat down.

“I think about you. I think about you touching me. I think about how you would touch me. Do you want to know how, Ayden?” She scooted back on the bed still sitting, still focused on him.

“Do you want me to touch you, Charlie?” Oh, he could easily get out of the chair and take care of this for her. His whole body was tight with need. She had twisted that around on him so fast he was still spinning.

“Yes, but not tonight.” Charlie licked her lips and sat a little straighter. “So do you want me to show you or not?”

“I want you to touch me and let me touch you.” Ayden wanted control of this situation and fast.

“You’re not ready.” Charlie bit her bottom lip.

“It doesn’t get more ready than this, darlin’.” Ayden was now leaning forward, hands on his knees as if he would pounce on her at any moment.

“You have to stay in that chair, but you can show me how ready you are if you’d like. I plan to show you.” Charlie lifted a hand and stoked her left breast. “I plan to show you everything.”

Well that knocked the air out of his lungs. Ayden couldn’t speak. He realized he wouldn’t be able to touch her. She was going to let him watch her touch herself. The only ounce of control he had was to keep it in his pants. If she wanted to torture him, fine. He had been trained to deal with torture, just not this kind.

“Well if I can’t touch you, I definitely won’t touch me either.” Ayden took a shaky breath and wavered on his resolve.

“Suit yourself.” Charlie dropped her voice to a low husky whisper. Not on purpose, it came out that way naturally. “So, shall I continue?”

“Do I have a choice?” Ayden was frustrated because there was nothing he could do. She made him promise and damn, if he didn’t feel like breaking it. Of course, that’s what she was counting on, his discipline to keep him in that chair. He wouldn’t disappoint her, and she apparently had quite a show in mind for him.

“You could close your eyes, but I’m still going to tell you everything.” Charlie smiled a devious smile. He was defeated, and he would have to deal with it. She wanted him damn it. Now he would know what it felt like to want something so bad and not be able to have it when you wanted it. “Like how the night before we meet I lay in bed and do this. Only I imagine that it’s your hands, not mine. Your big, strong hands caressing my breasts.”

Charlie raised both hands to cup her ample bosom. She stroked her thumbs over her nipples, and as her breath caught, so did Ayden’s. He didn’t put a shirt on, so she could see his chest rising and falling in rhythm with hers. His thumbs on his knees stirred.

“They’re big and heavy, and you’d pluck and pull until finally…” Charlie lifted her right breast high as she shifted her face down. “You would lick it and suck the nipples till I just went mad with need.”

Ayden watched as she stroked her own tongue over the nipple on her right breast. He didn’t know a woman could do that, but Charlie had ample cleavage and a nice long tongue. His tongue moved inside his mouth mocking the motions. He desperately wanted to stroke those puckered, pink, silver dollar sized nipples with his own hands, explore her with his own mouth.

“Then.” She scooted a little farther back on the bed and propped her legs up. “You would open my legs, like this.”

Charlie slid her hands over her knees and pulled her thighs wide apart, so he could see her. All of her. She thought he was going to fall out of the chair. Instead, he shifted around a bit and settled back in.

Ayden could see it all. Charlie was hair free because of the little costumes she wore on stage. He knew that when she took the dress off. Nothing quite prepared him to see it like this though. She looked like an exotic plant or some wild fruit. He just wanted to taste her, just a little bit.

“Can you see me, Ayden?” Charlie was sure she heard the chair scoot along the floor. In her mind, she hadn’t thought about him moving the chair, but he didn’t seem any closer so maybe he was adjusting. He looked wild. Like a real wolf. His blue eyes were flamed, and she could have sworn he was drooling.

“Open a little more.” He growled.

When Charlie’s breath caught at his words, he realized she could be affected. When she opened farther just to please him, he almost lost it. His cock strained against the cotton pajamas, and he had to keep his hands on his knees to keep from easing the pain.

“Then.” Charlie put her fingers in her mouth and pulled them out slowly. Watching Ayden watch, her was such a turn on she felt on the verge of climax. “You would slide your fingers right here.”

Charlie slid her thumbs along the outer folds and opened the swollen flesh so he could see. She was ready. He hadn’t touched a woman in a long time, but he knew she was ready. The pink skin glistened and flexed at her touch, and he inched the chair forward. She didn’t say he had to remain in the corner, just in the chair.

“And then you would stroke lightly up and down.” Her toes began to curl, and her legs began to waiver. “Then slide a thick hot finger inside.”

“God, Charlie.” Ayden was on the verge of insanity. Violent with need. He was going to break the damn chair if she didn’t let him touch her soon.

