Hard to Handle

wondered what he’d said to everyone in the room when he left.

She blinked at him, feeling a flash of fear and regret that soon morphed into anger. “You asked, I said no,” she said, her voice shaking.

“Actually, you said you were sorry.”

She sighed. “I am.” Because she couldn’t marry Aiden. She couldn’t marry anyone. She was a hopeless wreck where men were concerned and—

“So my only options are to take you to bed or lose you forever?”

She blinked at him. “Are you quoting Top Gun?”

“Maybe.” The corner of her lip tipped into a cautious smile. “Are those my only options?” he asked, his voice quiet.

“I can’t marry you, Aiden,” she whispered, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at the disappointment swimming in his.

She felt his hand caress her shoulder and a moment later was enveloped in heat as he stepped into her comfort zone. Only, when Aiden was in it, she felt more comfortable, not less.

“Okay,” he said, stroking her face.

She opened her eyes.

“You win.”

His eyes held no clue as to what he meant by that. “What?”

“Did you mean it when you asked me to take you to bed tonight?”

Her heart slammed into third gear. He wasn’t serious…was he? She made the mistake of challenging how serious he was moments ago. She’d been dead wrong. Now he was suggesting…oh. Wow. But that was before… before he’d proposed to her. Before he’d forced her into a tight, dark corner where she couldn’t breathe. “Aiden —”

“I want you to ask me again.” He walked her one step backward. Then two. She allowed him to advance until her butt bumped against the wall.

She shook her head, but there was no conviction in it.

“Ask me again,” he repeated, looking scarily serious. His hands were heating her hips through the material of her dress. He kept his stormy eyes on hers, refusing to allow her to escape. “But only if you still want me.”

Her breaths came in short pants. “I do.”

“Then ask.”

When he was this close, she couldn’t fight. But maybe…maybe she didn’t want to fight. Not about this. She wanted him; she hadn’t lied about that. And he’d be worth it, she knew. Being with Aiden here, or anywhere, would be better than going home alone and reliving the pain of turning him down. But Aiden wasn’t arguing about his proposal. Which made this decision that much easier.

Sadie licked her lips, took a breath, and asked the damn question. “Will you…take me to bed?”

His hold tightened on her hips. “Yes” came his gravelly response. “To bed.” He kissed her lips. “To your car.” He kissed her neck. “Up against this wall.” He leaned into her body, his erection pressing firmly against her belly.

Sadie dropped her head against the wall. She couldn’t think beyond agreeing. First time or not, she’d make love to this man on a park bench in the middle of a Fourth of July parade if he asked.

She nodded like a bobblehead, managing to eke out one word of agreement. “Okay.”

Aiden’s mouth hit hers hard, swirling her senses and stealing her next breath. Kissing him had a drugging effect. Left became right, north became south. What she thought she knew became muddled in a confusing whirlwind of sensations: Aiden’s mouth on her skin, his hands pushing up her dress and cupping her rear end in his palms.

Sadie clasped on to his neck as her tongue met his. Unlike the proposal that had caused her to panic, she knew the decision to make love to Aiden was the absolute right one. She wanted him. He wanted her. She’d wanted him for so long. This part was very, very overdue.

Aiden lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip while he devoured her mouth. She dug her heel into his thigh to pull him closer, but he didn’t complain, leaning hard into her while his hand slid over her dress. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and his thumb found her nipple. He cupped and rubbed her as her panties grew damp.

This was what she wanted the night he stayed at her house, when she’d attacked him in her kitchen and flicked the stud on his jeans. She wanted Aiden wild, out of control for her. And finally, he was. Sadie felt his hardness at her center. He ground against her, one hand stroking the underside of her thigh as he held her leg over his hip, the other sliding from her breast to belly, to her waist, to—oh!

He stopped kissing her to look into her eyes, squatting to hold her in place, his body shaking, no doubt from the lust saturating his bloodstream. She could relate.

Eyes on hers, he trailed his fingertips along the lacy waistband of her underwear, then past the silken barrier. He slipped a finger against her as his forehead collapsed against hers. He muttered a harsh curse, another sign of his losing control.

She loved it. “I thought you weren’t swearing,” she teased, back arching as he continued to rub her.

He buried his face in her neck and said it again and Sadie’s face broke into a smile. Briefly. When he lifted his head and ran his tongue along her bottom lip and slid a finger into her, her smile turned into a soft gasp. “So wet,” he murmured in appreciation.

His harsh language, the dark look in his eyes, the increasing tempo of his fingers and thumb over her most sensitive spot…all of it a lethal mixture. Sadie was going to slide right over the edge in a wave of ecstasy. A few more kisses, a few more strokes, and Aiden’s green eyes trained on hers, and she’d be a goner.

He kissed her softly, gently, all while sliding in and out of her body. Then he hit the spot. He didn’t let up, his hold on her tightening, pressure increasing until Sadie was shaking and whimpering. He kissed her neck, bit her ear, and she tumbled over with a sharp cry, one that he swallowed with another kiss as her inner muscles clenched around his fingers and she clawed onto his shoulders with both hands.

He kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck, then murmured into her ear, “You’re a screamer.”

And Sadie, so relaxed and tingly, laughed. It felt good to laugh. It felt good to be this loose, this comfortable, this amazingly sated.

Aiden slipped his hand away and lowered her leg, holding her steady. Good thing. If he weren’t half propping her up, she would have slumped in a heap to the floor. Sadie had given herself orgasms before, but nothing like this one—brought forth by the rough feel of Aiden’s hands on her body, the smell and taste of him on her tongue, and the words he’d breathed into her ear.

She shuddered as aftershocks washed through her, and gripped his shoulders for support. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet, hadn’t been able to lift her head from the wall behind her. She felt, rather than saw, Aiden tug her dress down and smooth it over her thighs.

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “You should lie down.” His voice held a note of mischief and innuendo, and Sadie smiled, wondered if she’d ever stop smiling.

“Mmm.” She rubbed herself against his tented pants. “Find the coat closet.”

He chuckled and because they were breast to chest, the vibration of it reverberated in her belly, making her feel as languid as a cat that had drunk its weight in warm cream. Her lids were heavy, her body as pliable as taffy.

She opened her eyes to find Aiden wearing a satisfied, proud male smile. He stroked her hair from her face and tilted her chin. “Sorry, beautiful. Your first time isn’t going to be in a closet.”

A shudder tore through her that had nothing to do with the release he’d blessed her with. Sadie had temporarily forgotten about her “sacred” first time. No surprise there; she’d temporarily forgotten her name. Sadie something. She knew it had two syllables…

She took in the darkened room they were in, the slice of light across the floor, the various other doors around the room. Anyone could have walked in on them. Could have caught Sadie, dress hiked to her waist, being braced against a wall by Aiden.

She was fairly sure part of her was trying to be appalled by her ribald behavior, but she couldn’t find the strength to do anything other than smile warmly at the man who had taken her to heaven in under sixty seconds.