Hard to Handle

Chapter 13

Aiden needed a drink. A big one. One the size of the bucket of Gatorade football players dumped over the coach’s head after a game. Though he doubted iced-down sports drink would cool the heat slowly consuming him, even if he poured it in his pants.

Sadie made him an offer he wasn’t sure he could refuse.

And why would I?

Great question.

Ever since Harmony cheated on him with Daniel, Aiden hadn’t exactly been looking. Then he met Sadie. And after last year—losing his mom, ruining what he and Sadie had together, and learning he was completely unsuccessful at getting over the blonde in his arms now—Aiden decided not to get involved with a woman until he was serious.

Serious, serious.

It wasn’t a pact he’d taken lightly. Lord knows he’d had the opportunity over the last year to go to bed with a woman—even casually—but he had zero desire to satisfy his body’s impulses.

Since his mother’s diagnosis, Aiden’s life had stopped being his own and had become one of service to others. It was why he’d moved to Oregon. And why he’d moved in with his dad. And why he’d taken the job at the factory temporarily. But now Aiden was slowly reclaiming himself. He’d found the part of him that wanted things just to want them. The idea of saving himself until marriage was probably unfashionable and archaic, but dammit, that’s what he wanted. Or maybe that’s what he told himself so he wouldn’t get involved with a woman at all.

Aiden probably never would have considered marriage again—would’ve probably been more against it than Sadie claimed to be. He’d been burned as badly as she had. He knew how she felt. He also knew how he felt.

He loved her.

Sadie was the only woman he trusted to walk down the aisle at his side and not betray him. He could trust her. He’d always trusted her. He still trusted her. It wasn’t just love; Aiden had sunk like he was wearing a pair of cinder block shoes. He was a fool if he believed the whole marriage thing would work with anyone but this woman.

All he had to do was get her on board.

Aiden looked into Sadie’s cinnamon-colored eyes, long lashes sweeping over them as she attempted to seduce him. A slow smile curved his mouth. Sadie was trying to get her way. A common theme. He wanted what she was offering, but he had terms.

Terms including a ceremony and the key phrase I do.

But this wasn’t a game. Not any longer. If he was being honest with himself, hadn’t he been making plans since Sadie reentered his life to include her in his future? When he pictured himself moving out of Dad’s house, hadn’t he imagined buying a place big enough for a family? In two years, hadn’t he pictured celebrating with Sadie on the day he closed the deal and owned all five Axle’s stores?

And in the wee, small hours of the morning, when Aiden lay awake in bed, his mind too busy to allow sleep, didn’t the family he envisioned feature a little girl with Sadie’s cherubic face and fair hair?

Yes. To all of the above.

Aiden’s heart beat erratically in his chest as he stared at the woman in front of him. He loved her; he knew that. He’d known that. But not until this very moment had he seriously considered what he was considering now.

He glanced around the full room. Shane, Crickitt, his brothers…Angel over in the corner with her husband. Was he really willing to risk asking Sadie here? Risk that she might—hell, probably would—say no? Asking would be a leap of faith. Without a net.

“Cat got your tongue?” Sadie purred. She was an exquisite, naughty angel. A beautiful winged creature with tiny horns poking up out of her blonde curls.

Aiden’s brow quirked in challenge. Yeah. He was willing. She deserved no less than to be called out on her sexy antics. And he deserved no less than Sadie in his life. Forever.

God, that sounded good.

Aiden pulled Sadie against him and spoke roughly, “I think you know my answer. Now don’t move out from in front of me for a minute or the entire party will know it, too.”

Sadie may have had the upper hand, but Aiden saw her resolve slip as he pressed against her. Desire bloomed in her brown eyes, and her lips parted as she took in a breath. Aiden nearly smiled.

Not so composed and in control now, was she? He loved when she dropped her guard, when she had no choice but to be led around by her emotions like the rest of the human population. It was a small triumph, but enough to spear him forward.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Aiden murmured into her ear, keeping her tightly against him as he steered her in another circle on the dance floor. “I’ll make love to you,” he said against her cheek. “And I’m talking about the kind of long, slow, agonizing, so-good-it-hurts love.”

