Page 151

THIRTY-TWO

AIDEN

Gavin: Did you sleep all right in your new living quarters, princess?

Me: Slept like a king. Don’t call me princess.

Brooks: What makes you think he was referring to you? Maybe he was talking to Beckett.

Beckett: Ha. Like anyone would ever call me princess.

Gavin: Way too much of a duckhole for that name.

Beckett: Duck you.

Brooks: It’s getting a bit rowdy for 8 a.m., bros. Sara’s giving me the side eye.

Me: Want to ride to War’s together today?

Brooks: Yeah, Sar has been talking nonstop about how she and Lennox will be sisters soon.

Brooks: Don’t F this up.

Brooks: Sorry, Sara stole my phone.

Me: LOL. I don’t intend to F anything up.

Beckett: What’s at Wars?

Gavin: Aw, were you not invited?

Beckett: The Revs are playing today anyway. Can you take the older kids? That way, Liv only has to deal with the twins while I’m gone.

Gavin: On it.

Brooks: Gav, you pick up the older kids. I’ll bring the big kid with me.

Me: Haha, you’re all so funny.

“Aiden,” Lennox shouts from the closet. “Did you color coordinate my clothes? It looks like Barbie and Ken’s Dreamhouse closet in here.”

Ah, shit. I knew I forgot to undo something last night.

Me: Gotta go. See ya in a few hours.

“Shotgun!” Sara screeches as soon as we approach Brooks’s truck.

When she and I reach for the back door in unison, I pull back, confused.

“I meant bestie shotgun. You live with her, so I get her to myself for the next forty-five minutes.”

Lex flips her pretty pink hair over her shoulder and winks at me. “Sorry, Hockey Boy. Chicks before bedazzled dicks.”

Sara throws her head back and cackles. “You hear that, Brookie? She’s finally seen it.”

“Crazy girl,” Brooks huffs. “No talking about my brother’s dick.”

Lex doubles over, clutching her stomach, and laughs.

Today’s already shaping up to be perfect.

Forty-five minutes later, we’re pulling up to an oversized house on a wooded lot.

“This is so not what I pictured,” I admit, surveying the sprawling lakeside home.

Brooks shrugs as he shifts the truck into park. “I can see it. He hasn’t had a place to call home since his mother died.”

Instantly, the mood turns somber. As always, I shift to keep everyone upbeat. “Well, then let’s make sure we make it a good day for him.”

Brooks appraises me, his expression softening. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

I’m out of the car quickly and opening Lennox’s door.

Her blue eyes light with surprise when I hold out my hand to help her down from my brother’s monster of a truck. “Such a gentleman,” she teases.

“Just following your rules, Princess,” I murmur, tugging her close. “Ready to be worshipped?”

Her cheeks go pink as she peeks over at Sara, as if she’s checking to see if she overheard.

Of course, Sara isn’t paying us any attention. She’s too busy flinging herself straight from her seat into Brooks’s arms. He catches her easily and spins, his mouth pressed to her ear, probably whispering words neither of us wants to hear.

Gravel crunches under the weight of a car slowly rolling down the long driveway. It’s followed by incessant honking that cuts through the peacefulness of the neighborhood.

“Party’s here!” Daniel hollers out the window.

Fitz is driving, and Camden and Jorgenson, a new addition to the Bolts, are in the back.

I love rookies. While McGreevey is an incredible captain, I take it upon myself to bring the new guys under my wing. Especially during the offseason, when McGreevey goes home to Canada. I love witnessing the joy and terror that war inside them during their first game. The high of it all. It reminds me of why I love it all so much. Keeps me grounded.

Gavin’s oversized SUV rolls up behind Fitz. He’s barely come to a stop before Finn is leaping out and running in our direction.

The front door swings open, and War appears. “Wow, when I said noon, I didn’t expect you’d all be so punctual.”

With a huff, Finn puts his hands on his hips and looks back at Gavin. “You didn’t tell me we were coming to this clown’s house.”

War throws his head back and laughs. “Wait till you see the setup in the back before you decide whether you want to be friends.”

I crouch so I’m eye to eye with Finn. “Hey, Huck, do me a favor—be nice to War. I can’t have him all bent out of shape on the ice. He helps me score.”

Finn lets out a loud sigh. “Fine, but you better tell him to watch his language. There’s babies here.”

Biting back a snort, I give him a nod. “Want to race me to the back?”

Finn’s little brown eyes grow two sizes. “You got it.” He’s already digging his feet into the ground, but before he can take off, I grab him by the back of his shirt and lift. His feet are still moving, but he’s not going anywhere.

