Page 77 of Hard Knock Hero

* * *

When Scarlett had given me a whole strip of condoms earlier, I’d never thought I could use them all in one night. But we’d already gone through three of them. That last time, he’d been behind me while we both lay on our sides, his cock pumping inside me with such delicious friction I could hardly believe it was real. I’d actually screamed, it had felt so insanely good.

So much for going slow.

I wasn’t anywhere near tired. Aiden showed no signs of wearing out either. The world beyond my window was pitch black. I could almost pretend morning would never come.

Almost.

“You’ll probably need to rest at some point,” I said. We were tangled up together under just a sheet. Aiden was so warm that I didn’t need the blankets. “I don’t want you to be sleepy on your drive.”

He propped up on his elbow. “How about we make a pot of coffee, then? It’s…” He checked the clock on my nightstand. “Only one o’clock. We have hours more. I want to spend them all with you.” He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek. “I don’t want to waste a minute.”

My heart swelled painfully in my chest. “Works for me. I’ll go start the coffee. In a bit.”

But I ended up stretched out on top of him, getting lost in another make-out session, until I finally pulled away with extreme reluctance. “Okay, coffee. I can do this.” I scooted off the bed and went to my dresser, pulling out an oversized sweatshirt.

“And one of your chocolate tarts,” Aiden said. “I’ve been craving it.”

I pulled the sweatshirt over my head and grinned at him over my shoulder. “We can share a tart now, and I’ll pack up the rest for you to take with you.”

“I would like that.” His gaze went soft. “I’m going to clean up a little, and I’ll be down to help with the coffee.”

“Hurry up or I’ll miss you,” I teased.

“Ialreadymiss you.”

My cheeks flushed. I was shocked he’d said that, and Aiden looked sheepish, like he’d surprised himself. I turned away and headed for the door before tears could burn in my eyes.

Every perfect moment with Aiden was such beautiful agony. But I wouldn’t trade a single one.

In the kitchen, I found everything cleaned up and put away. A container of pulled pork and extra yeasted rolls waited in the fridge. Aiden had made way too much, as if he’d wanted me to have plenty of leftovers for the next several days.

I started the coffee, then got out the chocolate tarts, glancing around with a sigh. The diner already felt lonely. The signs of Aiden that I spotted—his knives, the leftovers in the fridge, the sound of water running upstairs—told me the exact shapes his absence would take later on. Later ontoday. I drummed my fingers as the coffeemaker burbled.

But suddenly, a different sort of noise made the hairs on my skin rise.

It was something outside, in the alleyway behind the diner. Heavy boot steps. Cold lanced down my spine. Nobody should’ve been out there at this time of night.

I gasped, anxiety flooding me, when a fist pounded on the diner’s rear door.

“Open up,” a harsh voice said. “Police.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

Jessi

Aiden’s footstepsmade the stairs creak as he sprinted down. He wore his jeans and nothing else. The button of his fly was still undone. “What was that?”

“Police. But it wasn’t Owen’s voice.” And he wouldn’t show up in the middle of the night this way, banging on my door. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

Another sharp knock. “Open up. Hartley Sheriff’s Department.” It sounded like they might break down the door. “Last warning.”

Aiden cursed. I unlocked the door and cracked it open. Freezing air rolled into the warmth of the diner. One of Owen’s deputies stood there, a guy I’d never liked much. “Ms. Novo? Could you step outside, please?”

“What’s this about?” Aiden asked, standing close behind me. His heat warmed my back.

“We got an anonymous tip, and we’d like to ask you about it. Both of you. Please step outside.”

---