I opened my mouth, but closed it again seconds later. Purse my lips. Licked my lips. “Well, I don’t not like it.”Chloe’s eyes flicked from the cheesecake to me several times, her lips twitching. “So like it some more. And, Elena? You’ve been a lot happier the last few days. Like . . . you’ve come out of that tight little shell you had yourself wrapped in. You’re givin’ the guys as good as you get, and from what Conor said, you gave Charlotte a real ass-kickin’ earlier. You wouldna done that when you got here. Just . . . I dunno, doll. Let whatever happen. It won’t kill either of you, and you sure as hell deserve some fun.”I guess she was right. I was just not sure Aiden James was the right kind of fun. In fact, I was positively sure he was the worst kind of fun. Not least because we essentially lived together for the next few weeks. What if . . . what if I like the man behind the mask and, as soon as his bad behavior quarantine is over, he grabs some random chick?“Fucking shit.” Ai
AIDENI caught her keys in the palm of my hand and my grin widened. Damn—she didn’t look like she was pinned against a wall less than five minutes ago. Clearly I was not kissin’ her fuckin’ hard enough.I meant every damn word I said to her, though. Tracy who? Who the fuck was that chick I just wasted forty-five minutes with? She was never getting into my hotel room anyway, and that was before Elena sat across the restaurant with Chloe and consumed my every thought.Because—fuck. This girl was killing me. And not in a good way. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d be inside her by the time we leave Atlanta. I would fuck her within days. I couldn’t not. I already broke all the working-for-me rules a million times by being incapable of not kissing her.So, yeah, I was gonna fuck her. I was gonna kiss her and worship her body, and I was gonna fuck her until she succumbed to overwhelming pressure.I slid onto the chair next to Elena, grabbed her fork, and put some of her cake in my mouth. She g
ELENA“Are you insane? I can’t go for dinner with Aiden!”Chloe ran her teeth over her bottom lip. “You kind of have to. The table is booked. I just kinda . . . beat him to this information.”“What!” I stared at her. What? “No. I’m not doing it. I’m not going out with him.”I walked into the small kitchen area and turned on the coffee machine. I didn’t even want coffee. I just wanted something to distract me.Dinner with Aiden James? Like a date dinner? Or even just dinner dinner?No. No. No. No.“Okay, in my defense, I spoke to him two hours ago and I thought he’d already asked you,” she sighed. “But, Elena, it’s just dinner. Maybe he wants to talk . . . business.”“Oh, you know that is not true!” I raised my eyebrows and pointed at her. “He cannot be alone with me without invading my personal space and his tongue getting all up and personal with mine!”Chloe paused, then hid a giggle behind her hand. “In private. In public he might be a little more . . . reserved.”“Really?” I gripp
“Charlotte, Milka is nappin’. Go upstairs and watch her while Chloe comes down,” Ajay ordered.“I’m not a babysitter, Ajay. I’m here to supervise.”“And this is a family matter,” he said firmly. “And when it comes down to anythin’ safety, I don’t give a shit if you’re the queen of the North fuckin’ Pole, I’m in charge. Chloe needs to be here. All the Brothers need to be here. My whole damn team needs to be here. You don’t. You can be briefed. Now get upstairs.”The room filled with large, burly men all dressed in black, with wires running from their ears to their belts. Charlotte opened her mouth to argue, but inevitably turned and walked upstairs.Not a good week for her.Or me, mind you.I closed my eyes briefly, and Aiden pressed his mouth to the top of my head. He was shaking, too. His arms, so tight around me, were trembling against me in a feeling that was both surreal and confusing. His lips puckered and he dropped a silent kiss to my hair. My fingers winded tightly into his sh
AIDENShe took a deep breath and fisted my shirt tighter. “Then don’t be gentle,” she breathed. “Gentle won’t wash him away.”My fingers curled around the back of her neck. “Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?”Her lips parted, but she nodded her head. “Replace him with you. Right now.”She had no fucking idea—I’ll replace him, all right. I’ll replace every damn inch of him in her head, and I’ll get so under her skin she’ll forget he ever put bruises there.I brought her face close to mine, my cock already throbbing, and hovered my mouth above hers. “Darlin’, by the time I’m done with you, I swear to fuckin’ God there’ll be no other guy under your skin but me.”“I’m counting on it.”I crushed my lips to hers. She responded in kind, letting go of my shirt to circle her hands around the back of my neck. She was so fucking soft beneath me. Every touch of hers was like the kiss of a feather, and every single one was more fucking addictive than the last.She leaned towards the sofa,
“Els.”“Fuck!” she snapped. “There! Fuck. Fucky fuckity fuckadoodle fuck.”“That’s a whole lotta fucks for such a little girl.” I grinned.“Yeah, well now I have none left to give until I get my nachos.”“You know,” I backed up, laughing, “we could meet everyone for dinner downstairs. The reservation is in five minutes.”Elena glanced towards the door, then backed at me. “I don’t. I mean.”“You say you’re afraid and I’m going to have to fuck you again.” I grabbed her hands and pulled her up. “Remind me who’s under your skin?”“You,” she murmured. “But he . . . nags at me.”“Then I’ll nag him right the fuck out.” I kissed her forehead. “Fear nothing. Isn’t that what I’ve heard you whispering to yourself a thousand times?”“You heard that?” She looked up at me, eyes wide.“I heard everything you never thought you said,” I replied, brushing her hair from her face. “And I listened to every word. So, dinner downstairs?”She studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing with confusion. She sc
ELENAHe was . . . warm. He was warm and soft and solid all at the same time.His chiseled stomach was against my back, his pecs teasing my shoulder blades, and my back was fully curled into him. Or against him, whatever it was. One of his arms was resting beneath my neck and bent so his hand was shaped around my waist. His other arm was draped over me and reaching up to where our fingers were linked.Holy crap, this was how those cheesy-ass couples wake up in romance novels.Wait—why am I awake?Beep. Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeepbeep.“Holy fucking shit,” Aiden groaned sleepily. Huskily. Sexily.“Concert-day alarm,” I muttered, untangling my fingers from his and reaching for my phone on the nightstand. I swiped the screen and the beeping stopped, then I froze. “Oh my God! Concert-day alarm!” I squealed, rolling over to face him.“Whaaat?”“Concert day!” I shook his shoulders until his startling bright eyes opened and looked up at me. “I love concert day!”Aiden’s lips curled up slowly. “
“Always a pleasure, Aiden,” Tits crooned, sitting a couple seats up from Chloe and crossing her legs. She ran her hand through her hair, and when he looked at her, my eyes narrowed.Chloe reacheed over, grasped my chin, and forced me to look forward. “You hurt him. He’s tryin’ to do it back because he’s a moron. Act like you don’t care and he’ll give it up.”I swallowed hard. “I don’t care.”“Then tell that to my daughter. She might believe you, doll.”Electric. Crazy. Insane.Three words to describe the pandemonium in the arena right now. Screaming girls, laughing, singing Dirty J., amazed backstage people.Chloe and I were standing in the wings, feet away from the guys, and I was almost certain my ears were ringing from the screams echoing from the seats. Because, holy hell, Aiden was right when he said I’d only seen one show. These girls screamed crazy loud.But I still got it. The excitement of the last concert. The craziness. The goddamn deafening shrieks. The everlasting adrenal