“Need a good luck kiss from the princess first,” I say, grinning at Lennox.

Finn scrunches up his face. “Ew, gross. I don’t want one.”

Lennox sticks out her tongue. “Wasn’t offering you one.” With her hands pressed to my cheeks, she smiles so big my heart nearly trips over itself. “Laying it on thick today, Hockey Boy.”

“I’m very good at taking orders. And exceptionally competitive,” I remind her.

Her eyes dance as she angles in and kisses me. It’s soft. Gentle. Sweet. If not for the little boy groaning about how gross it is, I’d be liable to lose myself in her.

Confident that we got our point across, I step back and wink at her. I set Finn down, then take off. “Last one to the backyard jumps in the lake!”

Within seconds, I’m not the only one racing my nephew. Daniel buzzes past us, followed by Fitz, who shouts at the rookie to keep up.

I’m laughing too hard to stick with the guys. There’s no way I’m winning, but I definitely won’t let Finn lose.

Another runner catches up. Brooks. As he gets close, he snatches Finn off the ground and takes off. “Come on, Huck. We’re going to beat all of them.”

We spend the afternoon outside, enjoying the beautiful summer day. War’s property is outrageous. A long, rolling green hill leads down to a small lake with a single dock. His dock. His lake . He’s got a powerboat, a Jet Ski, and a paddle board. We try out all of his toys, and Brooks and I take turns taking Finn and Winnie out on the Jet Ski.

I can’t stop looking at Lennox, where she’s settled with the girls, along with Addie and Vivi. Her laughter and smiles have me practically floating off the ground all day. I’m attentive, as a good boyfriend would be, making sure she has a drink at all times, bringing her plates of food, and once an hour, I go over to lather her in sunscreen.

“I think they believe it,” she whispers as I rub the lotion over her shoulders for the third time.

“Believe what?” I say as I press a kiss to her neck.

“That you’re obsessed.”

I nuzzle into the crook of her neck. She thinks I’m doing this for others, but this is all me. Though I’ll let her believe I’m doing it for show. It’s freeing, giving in to my obsession without being called out for getting too attached. It’d be too late if she warned anyway.

“What’s Ava doing here?” Sara asks, pointing at the redhead making her way across the yard on the arm of a man I don’t recognize.

She’s in a white sundress and sunglasses, but even from here, I can see her face scrunching in confusion.

“Doesn’t look like she expected to be here either,” I offer.

Sara is already on her feet and striding toward Ava. When Lennox sits up to move, I hop to my feet and help her off the grass. She gives me an appreciative smile, and I take her hand—keeping up appearances and all that.

“Not going to lie. You are the last person I thought I’d see today,” Sara says as we approach her and the newcomers.

Ava looks at the man beside her. “I’m confused. I thought I was meeting your stepbrother.”

She introduces the man beside her. Xander.

I bite back my choked laughter. Shit. War is gonna lose it. He hates his stepbrother. And he has some sort of weird obsession with Ava. Though he’d never admit it, I can read my winger. It’s my job to. When he and Ava are in the same room, despite the way he pretends he can’t stand her, he tracks her every move. His eyes are always on her when she’s not looking.

“He just bought this house,” Ava says, “and he invited Xander for a barbecue.”

My gut clenches. Damn, this is going to be a shit show.

“Come on, Lex.” I tug her toward the lake, keeping my voice low. “We don’t want to be here when War realizes that his evil stepbrother is dating his obsession.”

Rather than stick around and wait for the fallout, Lennox and I take the Jet Ski for a spin around the lake. The feel of her hands around my waist, her squeals in my ear when I rev the engine and take off, and the heat of her pressed up against me leave me smiling and happy.

Genuinely happy.

So happy that I don’t want it to end.

When I spot a small alcove on the other side of the lake, I pull the key out of the ignition, bringing it to a stop, and spin around on the seat so I’m facing her. “You having a good day?”

The smile on her face says it all. “One of the best.”

“Any way I can make it better?” I waggle my brows suggestively.

Her responding laugh is bubbly and light. “What do you have in mind?”

“Never have I ever fucked on a Jet Ski.”

The hitch in Lennox’s breath tells me she’s interested. “How’s your balance, Hockey Boy?”

Cocky as shit, I jump up and shake, rocking the vessel from side to side, easily maintaining my balance.

Lennox lurches forward, her fingers digging into my thighs like she truly believes I’d let her fall. “ Aiden .”