“You like that, Ayden?”

“Yes, I do.” He inched closer again.

“Say darlin’. I love when you call me darlin’,” Charlie confessed. She did love that he used that little term of endearment with her.

“Yes, darlin’, I like it.” He felt his heart tugging. He only called a few women darlin’: his sisters and Charlie, aside from his mother. The only women he cared about. No, this was not the time to think about it.

“Good. Watch me, Ayden.”

“I may need to move closer.” Ayden wanted to move all the way in. Charlie just smiled and didn’t tell him he couldn’t, so he inched the chair again. There was still a lot of floor to cross though.

“You would say to me, Charlie, you’re so tight and hot and wet.” She worked two fingers in and out mindlessly. “I would say, of course I am. I haven’t let another man touch me since the day I met you.”

“I’ll touch you, Charlie.” Ayden thought that maybe he could convince her. She was closing in on a climax, and he wanted to feel that with his own hands, taste it with his own mouth. Damn, she had been untouched in over ten years. That sparked a primal urge that made him ready to howl. “I’d like to taste you.”

“Then you would lick your fingers like this.” She had to ignore him. He was telling her everything she wanted to hear, and she really wanted him to be the one touching her.

He watched her pull the fingers up and lick them, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. The room was starting to spin. How could she do this? He was blind with lust, but he promised to stay in that chair. No chairs in any bedrooms from now on, he thought.

“Do you taste good, Charlie?” Ayden struggled to speak.

“Mmmm, yes,” she replied.

“Can I taste you?” Please say yes!

“And then you would press your tongue right here.” No way was she going to give in that easily. She slid her fingers over her swollen clitoris and began circling and stroking. “And you would lick and suck and tease me, over and over.”

He could see she was reaching her peak as her legs began closing in at the knees, and she fought to make sure he still had a good view. Damn it! She would come before he could get there.

“Are you going to come for me, Charlie?” Ayden was ready to explode. She knew it. She had him right where she wanted him, out of control, or so she thought.

“Harder and faster…” Charlie climbed that peak on her own. Watching Ayden inch the chair closer, she knew she had to speed it up or he would take her. “Yes, Ayden.”

It was too late. He was within inches of her, still in the chair when she collapsed calling his name. Her hand covered her wet mound, and her legs trembled. He felt like a coiled spring wound too tightly. He had to release. It was beyond pain not to, but he wanted to be with Charlie, inside her, feeling her milk his orgasm with her own. Not sitting next to her bed watching her come while she called his name. Though he had to admit it was quite a treat.

“Charlie?” he rasped.

“Mmmm?” She still felt his tension on the air. She expected him to have come from it all, sought his release, but he had discipline. She could feel his heat at her legs. His breath was passing over her skin in warm tickling waves.

“Can I touch you?” Ayden was right there next to her now. He could smell the heat from her body. The sweetness of her orgasm filled the air. Her hand still covered in her own juices lay in place. She was limp and lifeless, making him ache. He felt like ravaging her and taking credit for her satisfaction.

“Yes.” Charlie knew it was too soon, but she wanted him so badly. She had wanted him for so long. How could she deny him now when her body called out for him?

Ayden lifted the hand that covered her. He wasn’t going to have sex with her. She made it clear she wasn’t ready for that, but he had to at least taste her. He had to find his own release that threatened to consume him with madness.

His hand was hot and trembling; she could feel it. Then she felt his lips, soft and sensual against her fingertips. The air pulled deep over them. Then a hot, thick tongue licked out and over her fingers.

The doorbell rang.

“Ayden?” Charlie was in a thick fog of emotions. He was licking and sucking her fingers, eating her whole, like he wanted to take every inch of her body in his mouth at his leisure. She desperately wanted him to do just that. “Is that the doorbell?”

The bell rang again.

Reality lifted the fog, and he looked at the clock on her nightstand. Ten p.m.

“We’ll pick this up later, darlin’.” Ayden stood on shaky legs. “I promise you that.”

Charlie watched with wonder as he staggered to her door. She had accomplished her mission. Ayden wanted her. He really wanted her. It felt so good.

Ayden grumbled and growled all the way downstairs. He hurt with need, and someone was at the damn door. If it wasn’t for the hour, he would have let them wait. Ten o’clock was late for visitors. It must be important.

“Ayden?” Tom looked his brotherinlaw over. He was sweating and breathing like he just got off a treadmill. Of course, he was also pitching quite a tent in the pajama’s, which made Tom think they should have called ahead of time like he‘d suggested. Ayden knew they were still planning to visit for the reunion, but he didn’t know they would be there for sure tonight.

