~Joan~
We arrived at Aaron’s house eventually, and he pulled into the driveway. After my outburst in the car, I’d kept silent, and Aaron hadn’t tried starting a conversation either, though I could feel him glancing at me every few seconds.
I’d been to Aaron’s house once before and had sworn I’d never step foot in it again. Rhoda and I had crashed his birthday party, and it hadn’t exactly gone well. Yet here I was, eating my own words and stepping out of his car.
The weather wasn’t exactly welcoming, and I rubbed my arms as I got out. My phone rang, the sound cutting through the silence.
Digging through my bag, I pulled it out. It was Rhoda.
I hesitated, my gaze flicking to Aaron, who was only a few steps away with his intense eyes locked on me. His stare was unnerving.
I swiped the call just before it disconnected. “Hey, peach,” I said, turning my back on Aaron.
“Jo? I’m about to head to your apartment. Are you home yet?” Rhoda asked. I swallowed hard, glancing over my shoulder at Aaron. He arched his brow.
“Uh, I’m not home,” I lied. “Still at work. I’ll probably be closing late.” Guilt immediately bubbled up inside me. Now I was lying to Rhoda. Great.
“Oh,” she said, her voice light. “I was thinking of staying at your place for the next few days. There’s news of a brewing storm.”
A storm? That explained the chilly weather. My brows furrowed. “I hadn’t heard anything about that,” I muttered. “I’ll call you when I get home.”
“Sure, but the storm might’ve kicked in by then. Anyway, I’ll see you soon.”
I knew she probably wouldn’t see me tonight, but she hung up before I could say anything else.
“You know there’s a storm coming?” I asked, shoving my phone back into my bag and turning to Aaron.
“No,” he said, his tone even. “That was Rhoda?” I nodded, and for a second, I thought he looked… guilty.
“When exactly did she say it’s hitting?” he asked, pressing the elevator button.
“She wasn’t specific,” I replied, stepping into the elevator before him. I left out the part where Rhoda said she’d planned to stay at my apartment.
No way was I staying here for the night; Aaron and I had a clear agreement about sleepovers.
Aaron followed me in, the elevator doors sliding shut, enclosing us in silence. My stomach twisted, and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet.
This was going to be the first time I was alone with him in his penthouse. Sure, we’d been alone in my apartment doing… things, but I’d been in my comfort zone then.
“About that guy at your workplace…” Aaron started, and I rolled my eyes.
“Drop it, Thompson. You don’t know anything about Matthew,” I snapped, glancing at him.
“I could know everything about him in a minute, kitten, so don’t test me,” he said, his voice hardening.
I stared at him, disbelief written all over my face. “What? You’re going to dig into his private life just because you know your way around tech?”
He gritted his teeth, his gaze drilling into mine. I crossed my arms.
“Who knows what else you’ve dug into? My life, my phone, my parents?” I pressed, tipping my chin up, despite the lump forming in my throat.
Aaron reared back slightly, like I’d caught him off guard. His nose flared, and the muscle in his jaw ticked. His dark eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made me want to shrink back-but I didn’t.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Joan? I’d never do that to you,” he said, his voice low and sharp.
“Oh, but you’d do it to Matthew?” I shot back, and his eyes blazed with that golden flicker I’d come to recognize.
The elevator dinged open, but neither of us moved.
“Why are you so defensive about him? Is he your boyfriend?” Aaron asked, his voice laced with annoyance.
“Hell no, he isn’t,” I said, scoffing. “But I could get a boyfriend if I wanted, and you wouldn’t have the right to dig into his life.”
His eyes darkened into black holes. “We’re exclusive, kitten. I don’t get to fuck you while you go off and get yourself a boyfriend.”
I raised a brow, my heart pounding. “Oh, I didn’t know we were exclusive. Funny how you bring that up after screwing your ex in Spain.” I didn’t let him respond, storming out of the elevator into his spacious living room.
I tossed my bag onto the couch, pulling my hair into a ponytail as anger simmered inside me.
