"It's nothing," she said, not turning to face him.
"You have got to stop saying that. Obviously, it's something!"
The anger in his voice made her turn around and yank her hand out of his grasp. "Well, maybe I don't want to talk to you!"
"Why? What the fuck have I done this time?"
"You-you've..." she began but found it hard to finish her sentence. There were so many things she wanted to say.
"What?"
"Why do you even care?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, clearly angry now.
"You've done nothing but keep your distance from me for weeks! And now you actually care enough to ask?"
"What the hell? How have I been distant? I talk to you every fucking day."
"Yeah, you talk to me. But not like you used to. You-you, don't cuddle with me anymore. You don't even hold my hand!" she yelled. It felt so childish, so ridiculous. "And tonight, you spent all your time talking to another girl. You didn't even sit next to me!"
“I wasn't flirting with anyone," Lex said, his tone serious. “I-I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just- I didn't..." he said, shaking his head. "I didn't know it bothered you. I didn't think you cared. You-you made it seem like you didn't want me to so..."
"Right," she said, nodding. "I made it seem like that. You always say that. And I've told you before that I cared."
"Well, sorry if I don't take your word for it. You say a lot of things," he said.
"Why did you pull away when I kissed you?"
"For the same reason that I stopped touching you. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and hear that it was because you were drunk, lonely, or whatever other reason you get that way. I mean, that's why you kissed me, right? You were feeling lonely."
She didn't know how to respond to that. How could he possibly know that?
"Look, I'm sorry if I've been distant. But I...Fuck. I like you. And I want it to be real, I don't-" he said, looking away.
"You...you want it..to be real?" she asked.
"Yeah. If it's not real, then I'd rather not be with you in that way. I don't want to be the person you settle for when you're lonely. That's how you make me feel when you get that way. Like you're settling. Find someone else for that," he said, turning away.
This time, she grabbed his hand.
"It...it is real," she said, looking down at their hands. "I didn't think...I mean, you made it seem like it wasn't so...so I never tried..." fuck, she thought. She couldn't believe how tongue-tied she'd gotten. She always knew what to say. It was only around him that she found it hard to voice her thoughts.
"And you're not gonna wake up tomorrow and avoid me?" he asked.
"No...I won't avoid you. I...I like you too," she said, feeling so foolish.
"You like me," he asked. She could hear the smile on his face.
"Yeah," she whispered, blushing a little.
"How much?"
She pulled her hand out of his. "Shut up," she said, but she was smiling now.
"I've missed your smile," he said, taking a small step towards her. He placed his hands on her hips, standing only a few inches away from her. "And you're sure this isn't only because you're lonely," he asked, his voice sounding more gentle and more scared than she'd ever heard it.
"I am lonely. I have been for a long time...but I don't want to be anymore," she whispered, "I want to be with you."
He placed his lips on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist.
She stood there, hugging Lex Mills for the first time. She was pretty sure that she'd never, ever been hugged like that.
After a few minutes, she looked up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled away a few seconds later, trying to read the expression on his face. She hoped that he knew it wasn't because she was lonely. That it was real. That she wasn't settling.
But she didn't really get the opportunity to do so. He brought his lips back down to hers, and suddenly, they were kissing.
Slow at first, testing one another out.
But the heat between them pushed her forward. She wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her lips to his.
He reached down and placed his hands on her thighs, lifting her up until she could wrap them around his hips.
He walked over to the couch and sat down, Aria in his lap.
The closeness of their bodies urged her on, and suddenly their kisses weren't slow and deep anymore. They were fast and messy and frantic.
He slid his tongue into her mouth, and she arched her back a little, pressing her body even closer to his.
His hands gripped her hips, and she tried to have some self-control, stopping herself from grinding against him.
"Should...should we take it slow?" he asked in between kisses.
She thought about it for a few moments while he kissed her jaw and her neck.
"We're already married," she said, feeling the heat pool in her belly. "Fuck, taking it slow."
Chapter 27
She brought her lips back down to his and only pulled away when she was out of breath.
He stood up and placed her on the ground. Not a second later, his lips were back on hers, fast and hungry.
He slid his hands under the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. He didn't pause for a second before pulling her pants and underwear off, too.
Aria felt the anticipation making her hands shake.
He turned her around and gently pushed her back down onto the couch. Dropping to his knees, he placed a hand on each knee and slowly pushed her legs open, his eyes flashing when they landed on her wet center.
She felt like she should be embarrassed, being in that position, naked in front of him. But she only felt excitement, thrill, as he dropped his head and kissed up her left thigh,
