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CHAPTER 12
Aiden
I spend the entire night thinking about her.
Sleep has been impossible, and I’m left staring at the flat white ceiling of the Airbnb with a snoring Sophie sprawled out next to me, wishing I’d booked us a place with a double bed room, or maybe even another bedroom for her altogether. I go over all the reasons why it would be a bad idea to sneak off to see Cassie again. Every time I close my eyes, I’m met with the memory of her soft sounds and softer body—the sensation of how it felt to be inside her practically overriding every corner of my brain and making a home there.
I eventually give up on sleep altogether sometime in the early morning, leaving my room while Sophie is still sleeping and closing the door quietly behind me with the intent of making coffee. I lose my train of thought when I spot Cassie in the kitchen, who apparently had the same idea. I haven’t actually considered themorning after yet, how we might act together after last night; maybe I thought it would be awkward with the things we said and the things we did, but seeing her now—wide-eyed with her auburn hair slightly mussed and her lips still red and a bit swollen from my kisses—all I can think about is how much I want to touch her again.
She’s no longer wearing that fucking shirt that drives me crazy, but even in her cotton T-shirt and jean shorts, it’s hard not to think about what her skin feels like against my hands underneath her clothes.
“Good morning,” she says shyly, hiding her smile behind a mug. “I made coffee.”
I return her grin, trying not to think about how I know what her nipples feel like against my tongue or how much I regret the fact that she’s wearing a bra this morning. “Morning.”
“Do you want me to make you a cup?”
“After.”
“After?”
I cross the space between us quickly, taking her by surprise when my hands rest at her jaw, tipping up her face to press my mouth to hers. She sighs softly into it, parting her lips to chase after my tongue, and I can taste the sweetness of the sugar and cream from her coffee there. Before I pull away, I take just enough to get me through the day, unsure of when I will be able to properly touch her again.
“After,” I clarify.
“Well, I’d say this is a better wake-up call than coffee,” she teases.
“Did you sleep last night?”
“Not really.”
“Neither did I.”
I reach to tuck one stray tendril of hair behind her ear, lettingmy thumb linger at her cheek to swipe back and forth. It might be the first time I’ve allowed myself to really drink her in, too afraid before this to let my gaze linger for too long. Everything about her—from the delicate shape of her nose to the fullness of her mouth and the brightness of her eyes—seems meant to draw me in. It’s making me want to kiss her again very badly.
I shake my head. “How am I going to keep from touching you all the time?”
“You’re just going to have to learn some self-control, Mr.Reid.”
My cock doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo that we have to keep things discreet. “I probably shouldn’t like that.”
“I thought it made you feel old?”
“Not when you say it like that, it doesn’t.”
“Hmm.” She transfers her mug to one hand, reaching out with the other to tease her finger back and forth against the bit of skin just under the hem of my T-shirt. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She pushes up on her toes to press another quick kiss to my mouth before giving my stomach a gentle push to put distance between us. “Now go sit down so I can make you a cup.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I murmur.
I settle on a barstool at the counter, letting my chin rest against my fist. It’s easy to watch her work; all I’ve wanted to do for weeks is watch her more openly, and now that I’m allowed to, I think I’ll have a hard time doing anything else. She sets my coffee in front of me from the other side of the counter, leaning over it to take a slow sip from her own mug as she holds my gaze. There’s a tension there that speaks of everything we’ve done and everything I still hope to do—already calculating how I might get her into my bed or insert myself into hers.
She cocks her head at me. “So how does this work?”
“How do you want it to work? You hold all the power here, Cassie.”
Her mouth quirks. “Oh, do I?”
“Absolutely.”
