Lush & Lovely (Big & Beautiful Book 2) Read online

  “I know,” Aidan murmured, his words laced with enough heat that he drew my eyes. I saw desire and the unasked question in his. A look that said he’d hoped to get together with me as much as I’d hoped to see him.

  I grabbed my stuff and followed the others from the room with Aidan by my side. In the parking lot everyone took off in different directions but Aidan stayed near me. “Do you want me to pick you up?” he asked me when we were alone.

  “Uh, no I can get there.”

  “Are you sure? You’d be on my way, and it’ll give me a chance to kiss you goodnight when I drop you off.”

  My body heated as he leaned into me. His breath tickled my cheek before he kissed me softly. “I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

  I blushed and nodded as I climbed into my car.

  An hour later Aidan pulled away from my apartment and turned toward Malley’s. Winterville, New York, where we lived, was my hometown and I couldn’t help but smile as I looked out the window. Malley’s was in our downtown area, on Winter Way, our version of Main Street. In a small town like Winterville, downtown was pretty small, but it was hopping on a Saturday night.

  Aidan circled the block a few times before he found a parking space on Icy Lane. Don’t get me started on our street names. I loved Winterville, but whoever came up with all the street names was a bit too much for me.

  We walked into the bar with Aidan’s hand resting low on my back. He guided me over to where Nicole, Jenn, and Bob were surrounding a high top table. Two chairs sat vacant and I slid onto one while Aidan went to get us drinks.

  “Did you two come here together?” Jenn asked.

  I nodded and tried to pretend like it wasn’t a big deal, but I saw the look Jenn and Nicole exchanged. Aidan came back with two beers and handed me one before taking the seat next to me. His leg brushed mine as he sat down and I sucked in a breath at the contact.

  Holy crap, I was done. One little touch, not even skin to skin, and I was ready to jump him. I’d never wanted to jump a man in my life. Not once.

  I drained half my beer in a few gulps and slammed it into the table with a rough thud. The alcohol swirled in my brain and I felt a little better. It was my only defense against Aidan and the lust that coursed through me at his touch, a touch that hadn’t stopped since he sat down.

  His thigh was still against my knee. We sat so close together that I could feel when he shifted in his seat and his arm nearly grazed me when he lifted his beer to drink. Nicole glanced at Jenn and said, “Let’s go shoot some pool.”

  Jenn agreed and Bob followed behind them, leaving Aidan and I alone at the table. “Are you okay?” Aidan asked me once they were out of earshot.

  “Yeah, why?”

  He took another pull of his beer and looked me over carefully. “You seem on edge. Do you want to go somewhere else?”

  “No,” I said too quickly. Pain flashed in Aidan’s eyes before he disguised it. “I mean, we just got here. Let’s go play pool with them.”

  Aidan nodded and grabbed his bottle. I sucked down the last of mine and he offered to get me another one. I agreed and he headed to the bar as I turned to join our friends at the pool table.

  “What’s going on with you guys?” Jenn asked as she sidled up to me at the edge of the pool table.

  Jenn had become a friend over the last few years, but not a close one. Still, I knew I could talk to her. “I have no idea. He went out with me and my friends last weekend and he kissed me, but we haven’t seen each other since then. Except at work, I mean.”

  Jenn’s smile let me know she had a secret, one I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. “You finally said yes. Good. He’s been going crazy trying to figure out how to get you to go out with him.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Aidan wasn’t hurting for female attention. He’s way too good looking to be sitting around waiting for me.”

  She shrugged and said, “Maybe. But he was waiting for you. He’d ask me every week if I could think of something he could say or do that would make you go out with him. I’m glad he finally figured something out. Now if only I could get Nicole to give Bob the time of day everyone would be happy.”

  “What about you, Jenn?” I asked, realizing I knew very little about her.

  “Me? Oh, I’m happy. I’ve been living with my boyfriend for almost a year and we’re starting to talk about marriage. He’s definitely the one for me. I love him so much and strangely he feels the same.”

