Fit for Love (A Stand By Me Novel Book 3) (11 page)

Makenna nods. “Well, in her defense, she thinks I’m her future granddaughter-in-law.”

“Anything to keep her happy.” I listen for a second. Nothing. “Where’s Ryder?”

“I went to get him, but Mom wanted to keep him. She insisted that she needs to have him sleep over.”

All night.
Oh, the things I could do to you with eight hours on our hands. I’d make you understand how much I want to be with you. Make you know how special you are.

“Did you decide what you want to do? Go out or stay here?” I manage to keep my voice neutral, so she won’t hear the silent plea.

I catch her gaze as it flicks to the sofa and back to me, like a trap she doesn’t want to get caught in. “Out. If it’s OK with you. There’s a band I’d like to hear at Dastardly Bastard’s tonight.”

I mask my disappointment. Dastardly’s will be loud. Busy. We’ll probably have to sit at the bar at this hour. I’ll have to share her attention with the band, the people, a drink. “Sure,” I say. “My favorite place.”

She grabs her bag quickly, as if I might change my mind and shove her onto that sofa to finish what we started.

Luck follows me tonight. We’re able to park a block over from the bar. The place isn’t standing room only and I ask for a booth in the back. I grab Makenna’s hand and weave through the crowd as I follow the hostess.

I don’t let go of her until we’re there. She slides down the cushion to the middle and I wait, letting her know I want to sit beside her instead of the opposite side. I scoot in close to her. Not pressed against her like a lover, but near enough. “Hungry?” I ask, placing my mouth at her ear so she can hear above the music.

She shakes her head and soft hairs brush against my face. “Just a Coke,” she says, turning her head to answer and realizing too late how close her face is to mine.

Her eyes widen, a flicker of desire making her pupils dark and large. Her breath hitches and she turns back to the front. She picks up a paper menu from the stand at the end of our table, turns it over, and studies it even though she’s said she isn’t hungry.

I look at her mouth, the bottom one all full and pouty by nature’s design. “Change your mind?”

She’s careful now, turning her head only a fraction. “No. Just curious.”

I order drinks, chips, and dip. Instead of the waitress who took our order, Harper delivers it. “Hey guys,” she yells above the wailing guitar solo.

“Hey,” I mouth and wish we’d gone somewhere quiet.

Harper places both drinks on the table along with the appetizer. She lowers her tray and points somewhere.

“What?” I ask.

She leans down and points. “Leo. Josie. There.”

Leo and Josie stand at the end of the bar, holding drinks and looking for a place to sit. I nod to Harper that I see them and she leaves.

Leo, Harper’s boyfriend, was a good friend all through high school and college. It seems that Josie, the girl who followed her brother everywhere during childhood, still hasn’t outgrown the habit.

I wave at them and they head our way.

“Care if we join you?” Josie yells.

“Go. Ahead.” Now the band has switched from the 80’s music and I might be relieved, but no. They are playing a Jared Jameston tune.

Josie and Leo slide into the seat across from us. Leo gives a lazy smile. I wonder how his sister conned him into coming.

“I’m Leo,” he says to Makenna. He points to his twin. “Josie. My sister.”

“Oh. Sorry.” I place my hand high on Makenna’s back. “This is Makenna.”

Josie grabs a chip and I nudge the basket closer to her. We wait out the loud music and finally it stops, because the band decides to take a break.

“I thought that would never end,” Leo says.

“It wasn’t too bad.” Josie wipes her fingers on a napkin. “Makenna, what did you think?”

“Mak,” she answers. “Everyone calls me Mak.”

Josie looks at me and lifts an eyebrow since I didn’t introduce her that way.

“Everyone,” Makenna says, “except Aiden.”

I shrug. “She tells me to stop and I will.”

She doesn’t. Instead, she returns to the question. “Those guys should play their own songs. Their own stuff is better.”

“Makenna’s a song writer,” I add like an honor roll parent.

Leo nods, staring at Makenna with new interest. “You have to stay true to your own vision.”

“Leo’s a writer. Novelist. Blogger,” Josie says. “We all went to school together. You want to know any secrets about Aiden? You let me know.”