Looming over her, I shoot her a wink. “Take out my cock.”

Her eyes dart to the shore. We’re well hidden in the alcove behind a copse of large spruce trees, so there is no way they can see us.

“What did I tell you about when we’re alone?” I grasp her chin, pulling her focus back to me. Her lips part in shock. “In public, you’re in control, but here—” I press my thumb against her bottom lip with a little more force than necessary. “Here, you are all mine to play with.”

She grazes my thumb with the tip of her tongue, making my dick jump.

“Now take out my cock and show me that you know how to listen.”

This time, she remains focused on me.

We’re wearing life vests, but considering the water is shallow in this cove, I unbuckle mine and nod for her to take care of hers. As she unzips the neoprene jacket, her nipples pebble against the fabric of her hot pink bathing suit. “Pull the straps down and let me see how beautiful you are.”

Lennox has never been shy a day in her life, and today is no exception. So now that she’s been reassured that it’s just us, she pulls both straps down. “Now what?” The way she says it, so obediently, as her eyes sparkle, her pink hair blowing in the light breeze, has me growing harder by the second.

“Suck my cock until you’re so wet that I can bend you over this Jet Ski and fuck you. I want you whimpering around me and humping that seat. Think you can do that?”

Her face hardens in determination, and then she’s scrambling to pull me out of my shorts. When she’s got my hot, hard length in her hand, she licks her lips in anticipation. The first swipe of her tongue pulls a groan from my chest and has me clenching my ass cheeks.

“Yes,” I groan. “Just like that.”

The Jet Ski rocks as she bobs, and when she grinds against the seat like I asked, water sloshes up both sides.

“Good girl, listening so well. You getting that pussy nice and wet for me? Gonna slide all over my cock until you come.”

Moaning, she drags her gaze up to mine. The connection is visceral. A jolt that courses all the way to my toes. The way I feel about this woman? Fuck, it’s indescribable. She’s every dream I’ve ever had. Having her here, where it’s just us, knowing she’s doing this because she wants to, not because we’re playing our parts, is enough to have me teetering on the edge of losing control.

Gripping her chin, I force her to stop. I drop my forehead to hers, panting. “I need to be inside you.”

I flip my leg over to one side and drop to the seat behind her. “Push up, baby. Grab those handlebars, ass in the air for me.”

Over her shoulder, she shoots me a wicked grin. “Starting to think that’s your favorite position.”

“The view of your ass is hard to beat.”

Once she’s in place, I rise up behind her and slip her bathing suit bottoms to one side. With my fist around my cock, I rub my head through her lips, drenching myself, then press in slowly. She’s so wet I slide in with no problem.

Her moan echoes my own. “Dammit, Aiden. Why is this so good?”

Draping myself over her back, I brush her hair over one shoulder and press a kiss to the other. “Because it’s us, Princess. Because it was always meant to be us.”

Before she can object—or think too much about my confession—I slide out and slam back in again.

She grips the handlebars so tight her knuckles go white as we rock, creating a wake.

Within minutes, my legs are shaking and the telltale tingling starts at the base of my spine. “Shit. Sit on my lap, baby.”

“ Aiden. ”

“If you say a goddamn word about being too heavy, I will lift you up, wrap your legs around my hips, and fuck you while standing. I love your body, Lex. It’s the body of my dreams. So please, sit the fuck down on your throne and let me worship you.”

With her head dropped back against my chest, I lower us both to the vinyl seat, grinding my pelvis against her ass once she’s seated fully. Water sloshes in rhythm with our movements. I snake my hand around her waist, working her clit.

“Holy shit. That—yes,” she babbles.

“That’s it, Lex. Ride me until you come. I’m going to fill you up and then lead you back to the party. You’ll smile at our friends, and I’ll play the doting boyfriend just like you want, but we’ll both know you’re dripping with me.”

She digs her fingernails into my thighs as she cries out, her orgasm coming on so quickly that it takes me by surprise. When she spasms around me, the tingles surge, going straight to my balls, and I tumble over the edge with her, biting down on her shoulder to keep from growling like a caveman.

“Shit.” The word scrapes out of me. It’s far from what I really want to say, but if I voiced my true thoughts, I’d ruin everything. Because I’d confess my undying love. I’d beg her to tell me why she’ll never get married for real. Why she doesn’t believe in real relationships. Why she left me…

So when she turns her head and grasps my face and presses those gorgeous lips to mine, relief washes over me. Once again, she’s stealing my breath. I’d gladly give her my last one. In fact, that’s just another dream of mine.