Page 49 of The Pursuit of Happiness

I realize the mistake I’ve made. The mistake I’vebeenmaking. Sly is perfect for me. He’s attentive and caring, everything Duncan never was, but I always tried convincing myself he could be. Sly has always been there to catch me when I fell since the sex tape and all he’s ever tried to do is helpmeandmyreputation over his own. He’s placed me at the center of his world, especially last night when he threw caution to the wind and risked everything he has, his entire career, just to defend my honor. He has done all of these things for me and all I’ve ever done is reject and hurt him.

I know what they say about me. I know that the media and some of my fans think I’m a whore. I know Duncan thinks the same and God only knows how much he loves to remind me at every turn.

Throughout my entire life it has always felt like I’ve been running, life passing me by in a mirage of colors and faces. I smile for the cameras but when they flash and the bright white light fades, that empty feeling creeps back inside. I’ve always been running with one destination, one finish line, in mind.Happiness. My life has been an endless pursuit since my father left and I realized my mother was never gonna be the parent I needed her to be. I have been searching for happiness far and wide for so long that I couldn’t even realize when it stood right in front of me. Whenhestood right in front of me. And now he’s getting up to leave.

“Stop,” I raise a hand at him and he freezes.

He pauses before he shakes his head and huffs, “Aria, I can’t do this anymore.”

“I-”

I try to speak but he cuts me off, “No, Aria. I’ve tried rolling with your punches and getting back up but we both know I look like a fool. You pull me into your orbit and then you reject me and then you do it again and again.” He rises fully and takes a step for the door before calling over his shoulder, “I don’t think we should be friends. I think we should keep things professional between us.”

I shake my head so fast it feels like I’m giving myself whiplash. I rush towards the door and stand in front of it, blocking his way out. He sighs in irritation and frowns, “Move, Aria.”

“No.”

I watch as an expression I’ve never seen contorts his features into indignation, something I never thought him capable of, especially not with me. “Aria, I said move.”

I feel tears welling in my eyes. Why do I fuck everything up? I let what was being said about me get to me. I let it control how I act around him. I let it close me off from him when all I want is to let go and to fall into his arms. “I just have to say one thing and then you can leave if you still want to,” my voice cracks around unshed tears.

He clenches his jaw and I know right away by how he avoids looking at me that the sight of my tears bothers him, but he’s so angry at me that he remains silent. I don’t blame him, not after how I’ve hurt him time and time again. “Fine. Talk,” he grumbles apathetically.

I take a deep breath and realize there’s no turning back. I don’t want to turn back. Slater Nicks makes me happy and I know I can’t let him walk away. I’m only sorry it took me this long to realize it. I raise my chin at him to display confidence I surely don’t have as I prepare to be vulnerable in a way I haven’t been in five years. “I don’t want this to be fake anymore,” I whisper.

He flinches and then blinks rapidly as if he thinks he’sdreaming. When he stares at me silently, confusion in his turquoise eyes, I continue, my back against the hardwood of my bedroom door, “Sly, I don’t want to be in a fake relationship anymore.” I watch as he looks at me with disbelief in his features. “I want the real thing,” I whisper as one warm, salty tear rolls down my cheek.

As the words sink in, he stands up straighter and releases a long, pent up breath. When he still doesn’t speak, I open my mouth to most likely word vomit to fill in the silence, but he beats me to it as he grabs my face and kisses me hard, forcing my body back into the door with a thud.

I kiss him back hungrily, fervently. He tangles his hand in my hair and presses his body so hard against mine that the only barrier between us is our clothing. His other hand trails until he cups my ass, giving it a needy squeeze before he lowers and wraps his arm around the back of my thigh. I moan into his mouth as his tongue parts my lips and seeks entry.

I open my mouth to him and his tongue tangles with mine as he lifts my thigh to wrap around his waist. His other hand drops from my hair and wraps around the back of my other thigh, lifting my full weight. I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck as his hands support my ass.

My warm, aching center is pressed directly against his rapidly hardening length and I desperately want to feel him on me, inside of me, his skin on mine in every delicious way imaginable.

He trails messy, hungry kisses down my neck and I throw my head back and moan at how good it feels to be kissed by this man, to feel his lips on my skin. When I think the pleasure of feeling his lips on my skin is unbeatable, he licks the base of my neck all the way up to my jaw before he kisses me again and I groan into his mouth.

I’m so desperate for him. I need more now the same way Ineeded more from him in the hallway of that club, but this time I actually plan on taking it. I roll my hips and start to grind my center against his length, feeling the dampness of my arousal through my sweatpants. He groans in response and walks us over to my bed, lowering me so that my back presses against the surface as he leans over me and never once breaks our kiss.

He grinds himself between my legs on my aching center and I fist his shirt in my hands, “Sly, please,” I whine.

He grins as he looks down at me, “Always so polite, Kane.” He kisses my jaw and gives me a wicked look, “But you have to use your words. Please what?”

I feel flushed, warm in a desperate way. If I don’t get release soon I feel like I may explode, “Please fuck me,” I beg, breathlessly.

Sly smirks down at me, “I fucking love how that sounds coming out of your mouth.” He rises for a moment to remove his sweatshirt and my arousal grows as he lifts it up until it’s off of him and tosses it on the ground somewhere. I take in his solid abs made up of lean muscle and of course the sleeves of tattoos on both of his arms that trail down to his fingers. I imagine what his fingers would look like with my juices on them, but remember I have seen them and blush.

“Like what you see?” He teases.

I lean up on my elbows, “Shut up and fuck me,” I command.

He leans down and kisses me once more as one hand wraps around my throat gently, but hard enough to have a wet spot forming through my sweats. He pushes me against the mattress by my throat and lowers his other hand to the hem of my sweatshirt, lifting it up slowly to reveal the smooth skin of my stomach.

His face lowers until his lips are on my stomach and his hand is still wrapped around my throat. He kisses a trail up my stomach slowly as he continues lifting the fabric with his freehand. He doesn’t stop until my breasts are exposed to him, my rosy nipples puckered so hard they could cut diamond.

He licks his lips when he takes in the sight of my breasts, completely bare and ripe for his taking. “You have such perfect fucking tits,” he growls as his head dips until one nipple is in his mouth. He licks and sucks the peak as his hand pinches and tugs the other peak. His hand remains firm around my throat the entire time, ready to throw me over the edge of ecstasy.

I throw my head back and moan at the sensation, at the warmth wrapping around my nipple. He shifts his focus to my other nipple, careful in his attentiveness to each. I continue grinding my hips against his erection and he groans with my nipple in his mouth, the vibration making me shiver.

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