She shuddered in his arms. Aiden nipped her earlobe and whispered, “I’ll make love to you until your toes are permanently curled.”

A small sound escaped her throat. One he’d bet she didn’t mean to let loose. He licked the curve of her ear with the very tip of his tongue. “Until you’re too weak to move…”

Sadie’s fingers fisted the front of his shirt, wrinkling it all to hell. He couldn’t care less. Nothing thrilled him more than the sound of the sharp intake of air between her teeth. Proof that her control was shattering into a million pieces.

“But I have stipulations,” he murmured, sliding his hand as low on her back as he dared.

Sadie’s feet moved to the music, but the rest of her body was still. “Oh?” she breathed.

“Mmm-hmm. Want to know what they are?” Aiden abandoned her ear and pressed a kiss onto her neck.

“Uh-huh,” Sadie said. It wasn’t a yes, but he hoped she’d give him one next.

Aiden pulled away so he could look at her and moved her hair over her shoulder. He stroked the back of his knuckles down her cheek and came to a stop in the middle of the floor. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Marry me.”

Sadie’s throat convulsed as she swallowed hard. “That’s not funny, Aiden.”

He expected her to be nervous. He remained calm, moving them to the music again and holding her gaze. “I’m not kidding, Sadie.”

She blinked a few times and gave him a shaky smile. “We can’t get married just to—just to—”

“Make love for hours on end?” he finished, allowing his smile to break free.

Sadie tried to narrow her eyes, but she didn’t quite make it. Instead, her cheeks grew pink and she darted her eyes left then right before landing on his face again. “That’s not a good reason to get married,” she whispered, angling an uncomfortable smile at the couple dancing near them.

But they weren’t close enough to overhear. And in a second, the whole room would know his intentions. He just had to get her past this part, make a confession…the confession.

“You’re right. That alone isn’t a good reason to get married,” he said with an intentional sigh. “I have another reason.”

Sadie shook her head, just barely. “Aiden.”

It was a plea he ignored. She deserved to know. He deserved the chance to proclaim it. “I love you, Sadie. I always have. I never stopped.”

She inhaled. Held it. Bit her lip.

Well, she hadn’t run from him. That was a good sign. “We’re good together, you and me,” he said. They were. They complimented each other in a way that was both synchronized and opposing at the same time. “We can talk for hours,” he continued. “We can kiss for hours,” he said, resting his cheek on hers and lowering his voice. “And I bet we’d be great at the long, agonizingly slow, making love part.”

He pulled back to face Sadie. She licked her lips, desire prevalent in her wide, dark eyes. Then she squeezed them shut. “Be serious, Aiden.”

He was. As a heart attack.

“Okay,” he told her. “I will.”

He took both of Sadie’s hands and stepped away from her, even though he saw the panic on her face. Now or never. It was time to find out whether he was wasting his time…or if Sadie felt the same way about him as he did her.

In front of God, his brothers and sister, his cousins, and over a hundred guests, Aiden dropped to his knees in the middle of the dance floor. He said a silent prayer and squeezed her hands before making the offer of his life.

“Sadie Ann Marie Howard, will you be my wife?”

* * *

Oh God. He did it. He actually did it.

Sadie didn’t know what was worse, the pure sincerity on Aiden’s face as he waited, chin raised, for her response, or the fact that she was going to have to tell him no.

Eyes, dozens of pairs of eyes, were trained on them. The other couples on the dance floor had stopped moving to the music, though (thank goodness) the band continued to play. They were watching, though—the band as well as the dancers. Everyone in the room waited for her to say yes, for Aiden to stand and embrace her, so they could applaud and shout their congratulations.

Aiden was waiting for a yes, too.

Regret was a snake coiling around her heart. But she couldn’t say yes…not here, in the room she’d once reserved for her and Trey’s wedding reception. Not now, in front of his family, in front of Crickitt, in front of gawking strangers. They weren’t even dating! What was he thinking?

Regret turned to panic and Sadie’s heart jackhammered against her rib cage. She pulled her hands from Aiden’s, shook her head, and offered him as gentle a smile as she could muster. “I’m sorry.”

