Flustered, I slid my hand into his, my eyes widening at the way I would have sworn literal sparks flew when we made contact.
“A-Aiden. Aiden Cooper,” I replied, tripping over my own name. I wasn’t sure what it was about this man, but he left me feeling tied up in knots. While I usually didn’t have much game when it came to flirting, there was something about Nathan Turner that left me feeling equally relaxed and on edge.
Or maybe it was just that I wanted him to put me on edge.
Over. And over. And over.
I shook my head, eradicating the stray thought.
“It’s nice to meet you, Aiden.” His voice was low and raspy, deep in a way that turned my insides to jello. “What do you say we live a little and get out of here?”
My breathing hitched. There had been no way I’d heard right, that this gorgeous, put-together man wantedme. Despite the way we had flirted when he first sat down, I never thought I’d actually stood a chance. Pushing my reservations aside, I knew the last thing I planned to do was let a man like him slip through my fingertips, even if it was only going to be for one night.
“Your room or mine?” I asked, barely able to recognize the sound of my own voice.
3
NATHAN
Afine tremor buzzed just below the surface that took all my strength to squash. Of all the hotels and all the bars.
I couldn’t believe I ran intohim. I never thought I was going to see him again, but there he was right in front of me.
Living. Breathing.
Wanting me.
Every instinct in me was screaming to take him and make him mine. To claim him and never let him go.
To keep him or kill him, that was the question.
I wasn’t used to wrestling my instincts when I found someone and I had to squash the urge to fidget in my seat. He shouldn’t have been different than any of the others, but all my wires were getting crossed when it came to him. This boy was unraveling me and I reveled in it while it also made me want to tear him apart for making me feel.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Duncan, who was barely a blimp on my radar, though my senses and instincts wouldn’t let me forget him for long. The part of my brain that took one look at a person and categorized them as prey, athreat, a fuck, or nothing had claimed Duncan as prey. It wouldn’t be happy until his blood was on my hands, so I needed to make it happen. And soon.
Especially since he was also pinging as a threat—a threat to my beautiful boy who sat in front of me with wide, blue eyes that stared up at me like he couldn’t believe I was real.
Join the club, baby.
My focus zeroed in on Aiden, as I could sense his hesitation when I asked him if he wanted to leave. Maybe I had pushed too hard, too fast. The way he looked at me made me think otherwise. But if I had to, I’d stay and chat with him for a bit first. Something told me he was looking for a good fuck just as much as I was, though.
Still, the wariness rolled off him in waves. His eyes darted back to the mirror and my gut twisted, knowing he was looking at the woman on the dance floor. Despite his rushed admission that he was gay, I knew I’d have to look into her, and him, and find out just what their connection was and make sure she wasn’t a threat to my boy.
Nothing was going to get in between us. He wasmineand he would be until his body was food for the worms deep in the earth. Even then, he would still belong to me.
With a smile tugging on the corner of my lips, I stood and reached my hand out to him, giving him the illusion of having a choice. When he placed his smaller hand in mine, my heart felt like it had started to beat for the first time in my life.
My eyes never left his as I raised our joined hands to my lips and left a soft kiss across his knuckles. The way he blushed and nibbled on his bottom lip left me desperately wishing I were the one who had that lip between my teeth.
I reached up with my free hand and cupped his cheek before I slowly leaned in and claimed his lips in a kiss, ignoring the crowd of the party—and Duncan—around us. No one else existed with him in my arms as the feel of his lips against mineseared itself into my soul. My heart kicked in my chest, almost causing me to stumble back, it was so unexpected.
Then again, everything about Aiden Cooper was unexpected.
“Come on, baby,” I urged as my hand caressed his side. He shuddered and when he looked back up at me, his eyes dark with lust, I knew I had him. With a smile, I tugged Aiden’s hand and led him out of the ballroom. When we got to the door, he hesitated and glanced behind him. My hand clenched and I needed to glance away from him so he wouldn’t see the jealous monster that lurked beneath the surface.
When he took another step, tugging my hand this time, I let out a silent sigh of relief. The soft chuckle coming from Aiden let me know I wasn’t as put together as I thought I was and he had seen through a crack in my armor.
It should have scared me, but it oddly eased something within me.
