Untouched (23 page)

He reached out to grab my hand as we reached the sidewalk. I loved the feel of my hand in his. I was content and happier than I thought possible given my revelation a mere ten minutes ago. Aiden somehow had a way of making me feel like everything would be okay. And amazingly enough, at this moment, it did feel as though everything was okay. Maybe it was the night’s tranquility- the sound of the water nearby or the perfect night sky. It all aided my placid state of mind; which I welcomed.

I sighed as I looked up at the dark sky. It was a black piece of velvet sprinkled with shimmering gems. The moon hung majestically overseeing the smaller facets of twinkling jewels. The night was perfect.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just enjoying the serenity of the night.” I didn't want to think about anything. I only wanted to relish the feeling of closeness with Aiden.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked.

“Fucking you.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Aiden’s phone rang repeatedly, eventually awaking us from a well-earned rest. We had fucked until the wee hours and I wasn’t prepared to wake up so soon. He reached for his phone, frowned upon seeing the name of the caller and switched it off.

“Who was that?”

“Someone who shouldn’t be calling so early. Good morning Princess.”

“Good morning my king.”

“Finally the acknowledgment I so richly deserve,” he replied, as he pulled me on top of him laughing, the rich, guttural sound penetrating me. I laughed as I looked down at him, appreciating the beauty of his eyes sparkling with the light of the morning sun. He was so fucking sexy.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I replied.

“One day when I ask you why you stare at me like that, you will tell me. Understand?”

“Yes, my king,” I replied jokingly.

My phone rang and I leaned toward the bedside table to answer it. It was a number I didn’t recognize.

“Hello.”

“Good morning,” came the voice from the other end of the phone. I recognized her voice immediately.

“May I please speak with Aiden?”

I passed the phone to him. He looked at me strangely as he took the phone from my hand.

“Hello.” A scowl clouded his handsome face upon recognizing the voice. “Why did you call her phone?”

“That’s no excuse and very inappropriate Mother.”

“You should tell her not me,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ll make it, I have plans with Aria.”

“Fine, you would have to ask her.”

He mouthed I’m sorry as he passed the phone back to me.

“Hello,” I said, hoping I sounded cheery because I was anything but.

“Aria, I apologize for my call but I was really hoping to spend some time with Aiden before we left this afternoon. I so seldom see him,” she said, wistfully.

“I understand; it’s okay,” I lied.

“We would love it if the two of you would join us for breakfast this morning. I have a sense that he’ll not come without you. Could you persuade him to come, I would be so grateful?” I looked at Aiden. He was staring, worried.

“I’ll try but he can be pretty stubborn as I’m sure you know but I’m sure he’s just as anxious to spend time with all of you.”

“Thank you dear,” she replied. Ugh! I hated when I was referred to as
dear
.

“You’re welcome. Goodbye.” I pressed the end button on the phone and looked up at Aiden.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said.

“It’s not your fault. You should go spend time with your family,” I said.

“Only if you will come with,” he replied.

“I don’t think so Aiden.”

“I’m not going if you aren’t.”

“That’s just great. Give your family yet another reason to dislike me, why don’t you?”

“What do you meant by that?”

“Aiden don’t insult my intelligence. We both know that your parents aren’t particularly pleased with your choice of female companions.”

“Female companion? Is that what you think you are to me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Aria, I’m crazy about you. I thought that last night made my feelings pretty clear.”

I thought back to his song under the stars, it was like a scene from a movie. “I adored last night,” I said.

“I adore you,” he said.

“Well if you keep doing things like serenading me in public, I may just start to believe you.

“You’d better believe me regardless,” he said, vehemently.

I actually did believe him. I could see it when he looked at me, when he touched me.

“So breakfast with my folks?” he asked.

I sighed. “Fine, but you’ll owe me one.”