“Josie should be careful since I know quite a few of her secrets, too.” I scoot a little closer to Makenna. My thigh presses against hers and I drape my arm over her shoulders. “Josie was my first kiss. Middle school. She walks up and lays it on me in the cafeteria in front of everybody.”

Makenna grins. “And what did you do?”

“I kissed her back. And then Leo said he would kill me if I ever kissed his sister again. So, I made sure I stayed away from her.”

Leo winks at Makenna. “Who’s the writer now? I think you’re changing the story. I remember you complaining about my sister embarrassing you and could I please stop her from hanging out with us.”

Makenna relaxes against me. “I can tell you guys have been friends for a long time. Must be nice to still know each other.”

Josie twirls the paper umbrella in her drink. “We don’t, really. Aiden here tonight is like a bald eagle sighting. He used to date a different girl all…sorry. It’s my third drink and I guess I forgot who I was talking to.”

Leo sighs. “It’s her last drink. I’m cutting her off.”

Makenna grins. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t think he’d been alone since your middle school romance. And we’re not—”

I cut in. “What she means to say, Josie, is that she’s confident in my attraction to her. I know you’re still pining away for me after that sixth grade kiss, but you and I are over.”

Leo checks his phone. “Harper’s off the clock. She’s texting me. Are you guys hanging out here for a while?”

Makenna straightens and my arm slides off her shoulders. I glance at her. Her eyes narrow at something across the room.

“What is it?” I turn and scan the room so I can find the source of her irritation.

“That guy over there. The one in the black leather jacket near the bar. I know him.” She continues to frown.

“Yeah? Who is he?”

“He works for Jared as a bodyguard. I swear he’s been staring at this table for a while. He’s not drinking or talking to anyone. He’s spying for Jared. I know he is.” She’s like a dragon ready to spew fire. I make a mental note not to piss her off. Ever.

I grab her shaking hand underneath the table.

Jared shows up where I work. His guy follows us to a bar. He’s put a tail on me or the both of us.

“Who’s Jared?” Josie asks, oblivious to any tension in her three-daiquiri-glow and happily munching the last of our chips.

Makenna sucks in a breath and flips the guy off. “Can we go?”

Leo and Josie both turn toward the other end of the bar to see the unlucky recipient of the bird.

“Sure.” I get out of the booth and wait for Makenna as she puts on her jacket. We say our good-byes to Leo and Josie and head toward the front.

I glance around for the guy in the black jacket. He’s gone and probably reporting back to his dick boss. We exit Dastardly’s and head to the parking lot. Stopping suddenly, Makenna turns around to look behind us.

“Aldo better back off.” She returns the way we came, zig zagging through the people and making it difficult to keep her in sight. By the time I’m beside her, she stands jabbing her finger into the chest of a big dude.

“You tell Jared that I’m a grown ass woman who knows what she wants,” she says. “If I ever see you again, I’m turning you into the cops for stalking. Do you understand?”

“He’s worried about you,” the guy says in a gentle voice. He doesn’t seem fazed.

“Aldo, I mean it.” Makenna pokes him another time before I can stop her.

Aldo nods once and backs away. “I’ll tell him.”

“Good.” Makenna swivels and continues to the car as if nothing’s happened.

I need to tell her about Jared showing up at Evolutions. “You all right?”

“Yeah. I…” She stops walking and turns to me. People on the sidewalks go around us. “I hope you don’t think my life is a wreck. I bet you’ve never dated anyone who had an ex sending spies out to follow you.”

“You’ve got me there. It’s a first,” I tease. “But I can handle it.”

“All I want is to take care of my mom and Ryder, you know? But for once, I wanted to do something selfish. Something that just feels good for me. Because if you can’t tell, I really like you. Now I’m scared you’re going to think it’s too much of a hassle to be with me.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Oh, Aiden Alesini. You’re the sexiest man I know. Kiss me,” she demands. “Really kiss me.”

Before I can say a word, she pulls me by the collar down to her mouth. Her mouth is cola-sweet and eager. She moans against my lips and the vibration revs me up automatically. I kiss her deeper, my tongue reveling in the velvet of her mouth. My hands itch to feel every inch of her body.