  “How did I not know this? And where is he tonight?”

  “Where’s who?” Aidan asked with an edge to his voice as he handed me my beer.

  “Jenn was just telling me about her boyfriend. I asked her where he is.”

  The relief in Aidan’s eyes was almost comical, as though he thought I was trying to get Jenn to set me up with someone else. He leaned against the pool table with us, joining in our conversation as Jenn told us about Devon, her boyfriend, and his crazy hours on the police force.

  “Are you guys going to play or just stand there,” Nicole said from behind us. I turned and saw her leaning against a cue stick, the balls stacked up and ready to play.

  “I’m not up for it, but I’ll watch,” Jenn said as she nursed her drink. “You guys should play teams though.”

  “Claire’s on my team,” Aidan said before anyone else could speak. He tugged me against him and draped his arm around my shoulders.

  “You should know I’m not any good at pool,” I told him with a laugh, wondering if he was going to change his mind about being on a team with me.

  He nuzzled against my neck and whispered in my ear, “Then I’ll have a really good time teaching you.” He dipped his tongue into the hollow spot behind my ear and my whole body trembled at the sensual touch.

  “Do you two need a room or are we going to play?” Bob asked with annoyance. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was pissed because things didn’t seem to be going so well with him and Nicole.

  “We’re definitely playing,” Aidan said, holding my gaze. His words and the deep rumble of his voice sent more shivers down my body. Aidan stalked away, choosing a cue stick and stepping up at the head of the table.

  With the cue stick gliding gently between his fingers Aidan sent the cue ball sailing toward the rack of balls at the other end of the table. A satisfying crack sent them all scattering in different directions before the solid blue number two ball dropped into a pocket right in front of me. I raised my eyebrow at him and he grinned back.

  “We’re solids,” he told Bob without looking away from me.

  Aidan lined up for another shot and sunk the seven ball. He missed his next shot, but didn’t leave anything good for Bob to shoot. He tried a bank shot for the thirteen but missed and sent the cue ball into the side pocket.

  Aidan pulled the cue ball out and approached me. “It’s not your turn,” Bob whined.

  “She doesn’t know how to play that well so I’m going to help her. It’s not like this is for money or anything, Bob. We’re just playing for fun,” Aidan told him, chastising him like a child. I smiled to myself that Aidan was remembering to have fun instead of getting wrapped up in the competition.

  “Where do you want to shoot?” he asked me as he handed me the cue ball.

  “Number four looks like I might be able to get it,” I said unsurely.

  Aidan sized up the ball sitting by itself about a foot from the corner pocket. I rested the ball behind the four and took the cue stick from Aidan, then leaned over the table. “Is this right?” I asked him once I was lined up for my shot.

  I felt him before he touched me, before he spoke. Aidan’s hips pressed against me from behind and his body leaned over me, his chest resting on my back. One hand slid down to hold onto my hip and the other hand covered the one I had positioning the cue stick. “Perfect,” he whispered in my ear as I felt his cock stir in his shorts.

  Something possessed me from the inside, like a force I couldn’t explain, almost like a hurricane ripping my hormones to shred. It w
as the only thing I could think of that came over me as I circled my hips back against his shorts, his cock digging in just a bit more into my ass. His fingers bit into my hip and he growled in my ear. “Absolutely fucking perfect,” he hissed out, sounding pained and turned on at the same time. Of course I knew he was from the feel of him against me.

  I slid the cue stick between our fingers and sunk the four into the corner pocket. We walked around the table to look for another shot and I lined up for the seven, Aidan behind me again. Our friends were on the other side of the table, talking and not paying attention to us, and Aidan’s hand drifted over my ass as I leaned over the table, quickly replaced by his body. I rubbed my hips against him again and he nudged back into me, whispering, “Fuck,” in my ear.

  The seven bounced off the edge of the pocket and we gave up my turn to Nicole. Aidan kept me in the darkened corner and held me in front of him, his hands circling my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “You’re dangerous,” he whispered to me while everyone else was playing. “I want you so bad.”

