Page 80 of Check You Out

All too soon, the tide recedes and I flop back onto the pillows, my bones melted into a pile of mush. Aidan brings himself to hover just over me, planting kisses along my check, my chin, my eye lids, my forehead, my mouth.

“Charlotte,” he murmurs between kisses. “Do you still want me to fuck you?”

“Oh, yes,” I murmur back.

“Turn over.”

I obey happily. Aidan places his hands on my hips and drags my ass back to him. Panting, I gaze at him through the mirror set up on the wall on the other side of my bed.

“Can I fuck you like this?” He spreads my legs wide and nudges himself toward my warm wet entrance.

“Yes.” This angle seems to expose the delicate organ in a way that sends my back arching and my hips pressing farther into him.

Aidan sinks into me, and with each glorious inch I feel the pressure building up yet again, bringing me back to life and solidifying my bones.

“Fuck,” he hisses when he’s finally fully inside me. “I’m not sure if I’m ever going to get used to this.”

I grip the sheets and let out a low laugh. “Go slow. We have plenty of time.”

He nods and his Adam’s apple bobs. “Just give me a moment to settle. Fuck, you feel amazing.” He opens his eyes and a dimple flashes as he smiles. “Are you ok?”

“Yes,” I reply and brace my forearms against the bed. “I’m more than ok.”

Aidan bends his arms and his plants a row of kisses along my spine. I shiver and resist the urge to arch my back. Letting out a chuckle, he straightens, moving slowly at first, but gradually picks up the pace. I move with him, trying my best to match his stride, but it’s difficult when I can feel myself coming undone. His thrusts become frantic. Aidan’s breaths turn into animalistic groans that ripple throughout my body.

Fuck, I love a man who groans.

“Charlotte,” he pleads, peeling his mouth from mine.

I respond with a cry, tossing my head back and jerking as spasms course through me. I swear my heart stops as another orgasm crashes over me.

“Charlotte,” Aidan gasps out my name and follows with one last hard thrust that strikes me to my very core. I collapse on the bed and bring him down with me. He clutches my body to his chest as we lay there. He takes a strand of my hair and twirls it between his thumb and forefinger. He whispers my name repeatedly like it’s a prayer. “Charlotte. Charlotte. Charlotte.”

If I could keep the library open and have Aidan in my bed every night, I would be happy. I want to hold onto this moment and never let go.

It’s only after we reluctantly extricate ourselves from each other and I’m on the toilet while Aidan is in the shower that the realization hits me like a stupidly big gender affirming truck.

I’m falling in love with Aidan Talbot.

34

Aidan

6 Days until the Council Meeting

“Well,” Charlotte says to the committee. “This is it. Our final committee meeting before the big day. How are we feeling?” Her gaze travels from person to person as they react in a chorus of mostly neutral with some negatives.

Johnny shifts in his chair and grumbles, “Nervous.”

I nod in agreement. It’s the Wednesday after the protest and while we had built momentum, there’s still anxiety in the air.

The protest was great and completely uneventful. The weather was perfect, warm and overcast, but in a way that didn’t threaten rain. Johnny and Georgie had a BBQ cook-off. Many people attending the Farmers’ Market joined us on a whim, and the vibes were festive and joyful. At one point, Georgie led the group in an off-beat and off-key rendition of “We are the Champions” by Queen. When I asked Charlotte about the song choice, she shrugged.

Best of all, no counter protesters showed up. No one even flipped us off as they drove by. It’s almost like funding our library is not as divisive as we thought.

“Language, Mr. Riccini!” Mayor Harrington snaps. “We have children here.” She gestures to the Senior and Ambassador Scouts, who giggle in response.

I’m tempted to say that these kids have said even worse in the hallways of their own school, but I bite my tongue.