“Get a room,” some jerk hollers.

She breaks away, breathing hard. Her hands shake as she drops them from my shirt. “Ok. Let’s go to my place. I’ve got things I want to do to you.”

M
akenna

A
iden’s
hard body pushes mine against the bedroom wall next to the door. I’m going to feel the love of a man for the first time in years. Four, to be exact, which is insane now that I think about what I’ve been missing.

Sometimes, I’d like to hit pause on my songwriting brain. This lyric from a yet-to-be written song springs into my head at this most inopportune time. I could write a damn album based on the way he makes me feel. Wanted. Beautiful. His.

It’s been just me taking care of my needs. Alone in my bed after slipping out of Ryder’s room. Coaching myself with woman power and who-needs-a-man thoughts.

But Aiden Alesini proves me wrong. More wrong than I’ve ever been. I need him.

His large, demanding hands caress my neck while he kisses me slowly. Tasting my mouth with each stroke of his talented tongue.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks and trails his lips down my throat, over my collarbone, and back up to my ear.

My mouth goes dry. “Your hands.”

“Only my hands?”

“Mm,” I say in a moan when he sucks my earlobe into his wet mouth and holds my head cradled in his hands like he’s afraid I’ll slip away.

He lifts his head and grabs the bottom of my T-shirt. Without hesitation, he peels it up and over my head. “My hands, huh. Where do you want my hands?”

Aiden uses one finger to trace the swell of one breast along the top of my bra. His gaze makes me hot. “Here?” he asks in a low voice meant more to seduce than affirm.

“Yes,” I breathe.

He lets the same finger drop to skim the curve of my stomach near my navel. “Or here?”

I inhale noisily and lift my eyes to meet his. “Oh,” I say on an exhale.

Grabbing the back of my ass, he pushes one muscled thigh between my legs and I drop back to lean against the wall more fully. I’m no longer in control of my body as I press my sex against his thigh. All I want to do is grind against him. I throb for him.

He’s taking too long and I’m impatient.

“I’ve wanted you from the first time I saw you,” he says and his nostrils flare. “If you don’t want this, say it now.”

“I want it.” There’s not an ounce of doubt in the way I answer him.

“Take the rest of your clothes off,” he says, slow and smooth as melted chocolate. “And get on the bed.”

I clench my thighs against his muscled one. An involuntary movement. Heat pools below my belly. Normally, I don’t like to be ordered around, given no choice, rushed.

Tonight, it’s like being handed cool water after a week in the desert and told to drink. I want; he’s giving.

I step past him and undress. I’m self-conscious all of a sudden. My pink boy shorts and T-shirt bra are both plain and meant for comfort, rather than sex appeal.

He studies me without his usual smile, eyes half-lidded and filled with lust. “Your body is…delectable.”

He walks backward a couple of steps and unbuttons his jeans. Takes a few seconds to remove his wallet and grab a square packet that he throws on the bed. Condom. Thank goodness someone in the room has some brain function.

Next, he takes off his cotton shirt and reveals his chest. He hooks his thumbs in the waistband of his jeans, catching his boxers in the move, and shoves both down. Steps out.

Hard. Every inch of him, hard.

I try like some schoolgirl to avoid looking at his cock jutting out, but it’s difficult. He seems so big. Aggressive and ready.

He gives me a slight smile, one side of his mouth tipping. He doesn’t move and I realize what he’s doing. Giving me time to look at him, like he looked at me.

A hot flush blooms in my face and neck. I want badly to press my hand against the juncture of my thighs. My heartbeat is there. Focused on the place where my body needs relief.

I do like he wants. I look my fill at his upper body. Yes. The man works out, hard.

Lordy. I had no idea I’d be able to see every muscle outlined with deep ridges from his pecs to his abs. Anatomy classes could hang a chart of him in a class as the example of a perfect male specimen.

Seeing him clothed is a treat. Seeing him unclothed is decadence.

I’m so far gone already. Panting, throbbing, clenching. The level of my need is terrifying.

Getting on the bed, I lie back on the pillows, my lips swollen from kisses in the driveway and the doorway and the hallway.