  Tension filled my body quickly, an involuntary reaction that I wondered if I would ever get rid of. I knew it was partly my fault, teasing him the way I did, but for some reason I didn’t expect him to come out with it like that. It’d been a long time since I’d slept with someone and I wasn’t ready for our relationship to go there.

  Suddenly I felt the need to drink. A lot. I pulled free of his arms and headed straight to the bar, ordering a shot of tequila and a long island iced tea. I swallowed the shot quickly, not giving myself a chance to second guess it, then took a good, long sip of the drink. After two beers, the liquor was quickly mixing in my bloodstream and I was feeling a lot lighter.

  “Are you sure you should be drinking that much?” Aidan asked cautiously when I returned.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, stepping back in front of him. I couldn’t deny that I liked teasing him, playing with him. But I wasn’t ready for it to move beyond that. I knew he could dismiss me as a cock tease and get pissed off, and chances were he would, but I couldn’t stop myself. The alcohol gave me courage that I didn’t have sober.

  When my turn to shoot came around again the table was nearly clear. We had the one ball still on the table and Nicole and Bob still needed to sink the fifteen and ten. Then we could go for the eight ball.

  I lined up the shot for the one ball, unsure if I could actually make it. I glanced back over my shoulder at Aidan, standing a bit behind me this time, and asked if he could help me. A smile lit up his face as the tension in his shoulders dropped them. Giving him mixed signals wasn’t my intention, but obviously I had done it.

  He sidled up behind me and leaned over me, careful to avoid resting his hips against mine. His one hand slid down my arm to cover my hand and his other hand sat stoically on my waist. My drinks made me brave and I backed my ass up to his crotch and circled my hips against him. He swore softly in my ear and his hand slid down to my hip, cupping my ass slightly before he nudged his new erection against me.

  “You’re going to make me crazy,” he said in my ear before he nibbled my earlobe. “Take your shot and in a little bit, I’m taking you home before I grope you in the middle of the bar.”

  I turned my face back to look at him and raised my eyebrows in a tease. He growled at me then nudged my ass again.

  My shot went wide right and the cue ball bounced off the side rail then glided to a stop in the middle of the table.

  Nicole stepped up and sunk her two balls before lining up for the eight ball. With the precision of a professional she dropped the last ball into the pocket and cheered at her win. She spun and hugged Bob who closed his eyes as her body pressed against his. I felt a little sorry for him and said a silent prayer that things would work out for them.

  “Are you ready to go?” Aidan asked in my ear, his arms wrapping around my waist from behind and his erection resting low on my back.

  “Let me finish my drink first,” I said.

  Even through my alcohol induced haze I wondered what Aidan wanted, if he was going to try something with me. And if I wanted it to happen.

  Eight

  All too soon we were pulling up in front of my apartment. The alcohol that had given me courage in the bar was now sitting in my empty stomach and churning my gut with regret and fear.

  Maybe not fear. I wasn’t afraid of Aidan, but I still didn’t know what he wanted, what he was after with me. He seemed to like me, he said he wanted me. Could I open myself up to that again? Did he want a relationship or was he just after sex?

  I had a hard time believing he was after me for sex. Aidan could get any woman he wanted and I hadn’t ever given him the impression that I was easy. If he wanted me it had to be for more than just sex.

  And I think that confused me even more than him wanting me for sex.

  I stumbled getting out of the car and tripped going up the stairs, my drinks taking their toll on my balance. Aidan was at my side each time, holding me tightly so I didn’t fall. He took my keys after the third time I dropped them and unlocked my door to find Brownie anxiously waiting for us.

  “I’ll walk him,” Aidan said. “You just rest on the couch. I’m taking your keys. I’ll be back shortly.”

  I waved him off as I dropped to the couch and promptly passed out.

  Something wet touched my face and I tried to wipe it away. It moved to the other side of my face and woke me up, although begrudgingly. I opened my eyes and stared into big brown eyes that melted my heart. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, nuzzling my face into his neck.

