Chapter 233: Say My Name

Aaron

No one had told her. No one had given her the courtesy of a warning. I watched her face fall, her cheeks pale as a rush of panic swept over her features. She was still holding the toothbrush, gripping it so tightly her knuckles were white.

“Maeve, we… We don’t have to do this right now, you know. We can wait until you’re comfortable-”

“Why did no one tell me? You tried to tell me earlier, in the gym, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I thought it would be better coming from someone, I don’t know, in control? Horace, or Gemma-”

“Horace!” she exclaimed, turning away from me and retreating back into the bathroom. I heard her toss the toothbrush onto the counter, her figure hidden by the door that she left ajar. She came back out of the bathroom, scrunching her hair with a towel. *Horace is the last person I would want…” She trailed off, another wave of panic gripping her.

“It’s going to be okay. Like I said, we don’t have to do this now

”

“We should just get it over with, right? It’ll be quick, right?”

“Uh…” Well, it probably would be quick, but I bit my lip without saying that out loud. “Do you know what to uh.”

“Are you asking me if I know what to do?” Her face went from pale to red in a matter of seconds.

“Yeah, I am. Do you know what’s going to

happen?”

“I think I understand the gist of,”

“Okay, good.”

“Good.”

We stared at each other, the fire in Maeve’s cheeks still burning a bright, fiery red against the stark white of her fluffy, shapeless robe. I willed myself not to say anything to mess with her, but the word ‘marshmallow’ was hanging on the edge of my tongue.

“Have you ever done this before?”

“Done what?”

She glared at me, shifting her weight from one long, shapely leg to the other. Maybe a little jest here and there would loosen her up a bit, make her more comfortable with me. I tilted my head to the side, my brow arched as I waited for her reply.

“Have you ever…”

“Have I ever had sex? Yes, I have.” I crossed my legs, my ankle balanced on my knee as I watched her face change. “Have you?”

Her mouth dropped open. “Of course I haven’t!”

“Alright, alright,” I said, holding my hands up in apology. “Do you want me to tell you about it?”

“No!” She was trembling, her lower lip sticking out a little as she stood, her hair dripping onto the floor.

“Look, Maeve. We knew this was coming. How can I make you more comfortable? Do you want to

do this in my room instead?”

She shook her head, stuffing her hands into her pockets. I stood up, walking across the room where a rope of silk thread hung on the wall, an old-fashioned apparatus that rang a bell in the kitchen several stories below.

“What are you doing?”

“Ordering something to drink. I think we could both use it. What do you want, wine? Beer?”

“Wine gives me a headache-”

“Beer it is.”

In a matter of moments, a maid knocked on the door, and I asked for a few bottles of beer to be brought up. “Just leave it outside the door, okay?”

The maid retreated into the darkened hallway, and I turned back to Maeve.

“Take off your robe.”

Her eyes went wide, then narrowed as she brought her arms up to hug her chest protectively.

“Look, I know this was a shock. I’m sorry no one warned you this was happening tonight, I really am. There are two ways we can do this, okay? We either get naked right now, get it over with, or I ask the maid for a turkey baster-”

She sputtered with laughter; her cheeks puffed as she tried to hold it in. Some of the tension in my shoulders eased at the sight, and I let out my breath. I didn’t blame her for being nervous. I was nervous, too. But it was different for her. This was her first time.

I reached behind me and flipped the light switch. The room was encased in darkness, the only light that of the moonlight coming through the window. I reached up, slowly undoing the buttons on my shirt, watching her face as I undressed. “See, it’s not that bad,” I said gently, taking a step forward as I pulled the shirt off and tossed it on the ground.

I reached for my belt buckle, my hands lingering on the leather as I watched her expression. I was waiting for something like acceptance to pass behind her eyes, but she only stared, her eyes wide and deeply blue in the darkness.

She had been so open to me the night before, when I had her pressed against the wall in that alleyway.copy right hot novel pub