Aiden drops his knees to the bed and crawls over to me slowly, never taking his gaze from mine. I want his weight on top of mine, but that’s not what he does. My body screams for him to be forceful. Be selfish. I want to beg him to hurry and push inside me.

Those hands. Those big talented hands. He reaches one hand out to take his shaft and stroke and I swear my head nearly explodes.

I close my eyes and I breathe like I’ve been running.

“Open your eyes, baby. See how hard you make me?”

I blink them and now I can’t seem to look anywhere but at his hand on himself. He’s thick. The head of his shaft produces a bead of liquid desire that drizzles down the side of him as he strokes.

He’s different in bed than I thought. I had him pegged as the polite type who might turn out the lights while we quickly had sex. Sex that would be nice and I’d have scratched that itch.

How stupid of me. He’ll be like a drug, a high too intense and too addictive to ever let go.

One minute I’m wondering if he’s going to torture me with this drawn out foreplay, the next his rough hands grasp my waist and prod me to sit up.

I do. He unfastens my bra and slides the straps down. He lowers his head to suck one nipple, his tongue laving the peak. His hair smells like woods and leather. Soap. I grab his head and moan.

He pulls away with a devilish grin. “Are you wet for me?”

“Mm hm,” I manage with my lips pressed together as tight as my thighs. I’m torn between being pissed and begging.

Aiden traces his fingers along my hipbones and hooks his fingers into both sides of my panties. He slowly drags the fabric down to my ankles and takes them off. Finally. I grab for his arms to pull him to me, but he’s immovable.

He’s still on his knees and he moves between my legs, pushes them up to bend my knees. “How wet are you?” he asks and teases a finger down my belly and lower.

“Aiden. I haven’t been with anyone—”

I gasp as his finger cleaves the lips of my sex and slowly, oh, so slowly, pushes inside me. I buck my hips and squeeze my eyes shut again. Just as slowly, he pulls his finger out. His other hand grips the inside of my thigh while stroking the soft flesh with his thumb.

“Baby. Your body is perfect. I could get off right now looking at you.” He pushes two fingers inside and the thickness feels so good. This pleasure is so different from when I’m alone in my bed. “Looking at your perfect…” he says while stroking those fingers in and out, “…pussy.”

“Ah,” I moan embarrassingly loud. Porn star loud.

He curls his fingers inside me, toward some secret spot. The sensation sends shocking waves of need through my core, and I moan even louder.

He removes his fingers and I realize my eyes are shut. I open them to see him staring at my face. A hot look, worshipful. He then closes his eyes for a minute as if regaining control. “I’m so hot for you. I’ve imagined this a thousand times. Your scent and the feel of your silky thighs. I want to hear you beg me. Can you beg me, baby?”

Then, he scoots down and pushes my legs apart more. I don’t have time to process or protest before his face is there in that most sacred place. His rough cheeks scrape against the sensitive skin of my inner thighs.

He kisses the spot where his fingers traced, a wet, open-mouth kiss. No time to adjust to a more personal invasion. He laves me with the flat of his tongue in a long upward motion that ends on the bud at the top of my lips.

I can’t control my hips and my hands go to his head, grasping for something, anything, to hold on to.

He pleasures me with two fingers, thrusting in and out as he sucks on my clit. A pressure builds inside my lower body, radiating out in tremors I can’t control. I push against his head and his mouth. His fingers.

“Aiden.” I want him inside me, but he continues. “Please. Aiden.”

Three fingers and I’m stretched; his teeth grazing my sensitive bud.

He pulls away and gets back on his knees, searching for the condom. His heavy cock juts toward me, straining and I smile at how beautiful he looks.

He watches me, one hand poised with the still wrapped condom, the other caressing my thigh. “I want everything from you. Do you understand?”

I reach out and grab him at the base of his shaft and he groans. The sound is a musical thing. Pleasure nearing pain.

Lowering my mouth, I kiss the top of his cock, already slick with his desire. My lips slide along the wet outer side and one of his hands grips the back of my hair.

He trembles, his breathing more erratic than before. “You have no idea how much I want—”

The sounds he makes drives me to do it again. I take all of him in my mouth in one slide down. My head bobs twice and he tugs the back of my hair. Over and over, I tease and suck this beautiful part of him.