  “I’m okay Brownie,” I whispered to my worried dog. I stood up and headed for the bedroom when I realized something wasn’t right. I was missing something, but I didn’t know what it was.

  I stopped, right in the middle of the floor and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Somehow I knew I wasn’t alone. When I concentrated, all traces of alcohol cleared from my formerly foggy brain, I heard soft breathing, as though he was trying to figure out if he should move. My eyes darted around quickly to see if there was anything I could use as a weapon on him, just in case he lunged at me.

  “Are you okay, Claire?” the soft voice drifted over me. The tension in my body melted away in an instant and I nearly wept at the sound of Aidan behind me. It wasn’t BJ, or anyone else there to harm me. It was Aidan.

  Sweet Aidan.

  Sober Aidan.

  I spun around to face him and gave him my sweetest, sexiest look. The fog was drifting back into my brain and I fought to come up with something that would explain what I was doing.

  “I’m so much better with you here,” I purred, hoping it sounded as good to him as it did in my head. A smile quirked the edge of his mouth and I realized he must have liked it. He stepped closer and I grinned at him.

  Aidan stopped in front of me, not touching me, but close enough that I could feel his heat. His scent tickled my nose, not his usual scent, I noticed. He smelled like beer, sweat, fresh air, and him. “Mmmm,” I murmured and he smiled at me. “Oh, thanks for walking Brownie,” I finally remembered.

  “Any time. I think it’s time I get you into bed,” he said, igniting a fire inside me. I leaned toward him ever so slightly and grinned. I’d never been so excited to go to bed with a man. Maybe being a bit drunk was the secret.

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” I cooed before I reached up and wound my hands around his neck. I rubbed my body against his like a dog in heat and leaned toward his mouth with mine leading the charge. I tugged his face toward me and our lips met in the middle.

  Memories of our first kiss drifted away as our second kiss took center stage. Good God the man knew how to kiss. He quickly took control, his hands slipping into my hair and angling my head as his lips teased and tasted mine. He tasted a bit like beer, but I didn’t mind. Our lips danced together, meeting again and again, each time we pulled away making me want him closer all over again.

  When Aidan finally d
ared to dart his tongue between my parted lips, I sighed in approval. One of his hands slid down to my waist and held my hips tight against his. His erection strained against his shorts and I knew it was going to be a good night.

  “Jesus, you kiss like a goddess,” he rasped as he pulled back. His lips went to my ear where his teeth slipped out and bit into the soft skin of my earlobe. I gasped at the sudden sensation and he laved over it with his tongue, turning my gasp into a moan of pleasure.

  Aidan’s teeth trailed over my neck then his tongue dipped between my collarbones before he worked his way up the other side of my neck. His fingers bit into my fleshy hip and I dragged him by the hair back to my mouth for more.

  His tongue thrust quickly into my mouth, not waiting for an invitation. I tried to drag him toward my bedroom, but he held still, his kisses making me forget about anything but the feel of his tongue against mine and his arms surrounding me. His lips were soft against mine, his tongue hard and urgent. I wanted the rest of him hard and urgent.

  “Let’s go to my room,” I purred, knowing he was as ready as I was.

  “I can’t Claire.”

  A bucket of ice water would have been less of a jolt.

  “Excuse me? Why not?” I was hurt, shocked, and confused. What the hell was he doing kissing me if he wasn’t interested in me?

  “Not like this sweetheart,” he said softly, moving toward me again. “God, I want you, but not after you’ve been drinking. And not after we haven’t even been out on a date. You’re not a fling for me, a one night stand. I can’t treat you that way.”

  “If you didn’t want me you shouldn’t have been touching me at Malley’s and you definitely shouldn’t have been kissing me. You’re the one who said it was time to get me to bed.”

  “I meant for you to sleep. I’m going home. I don’t trust myself to be here with you because I won’t be able to stop myself from going to you. You’d regret it in the morning and I’d never forgive myself.”