His dick was hard, but his focus was on kissing her.He slid his lips to the side, trailing damp kisses down her neck and back up, nuzzling his nose into her neck.
“You smell so good,” he said in a gruff voice.“I dreamed of that scent.”
Without warning, she pulled her head back, breaking their connection.“Aiden.No.We shouldn’t.”She released her arms, then her legs, and slid down his body.
Respecting her boundaries wasn’t easy, but he stepped back and waited for her to explain what was going on in her head.
When she remained silent, he met her gaze, turned on by her kiss-swollen lips and flushed cheeks.“Is it your date?It went well?”He hated the possibility yet asked in a calm, reasonable voice.
“Actually, it went very well,” she said.
He stiffened and forced himself not to react or give her a reason to shut him out.
“But I’m not going to see him again.”
Yes!He curled his hands into fists but kept his elated emotions in check.
She sighed.“Look, you and I have unfinished history.And it’s obvious we’re still… attracted to each other.But we need to work on our friendship, that’s all.Me ignoring you, and you trying to sabotage my date, won’t work.”
An inappropriate smirk lifted his lips.“Is that what I did?”
She rolled her eyes.“Yes, you tried to mess up my night.What else would you call it?”
He really shouldn’t say what he was thinking.“Staking my claim.And that kiss just proved it.”
She raised her hands and lowered them fast in frustration.“Argh!You can’t stake a claim on what you willingly gave away.”
He folded his arms across his chest, determined to get his point across.“We are long overdue for a conversation.”
She placed her hands on her hips and raised her brows.“You mean acting like an asshole about my date doesn’t count as a proper conversation?”Despite being serious, her lips lifted in an amused grin.
“I get it.Now, why aren’t you going to see him again?”If the date went as well as she’d said, he wanted to know the reason.
She shook her head, and let out groan, her exasperation evident.“Because he isn’t you, okay?I’m still angry, I’m hurt, I need to get over you, but dammit, Aiden, it isn’t easy.And then you go and kiss me—”
“Umm… I hate to point it out, but you kissed me first.”
“Aiden!”Her hands flew up in more frustration.
He held in a laugh, surprised by his good mood, but no matter what she said now, she couldn’t erase that kiss from his mind.
“I need to go inside,” she muttered.
He knew when to call it a night.“Okay, sleep well.”
“Thank you.”She turned and walked back toward the house, delicately due to her heels.
He had no doubt she’d feel better if she could stomp back and slam the door in his face.Again.She wasn’t upset with him, she was angry with herself for letting down her inhibitions and walls, if just for a short time.
As she topped the few steps of the front porch, he called her name.“Brooke.”
She looked over her shoulder.
“I missed you, too.”She hadn’t said those words, but he could read between the lines—or should he say, between her lips with that kiss.“And I want more from you than friendship.”
Ignoring him, she let herself into the house and shut the door behind her.
He stood there for a moment longer, unreasonably pleased with how things between them had gone.First, she wouldn’t be seeing her date again because of him.She hadn’t pushed him away and she’d been all in on that kiss.And despite her frustration with the past, and the present, he’d made headway.