“Stop,” he commands in a gruff voice filled with regret.

Smiling around his steely shaft, I suck once.

He bucks his hips, thrusting into my mouth. “Baby, you have to stop or this is going to be over too soon.” Placing both hands on the sides of my head, he pulls me away. “Lie down. Now.”

Satisfied that I’ve driven him to need as much as I do, I do as he says. He unwraps the condom, rolls it on to himself, and slides his body on top of mine.

My nipples scrape along his chest and my fingers dig into his shoulders. His muscles bunch underneath my hold.

He kisses me deeply, his tongue plundering me, fucking me, the way he had between my legs. I writhe and whimper underneath him.

“Tell me what you want.” He rubs his shaft on the top of my mound. “You want me to love you? Want me inside? Want my cock?”

Love? The word startles me for a second. I push it away. Pretty words from a sweet but dirty mouth. Such a seductive mouth.

His mouth pulls away and his face is so close to mine. His forehead touches mine and his harsh breaths pulse against my skin.

I suck in air. “Fuck me. Please,” I say. I don’t curse often. Hardly ever since Ryder came into my life. But this. I’ll scream the words if he’ll give me what I want.

He lifts his hips and his hand moves down between us. “So wet,” he says hoarsely. “So perfect.”

I press my center up to meet him. “You’re so good.” I don’t even sound like myself.

“Baby,” he moans and pushes inside me with one long stroke and back out.

I grab his shoulders harder.

He slides in again and lifts his head to stare at me. “It’s so hard to keep control. You feel so good.” Slides out and takes that blessed feeling with him.

I’m frantic. “Faster. Please.” I’m a begging mess. My nails bite into his skin.

He keeps eye contact, locked on me like he’s watching for something. Like he’s trying to read every thought in my head. His eyes are darker. Bottomless black at the irises.

His cock slides back in and out, pumping faster and I match the pulse of my hips to his beat.

I open my mouth to suck in air as my heart slams against my chest. The building of pressure frustrates me, pleasures me, taunts me.

He nods once in a wordless understanding, only a slight dip of his head, then pushes up on one hand so his body parts from mine even while he continues to thrust inside. Sliding his other hand down, down, down, he presses fingers against my bud where the pleasure hides. He circles it and thrusts his hips.

A bead of sweat drips from his forehead, infinitesimally slow, dropping onto my cheek and sliding down like a blissful tear.

I’m on edge, my toes curling off the end of that pleasurable cliff, a tension like two strong hands pushing at my back and urging me to fall.

Then my body pulses, all my adrenaline and pleasure centering and breaking apart in wave after wave. I clench around him in a guttural moan.

With the timing of a flipped switch, his eyes blaze with heat and satisfaction and urgency.

He’s no longer controlled and steady, but gives a frantic push again and again as his eyes widen. His expression is wild and primal, his movements jerky.

Aiden freezes for a minute with his chest heaving above me, slick with perspiration. “Hey,” he says low and quiet.

“Hey,” I utter, my voice shaky. We’re still joined together, our bodies flush and more one being than two. I wish we could stay like this in our own little bubble of sexual contentment.

He pulls out and takes off the condom. “Let me get rid of this. Don’t move.” As if I can. My limbs noodle helplessly at my sides. I’m cold and lonely without him even for the seconds he’s gone. Silly.

Ordering my body to obey, I force myself to hop up and slide underneath the comforter and sheets. When he returns, he turns out the lamplight and slides in beside me. He rolls onto his side and leans up on one elbow.

“I want you to know that I don’t sleep around.”

I stare at him. “OK. I don’t either. But I don’t expect anything. You know…I don’t want you to think that…” I’m not sure what I’m going to say.

He reaches across and pushes hair from my face before cupping my cheek. “This isn’t just about sex.”

More words filter into my brain. The lyrics to join the one from earlier today.

The lyrics play in my head, intruding on this moment. Sometimes it’s a curse to be a song writer. Words and feelings run like a renegade musical through my head.

“What are you thinking about?” Aiden’s brow creases into tiny questioning lines.

“This moment.”