“Shit!” Ayden shook his head. Noel was on her way up the porch stairs with the baby and Tom had two bags and a portable playpen in hand. “It’s the third isn’t it?”

“Yeah. We can go to Evelyn’s…” Tom started.

“No, no, no.” Ayden’s tent deflated quickly, and he prayed Charlie put real clothes on if she decided to come downstairs. “Come in, come in.”

Tom entered the house.

“I’ll be right back.” Ayden ran for the stairs. He couldn’t kiss his little sister with the taste of Charlie in his mouth and touch his niece with her on his hands. Shit! This was the worst timing ever.

“Charlie?” Ayden tapped on her door then opened it. She was asleep, naked and still sprawled out. So tempting.

“Charlie, darlin’.” Ayden shook her. As her sleepy eyes opened, he wanted to kiss her and pull her into his arms. “My sister and brotherinlaw are here.”

“Oh,” Charlie said in a satisfied, sleepy tone.

Ayden knew she was asleep for the night. He would see to it she knew they were there in the morning. He slipped over to his room while Tom argued with Noel to hold on. She was coming up the stairs anyways. He knew that for sure.

***

Noel stormed into his bedroom with her hands on her hips and looked up at him with a scowl.

“Ayden Wolf, why did you run off without seeing me?” Noel was too mad to realize his condition.

Ayden tried to speak with the toothbrush in his mouth, but she didn’t understand. He rinsed his mouth out. “I had to brush my teeth.”

“That makes no sense,” she snapped.

“Baby, that makes a lot of sense if you would calm down a minute.” Tom reached for his wife and tried tugging her out of the room. There wasn’t a woman in Ayden’s bedroom thankfully, so maybe he was watching porn. Either way, it wasn’t his business or Noel’s.

“It’s all right, Tom. I just had dessert. Charlie made me a wonderful dinner and…”

“Oh that’s right. Shit.” Noel cautiously looked around the bedroom as if a woman would jump out at any moment.

“Baby, let’s get settled in.” Tom was more successful in tugging the woman away now.

“Where is she?” Noel asked quietly.

“She’s asleep.” Ayden sighed.

“Is she invisible?” Noel asked smartly.

“No.” Ayden laughed. Noel had grown up with him since she was nine. She was a real little sister, bossy like Evelyn, but more curious and sassy. Evelyn was curious and lethal. “She’s in her room.”

“Oh. Well, when do I get to meet her?” Noel stopped in the doorway against Tom’s insistent tugging.

“In the morning.” Ayden laughed and followed them out of his bedroom and downstairs.

Page was sleeping in the stroller, her red hair sticking out all over her head. She looked like her mother. Ayden unfastened the baby, who was almost one, and held her.

“She’s such a little princess.” Ayden kissed her forehead. She smelled like baby. Her little lips pursed together in a tight bow, and her fat cheeks made him smile. She looked like a baby doll in a store. He wanted children of his own before he turned forty. Time was catching up with him, and he had begun to realize it.

“Yeah, let’s see if you think that in about three hours when she starts screaming to eat.” Noel plopped into a chair. “So where’s the cake, pie, whatever?”

“What are you talking about?” Ayden looked around the counter trying to see what she was looking at. He could definitely eat again.

“Dessert?” Noel said taking note of the wrought iron table in the center of the floor. “Why in the world would you put that there?”

“Honey, I think we should just settle in first while Page is still sleeping.” Tom shook his head.

Was it so beyond thought that Ayden could be with a woman? Tom had known Ayden since they were in the Navy. He practically dragged him to the FBI with him, and he had met Charlie twice when she was hiding out in Ayden’s apartment years ago. She was the only woman Ayden wasn’t related to that lit a smile on his face. Tom never discussed Charlie with Noel. It was Ayden’s business.

“Yeah, settle in while I spend time with my niece.” Ayden walked to the living room and flipped on the television. He hated not living close to Noel and Tom, especially now that Page was there, but he had spent years with Noel. He needed to spend time with Evelyn. Since Evelyn married Joshua, that meant he had to live in North Carolina.

Noel huffed back out the door to get her bags, and Tom apologized to Ayden as he backed out the door behind her.

Ayden shrugged it off. Noel was a little brat; he made her that way. She had been abused and tortured, and when she came to live with Ayden’s mother and stepfather, they all just spoiled her rotten. She had a great big heart and always saw the best in everyone and everything. It was easy to love her, and it was easy to make her into a spoiled little diva. Noel fussed over those she loved, to an annoying fault, but it was just her way. Thank God Tom had patience.