“For something of this magnitude, I will actually owe you more than one and I can’t wait to repay you,” he said, smacking me on the ass as I walked toward the bathroom. I was falling deeper and deeper with this man. I knew it was dangerous but I couldn’t help it.

Aiden joined me in the shower, stepping closely and wrapping his arms around me. I leaned back into him relishing the feel of his wet skin against mine. His hands rested on my stomach as he gently kissed my shoulder. He eased his hands upward, his touch as sensuous as his kiss, sending heated bolts of lust throughout my body. He captured my breasts, groping and tugging as he planted soft, wet kisses along my neck. I moaned as the clenching of my sex stirred me. Releasing my breasts, he turned me to face him. I looked up, staring into two forest pools of lustrous green that held and enchanted me. His gaze lowered as he seductively stroked his finger across my bottom lip. He bowed his head and unhurriedly placed his lips onto mine, kissing my bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth, slowly sucking. I reached up placing my hands on his shoulders pulling him to me, sliding my hands down his back, seduced by the feel of the hard muscles flexing as he hungrily caressed my body. I felt his manhood growing, poking me, as he slid his tongue into my mouth. I reached down to touch him. He moaned, sliding his hands down my back to cup my ass, his kiss transitioning into an orgasm-induced assault on my mind and my body. I pulled him closer, hungrily stroking his back; my sex tightening as his intense licks into my mouth melted my core.  Aching with need for him, I raked my nails over his back, digging into his skin… shuddering as the ecstasy of his touch flowed through me. 

He backed away slightly looking down at me, his eyes glinted with a hint of mischievousness. I looked at him nearly embarrassed by my unexpected climax.

“What are you doing to me?” I asked.

“What have you done to me?”

He didn’t reply. Neither did I.

*****

We finished showering. I blow-dried my hair as Aiden went to grab his bag from the foyer. My hair wasn’t cooperating; I gave up and decided on a loose French braid on one side that I pulled into a low ponytail.

I walked out of the bedroom to find Aiden dressed in jeans and a black shirt that accentuated his toned physique. He looked at me but said nothing, not even a smile playing about his lips. I had been pondering the question I’d asked him before our shower, I was sure he was thinking along the same lines. I walked past him to the closet.

I didn’t know what to wear. I usually dressed however I wanted so why not today? I stood looking at one piece of clothing after another trying to decide on something of which Aiden’s parents would approve. Ugh! This was definitely another first and one that I didn’t particularly care for. I ultimately decided on a beige crotchet sun dress with a halter neckline. It had a scalloped hem that fell three inches above knees. It did accentuate my curves but then again most of my clothes did, so Mrs. Prude would just have to deal with it. A pair of beige crotchet linen sandals completed the look. I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the closet.

Aiden was sitting on the couch in the living room. He looked up as I entered. I watched him as his gaze traveled my body. He was pleased. That was all that mattered.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be.”

He stood as I walked past him to the door.

“Everything okay?” he asked as we closed the door.

“Yes, fine,” I replied, digging into my purse for my phone. It had pinged earlier but I had forgotten to check it. It was a text from April.

*Have you fallen off the face of the earth?*

I felt guilty. I had been so caught up in whatever this was with Aiden that I hadn’t been in touch after having received her voicemail a few days ago. I quickly replied.

*Lol. No silly. I’ve just been really busy. I’m sorry.*

*We need to talk. I’ve so much to tell you. Can I call?*

*I’ll call you this afternoon. I’m about to have breakfast with Aiden and his parents.*

*WTF??!!!!*

*IKR!!*

*Call me as soon as you can!*

*I will. I love you.*

*I love you too.*

Breakfast with the family wasn’t as uncomfortable as I’d expected. Aiden’s parents extended a very warm greeting. Allison was a joy as always. The conversation primarily consisted of Sienna’s discussion of her latest charity commitments and her attempts to rein Aiden in as a guest speaker for a new medical facility. They discussed Allison’s upcoming performance in New York and surprised her with the news that Sloan and Nicholas had plans to attend. Connor asked about my family. I didn’t reveal much, only that I had a mother and twin sisters in Ohio. He asked about my father, which was a very uncomfortable topic and thankfully Aiden interjected and redirected the conversation.