Sadie slipped through the crowd, head down, as quickly as her four-inch heels would carry her. Outside the double doors, in the brightly lit hallway, her chest felt less constricted, her heart less erratic.

How could he do this to her? They hadn’t talked about this, hadn’t eluded to it. They were friends. Coworkers. Well, not anymore. But what had given him the idea of m-m-marrying her?

She couldn’t even think it.

She heard her name being called and quickened her pace until the wide chandeliers overhead were flashes of light in her peripheral and her feet a blur over the red and gold carpet.

Aiden chased her. Awesome.

“Sadie!” He caught her easily, snagging her elbow and pulling her into the one of the open, unoccupied rooms along the hallway. The room was dark, the only light came from the hall and sliced across the floor at an arc. Aiden steered her behind the open door, out of sight from any passersby.

He released her arm. She wouldn’t look at him. “Sadie.”

It took every drop of her dwindling courage, but she finally lifted her eyes to his.

“That’s it?” he asked, his mouth a grim line. He’d taken his jacket off before coming after her. She idly wondered what he’d said to everyone in the room when he left.

She blinked at him, feeling a flash of fear and regret that soon morphed into anger. “You asked, I said no,” she said, her voice shaking.

“Actually, you said you were sorry.”

She sighed. “I am.” Because she couldn’t marry Aiden. She couldn’t marry anyone. She was a hopeless wreck where men were concerned and—

“So my only options are to take you to bed or lose you forever?”

She blinked at him. “Are you quoting Top Gun?”

“Maybe.” The corner of her lip tipped into a cautious smile. “Are those my only options?” he asked, his voice quiet.

“I can’t marry you, Aiden,” she whispered, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at the disappointment swimming in his.

She felt his hand caress her shoulder and a moment later was enveloped in heat as he stepped into her comfort zone. Only, when Aiden was in it, she felt more comfortable, not less.

“Okay,” he said, stroking her face.

She opened her eyes.

“You win.”

His eyes held no clue as to what he meant by that. “What?”

“Did you mean it when you asked me to take you to bed tonight?”

Her heart slammed into third gear. He wasn’t serious…was he? She made the mistake of challenging how serious he was moments ago. She’d been dead wrong. Now he was suggesting…oh. Wow. But that was before…before he’d proposed to her. Before he’d forced her into a tight, dark corner where she couldn’t breathe. “Aiden—”

“I want you to ask me again.” He walked her one step backward. Then two. She allowed him to advance until her butt bumped against the wall.

She shook her head, but there was no conviction in it.

“Ask me again,” he repeated, looking scarily serious. His hands were heating her hips through the material of her dress. He kept his stormy eyes on hers, refusing to allow her to escape. “But only if you still want me.”

Her breaths came in short pants. “I do.”

“Then ask.”

When he was this close, she couldn’t fight. But maybe…maybe she didn’t want to fight. Not about this. She wanted him; she hadn’t lied about that. And he’d be worth it, she knew. Being with Aiden here, or anywhere, would be better than going home alone and reliving the pain of turning him down. But Aiden wasn’t arguing about his proposal. Which made this decision that much easier.

Sadie licked her lips, took a breath, and asked the damn question. “Will you…take me to bed?”

His hold tightened on her hips. “Yes” came his gravelly response. “To bed.” He kissed her lips. “To your car.” He kissed her neck. “Up against this wall.” He leaned into her body, his erection pressing firmly against her belly.

Sadie dropped her head against the wall. She couldn’t think beyond agreeing. First time or not, she’d make love to this man on a park bench in the middle of a Fourth of July parade if he asked.

She nodded like a bobblehead, managing to eke out one word of agreement. “Okay.”

Aiden’s mouth hit hers hard, swirling her senses and stealing her next breath. Kissing him had a drugging effect. Left became right, north became south. What she thought she knew became muddled in a confusing whirlwind of sensations: Aiden’s mouth on her skin, his hands pushing up her dress and cupping her rear end in his palms.

Sadie clasped on to his neck as her tongue met his. Unlike the proposal that had caused her to panic, she knew the decision to make love to Aiden was the absolute right one. She wanted him. He wanted her. She’d wanted him for so long. This part was very, very overdue.