“Who told you that?” His voice came from behind me, cold and detached.
“I know, Thompson. But I stayed quiet because this thing between us,” I gestured between us with my fingers, “is temporary. We’ll both move on. I’ll find myself a real man, and you can do whatever it is you do.”
Aaron closed the distance between us, his presence heavy and suffocating. I had to tilt my head to look up at him.
“This isn’t temporary,” he said, his voice low and steady, like he was delivering a fact I should already know. He leaned closer, leaving no space between us. “You might not see it now, kitten, but you’re mine. And if you think I’m letting you go for some loser, you haven’t figured me out.”
My chest tightened, and I licked my lips, trying to ignore the way his words set my nerves on fire. “I don’t belong to you, Thompson, and I never will,” I whispered.
A low growl rumbled in his chest. Before I could react, he scooped me into his arms and strode down the hall, kicking open a door. His bedroom.
The bed dipped as he tossed me onto it, his determined gaze pinning me in place.
The storm raged outside, the thunder rolling through the sky, but all I could feel was the heat building between us.
It was always like this with Aaron: arguments that ignited something primal inside us both. It was exhausting but worth it.
“You forgot who you belong to,” he said, his voice rough, the flicker of gold in his eyes catching the dim light.
Goosebumps rose along my skin as his hands grabbed my legs, pulling me closer to him. I wanted to deny it, to push him away, but my body betrayed me, aching for him in ways that I hated to admit.
Parting my legs, he made himself comfortable between them before he fisted my shirt snapping it open.
I whimpered as buttons flew everywhere. He pushed the shirt down my shoulders and I let him. I would have been embarrassed about the plain bra I wore if the lights were to be on, but they weren’t and I knew he couldn’t see it.
Aaron leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. “Tell me this body didn’t miss me.”
I bit my lip, trying to hold back a response, trying to hold onto whatever pride I had left. “I could’ve fucked anyone I wanted,” I said, but my voice wavered slightly.
He smirked, his confidence was undeniably sexy. “But did you?”
I glared at him, wanting to keep the upper hand, even for a moment. “Yes.”
He pinched my nipples and I whimpered as his lips curled into a wicked grin.
“Keep lying to me, kitten, and you won’t like the consequences, because I’d fuck you so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk or see straight and the only thing left imprinted in your mind would be my name. So let’s try again,” he rubbed my nipples like he was trying to ease the pain he caused.
“Did you fuck anyone else?” he asked.
I shivered as his hands trailed up my thighs, and I muttered, “No.”
Aaron’s smirk softened into something more possessive as he kissed my neck, and I braced myself for the storm inside to rival the one raging outside.
“Good,” He pulled away and I stared up at him.
As soon as his warmth dissipated, cold stepped in as goosebumps broke out on my skin.
I could feel Aaron around, but just couldn’t make out where exactly he was. There was a flicker and then lights flooded the room, illuminating the grey decor that matched his eyes.
He unbuttoned his blazers as he walked towards his windows, drawing the curtains shut. It took me a second to discover it was raining, heavily followed by wind and lightning. The storm was here already.
He turned towards me and I realized I was in my bra and pants. So much for thinking he wouldn’t see it.
“Take off your pants and leave your heels on,” he ordered as he leaned against the wall, shrugging out of his blazers exposing his bare torso to my hungry eyes. Tanned skin and ripped muscles, my mouth watered.
I dragged my pants off my hips, tossing it on the floor leaving me in just my bra, panties and heels.
Aaron raised his finger to his chin, his eyes glazing over.
“Hot,” he mumbled before walking towards me. I fell back on the bed and he dragged me to the edge, placing both my legs on his shoulders before pressing a kiss to my clit through my panties.
“I need your permission to wreck this pussy, kitten,” he looked up at me, the sight of him on his knees, with hunger in his eyes, made my stomach clench.
“What’s your say, Jo?” he asked and I rocked my hips against his face.
“Wreck me,” I whispered and he gave a smile that tilted my world. And I knew from that smile, Aaron Thompson was surely going to wreck me.