He placed his hand over mine, tracing his thumb back and forth, comforting me, a gesture that his mother didn’t miss. I could see that she was making an effort and I appreciated that so I did the same, asking her about her favorite charities and pastimes. She loved to garden if time allowed but her charity work kept her pretty busy. After breakfast on the terrace, we moved to the conversation area.

Sienna left the room and returned with a thin wrapped box to which she presented to Aiden.

“I have something for you,” she said passing it to him.

He looked at her and then at me. I don’t know why he looked at me. He took the box and slowly unwrapped it. He removed the lid and smiled.

He looked up at Sienna. “Thank you Mother.” 

He lifted it from the box. It was sheet music.

“You‘re welcome, I know how much you love to play.”

He turned to me. “When I was younger, my mother would gift me with original sheet music on my birthday or Christmas and I would play for the family.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve done that,” Allison said, nostalgia lacing her tone.

“That sounds like a wonderful way to spend Christmas morning; I wish I could play,” I said.

“You agreed to let me teach you,” Aiden said, looking at me for confirmation.

“Careful Aria, he taught me to play and he was a great teacher but really mean.”

“Allison, you were such a slacker I had to be mean in order for you to commit.”

“Why don’t you play for us Aiden?” Sienna asked.

Connor cleared his throat and looked at Sienna disapprovingly. Aiden noticed their exchange and sighed. Aiden stood and walked across the room towards the piano. We all followed gathering around as he sat on the bench. Within moments of placing his long slender fingers on the ivory keys, the room filled with the sounds of Chopin’s
Ballade No. 1 in G minor
. I remembered this piece from a college course; it was one of my favorites. I watched in awe as his fingers skillfully danced over the keys. As the melody encompassed us, Aiden transformed -he was no longer the Aiden who tolerated his family, nor was he the astute business man who commanded attention with his legal speak. He wasn’t the Aiden that unintentionally affected me, just by being. He was in his own little world, with his own little song. 

The song, while beautiful, became discordant as it transcended to a loud fierce conversation as Aiden’s hands moved effortlessly pressing the keys with precision and purpose. The intricate moves were as graceful and as natural as breathing for him. The sounds moving from powerful and bold to gentle and light; sounding sweet like a twinkle. In the final seconds of the song, he came back to reality. I was speechless.

“Absolutely impeccable Aiden,” Sienna beamed, kissing him on the cheek.

“Thank you Mother,” he replied, glancing toward Connor. “And you Dad, did you enjoy it?”

“I’ve always enjoyed classical music son, you know that,” he said, sternly.

Aiden shook his head in response. “Thank you for the music Mother, I haven’t played like that in quite a while.”

“You never taught me to play like that brother,” Allison accused.

He laughed. “I was barely able to teach you to play
Twinkle, Twinkle. Little Star
.”

“I know… it was torture,” she replied laughing.

“What did you think Aria?”

“I agree with your mother. It was perfect! I had no idea how talented you were.”

“Thank you. Now are you going to let me teach you?” he asked.

I smiled, eager to learn something I’ve so long wanted. “Absolutely. When can we start?” I asked.

“How about now? Come.”

I never pursued music lessons as an adult but my passion for music remained immense. April, on the other hand, was extremely talented, playing several instruments and had offered to teach me but I never took her up on it. I walked around the piano and sat beside him.

“How much do you already know?” he asked.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Place your fingers like this,” he demonstrated, smiling. I did as he instructed and he explained finger placement and the keys. A few moments later, I actually created a simple melody. It was only four keys but I was excited all the same. His father walked over and requested he and Aiden speak privately in the study. Aiden excused himself, leaving me with Allison and Sienna.