Page 46 of Thorns of Deceit

Her green eyes brightened. “Maybe I can taste myself?”

I reached between her thighs to find her drenched with arousal, then dragged my finger over her wet pussy. She moaned and I thrust my finger into her mouth, letting her suck it clean.

“See, I told you,” I said in a guttural voice. “Sweeter than any dessert.”

Her gaze darkened and she rubbed her legs together. “I’m dripping wet for your cock, Aiden.”

Fuck me. At this rate, I’d fuck her raw and into oblivion before she could say please.

“There’s no rush.” She pouted, but I simply smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We have plenty of fooling around to do before I fuck you.”

I maneuvered her so she was tucked into my side before my dick decided to do something stupid.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she mumbled, “Don’t make me wait too long. I like sex so much better than porn.”

“Raven?”

“Mmm?”

“No more watching porn. Not without me.”

A soft snore filled the space between us and I let out an exasperated huff. This woman would be the death of me.

SIXTEEN

RAVEN

Aiden had long since left for work, but my skin still overheated when I thought of all the things we’d done since dawn. It was no wonder my best friend read so much smut. If it was half as good as fooling around with Aiden, I was determined to ask Athena for more recommendations.

My husband left the keys to several of his vehicles in the garage, giving me the pick of the lot, but my driving skills were worse than my cooking, so I opted for an Uber.

The driver took me to the bank where I withdrew a substantial amount of money—spending for it yet to be determined—and right before noon, I pulled up to my mom’s building in Brownsville in New York City. From the outside, it looked sad, but from the inside, it was even worse. It was in desperate need of demolition. There was a reason we were the only residents, with the other three units vacant since Mom moved almost two years ago. Despite its structural (and cosmetic) issues, it’d served as a home to us, but it wouldn’t for much longer.

Thanks to Aiden, we’d be out of here forever.

For the first time ever, I entered the building lighter than ever. I practically flew up the steps and then threw the door open ready to share the news with my mom. Surely, after the initial shock of my sudden marriage, she’d be ecstatic about moving into a nicer place. Maybe this would mean we could finally put down roots.

I still felt torn in a way that made my chest ache. Every thought of Aiden sparked warmth, a pull I couldn’t deny, but alongside it was a restless ache for Paris and the life I’d imagined with my friends, sharing the experience of college years with them. The more I thought about giving it all up, the more a strange panic twisted inside me. I liked him a lot, I really did—maybe even loved him—but I also loved the idea of myself chasing my dreams, of living a life I wouldn’t regret. And in that contradiction, I felt small, selfish, and utterly human, caught between two desires that both demanded my heart.

However, there was a consolation: knowing my mom would be safe and comfortable, just as Aiden had promised. That alone made giving up my plans for Europe worthwhile.

Resolute and determined, I stepped inside the apartment and froze upon seeing my mom’s face.

She stood in the middle of the living room, her complexion deathly pale and her hands balled into fists at her sides. She stared at me with a look of sheer terror.Oh, shit!

“Uh, I…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“I thought I taught you to stay away from dangerous men.”

Okay, then, she knew.

“I-it happened so suddenly,” I said lamely, not bothering to point out that she hadn’t really told me much when she was sober. “But Aiden, he… That’s my husband. He wants to help.”

“I doubt it,” she said dryly. “Close the door and sit down.”

It felt like déjà vu from the night I ended up married. I only hoped today wouldn’t end with the coverup of a murderedgovernment official. A crime that, now that I really thought of it, I was technically an accomplice to.

The door slammed shut behind me. I shuffled to the couch and took a seat, struck by how rare it was to see my mom sober, steady, and unmistakably in charge. But it was the turbulent energy shooting beams from her eyes that had me unnerved. It was almost as if I were watching a completely different person in her body.