Aiden lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip while he devoured her mouth. She dug her heel into his thigh to pull him closer, but he didn’t complain, leaning hard into her while his hand slid over her dress. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and his thumb found her nipple. He cupped and rubbed her as her panties grew damp.

This was what she wanted the night he stayed at her house, when she’d attacked him in her kitchen and flicked the stud on his jeans. She wanted Aiden wild, out of control for her. And finally, he was. Sadie felt his hardness at her center. He ground against her, one hand stroking the underside of her thigh as he held her leg over his hip, the other sliding from her breast to belly, to her waist, to—oh!

He stopped kissing her to look into her eyes, squatting to hold her in place, his body shaking, no doubt from the lust saturating his bloodstream. She could relate.

Eyes on hers, he trailed his fingertips along the lacy waistband of her underwear, then past the silken barrier. He slipped a finger against her as his forehead collapsed against hers. He muttered a harsh curse, another sign of his losing control.

She loved it. “I thought you weren’t swearing,” she teased, back arching as he continued to rub her.

He buried his face in her neck and said it again and Sadie’s face broke into a smile. Briefly. When he lifted his head and ran his tongue along her bottom lip and slid a finger into her, her smile turned into a soft gasp. “So wet,” he murmured in appreciation.

His harsh language, the dark look in his eyes, the increasing tempo of his fingers and thumb over her most sensitive spot…all of it a lethal mixture. Sadie was going to slide right over the edge in a wave of ecstasy. A few more kisses, a few more strokes, and Aiden’s green eyes trained on hers, and she’d be a goner.

He kissed her softly, gently, all while sliding in and out of her body. Then he hit the spot. He didn’t let up, his hold on her tightening, pressure increasing until Sadie was shaking and whimpering. He kissed her neck, bit her ear, and she tumbled over with a sharp cry, one that he swallowed with another kiss as her inner muscles clenched around his fingers and she clawed onto his shoulders with both hands.

He kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck, then murmured into her ear, “You’re a screamer.”

And Sadie, so relaxed and tingly, laughed. It felt good to laugh. It felt good to be this loose, this comfortable, this amazingly sated.

Aiden slipped his hand away and lowered her leg, holding her steady. Good thing. If he weren’t half propping her up, she would have slumped in a heap to the floor. Sadie had given herself orgasms before, but nothing like this one—brought forth by the rough feel of Aiden’s hands on her body, the smell and taste of him on her tongue, and the words he’d breathed into her ear.

She shuddered as aftershocks washed through her, and gripped his shoulders for support. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet, hadn’t been able to lift her head from the wall behind her. She felt, rather than saw, Aiden tug her dress down and smooth it over her thighs.

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “You should lie down.” His voice held a note of mischief and innuendo, and Sadie smiled, wondered if she’d ever stop smiling.

“Mmm.” She rubbed herself against his tented pants. “Find the coat closet.”

He chuckled and because they were breast to chest, the vibration of it reverberated in her belly, making her feel as languid as a cat that had drunk its weight in warm cream. Her lids were heavy, her body as pliable as taffy.

She opened her eyes to find Aiden wearing a satisfied, proud male smile. He stroked her hair from her face and tilted her chin. “Sorry, beautiful. Your first time isn’t going to be in a closet.”

A shudder tore through her that had nothing to do with the release he’d blessed her with. Sadie had temporarily forgotten about her “sacred” first time. No surprise there; she’d temporarily forgotten her name. Sadie something. She knew it had two syllables…

She took in the darkened room they were in, the slice of light across the floor, the various other doors around the room. Anyone could have walked in on them. Could have caught Sadie, dress hiked to her waist, being braced against a wall by Aiden.

She was fairly sure part of her was trying to be appalled by her ribald behavior, but she couldn’t find the strength to do anything other than smile warmly at the man who had taken her to heaven in under sixty seconds.

Aiden. Only Aiden could take her to the very pinnacle of desire and make her forget who she was. Or maybe, she thought in a burst of insight, when she was with Aiden she was more herself than when she was without him.

“Come with me somewhere,” he said, taking her hands in his.

There was only one answer.

“Anywhere.”