Page 55 of The Fall Fix Up

“There you go,” Janae whispered heatedly as she carved her hands through his hair. Her body was still tense and Aiden breathed deep as he came back into himself. “Is it weird to say you’re pretty when you come?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “You can call me whatever you want. But I’m not done.” He drew back, shivering slightly as his dick slid from between her thighs. He looked down but didn’t hesitate to bend down. Maybe it was ridiculous, but the sight of his cum beading between her lips had him hungry for more.

“What are you—” Janae’s voice cut off when Aiden slid his tongue back inside, groaning at the taste of them combined on his tongue. When he added his fingers, she let out a wail that had his hairs standing up. “I’m keeping you.”

Janae’s words trailed off as she came again, back arching against the sheets as her voice called out into the night. Aiden was flying high on her climax as he stayed pressed close. He wanted this and so much more, and he resolved to make Janae want to never let him go.

Chapter 22

Aiden woke slowly. He turned over, reaching out to the other side of the bed and unsurprisingly finding it empty. He knew Janae was probably gone to work by now. She had wanted to be up early to say goodbye to Braeden, who was heading to Atlanta, and have breakfast with her before she left. When he glanced at the clock, he saw it was half past nine. He didn’t have to go into the shop early this morning, so he took his time getting up.

The sheets were still warm underneath him. When he buried his head into the pillows, he could still smell the scent of her shampoo, the citrusy fragrance standing out even with the scent of fabric softener. He stretched, slow and a little lazy, every nerve and muscle still humming with the evidence of last night. Janae was creative not just artistically but also between the sheets, and he’d found himself enjoying being the canvas for her explorations. Janae was clearly the full package, and she hadn’t batted an eye when he showcased just how much he enjoyed the taste of having both of them on his tongue.

He grinned to himself before sitting up with a groan. They’d only been doing this for two nights, but having her skin press against his, her laughter floating in the air, had left him gluttonous for more. He wanted months and years of the same routine, filled with early-morning coffees and days spent quietly together. It was a future that had always appealed to him and one he’d simultaneously wondered if he’d ever have. Janae had been open and unhindered in her passions, whispering his name while clutching him close in a way that didn’t feel like a fling. It felt easy. It felt right. He wondered if she felt the same. Conversations like that were hard for Aiden, but he was slowly realizing that it was okay to ask for things. He didn’t have to feel bad for wanting more.

It hit Aiden square in the chest that he was happy. There were still things for him to fix in his life, namely this ongoing issue with his dad, but overall he was content. He hadn’t felt this way in a long time, if ever. With a smile, he got out of bed and grabbed his jeans from the night before. He padded down the quiet hallway and into the kitchen. Warm morning light poured in from the window and he grabbed his usual mug to pour himself some coffee. He could picture Janae in the morning, bonnet still lopsided from sleep as she stood waiting for the old coffee maker to gurgle and spit out its brew. He wondered if she touched her lips and thought about his kisses, or if she felt the soft ache in her muscles that came from a good evening. He leaned against the counter, smiling down at his mug.

“I should make it official with her,” he said aloud. There was no one in the room to give their opinion, but the sun did seem a little brighter, as if it agreed. But then, the doubts crept in. He wasn’t free of his baggage. Not yet. Maybe he should wait so they could start something, something that would be free of his past baggage as much as possible. Aiden was still living here rent-free. He wasn’t even able to get his name on a rental lease, never mind a whole house. What did he have to offer Janae that wasn’t manual labor? But then he remembered her whispered words—how she’d said she wanted to keep him. To some, it might have sounded too possessive, but to him it made him want.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts and Aiden frowned before putting down his mug. He knew Janae had plenty of friends, but no one had ever dropped by out of the blue since he’d moved in. Then again, Janae was also at school, so who could possibly be knocking? He walked to the front door and didn’t think twice about pulling it open. Maybe he should have.

“Rowan?”

His sister stood there, sunglasses covering her eyes while her lips were flattened in a thin line. “Aiden. Hi.” Her voice was soft, but there was an undercurrent of something in it. “Can I come in for a moment?”

He shook himself and nodded. “Yeah, of course. Come on in.” He backed up and gestured for her to come inside. Once she had, she glanced around the living room before pulling off her sunglasses.

Looking at her was like looking into a mirror from the future. They were far enough apart in age that Aiden had still been young when she left. For a while, he’d thought she would come back after a couple days, but when months turned into years, he’d realized that she had really and truly left. But she looked good. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her hazel eyes were clear as they looked at him.

“Do you want some coffee?” he asked, not sure what to offer her. “I can brew another pot.”

“No, it’s fine. I can’t stay long as it is.” She took a seat on the couch and Aiden copied her, sitting on the other side. When Rowan turned to gaze steadily at him, a lump formed in his throat as he waited for what she had to say. “Your friend Vini called me.”

He blinked slowly before frowning. That was not what he was expecting her to say. “What? Why would she call you?”

“Because of Dad. She said there was a situation with your credit and he was involved.” Her gaze softened, though her voice stayed just as firm. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

Aiden’s stomach dropped. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to keep his expression neutral. Damn it, Vini. He hadn’t wanted Rowan to get involved with all this. Especially not when he was still trying to figure out how to handle it. “It’s fine. I didn’t want to drag you into something that wasn’t a big deal.”

“‘Not a big deal’?” she repeated. “Aiden, you don’t need to protect me by keeping secrets, especially not when they leave you homeless.”

“I’m not homeless, Rowan. I literally live here.”

“Yes, but do you have any other choice?” She frowned when he didn’t answer. “Aiden . . . I know you probably went through a lot after I left—”

“No,” he interrupted, standing up. “You don’t need to do this, Rowan. You didn’t need to even come here. I’m not trying to keep secrets, okay? Dad just made a poor decision, and my credit is a little wonky right now. I’ll fix it. Family helps family.”

“Family?” she said, standing up as well. “Family shouldn’t be weaponized like that. Family shouldn’t actively try to ruin your life.”

“Family is everything, Rowan. If you don’t have it, you have nothing.”

She gave him a look that he didn’t know how to interpret. “You sound just like him.”

Aiden frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what I said. Dad was always talking about putting family first, but what he really means is put him before all—even your future.” Her voice cracked when she finished, but her gaze was steady. “This isn’t the first time he’s made a little mistake, Aiden. Why do you think I left?”

Aiden couldn’t help but scoff. “I already know why you left. It messed me up enough when I realized it, so we don’t need to talk about it.”