Page 41 of Stained Hearts
Aiden blew out a breath. “I know, really. I just want to stretch my wings a little. Show her I can take care of myself.” He pursed his lips. “No, I want to showmeI can.”
And I got it. Twenty-four, living with his sister, needing a wheelchair or walker to get around. I understood how frustrating it was to have to depend on others for things.
“We should get you home.”
He jerked upright. “What? I’m not going home.”
“Oh? This is news to me.”
He scowled. “It’s late—you shouldn’t be driving.”
That made me chuckle. “Okay, I’ll put you in bed.”
“And where are you sleeping?”
I patted the sofa. “It’s surprisingly comfortable.”
He reached out and grabbed my shirt, hauling me forward. “Look, I get that you don’t want to have sex yet, and I can respect it, even if I don’t agree. That doesn’t mean we can’t sleep in the same bed. I want to know what it’s like, having a warm body next to me, feeling safe. So, yeah, no. If I’m sleeping in the bed, you’re going to be right there with me.”
His expression, part determination and part desperation, had me grinning. “Okay, come on.” I picked him up and started for the bedroom.
He pointed up. “You don’t sleep up in the loft?”
“Nah, the stairs make it too inconvenient. Mostly it’s a guest room now.”
“Oh.”
I took a few steps.
“I know it’s asking a lot, but could we sleep up there?”
“Sure.” I wouldn’t argue. If Aiden wanted something, I’d do my best to give it to him. I was as careful as I could, negotiating the stairs without smacking his head on the banister. When we got there, I put him down on the bed. He slipped his shirt up and off, and sat there staring at me. His skin was pale, flecked with a light dusting of soft, downy hair. A smattering of freckles on his chest had me wanting to lick a stripe from one to the other, playing connect the dots with them. When he reached down and started unbuttoning his pants, I had to stop him.
“Aiden, I’m only human. You’re tempting me, and I can’t have that. You said you wanted to sleep, so please keep them on.”
He frowned. “Really?”
“For now, yes.” The urge to see him naked rode me hard. “One day, if you want, we can revisit this, but for now, do it for me.”
An aggrieved sigh. “Fine.” He grinned at me. “Take off your clothes.”
I shook my head. He was so damn cheeky. “Shirt only.”
“Spoilsport.”
He stared as I pulled the shirt up. “Oh my God.”
Before I had it over my head, he had his hands on my skin, stroking me. I groaned and leaned into the touch. It had been so long since I’d felt this way, and he was making it very hard—and I meant that literally—to pull away.
“Aiden.” My voice was husky.
“Oh, shut up. I just want to feel you.”
Like an idiot, I stood there and let him touch me. My skin pebbled at his gentleness. When he stroked a finger over my nipple, I sucked in a breath.
“What are you doing?”
He snickered. “Cataloging your reactions for later, so I know what to do when you finally decide to put out.”
