ARIA’S POV
I was still staring at the mirror, stunned at how different I looked in his eyes, when Xander slipped his phone back into his pocket and leaned in close behind me.
“You realize what just happened, right?” he murmured against my ear, his voice low and loaded with heat.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve officially been kissed…” His hand squeezed my waist. “Really kissed. And…” he tapped his pocket with a smirk. “Your nudes have been shared.”
My eyes widened. “Xander!”
He chuckled, brushing his lips against my cheek. “Relax. Just one. Just me. And you let me.”
I bit my lip, heart thundering. He was right. The photo. The lingerie. The heat between us. I didn’t feel embarrassed.
I felt powerful.
“That’s two things off your list,” he said, turning me around to face him. “We’re making progress.”
“And the next?” I asked, voice softer than I meant.
“Patience,” he said, kissing me slow, teasing. “Come back to bed.”
He took my hand and led me across the room again, but this time, he didn’t push me down or climb on top of me.
Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, leaned back on his elbows, and looked up at me like I was the only thing he wanted to worship.
“Get on top,” he said.
I blinked. “Wait, what?”
“I want you to take control.” His eyes roamed over my body in that barely-there red lace. “I want to feel you ride me.”
My mouth went dry.
“You sure?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t.”
My skin prickled with anticipation. I climbed into his lap slowly, knees on either side of his hips, the thin fabric of the lingerie doing nothing to hide how wet I was. He pulled me down until I was straddling him, our bodies pressed tight.
I could feel his cock through his boxers—hot, thick, twitching against me. My hips moved on instinct, grinding down. His breath hitched.
“Fuck, Aria…” he groaned. “That’s it.”
He leaned forward, kissing my chest, dragging his tongue along the lace until it was damp. I moaned, rocking against him harder. His hands gripped my hips, guiding the movement but letting me lead.
“Don’t stop,” he said, voice strained. “Take what you need.”
I did. I rolled my hips in slow, filthy circles, dragging my wetness across him again and again. The friction was delicious, maddening.
“God, that feels good,” I gasped.
He cupped my ass, pulling me closer, grinding me down harder against his length. I threw my head back, chasing every jolt of pleasure, the sensation building too fast to control.
“I’m gonna—oh my God—Xander—”
He caught my waist and pulled me flush against him, holding me tight as I trembled and came right there on his lap, crying out into the crook of his neck. My whole body shook with it, thighs clenched tight, muscles spasming around nothing but desperate heat and soaked lace.
I collapsed against his chest, panting, dazed. He stroked my back slowly, lips brushing my temple.
“That was…” I started, still catching my breath.
“Hot as fuck,” he finished. “You were incredible.”
I looked up at him, flushed and breathless. “I want you.”
His brow lifted slightly. “You already have me.”
“No, I mean…” I hesitated. “I want you to be my first. Right now.”
His hands stopped. His jaw clenched.
“No.”
I blinked. “No?”
He smoothed my hair back, eyes serious but tender. “Not yet.”
“Why?” I whispered.
“Because we’re doing this on your terms. And your list doesn’t end with sex. It ends before it.” He traced a finger down my cheek. “I’m not letting you skip the rest just to rush into something that changes everything.”
“But I’m ready—”
He cupped my face. “You think you are. But when that moment comes, I want it to feel like the end of something beautiful, not just a box checked off.”
I swallowed hard. My body was aching, throbbing for him, but I understood. Deep down, I knew he was right.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m done with you tonight,” he added, his voice dropping.
He laid me back on the bed and knelt between my thighs, pulling my lingerie aside with a wicked grin.
“You’re not sleeping until I hear you scream my name again.”
“Xander—”
His tongue replaced his fingers before I could finish the sentence.
Hot. Wet. Relentless.
He licked me like he was trying to memorize every sound I made, every shake of my thighs, every broken moan. I clutched the sheets, hips bucking, head tossing as he took his time.
“Fuck, right there—Xander—”
He groaned against me, the vibration pushing me right over the edge. I came again, harder this time, legs shaking uncontrollably.
I barely felt him crawl up beside me.
All I remember is the weight of his arm around my waist, his hand brushing the hair from my face, and the low rumble of his voice as I drifted into sleep.
“Get some rest, Aria. You’ve earned it.”
30
